Characteristics of the Early

                   Church:Assembly Meetings

There is a tendency among
Christians today—even among those who are truly born again—to be content with
being a part of the "electronic church." They watch or listen to a
certain quota of Christian programs each week—many with profitable ministry no
doubt—and feel they have fulfilled their obligation to Christ and His Church.

As noted in Part I of this series,
the Greek word, ekklesia, for Church expresses the thought of an
assembling of people. The chief activity of the local ekklesia or church
is being assembled together for worship, prayer, ministry of the Word of God,
or decision-making. The Lord Jesus, in anticipating the formation of His body,
the Church, expressed it this way:"Where two or three are gathered
together in My name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:20).

In the first weeks and months of
the Church, the believers in their first love came together daily to
hear the teaching of the apostles, and for fellowship, breaking of bread, and
prayer (Acts 2:42-47). About 25 years later, the disciples seem to have had the
practice of gathering on the first day of the week (that is the Lord’s day or
Sunday) to break bread. When the apostle Paul came to Troas, he stayed seven
days. "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came
together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the
morrow" (Acts 20:6,7). It appears that the apostle stayed in Troas for seven days for the express purpose of being with the assembly when they
"came together to break bread." They openly expressed their
membership in the Church—the body of Christ—by being gathered together around
their risen Head.

The expression "gathered
together" in Matthew 18:20 is sunegmenoi—which refers not so much
to a voluntary action by the believers but a being drawn together by the power
of the Holy Spirit and attracted to Christ in their midst. The greatest joy of
heaven will come from being gathered around our Saviour, with "the Lamb as
it had been slain" "in the midst" (Rev. 5:6). It is God’s desire
that we should begin to experience this joy on earth by being gathered around
the Lord Jesus as members of His body.

What makes these meetings so
special is that there is no human leader in them. The same Spirit who gathers
the members of the body together is also the Leader who focuses all on
Christ the Head in the midst (John 16:14). There are at least four kinds of
these meetings:

1. The Lord’s Supper or
remembrance meeting. The words "came together" in Acts 20:7 are
from the Greek word sunegmenoi. Thus we have a link with "gathered
together" in Matt. 18:20. The purpose of this meeting is to meditate upon
the body or person of the Lord Jesus in all His holiness and perfection (Psa.
40:6-10; Luke 1:35; 2:51,52; 3:22; Acts 3:14; 2 Cor. 5:21; Rev. 4:8; etc.) and
in all His suffering for our sakes on the cross (Psa. 22:1-21; 69:1-21; Isa.
52:13-53:12; Matt. 26:36-27:50; etc.); and upon the tremendous value of His
precious, atoning blood (Rom. 3:25; 5:9; Eph. 1:7; 2:13; Col. 1:20; Heb. 10:19;
1 Pet. 1:19; 1 John 1:7; Rev. 1:5; 5:9; etc.).  In this way we
"remember" Him and "show the Lord’s death till He come" (1
Cor. 11:24-26). What a precious privilege is afforded us in being gathered
together with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself in our midst—both the Object and
the Leader (Psa. 22:22; Heb. 2:12) of our praise and worship. It is truly a
foretaste of heaven on earth.

2. The assembly prayer meeting.
In the immediate context of Matt. 18:20 we read, "If two of you shall
agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for
them of My Father who is in heaven" (verse 19). Here we have the
foreshadowing of an assembly prayer meeting with the smallest possible number
of participants—two.

In Acts 4, with the Church now in
existence, we read of a real assembly prayer meeting. The apostles Peter and
John, upon being released from prison, "went to their own company"
(verse 23). After the assembly heard Peter and John’s report, "they lifted
up their voice to God with one accord" (verse 24). (Note the similarity
with Matt. 18:19.) Observe what they prayed for:not for protection from trials
and persecution; not for judgment to come upon the persecutors; but for
boldness to speak God’s Word in the midst of a hostile world (verse 29). How
quickly and powerfully was that united, assembly prayer answered:"When
they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled [or gathered]
together [sunegmenoi]; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit,
and they spoke the Word of God with boldness" (verse 31).

Another wonderful example of an
assembly prayer meeting is found in Acts 12. We know the story well of how
Peter, upon being released from prison, went to the very place where the
assembly was gathered in prayer for him (verses 5,12).

