(Thus the evangelist becomes, in a certain sense, independent of the Church, though the man be always subject to it; and though the ministry of evangelization be in the Church, yet the Church is not properly missionary, nor the manager of missions. It is “a city set on a hill,” formed by missions from God.
The sense of this position of the Evangelist I believe to be most healthful to the Church, keeping it in its place, and from assuming the place of God, as if it were the sender. It is gathered, and does not send; God sends; though, in love, those whom He sends may go forth from its bosom. This was clear in the first apostles. “As my Father bath sent me, so send I you,” was the Lord’s word to them.
But this was true of ministers of this character, inferior in rank to the apostles, and of the whole body when under this character—a character assumedly this, as “scattered,” not “gathered;” as “going,” not “sending.” They that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the Word, and the hand of the Lord was with them, and many believed. Nay, before this, Stephen (of whom we may perhaps say, he had gotten to himself a good degree and great boldness in Christ Jesus), full of the Holy Ghost, was mighty in the Word. Philip in like manner was blessed in Samaria, which when the apostles heard they sent Peter and John to confirm the work; but the work was done before even they heard of it.
This is the character then attached to evangelizing in the Word. The weakening of it in individual energy will always weaken that, and the Church too; for God will be independent of man, though he cannot be of Him, nor of his neighbor, in love.
I said this was a little modified in Paul, yet withal clearly sustained in principle. But he went out as one born out of due time—after the body was formed, in a certain sense. This, therefore, was recognized; not in sending him, but in his going forth from it and returning to it, whence he had been commended to the grace of God.
The positive independence of his mission he is most careful to assert. “It was not of man, nor by man.” Immediately Christ was revealed in him that he might preach Him among the Gentiles, he conferred not with flesh and blood, but straightway preached Him in the synagogues. Thus, the character of this ministry was fully maintained.
But after a lapse of time Paul comes from Tarsus, brought to Antioch, and there for a year assembles himself with the Christian congregation, and teaches much people; and then “the Holy Ghost,” certain prophets being there, while they fasted and prayed, said, “Separate me Barnabas and Paul for the work whereunto I have called them.” Thus, while directly sent of the Holy Ghost, they went in obedience to Him, not to the Church; they went from the bosom of the Church, commended of them to the grace of God for the work whereunto He had called them, and returned to the bosom of the Church. Not returning any intermediate reports indeed as responsible to them, for the true apostolic office would thereby have been detracted from; but communicating, for the joy all, what God had done through them. Thus, though it was not a gift exercised in ministry in the Church, its union with the Church was maintained, and the comfort of all sustained therein. The apostle became—authoritatively sent amongst those whom he had himself thus gathered—the apostle of the Gentiles.
I have said thus much of evangelization because, though not a sign to the world, but a ministry flowing in the Church, it was still towards the world, and came in a special place in the distinction of gifts as for the world or the Church. It was, if I may so call it, a moral gift, i.e., a gift acting on conscience, but not as within, but as that of the natural man. It is not actually mentioned in the gifts God has set in the Church. It is amongst the gifts which Christ conferred, on ascending up on high, for profit and the work of the ministry, and the edifying of the body of Christ; as are pastors also; for the special subject of that epistle (Ephesians) is the love towards and blessedness of the body in its union with Christ, and consequent unity. Having completely redeemed it, and filled all things, it being His fullness, He ministers from on high the gifts necessary for its advancement in grace, security from being deceived and led astray, and its self-edifying till it grow up into Him. This was not what the Church was to the world in display of Him, but what it was to and for Himself; though in that, in the number who had that gift, the evangelizing minister of His love, as a helpmeet for Him in grace.
