(Col. 3:16.)

(Continued from p. 183.)

The exhortations we have been considering relate to our enjoyment of Christian intercourse with one another, which can only be properly and fully realized in obedience to the commands which have come before us- "Put to death"-"Put off"-"Put on"-"Add love"- "Let the peace of Christ preside"-and now, "Let the Word of the Christ dwell in you richly." These lead to mutual edification, worship-filled hearts, consecration of life's activities, with thankfulness to God the Father by the Lord Jesus.

There is no spirit of isolation here, for while all is intensely individual to begin with, the welfare and blessing of others is in view throughout; all bearing a relation to that unity into which we have been called, the practical expression of which we are to use all diligence to keep in the uniting bond of peace.

These verses (1-17) give us in precious and important detail a full picture of Christian morality. Of this Christ is the center and sum. He is kept before us.

We are raised with Christ.

Our life is hid with Christ in God.

Christ is our life.

Christ is all and in all

It is Christ's forgiveness we know.

It is the peace of Christ which is to rule our hearts.

It is Christ's Word which is to richly dwell in us.

And everything is to be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by Him we render our thanks. Through Him we have access by one Spirit to the Father. "By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise continually to God, that is, the fruit of the lips confessing His name." "Giving thanks at all times for all things to Him who is God and the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ" (Eph. 2:18; Heb. 13:IS; Eph. 5:20).

Thus in this Epistle, as we have already seen, the Spirit emphasizes how the full truth and blessing of Christianity, and so of God's full revelation, the full knowledge of His will, purpose, grace and glory, center in Christ-His Person, work, and place in glory.

We might think of the Word of Christ as having reference to the whole of Scripture, for it witnesses to Him throughout; but the reference is more specific. It directs attention to the New Testament ministry of which the revelation committed to Paul is the completion, the crown. The enemy sought not only to diminish its importance, but also to introduce elements which were presented as being a fuller and more advanced revelation -indeed, claimed to be God's full knowledge in which Christ had a part, but was not set forth as preeminent in all things (ch. 1:18,19). Thus Christ was denied His place as Head (ch. 2:18,19).

The enemy began this great effort against the truth in Paul's day. It grew apace as the years passed by such as Jude speaks of (vers. 4, 8-14,18,19), and Peter (2 Pet. 2:1-3), so that before the close of the apostolic era evil men and seducers were manifest. Through such came in what was announced as advanced and fuller forms of mystery-teaching, out of which came the denial of Jesus Christ come in flesh. In John's day they had gone out of the Christian company, setting up their doctrine and gathering their own company as distinct from it. Of such misleaders John warns the believers, calling upon them to abide in that which is from the beginning "the Word of the Christ"-of which Paul speaks- for they (the misleaders) had gone forward, not abiding in "the doctrine of the Christ," and so did not bring it. Here the term used (the logos of the Christ) means not merely the word uttered, but embodies the conception, the thought-it includes the processes of thought as well as the expression in words. In regard to this Christ is the object before us as to authorship and subject-matter. Paul speaks of the gospel he preached as received "by revelation of Jesus Christ" (Gal. 1:12). Comp. Rev. 1:1. Didache (doctrine, or teaching of the Christ) as used by John does not signify anything different from the logos of the Christ, or indicate something specific therein, some special point of doctrine; this word signifies not only the kind of doctrine taught but the mode of teaching, for this distinguishes what is referred to from all else. It refers to manner or mode, not simply matter or substance-not only what is communicated but also the way it is communicated. Christ began it, and continued it by the Holy Spirit through the apostles and prophets of the New Testament-the "we" of whom John speaks, and who are of God (2 John 4:6). It is that which Christ Himself began to teach, and continued by means of chosen vessels through whom by the Holy Spirit He gave the complete and perfect revelation. So Jude can speak of "the faith once [not formerly, but once for all, so 'that no other faith will be given,' Vincent and Bengel] de livered to the saints." It is "the doctrine, or teaching taught," as in Tit. 1:9 (New Trans.); in other words the body of Christian truth. Not to abide in the instruction thus given, but go forward into what is given in another manner or mode, even by the spirit of error, is to abandon the truth which is from the beginning. It is to apostatize by giving heed to the "doctrines, or teachings of demons" (1 Tim. 4:1). Such are those who abide not in the doctrine, and do not bring it (2 John). They were to be refused without compromise or hesitation – they were deceivers and antichrists (1 John 2:18,19; 4:1-6; .2 John).

In view of what was so soon to arise through Satan's efforts, how important the exhortation, "Let the Word of the Christ dwell in you richly." This all in Asia did not obey, they turned away from Paul (2 Tim. 1:15); hence too the apostle's earnest words to Timothy as to abiding in what he had learned, stressing the importance of the Holy Scriptures and the preaching of the Word (2 Tim. 3:13-4:5), "for wicked men and juggling impostors shall advance in evil, leading and being led astray"-such are found in John's Epistles and are called "misleaders," or "deceivers." The rendering of William Kelly in his Notes on John's Epistles.' Having "received the Christ, Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him, and assured in the faith, even as ye have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving" (Col. 2:6,7). What we are warned against is the bringing in of what is supposed development in divine things, the setting forth of new and supposedly fuller, higher teaching in comparison to which the apostolic teaching was accounted elementary, so that there was a going forward, not abiding in the doctrine of the Christ. To-day we find those early errors presented in modern dress, often draped in Christian nomenclature by which the enemy easily deceives the unwary. They are found in such systems as Russellism, Eddyism, Theosophy, Christadelphianism, Seventh-day Adventism, Annihilationism, Restorationism, and in what we know as Modernism. Sometimes real believers may become ensnared in one of these wicked forms of "systematized error" (see Eph. 4:11-16, New Trans.), and then we need to act upon the word to Timothy (2 :24-26) and that of Jude (vers. 22,23).But one who comes teaching such wickedness is not to be even accorded a greeting.

The rendering of William Kelly in his Notes on John’s Epistle. (To be continued, D. V.) J. Bloore