Surely there is great power in
assembly prayer! It is sad to see how little value is placed on the assembly
prayer meeting in so many local churches and assemblies today. Sometimes just a
small fraction of the assembly is present at such meetings. Where are you—my
reader friend—to be found at the time of the weekly prayer meeting? Do you
realize that Christ is there in the midst just as in the remembrance meeting?
The One in whose name we pray (John 14:13,14; 15:16; 16:23), who prays for us
(John 17:9) and makes intercession for us (Heb. 7:25), and the all-powerful,
all-wise "I AM" who can meet all of our needs, is in our very midst
when we are thus gathered. An assembly can surely expect immense blessing and
experience the power of God when all the saints of the assembly are regularly
gathered together around the Lord in prayer.

3. The meeting for assembly
discipline. While the immediate context of Matt. 18:20 is a prayer meeting,
the broader context is a meeting for discipline:"If your brother shall
trespass against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone….
Take with you one or two more…. Tell it unto the church…. Whatsoever you
shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose on
earth shall be loosed in heaven" (verses 15-18). The apostle Paul gives
instruction concerning an assembly meeting for discipline:"In the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together [sunegmenoi], and
my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto
Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day
of the Lord Jesus" (1 Cor. 5:4,5). Putting people out and receiving people
into fellowship is not the work of a clergyman, not the work of a body of
elders or deacons, but the work of the assembly as a whole, as "gathered
together" "in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." The great
value and power of assembly discipline and other assembly decisions derives
from being gathered around the Lord who guides their decisions and
ratifies them in heaven (Matt. 18:18).

4. The open ministry meeting.
"Being assembled together with them, [Jesus] commanded them that they
should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father."
Jesus went on to tell His disciples, "You shall receive power, after that
the Holy Spirit is come upon you; and you shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the
earth" (Acts 1:4-8). The literal sense of verse 4 is that Jesus had the
disciples gathered together about Himself. In this way, in their midst, He
encouraged and instructed His disciples. This might be considered to be a
precursor to an open ministry meeting where the assembly is gathered together
around the Lord Jesus to receive ministry from Himself through the mouths of
His prophet-servants.

The apostle Paul, in describing
the ministry particularly prominent in the open ministry meeting, wrote,
"He who prophesies speaks unto men to edification, and exhortation, and
comfort" (1 Cor. 14:3). When an assembly is gathered together unto the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ for receiving ministry, there is the promise that
the Lord Himself will be there in the midst, speaking through mouths of
willing, devoted brothers, words of "edification, and exhortation, and
comfort."

Instruction concerning the open
ministry meeting is found in 1 Corinthians 14. "When you come together,
every one of you has a psalm, has a doctrine, has a tongue, has a revelation,
has an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying" (verse 26).
This verse, when read in the context, serves two opposite purposes. First, on
the positive side, it describes the character of the open ministry meeting,
with many believers taking part in different ways. Second, on the negative
side, it suggests that there was disorder in Corinth with this meeting as there
was with the Lord’s Supper. The words, "every one of you," along with
the corrective instructions that follow, show that everybody was trying
to get into the act at such a meeting, and it was resulting in confusion. For
this reason, the apostle Paul was led by the Holy Spirit to write down several
rules, such as limiting the number of speakers, to help bring order to these
meetings (verses 27-35).

5. Other kinds of meetings.
Other meetings of the believers are mentioned in the New Testament. For example,
we read of the apostles preaching and teaching the Word of God to the believers
(Acts 2:42; 20:7) as well as preaching the gospel to a mixed company of
believers and unbelievers (Acts 2:14-26). These have a somewhat different
character from the meetings mentioned above in which the believers were
gathered around Christ, totally depending upon the Holy Spirit to lead one or
another brother in praying, worshiping, reading or ministering the Scriptures,
or giving out a hymn.

Frequency of gatherings for the
Lord’s Supper. As mentioned above, the believers initially had the
"breaking of bread" daily (Acts 2:42) and later weekly (Acts 20:7; 1
Cor. 16:2).

The children of Israel in the Old Testament were to offer a lamb every morning and a lamb every evening as
a continual burnt offering (Exod. 29:38-42). On the Sabbath (the seventh day),
this number was to be doubled. The sacrificed lambs prefigured the sacrificial
death of Christ on the cross for our sins. That which was a picture of the
atoning death of Christ was to be continually kept before the minds of the
Israelites. So it is not surprising that God would want believers in Christ to
have the remembrance of His death frequently before them. "For as often
as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you show the Lord’s death till He
come" (1 Cor. 11:26).

No specific command has been given
as to how often is "often." However, this is the only kind of
gathering the Lord has specifically requested of the believers, so it surely
should be given the highest priority in the local assembly, above teaching,
preaching, Bible study, and even prayer.