This is the real difference of this epistle to the Ephesians and the Corinthians. There the Spirit is looked at as present, and operating in the body generally, in the power of God— “as God bath set in the Church”—witness of, and subservient to,’ the Lordship of Christ, and therefore including that in which it was the witness of this to the world; and therefore the gift, in its exercise is dependent in many respects on the competency of the Church by its state to stand as a witness, or the wisdom of God in so using it. Here (in the Ephesians) the state of the Church is not adverted to. It is not its internal administration that is the subject, but Christ’s own love to His own body, His spouse; one He cherished and nourished as His own flesh, and thus cherished and nourished for Himself. Hence, we have Christ, who loved the Church, viewed as ascending up on high and filling all things, giving the gifts; and it is said—not the Spirit works as He will in power, but (while the same unity is spoken of, though more of blessing than of membership) “to everyone is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.”
This, then, is not the witness of the power of God above the flesh and its ruin, and the Lordship of Christ, but of the love of Christ and the ministration of that, and of the counsels of God, as to the place He has given the Church with Christ; it had, therefore, a more permanent character; for Christ’s love to the Church is permanent, not resting on the suitableness of the medium to display power, but on the Church’s own need of that gracious and tender love. This love, therefore, we may reckon upon. I do not say that our faults may not hinder the manifestation of the love in plain and happy favor. Surely, they may; still it is always exercise.
Perhaps it may be said that the evil state of the Corinthian Church shows it was not a ministration of gift dependent in any way on that state; for these, so evil, came “behind in no gift.”
It shows, indeed, that our patient God does not withdraw the honor conferred by His goodness at once on shortcoming but the principle is exactly shown by it. The church, still in unity, though having failed in practiced is corrected by the apostle in all points, sheaving the importance of the apostolic energy which still sustained it, that its safeguard was not mere primary position; but while it held its place, though falling into evil, it could be restored by that and all go right, —Satan not be allowed to get advantage after all. But still this was just the evidence, that the state and administration of the Church was in question,not the self-moved tender love of Christ to it, caring for it as His spouse; it stands in Corinth as the responsible witness of His glory, not the fullness of Him that filleth all in all. In Ephesians it is the blessed and holy privilege of grace, not the condition of the Church itself, which is in question as the ground and theater of the display of Christ towards the world. It is what Christ is towards the Church, not what the Church is for Him, or what God has set it, in its Head and body, towards the world around it is “till we all come.” Hence, as the special personal care and love of Christ for the Church, it is not “the Comforter whom the Father will send in my name”—nor, “whom I will send unto you from the Father”—nor even members which God has set in the body subservient to the Lordship of Christ—but gifts which He, ascending up on high, has given, on leading the adverse powers captive. He who fills all things has given these the tokens of the nearness of His love. “That he might fill all things,” and “ He gave.”
This, then, is the portion of the Church in Christ’s love as caring for it, in the midst of His filling all things—as His body, the place of the manifestation of supreme grace. That which is given to the Church, not for His display of Lordship to the world, but the link of the Church as associated with Him, and to lift it up into heavenly places, and to form it in spirit into all His fullness; preserving it from being frittered away in mind into various and strange doctrines, and ministering to its direct growth into the heavenly character and fullness of Christ. This is the character of these gifts here—the link and association with the heavenly fullness of Christ.
The Church is “the fullness of him that filleth all in all.” But He is the head of the body also as exalted over all things to it. The anointed One is set in this place that He may, by immediate communion and gift to it, according to this anointing, associate it through the ministration of these gifts as His body into all this fullness. It is here, not merely the headship over all things to it, but the entrance into the understanding of His fullness as filling all things, as descended into death and ascended on high above all: and by the communication of the gifts as the anointed—the “Christ”—then entering into intelligently and spiritually as—though subordinately, yet really—associated and brought up into this fullness.
