The supremacy and sovereignty of
God in His Assembly is much pressed in 1 Corinthians, chapter 12. We read in
verse 28 how "God hath set some in the church." If in verse 4 Paul
talks of "diversities of gifts," then in verse 6 he says, "It is
the same God which worketh all in all." Evidently in Corinth (and I do not
think, beloved brethren, Corinth was the only place where the tendency came
out, if I know the history of the Church of God, whether in days gone by or in
our own) there was the working of the human will and mind, and a desire on the
part of some to have a place of importance. Manifestly there was no desire on
the part of Paul or Apollos to take this place, but there was the endeavor on
the part of some foolish men to put either them or others in such a place. (See
chap. 4:5, 6, 7.) Notice how the apostle slays all this factionary work.
"It is the same God that worketh all in all." He would slay
all schism, and division, and school, and party of every kind. If it is a
question of the Body it is not Paul or Apollos but, "Now hath God set the
members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him" (ver. 18).

If I think of the Church as it
is presented here in Corinth, I see that God has set the members in the Body
according to His own will. Do you know, beloved brother, why you are where you
are? why you are located just where you are? If there be true subjection to God
and subservience to Him, you will feel and own that you are in the spot where
it has pleased God to set you, and that is everything. The moment I see that
God has set that brother in his place, and this one in his, I am content and
say, ‘Thank God for that servant and his ministry!" It is his place, not
mine. So, if I am right I neither emulate nor ape it, being just satisfied with
my own place and niche in the Body (ver. 24). "God has tempered the body
together. . . ." God has arranged all, for we read again, "God hath
set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly
teachers" (ver. 28). Here we have not a complete list of gifts, for that
we do not get anywhere in Scripture. We have some gifts mentioned in Romans 12,
others in Ephesians 4, and many here, but not in any case a complete and
detailed list. In each passage the gifts named are seen to be in connection
with the special truth the Spirit of God is bringing before the saints at the
moment.

Here it is striking to observe
that the list includes no evangelist. The reason is not difficult to
understand. The apostle is instructing the saints about their coming together
and the order of the Assembly before the Lord, and it is not there that the gift
of the evangelist is in exercise. I feel strongly that the evangelist is of the
Assembly and belongs to it. No evangelist is working according to the truth
unless he is working in conjunction and, if possible, in whole-hearted
fellowship with the Assembly. Then he naturally helps his converts to gravitate
towards the Assembly. In the apostle’s days that was a natural thing and the
convert was like a fish out of water if he did not get among the saints. In the
Assembly was the power of the Spirit:there the Spirit reigned while outside
darkness and the devil reigned. Today in the divided state of things which
marks Christendom, it is very different and I think an evangelist ought to be
very careful in urging reception of his converts by the Assembly. For myself I
am very careful how I seek to introduce any who profess to have been blessed by
my ministry. I think my brethren are far better able to judge than I am myself
of my work. This is a most important principle and I think I see it in
Scripture, that is, in Acts 8 where Philip went down to Samaria. Philip is the
only man in Scripture called "the evangelist," and a fine
warm-hearted fellow he was, a real fisher of men. He caught a great many fish
in Samaria, and he thought he had caught a great fish when Simon the sorcerer
professed to believe and was baptized. Philip would have brought him into the
Assembly if the Lord in His grace had not sent down Peter and John to detect
him and keep him out.

It is a
great thing for the Assembly to be exercised about the reception of souls who
confess the Lord. I would like to add a little word with regard to the
responsibility of the saints generally in regard to the reception of souls
desiring fellowship in the breaking of bread. This is far too often left to the
two or three who may commend such. It is necessary, and very nice that they
should be commended, but we ought to have in our souls more distinctly the
sense that it is the Assembly that receives, as it is the Assembly who may have
to dismiss or put away. If the saints were more exercised as to this it would
be greatly for the profit of the Assembly, and tend toward practical
fellowship. Let us remember it is God’s Assembly, and may all things be done
"decently and in order," for His name’s sake.