We sometimes hear objections to
weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper:"If we do it too frequently, it
will become stale, commonplace, boring." But isn’t it curious that we
seldom hear that objection to eating meals? And the people who spend about 600
hours each year listening to or watching baseball games or watching TV soap
operas, apparently do not find them stale, trite, and boring. On the other
hand, how could we possibly be bored when the Lord Jesus Christ is in our
midst! Is heaven going to become stale, commonplace, and boring after a few
weeks or months or years or millennia? Impossible!!!

Here are some suggested reasons
why the Holy Spirit has told us to remember the Lord often (1 Cor.
11:26):

1. God the Father and Christ our
Saviour surely are worthy of the continual, repeated, collective praise and
worship of saints who have been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. This
will be the eternal theme of the saints in heaven (Rev. 5:8-14). Why should it
not occupy a large place in the believers’ lives here on earth?

2. Each time we do this we enter,
by faith, into the holiest where Christ has preceded us (Heb. 9:11,12,24;
10:19-22). As we do so we are reminded of the need to examine ourselves and
judge the sin in our lives (1 Cor. 11:28-30), to be living holy lives day by
day throughout the week (1 Cor. 5:8), and to be keeping short accounts with God
and with our brothers and sisters in Christ (Matt. 5:23,24).

3. As we physically feed upon the
bread and wine, we spiritually feed upon Christ, being nourished by the Holy
Spirit with fresh thoughts of the perfections, glories, sufferings, and love of
Christ, all of which provide fresh motivation for loving Him in return and for
living godly, obedient, dependent lives throughout the coming week.

Summary and conclusion.

1. God wants all believers in
Christ to be gathered with other believers in the local church or assembly, and
not just stay at home listening to "electronic" preachers and Bible
teachers. "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" (Heb.
10:25).

2. God has designed special
meetings of the assembly in which the gathered believers, in full dependence
upon the leading of the Holy Spirit, enjoy the presence of the Lord Jesus in
their midst (Matt. 18:20).

3. In future installments of this
series, we shall speak more of how such meetings may be conducted as well as of
other ways each individual member of the body of Christ may contribute to the
welfare of the whole.

 

FRAGMENT  "Not forsaking the
assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is" (Heb. 10:25).

If Christ fills
the soul, the effect of it will be to draw us together. We read in Acts 2:1
that "they were all with one accord in one place." What was the
reason? Christ touched the chord in their hearts, and it rang responsive in
every heart that loved the Lord Jesus. We are not drawn together because we
have similarity of taste in natural things, or have the same education, or the
same nationality, or anything of that sort. Rather it is Christ, and Christ
alone, who draws the saints of God and holds them together. Thus we see how
fitting is the exhortation not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together.

Why is there
any need of such an exhortation, "As the manner of some is"? There is
a tendency even in the hearts of those who know Christ, if they grow cold, to
separate and remain apart. This we see in Thomas who was not with the disciples
when the risen Christ first appeared to them. If worldliness comes in, or if
anything obscures Christ from our vision, there is a tendency to turn away from
the fellowship of saints. Thus we need that exhortation. Let us take it as an
index of our state of soul that if we do not love to meet with the people of
God, if we do not love to come together for prayer, for exhortation, and, above
all, for remembering our blessed Lord, it shows He has not the supreme place in
our souls; let us judge the root of it and come back at once.

(From Lectures
on Hebrews by Samuel Ridout.)

 

"Then those who feared the
LORD spoke often one to another; and the LORD hearkened and heard it, and a
book of remembrance was written before Him for those who feared the LORD and
who thought upon His name" (Mal. 3:16).

We have now the introduction of
the remnant, and nothing can be more beautiful than the contrast which is thus
drawn between these hidden saints and the self-righteousness of those by whom
they were surrounded. They had but three characteristics:(1) they "feared
the LORD," (2) they "spoke often one to another," and (3) they
"thought upon [the Lord’s] name." He Himself was the subject of their
thoughts and meditations. Let us look a little at these features.

"They feared the Lord."
This is precisely what the nation was not doing; indeed, they had cast off the
fear of God from before their eyes, as shown by their high-handed
transgressions of His statutes and ordinances, and their entire insensibility
to His claims and the honor of His name. But this pious, feeble remnant feared
Jehovah, feared Him with the fear due to His holy name, with a fear that showed
itself in obedience to His Word. He Himself was their object and hope, their
stay and support, amid the confusion and evil by which they were surrounded.
The LORD was their sanctuary from the power of the enemy on every side.