This is the portion of the Church. It is a step above and more intimate than the witness, or even partaking of Lordship; though the sphere in which that is held. For indeed this fullness in Christ involves divinity, though fellowship with it be communicated by the anointed man, or, at least, the ministration of that fullness in gift. He “filleth all in all,” and the Church is “His fullness;” but then this is spoken of one whom God— “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ”—has raised from the dead; and this is just the connection of the Church with it. He is in the Father, necessarily, therefore intrinsically, Divine. We are in Him, and He is in us. All the fullness was pleased to dwell in Him—as afterward stated as to the fact, “In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;” and we are πεπληρωμένοι in Him.
But in the passage immediately preceding the one we are upon in Ephesians (that in the end of chap. 3.), this is pursued more directly as to power in us; because the Colossians treats more of the fullness of the Head for the Church; this of the Church as the fullness of Him that filleth all in all—the corporate fullness, as His body, of Him that is head over and fills all things. We read of “strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man—able to comprehend the length and breadth, and height, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge; that we may be filled with (ear) all the fullness of God.” Thus, the Holy Ghost becomes in us now the power and strength of this fullness. The second chapter had introduced—after stating access to the Father by the Spirit through Jesus for both Jew and Gentile—the additional truth that they were “builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” This ground having been parenthetically unfolded in its fullness, in the third chapter, the fourth resumes the thread of the second, while taking up the unity mentioned in the first.
We, “strengthened with might by His Spirit,...that Christ may dwell in our hearts,” —thus “ rooted and grounded in love,” “ able to comprehend with all saints” the plenitude of blessedness and glory in divine counsel and fullness, and to know the love of Christ that we might be filled with the fullness. Thus, we find it in Christ; known by the Holy Ghost dwelling in us. Thus, this fullness of God is known, even in Christ, for so are we brought into it. And this is by power working in us, that we may enter into that into which we are brought. “Now unto Him... that worketh in us”—concludes the apostle-” be glory in the Church!” Now all this blessed fullness (of which the unity of the Church united to Christ is the center and scene of development, while it extends to the whole sphere of the display of God’s universal glory), in the love of Christ her head, is ministered to the growing up of the body by these gifts of Christ. They are the ministrations of Christ the head in the body. It is His gift—the edifying of His body—that they might grow up into Christ’s fullness, of which we have seen the character just now. This gives us the character of the gifts. Here there is actually no mention of the Spirit, though doubtless the Spirit was the medium of power, but they are given by Christ, who fills all things, that He may introduce the Church into His fullness; the Church in which the Spirit dwells. His fullness being the fullness of God—in Him all the fullness dwelling—and He filling all in all, and the Church His fullness.
It is then here, Christ according to this blessed fullness giving in love to His members, for the growing up into Him in all things who is the Head, till we all come to the measure of the fullness of Christ: not the display of His Lordship to the world (the Spirit acting as subservient to that display, divinely distributing, “ God working all in all;”) it is Christ giving to the Church to minister on the ground of union—entrance into communion with His fullness!
I would now turn a little to the character of the gifts here spoken of; we shall see they are associated with this special character of giving to the Church, not witnessing by the Church. Having urged upon them, in individual lowliness, which the sense of the excellency of the calling would induce (a calling which had its existence in the unity of the Spirit, and therefore in the suppression of the flesh), to endeavor to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, the apostle proceeds to declare what gifts Christ gave (as gifts, nothing righteously to exalt) to man on His exaltation (that exaltation being of Him that first descended, and that into the lower parts of the earth); as now far above all heavens, so that He filled all things, captivity being led captive;—that is, the powers of darkness having the Church captive were now led captive themselves, so that Christ could freely communicate to the Church, so delivered, communion with His fullness, who in this act displayed how He filled all things, and accordingly gave these gifts for this purpose—apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. These I would now notice. It is to be remarked that all gifts of sign to men as such are entirely omitted, all that dealt with nature, and all even that merely dealt with the flesh in the Church; those only are mentioned that are initiative, and that edify in the Church. Thus miracles, tongues, healings, helps, and governments are omitted: apostles and evangelists, prophets, pastors, and teachers are introduced.
