(Continued from page 429.)
The statement in Acts 2:41, 42 that those who received the Word and were baptized "continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship," embraced only the truth of salvation through Christ; but further revelation through the ministry of the apostle Paul was to complete the canon of Scripture. (See Col. 1:25, 26). This embraced "the revelation of the mystery," which had not been made known before; so the words, "the apostles' doctrine and fellowship," may be given a wider application in our day.
The fellowship enjoyed by the saints on the day of Pentecost, in which they "continued steadfastly," was by no means confined to the breaking of bread; a most precious ordinance, which, however, there is 'a danger of talking out of its place as given in the word of God. We must not, therefore, limit our thought of fellowship to the act of breaking bread, a mistake which would rob us of much that is precious and important.
Fellowship in the Beginning
On the day of Pentecost, a divine unity was formed by the Holy Spirit. Believers were not merely an aggregate of saved persons, but by the Spirit were baptized, or united, in one Body of which Christ risen is the Head. The will of man did not form it-as in the case of a human organization-nor is its maintenance or direction by man's will. The Holy Spirit which formed that Body is alone competent to direct it; and He has the deepest and most intimate interest in carrying out and maintaining this unity for the fulfilment of the Father's counsels and the glory of His Son.
No power can break this unity, since its maintenance is the Spirit's work; but we are exhorted to "keep with diligence the unity of the Spirit, in the uniting bond of peace" (Eph. 4:3). It is not only a question of suitable conduct (an important matter, of course), but if the individual position be ever so clearly understood, and the affections and walk correspondingly excellent, it would be serious indeed to overlook or belittle this important truth by not endeavoring to keep the Spirit's unity.
The true ground of gathering for believers in this dispensation is that of the Body of Christ.
This is the only ground or principle of gathering together, for fellow-believers now. Let us consider one or two of our relationships:
(1) The Relationship of "saints" would not be characteristic of this dispensation. Saints there were from the beginning; as 1 Sam. 2:9 and many other scriptures show.
(2) Relationship of the "children of God." This again is not peculiar to this dispensation, as it includes men of faith throughout past dispensations. Not until Israel was called out of Egypt was there a gathering together by God, but even this was national, not vital; it was a mixture of saints and sinners. It separated Jews from Gentiles, but in the present dispensation God recognizes "Jews, Gentiles, and the Church of God" (1 Cor. 10:32).
It is assuredly true that the saints of God are one company, and children of God gather together; but the fact of their being "saints" and "children" could not make Jew and Gentile one. In the past and in the future (not in the Church)Jew and Gentile remain distinct, whatever may be the work of grace in the soul.
The early Christians evidenced that Spirit-formed unity by their godly care and interest in one another; they were "of one heart and one soul," and "great grace was upon them all." As yet there was no departure from the truth; there was nothing among them inconsistent with the truth of the one Body. But we are not at the beginning of the dispensation. We are in what Scripture terms "the last days," days of sad departure, and confessed difficulty. Indeed, the true heart may often repeat the words of Moses, "Show me now thy way." Amid the babel of voices and confusion of tongues, how sweet to hear the answering voice, "This is the way; walk ye in it."
Fellowship in the dispensation's closing days.
Has God a way for His people in the present universal failure? Is there a clearly defined path for faith in these closing days? If we ask, Has the Word of God changed? Faith readily answers, "No." Has the revealed Word altered in any wise through man's failure? Again the answer must be in the negative. Whatever the failure of the Assembly, whatever the character of the day in which we live, our privilege and responsibility is to walk according to the mind of God as revealed in His Word.
Someone has asked, "Should we not spread the Lord's Supper free from all sectarian names and communion, throw open the door, and invite all who love the Lord to come together? For, in fact, the one loaf upon the table does bear witness that we are 'one bread, one Body,' and there is no other body that faith can own but the Body of Christ."
Why should we not do this? I answer, The Lord has a welcome for all His own. That is right; but He is the "Holy and the True" who welcomes them, and He cannot give up His nature. How has the true Church become the invisible Church? Has it been without sin on her part? Is it her misfortune, not her fault? Take those seven epistles in Revelation, and trace the descent from the loss of first love in Ephesus to the sufferance of that woman Jezebel in Thyatira, and on through dead Sardis, to the present time; can we ignore the past, and, as though nothing had happened, begin again? What would it be but mere hardness of heart to say ro? Suppose an invitation "to all Christians" were accepted, and that we were able to reassemble all the members of Christ at the supper-brought together with their jarring views, their worldly entanglement, their evil associations-how far would this answer to the character implied by the Lord's Table? How far would He be owned and honored in this coming together? With the cause of all the scattering not searched out and judged, what would such a gathering be but a defiance of the holy discipline by which the saints were scattered? What would it be but another Babel? Can we tolerate the thought that such an external unity would be dear to Christ? Could He desire it apart from true cleansing and fellowship in truth?
All this was felt by many of the Lord's people in the past century; it led them to see that they were responsible to cleanse themselves from all worldly and sectarian associations, and act in obedience to the Word of God. This led to a great accession of light in the Lord, resulting in a coming together in His name alone, to partake of the supper, and for worship and prayer in dependence upon the Holy Spirit. There was no effort to rebuild what man's sin had broken down, nor to start some new movement with a better creed, or more correct ecclesiastical procedure. They believed the promise of Matt. 18:20 remained true for faith, and they acted upon it.
The freshness of those "early days" was a reflex of what characterized the early Church. Unworldliness, devotion to the Lord, love to His people, and the expectation of Christ's speedy return characterized them. The history of the movement is a record of God's unfailing goodness, and of the sufficiency of God's Word and the Spirit's presence. But the enemy's effort to mar and spoil has not been lacking. Human weakness caused the fine gold to become dim; worldliness opened the door for independency and division, calling for deep humiliation and confession on the part of those to whom God in grace gave such privileges and light.
Thus we are ever reminded of man's failure. Even in the days of the apostles many left the side of Paul for an easier path.
Still, the truth remains, and to the end of the dispensation we are promised an "open door" (Rev. 3:8). The word is, "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His, and Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity" (2 Tim. 2:19). That which bears His name is likened unto a great house where there are divers vessels, some to honor and some to dishonor; from the latter, those who would be faithful are bidden to separate, that the Master may have pleasure in using them for His service. Wherever evil is entrenched or suffered, separation is imperative if we would be true to Christ. Personal holiness is enjoined not in isolation, but "with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." J. W. H. N.
(To be continued, D. V.)