"They spoke often one to
another." They were drawn together in happy, holy fellowship by their
common objects, common affections, and common needs; and in this way their piety
and their fear of the LORD was sustained and encouraged. It is one of the
consolations of an evil day that in proportion as religious wickedness and
corruption abound, those who have the mind of the LORD are drawn more closely
together. The name of the LORD becomes more precious to those who fear Him when
it is generally dishonored; on the other hand, the power of the enemy drives
those together who are seeking to lift up a standard against him. The object of
the special hostility of Satan, because they form the one barrier to the
success of his efforts, they find their resource and strength in united
communings in the presence of God.

 

They "thought upon His
name." This is associated with the fear of the LORD at the close of verse
16. These two things can never be separated. The name of the LORD is the
expression of all the truth of Jehovah as revealed to His ancient people, just
as now the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to which His people are gathered, is
the symbol of all that He is as unfolded to us in these several terms—"the
Lord," "Jesus," and "Christ." What is meant,
therefore, when it is said, "They thought upon His name," is that
they set themselves to uphold all the truth that had been committed to Israel. This truth was their testimony in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.
Also they were drawn together by their common fear of Jehovah, to maintain the
honor of His name. Their one end and object was to vindicate Jehovah’s name, to
affirm His supremacy, and thus to give Him His rightful place in the midst of Israel. In doing this, though their brethren might despise and contemn them for not
swimming with the stream, they were adopting the one and only means for the
blessing of the nation.

In Luke 1 and 2 we have a living
picture of this God-fearing remnant. In Zacharias, Simeon, and Anna we behold a
few, together with those associated with them, who united all the
characteristics that are found in Mal. 3:16.

Of Zacharias and his wife
Elizabeth it is written, "They were both righteous before God, walking in
all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless" (Luke 1:6). Of
Simeon it is written that he "was just and devout, waiting for the
consolation of Israel; and the Holy Ghost was upon him" (2:25). Of Anna it
is written that "she was a widow of 84 years, who departed not from the
temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day" (2:37).
Such is the lovely picture, drawn by the unerring pencil of the Holy Spirit, of
a few in Jerusalem, amid decay and spiritual death, who feared the Lord, spoke
often to one another, and thought upon His name. Outside of the activities of
the day, and unknown to those in power and influence, they were known by the
Lord and by one another. This was enough for their souls, for their hearts were
fixed on "the consolation of Israel," "the Lord’s Christ,"
and He was sufficient to satisfy their every desire, even as He was the object
of all their hopes.

(From Malachi or The State of Things at the End.)

 

The prophet Elisha, as he traveled
his "circuit," lived as did the old-time preachers of pioneer days.
They did not stay at luxurious hotels or comfortable parsonage houses, but depended
on the generous hospitality of those to whom they sought to be of service in
"things pertaining to God" (Heb. 5:1).

As Elisha journeyed, he was
"constrained" by "a great woman" of Shunem to "eat
bread" occasionally at her well-spread table (2 Ki. 4:8). After the first
acceptance of her hospitality, it became his custom, as often as he passed that
way, to avail himself of her generosity and to drop in for a meal. He was a
prophet, recognized as such by the nation at large, so it seemed only right that
he should be made welcome at her table, just as some today feel it an
obligation to invite the pastor to Sunday dinner.

She was no ordinary woman,
however; so after close and prolonged observation of her guest’s spirit and
behavior, she concluded that he was not just one of the prophets, a graduate of
some such school as that kept by Samuel or some other. She concluded that
Elisha was "a holy man of God" (verse 9). She was no "easy
mark" to be imposed upon by anyone wearing a "rough garment to
deceive" (Zech. 13:4). No, she was a woman of godly discernment; and when
convinced of the prophet’s worthiness, she made known her conclusion to her
husband and proposed that they admit him into the inner circle of their family
life. "Let us make a little chamber, I pray you, on the wall," she
said. "And let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a
candlestick; and it shall be, when he comes to us that he shall turn in
there" (2 Ki. 4:10). Note that she did not go about this arrangement on
her own, independently of the wishes of her husband. She was not one of our
present day "emancipated" women who flaunted her independence, but
was subject to her husband as commanded in holy Scripture (Eph. 5:22; 1 Pet.
3:1-6).