As to apostles, what has been observed will partly lead us to some distinction in this office. Primarily they are no part of the body properly speaking—they gather it. The house is built on them. Thus, the twelve were sent as Jesus was sent of the Father. Paul was sent of the Lord directly. But in another character they had a place in it, in the continual exercise of their functions. In the former character they stood alone, save in one particular, which they possessed in common with prophets. But as authoritative regulators of the Church by revelation, they had a peculiar and definite place. In the one particular of revelation of the mind and will of Christ and of God, the prophets might be associated with them; but these had no authority delegated of the Lord in their office as sent forth. The holy beneficence of this arrangement, I think, is evident. Thus while the Church was regulated and ordered responsibly and authoritatively by an apostle, yet they had to say, “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets.” In this sense of revelation, as laying down the foundation, their work is complete and fulfilled. The word of God is written for us. The fruits of their authoritative regulation was left (as every dispensation had been), in the responsibility of man, and men have entirely failed. But the revelation of the will of God is complete, and is there for us to refer to by the Spirit, according to the light of the word in our present condition, not by imitation but by obedience: hence tradition disappears; for at best that is imitation not obedience; a very important distinction, as will soon be found in its application.
But, moreover, it is clear to me that, in a subordinate sense, apostles and prophets had a place beside this. That the apostles expected no continuance of their functions is clear, for the apostle Paul declares the evil that would come in after his decease, and commends them to God and the word of His grace, and Peter says he will take care that they have the things in remembrance; and, indeed, one familiar with the New Testament will see that the character of the Church’s responsibility is founded on the departure of direct apostolic authoritative care. The Church could not leave it to them as the complete competent authority, who had communicated the Lord’s will, and before whose departure the Lord began to act in judgment, if equally authorized communicators were constantly with the same authority present in the Church; the casting a dispensation on responsibility of a given deposit would have been entirely set aside, that is, the whole principle of God’s dealing to the end, and the assumptions clearly taken up by the apostles falsified, and the Bible set aside by a constant succession of equally authoritative communications: for the principle of the office of which we now speak is the authoritative revelation of the will of Christ.
We find then that, in one sense, apostolic ministry precedes the Church, the Church being gathered by it. Its character being, then, gathering by the authoritative revelation of the will of Christ, as the testimony to Christ in the power of the Spirit, whether by themselves or others draws and quickens souls. Under this evangelists came, another testimony of their gift being of God, and that He could in His sovereignty communicate important parts of it to others; but apostolic service found its place also in the Church, where the participated evangelist’s gift did not, i.e., the regulating authoritatively the gathered according to that revealed will.
But, as has been elsewhere stated, a new principle was introduced in and even before the apostolate of Paul, on the dispersion of the order of the Church at Jerusalem, individual agency according to the energy of the Spirit, according to its measure, the operation proving itself and its own efficacy. So even the apostle of this owns: “The signs of an apostle were wrought in me:” “Make full proof of thy ministry:” “Let no man despise thee.” Hence, though subsisting not in authoritative revelation of the will of God, nor power in the Church, yet in a subordinate sense, it seems to me that the gift of apostle and prophet is not passed away. Barnabas was an apostle. Junius and Andronicus were of note among the apostles: and it was praise to a Church that they had tried certain whether they were apostles, and they were not, but liars. Doubtless, these pretenders set up for the highest form of apostolate. But the Church could not have been commended for trying them, if there had been question only of the twelve and Paul. In truth, the word apostle, though now of definite force, has it not properly; it just amounts to one sent, a missionary. The messenger of the Church is called “your