 

Thus we see her already
"great" in three most admirable ways:(1) her kind hospitality toward
the servant of the Lord; (2) her cautious spiritual discernment; and (3) her
tactful, subject approach to her husband in the matter of hospitality toward
the prophet. Hers was no narrow heart, bent only on the selfish enjoyment of
her own commodious home, but desirous of sharing its ample space with the
lonely, homeless man of God whom she had deemed to be "a holy man of
God." If, in the beginning, at the Fall, "the woman, being deceived,
was in the transgression," here one of her worthy daughters retrieves the
clouded reputation in this respect and proves herself a true "discerner of
spirits." Religious impostors are still in evidence, as many have learned
to their cost and sorrow. It becomes all to be on their guard, and, as the
apostle warns, "Beware of evil workers" (Phil. 3:2). Some of these
deceivers may be able to preach with the eloquence of an Apollos, pray with the
fervency of an Elijah, and in conversation their words may be "smoother
than butter." "Believe not every spirit" applies as much today
to those who habituate missions, or insinuate themselves into churches, weak or
otherwise, and thus impose for their own personal benefit on the simple, too
trusting sheep of the flock.

How thoughtful was this really
"great woman" of the requisites of her prophet guest. The
"little chamber" was probably isolated from the noises and
interruptions necessary to the establishment of which his room would form a
part; it was built "on the wall," an apartment disconnected perhaps
from the other rooms of the house and conducive to retirement and quiet for the
man of God. To be much alone with God is an important need of every really
spiritual servant of God. This should not be forgotten by those who out of their
large-heartedness receive the pastor, teacher, or evangelist under their roof.
This admirable Shunammite was not forgetful of this.

A "bed" was set there
for him. The Lord considerately invited His disciples, "Come ye yourselves
apart … and rest a while" (Mark 6:31).

She knew, too, that he would need
"a table" on which he might spread the sacred rolls for study and
where he might also do his writing—an important part of a diligent servant’s
occupation. This is sometimes forgotten by those who take pleasure in
entertaining the ministers of Christ; they are not there merely to eat and
drink and sleep; more urgent matters are on their schedule of the day or night.
There is need of the "stool" with the "candlestick," for it
is often in "the night seasons" (Psa. 16:7) that the preacher’s most
pressing work is done. He who burns the midnight oil does not stand empty in
the pulpit.

I very well remember a young newly
married brother who thought of fitting up a "prophet’s chamber" in
his house. He provided a prayer rug beside the bed, which fit very well with
the furnishings of such a room.

Contentment, too, contributed to
the greatness of this matron of Israel. When asked by the prophet what should
be done for her in appreciation of her kindness, her only answer was, "I
dwell among mine own people" (2 Ki. 4:13). What a beautiful response,
delightful to the heart in a day like the present when restless ambition,
dissatisfied aspiration, seems to have taken possession of all hearts. She made
no request to be spoken of before the king or for military protection. "I
dwell among mine own people" betokens a heart content with God’s all-wise
appointments for her. Lovely indeed this trait of character, all too rare in a
day like that in which our lot is cast. "Godliness with contentment is
great gain" (1 Tim. 6:6).

 

A most remarkable thing about this
contented woman is that when requested by the prophet to state any request she
might wish, she dropped no hint of that which she doubtless desired above all
things—a child. She had none, and what was this great wealth of theirs
with no heir? So when called before Elisha the second time she was told that
which must have filled her with unspeakable joy:"About this season,
according to the time of life, you shall embrace a son" (2 Ki. 4:16). Not
just a child, but that which Jewish mothers esteemed above all things
else—"a son"! Oh what joy this should be to her who had probably
given up all hope of such good fortune.

To her it seemed utterly
impossible; so much so, she impulsively said to the man of God, "Do not
lie unto your handmaid." But it came to pass as he had foretold and in due
time the baby was born to her. Her joy, however, was short-lived for when the
child was grown (enough to toddle about), "it fell on a day that he went
out to his father to the reapers" (verse 18). Perhaps his head covering
fell off as he played and he suffered from sunstroke. "He said unto his
father, My head, my head! And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother"
(verse 19). The father was too busy; work came first with him.

"And when he had taken him
and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then
died" (verse 20). Who can imagine the feelings of the fond mother as she
felt the limp form stiffening in her tender grasp, as she saw the little liquid
eyes glaze as they close in death! Oh! it must surely have been the most trying
moment of her life, and such anguish must have pierced her heart as was never
felt before.

But trying as the hour was to her,
she made no outcry; she did not beat her breast nor tear her hair as is common
among Orientals. But in the quiet calm of a firm faith in the God who gave the
gift she "laid him on the bed of the man of God and shut the door upon him
and went out. And she called unto her husband and said, Send me, I pray you,
one of the young men and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God and
come again" (verses 21,22). This father seems oblivious to the possibility
that anything serious has happened; he thinks only that his pious wife is bent
on being present at one of the services of Elisha, so calls, "Why will you
go to him today? it is neither new moon nor sabbath" (verse 23).

 

Right here we have another
unmistakable proof of this woman’s greatness; it was her practice to attend
regularly the services held by the prophet Elisha at Carmel. These were
conducted on either the sabbath or the first day of the month; for this reason
the man was surprised that his wife should wish at this time the use of the
manservant with the riding ass. And those faithful souls are indeed great in
the eyes of God who are regular in their attendance at the meetings of the
assembly either to hear His Word expounded or preached, or to join with others
in prayer, or to partake of the sacred emblems of the Saviour’s death, and thus
"show forth the Lord’s death till He come." Yet today how many who
profess the name of Christ neglect consistently "the assembling of
[them]selves together" (Heb. 10:25). This is attested to by the half-empty
meeting rooms on the Lord’s day and in many places the weekly prayer meeting
altogether discontinued because scarcely anyone attends.

Happy is the minister of the Lord
who has people like this great woman of Shunem to help hold up his hands and
encourage him in his ministrations by their presence. Yes, happy is the man of
God who has such to pray for him and on every possible occasion present
themselves before him to hear from his lips what God the Lord would say to them
by his anointed lips!

The ass saddled, the woman asked
the servant to drive on with all possible speed toward the abode of the
prophet, some 16 miles distant. Decomposition of the corpse sets in quickly in
the heat of summer in the land of Palestine and there was no time to be lost.
The prophet spied her from afar with the afternoon sunshine at his back and,
suspecting something amiss, said to his servant, "Behold, yonder is that
Shunammite!" (verse 25). He bade him run to meet her but she gave him
scant attention; in reply to his unfeeling questions she said simply, "It
is well." She evidently had as little confidence in him as must have had
the prophet himself after the disclosure of his true character as manifested in
the following chapter (5:20-27). She was indeed a remarkable discerner of moral
character!

The rest of the story is briefly
told. Gehazi, sent on in advance, failed utterly in restoring life to the
child. The believing "mother of the child" clung tenaciously to
Elisha, the true representative of Jehovah, God of Israel, until he accompanied
her back to Shunem. Here Elisha, unlike the Lord of Life who raised the dead
and decaying Lazarus with a word, labored and prayed with the object of his and
the mother’s concern, until at last "the child sneezed seven times, and
the child opened his eyes" (verses 31-35).

The mother did not burst out in an
ecstasy of exuberant joy, be it observed; this would have been most natural, we
know. But here we have not mere nature displayed but that which is ever above
nature—faith. In deepest gratitude to God for the benefit bestowed, we
read:"Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the
ground, and took up her son, and went out" (verse 37). The prophet had
said, "Take up your son," but she was moved by that which is higher
than maternal affection, namely, gratitude to God; only after her due
expression of this did she take the darling child to her arms.

How very beautiful is this! God
must come first; His "power and the glory" must be acknowledged. Only
then may the current of maternal nature run their course. Mother love is truly
wonderful and of God Himself; but He ever has first claim and here in
"this Shunammite" we see the principle most beautifully exemplified.
May all Christians be instructed.

(From Holding Fast and Holding
Forth, Vol. 19, 1949.)

 

Accompanied by a few of his
partisans, the haughty priest strolled through the streets of Constantinople.
The year was 336 A.D.  Arius had been condemned and exiled, but now was
recalled by the Emperor Constantine himself.  He smugly reflected on his
sly triumph over his opponents, for tomorrow he was to be vindicated! Feeling
unwell, he excused himself to turn aside momentarily, when excruciating pain
seized him. Crying out in agony, he suddenly fell to the ground, and died.

Was this divine retribution? Read
the history of Arius and decide.

In the age following the apostles
of the Lord, many letters and other writings were circulated dealing with the
practical aspects of Christian life and describing the joy, blessing, and
salvation as found in Christ. "Church Fathers," so-called, such as
Polycarp, Clement, Irenaeus, Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Origen, and others
confessed their faith and their fervent wish to impart it to others through the
gospel. But even in the apostles’ day, John had written:"As you have
heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists" (1
John 2:18; see also 2 Tim. 4:3,4; 2 Pet. 2:1; 1 John 4:1-3). The religious
leaders at His cross demanded Jesus’ death, "Because He made Himself the
Son of God" (John 19:7). The unbelief that first challenged mankind’s
faith in God’s Word in the Garden of Eden was, and is, as deadly as ever
(Gen. 3:1-6).