apostle” in the original. That which seems to designate the character of apostle, is the being directly sent of Christ, raised up to act on his own personal responsibility to Christ: not merely a gift exercised on such or such occasion subject to Church rules, nor the going forth with good tidings to sinners: but one as sent by Christ, acting from Him on his own responsibility to Christ, having a given errand and sphere in which to exercise his commission. In this sense, while the authoritative primary revelation of God’s will, gathering and regulating the Church, has clearly closed in the scriptural record to apostolic ministry, I do not see but that apostolic service may still subsist, and probably has been exercised, though the name may not have been attached; men raised up and sent by God for a certain mission, to effect a certain result in the Church or on sinners, though with no fresh revelation, but with a special energy in which to fulfill it, beyond the bounds of mere circumscribed gift as members within, but special in its relation to Christ. The faithfulness of its accomplishment, the mixing of other things with it, or the failure in clearly following in particular instances, does not, it seems to me, touch this question. In the same way, prophets, who were associated with apostles as the foundation, because they revealed the mind of God, may, it appears to me, in a subordinate sense, be believed to exist. It is not that they now reveal fresh truths not contained in the Word (or the foundation would not be completely laid—this, I hold, never can be touched), but that there may be those who not merely teach and explain ordinary and profitable doctrine—truths, and guide by the Spirit into present truth, but who by a special energy of the Spirit can unfold and communicate the mind of Christ to the Church, where it is ignorant of it—though that mind be treasured up in the Scripture—can bring truths hidden previously from the knowledge of the Church, in the power of the testimony of the Spirit of God, to bear on the present circumstances of the Church and future prospects of the world, showing the things to come, only that these things are all actually treasured up in Scripture, but they can give them present application and force according to the mind, intention, and power of God, and thus be practically prophets, though there be no new facts revealed, but all are really in the Word already: and thus be a direct blessing and gift of Christ to the Church for its emergency and need, though the Word be strictly adhered to, but without which the Church would not have had the power of that Word. This reference to that Word I hold to be the essence of the Church’s safety, accompanied by acknowledgment of, and dependence on, the Spirit of God, the Comforter. The plain written Word, that of which it could be said, including now, of course, the New Testament, that from a child—scorned by some as knowing it in the flesh—thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus. No tradition can in the smallest degree take the place of this: it is at best the certifying of men’s minds as to the certainty of certain points. But see what the Apostle refers to in assuring them that they should see his face no more; clear evidence, as we have seen, he thought of no apostle or successor to supply his place. “I commend you to God,” says the blessed witness of Christ—that is the first great point: it must always and in a special manner, now he was gone, be found in Him directly—” and the word of His grace, which is able to build ‘you up.” This was exactly what was needed. Let a teacher unfold, a pastor graciously guide by, or a prophet apply in power, this word. This was what was able to build up and give an inheritance. Now, no tradition, however guiding, is a word of God’s grace. It may direct the forms of man, —it may order the rules of the Church, —it might even record a form of correct doctrine: it is not the word of His grace “able to build up.” This makes, I trust, this point and the sense in which there may be, in a subordinate and inferior sense, apostles and (in a nearer sense to their original character) prophets, now clear. Revelation of new, unknown, and unrevealed truths being quite excluded, prophets, as expressing the mind of God, could speak, and did, to exhortation, and edification, and comfort, in thus applying the mind of God to the saints. So did the prophets of highest character of old.
These subordinate parts of the gift we see again participated by others, and diffused in the Church, that unity and deference for all might be maintained. He that exhorted was to wait on exhortation; and so one that taught—not necessarily a pastor-was to wait on his teaching, using his talent.