During the second and third
centuries, discussions and correspondence on theological subjects began to
drift away from "the simplicity that is in Christ" (2 Cor. 11:3),
moving toward Greco-Roman philosophy, Judaic legalism, and pagan mythology.
Certain church leaders, in their defense of the "faith that was once
delivered unto the saints," composed the statement of faith known as
"The Apostles’ Creed" that briefly summarized their basic beliefs.
Originally dating from about 100 A.D., it had been memorized and passed down
orally for many years until being put into written form in 340 A.D. Hilary of
Poitiers, a faithfully opponent of Arianism, has wisely written this concerning
the making of creeds:"We are compelled to attempt what is unattainable,
to climb where we cannot reach, to speak what we cannot utter. Instead of the bare
adoration of faith, we are compelled to entrust the deep things of religion
to the perils of human expression."

By the end of the third century,
theologians were laboring to construct a statement faithfully delineating the
doctrine concerning the divine nature, especially as to the true deity of Jesus
Christ. Meanwhile, certain contentious voices found a champion in Arius.

 

In 318 A.D. Arius was a presbyter
in charge of a church in Alexandria. He was a man of learning and a shrewd
reasoner. His bishop, Alexander, had been teaching the eternal co-existence of
the Son with the Father. Arius protested, saying that God alone is eternal, and
therefore the Son must have had a beginning, created "out of nothing"
by divine fiat. Some thought that Arius merely intended to refute what he
assumed to be Sabellian teaching. (Sabellius, around 220 A.D., had denied that
the Son possessed a personality distinct from that of the Father, and had
taught that God manifests Himself in three modes without any distinction of
identity, thus denying the Trinity.)

Following the theories of Lucian,
his teacher, Arius held that the Logos ("Word," John 1:1) was a created
being, sent forth into the world, assuming a human nature in order to reveal
the Father. Arius said of the Son:"There was a time when He was not"
and that as the Son, Jesus only attained sinless perfection by firmly
maintaining a virtuous life. He said that the Son is not "one" with
the Father, a denial of John 10:30. He taught an inaccessible, unknowable God,
beyond the reach of mere humans, thus denying the mediation, atonement, and
redemption of Christ. To Arius, Jesus Christ was only an "example" to
be followed, not God the Son, who gave Himself a ransom for all (1 Tim. 2:6).
Although Arius’ personal popularity and his shrewd exploitation of his
doctrines gained him followers even among bishops, his teachings have been
called "pagan to the core" by orthodox Christians.

The true, scriptural concept of
divine redemption by the eternal Son was rescued from this pagan heresy, thanks
mainly to the devotion of one man, Athanasius. He wrote that it is futile as
well as irreverent blasphemy to reason from earthly relationships to the
mysteries of the Divine (1 Tim. 3:16). He wrote:"If they were disputing
concerning any man, then let them reason in this human way, both concerning his
word and his son; but if they argue concerning God, who created man, no longer
let them entertain human thoughts, but others, which transcend human
nature…. Nor, again, is it right to inquire how the Word is from God,
or how He is God’s radiance, or how God begets, and what is the manner of His
begetting. A man must be beside himself to venture on such points, since he
demands to have explained in words a thing ineffable and proper to God’s
nature, and known only to Him and to the Son…. Greatly do they err in
entertaining material notions about that which is immaterial."

Athanasius also pointed out that
if the "Son" were not eternal, neither could the "Father"
be eternal. Like present-day Jehovah’s Witnesses, the early leaders of Arianism
had no systematic, overall view of Scripture. Their method was to quote Bible
texts piecemeal, isolated, and out of context, not discerning their true
meaning. As Athanasius wrote:"Laying down their own impiety as a sort of canon
of interpretation, they wrest the whole of the divine Oracle into accordance
with it." (See Psa. 56:5; 2 Pet. 3:16.)

 

As a clever scheme to further
popularize his heresies, Arius composed a collection of songs, called Thalia
("Spiritual Banquet") for workmen, travelers, and common use. This
led to ignorant and irreverent groups using sacred language in familiar terms,
twisting the meanings into profane jokes in theaters and on the streets. In a
teaching that would later be echoed by Apollinaris (about 326-392 A.D.), Arius
denied that Christ had a human soul, its place being taken by the Logos.

Although these teachings were strongly
condemned by Alexander, Athanasius, and others, they continued to spread,
causing great controversy among the people. Emperor Constantine, anxious for
peace throughout his recently united Empire, tried to mend what he considered
"insignificant" differences among the theologians. Unsuccessful, he
called for a General Council to meet at Nicea in 325 A.D. A large number
attended, including 300 bishops. Athanasius strongly defended the need to
accept divine revelation by faith, and he protested again against asking
"How?" in regard to the Son of God being the "brightness of His
glory, and the express image of His person" (Heb. 1:3). He said,
"Such illustrations and such images Scripture has set before us in order
that, considering the incapacity of human nature to comprehend God, we might be
able even from these, to form some idea, so far as it is attainable, however
inadequately and dimly."

After much deliberation, the
Council adopted a creed (Latin credo, "I believe"), a unified
statement of doctrine. The Nicene Creed is still used in many churches today.
Arius was condemned and banished, spending the next few years in Illyria. His writings were burned. Only he and five other bishops refused to sign the
Council’s "Confession." Their stumbling block was Athanasius’ use of
the Greek word homoousios (expressing the "consubstantiality"
of the Father and the Son, God and Man united in Christ, "one substance"
with the ultimate and only God). Arius and his partisans maintained that Christ
was the incarnation of a secondary deity who was "like" the
Father, but not "one" with Him. Athanasius said, of the Word
becoming flesh:"This Mystery, which the Jews traduce, the Greeks deride,
but we adore … [brought about] the renewal of creation, wrought by the
self-same Word who made it in the beginning."

 

The results of the Nicene Council
were far from being a victory for orthodoxy. Several diverse parties began to
form; Constantine assumed both political and ecclesiastical power for what
became the state church; the Arians (still active) broke up into three major
groups. The extreme party, "Anomoeans" (or "dissimilar")
emphasized the differences between Father and Son; the "Homoeans" (or
"similar") aimed to avoid dogmatic precision; and the
"Semi-Arians" expressed both the similarities and distinctions
between the first two Persons of the Trinity. About 50 years later, Jerome
wrote of this period:"The whole world groaned and marveled to find itself
Arian." The new emperor, Constantius, openly embraced Arianism, and Athanasius
was exiled to Treves. An imperial order was issued to Arius’ old bishop,
Alexander, to receive Arius back to holy communion the following Sunday.
Alexander prayed:"O let me die before Arius comes into the Church; but if
Thou wilt have pity on Thy Church, prevent this crime, that heresy may not
enter the Church together with Arius."

On Saturday, the day before his
anticipated success, the arrogant Arius strolled with his followers, discussing
their strategies. But before Sunday’s sunrise, Arius lay dead on a Constantinople street. (His death has been described as similar to that of Judas in Acts
1:18.) The baneful influence of Arianism gradually diminished, but not for
several more centuries. The enemy of souls is always busy and has since used
many other human instruments to attack the Person of Jesus Christ. To name a
few:Eutyches and Nestorius, Socinius, Kant and Hegel, Søren Kierkegaard,
Charles Taze Russell, Frederick Raven and James Boyd, the James Taylors, father
and son, and Harry Fosdick. In this present day, prominent leaders of large,
"mainline" denominations such as the presiding bishop of the
Episcopal Church USA and the moderator of the United Church of Canada are
denying the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The apostle Paul told the Ephesian
elders, "Of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to
draw disciples after them" (Acts 20:30). Every age has had its heretics.

To the end of his life in 373
A.D., Athanasius remained faithful in insisting on what he regarded as the heart
of the gospel. The so-called Creed of Athanasius reads, in part:

"For there is one Person of
the Father, another of the Son, another of the Holy Ghost.

"But the Godhead of the
Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is all one:the glory co-equal, the
majesty co-eternal.

"Such as the Father, such is
the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost.

"The Father uncreate, the Son
uncreate, and the Holy Ghost uncreate.

"The Father eternal, the Son
eternal, and the Holy Ghost eternal.

"And yet there are not three
eternals, but One eternal.

"So the Father is God, the
Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God.

"And yet they are not three
gods, but one God."

Of the 46 years of his
"official" life, Athanasius spent at least 20 in exile.

"I suppose we may account
Athanasius as a sufficient champion of the true divinity of the blessed Lord.
Of all ancient writers he is known to be the undaunted and suffering defender
of this truth against the whole body of Arians, the Emperor and all, and died
an exile for this truth" (J.N. Darby in Collected Writings, Vol.
34).

Where, today, shall we find that
"bare adoration of faith" of which Hilary of Poitiers wrote?
(Jude 3,4).