These might, in a certain sense (that is, apostolic and prophetic ministry), be called extraordinary, coming on special occasions and with special objects into the Church, though always witness of the goodness of God and for the glory of Christ. Evangelists were of another character, the natural and constant testimony to sinners of the grace that was revealed in their good news of God in what we call the Gospel. Any saint had to tell it, but there were those specially gifted to proclaim the glad tidings. Timothy is exhorted to do this, in the midst of his care of the Church, for the Apostle. It is always in such case healthful, and a good sign, that we labor in the sense of the grace of Christ, and generally an evil sign when we do not. None can so deeply understand the basis of love without it. An apostle wrought in this work. The bearing on souls is understood by it: specifically, grace is felt and understood in the heart; we are on the ground our own souls have felt the need of the medium of this. As to this, in its two-fold character, the preposition is changed, and the article omitted: —at with the word, are most closely united and identified; only pastorship includes guidance in holy wisdom and grace, and applying teaching to the state of the saints. We have seen the subordinate part of this distributed by itself— “he that teacheth on teaching”—but the gifts here is guiding as pastor; shepherding and feeding the flock, applying the word in wisdom, watching against intruding heresies, building up by the word, guarding and securing from evil, guiding the feet of the saints into straight paths; in a word, the care of the saints. It is not here, as was remarked, government controlling the flesh, but the ministration of grace nourishing and cherishing, guiding and feeding —some were pastors and teachers medium of this. As to this, in its two-fold character, the preposition is changed, and the article omitted: —extraordinary; the last three (evangelists, pastors, and teachers), the ordinary abiding ministrations of the Church, to build them up in Christ’s known, and thus ministered, fullness; that the body of Christ might be edified, “grow up into Him medium of this. As to this, in its two-fold character, the preposition is changed, and the article omitted: —he pattern of this fullness and into it; but there was a formal and instrumental object as the
medium of this. As to this, in its two-fold character, the preposition is changed, and the article omitted: —
“ πρὸς τὸν καταρτιοσμὸν τῶν ἁγίων, εἰς ἔργον διακονίας, εἰς οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ,” for ministerial work, for edifying the body of Christ. This ministerial work was clearly merely ancillary, and the edifying the body of Christ, for the perfect enjoyment of the fullness by the saints, πρὸς τὸν καταρτισμὸν, is the direct and positive object; the other two were the service and form of blessing in which this object was carried on, and to which, therefore, these gifts were directed for the other, till we all come in the unity of the faith, and in the knowledge of the Son of God to full-grown men—to a perfect man—to the measure of the stature, in mind and in blessing, of the fullness of Christ, of which we have before spoken. That we be no more children, nor blown about by every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men, being preserved through these gifts of God.
This leads us to see the blessing and importance of these gifts, definitely committed by Christ, as He sees good in grace, for the good and communication of His blessed fullness to the Church; whereby, fed with what is good, it should be preserved and guarded against hankering after the false trash of deceivers. They are gifts to the Church, not to all, but for all. The development of these in full liberty and openness of ministry is most important. Nor can they be really or rightly developed otherwise. Hence God has commanded—made it a matter of command, and thus guarded the closing of the door by making it a matter of personal responsibility—that he that exhorteth should wait on exhortation, and he that teacheth on teaching; and, “as every man has received the gift, so minister the same as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” So “Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the people much at Antioch.” By this use of every gift in its place, as the apostle speaks, “the whole body is fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth,” and, “according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body to the edifying of itself in love.” Still observe, these ministrations are all to the edifying and increase of the body, not to the external testimony of Christ’s lordship to the world. They are the fulfilling of His love to the Church in ministering to it of, and so building it up into, His fullness—not the verification of the assertion of His Lordship to the world.
The only other reference of importance, that I am aware of as to distinctness of subject, is in the book of Revelation, which I shall only briefly notice, because its character is quite different. In the first three chapters, the unity of the body ceases to be recognized, and the Spirit is not seen acting in the Church in the power of this unity, of which Christ is the corporate Head; but Christ is seen in a judicial though priestly character in the midst of the Churches, and the Spirit is a Spirit of address and prophetic warning to them, not of gift in them. “He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches.” This might be gift in the apostle, but this is the character of the address; and hence every individual with an ear is called upon to hear for himself and judicial witness to the Churches themselves, thenceforward only in heaven as regards the Church in acting on the earth, the Lamb’s power, as the seven Spirits of God sent into all the earth, not as the power of communion and gift in the Church at all. Thence it is seen as in the Church, as the bride directing her aspirations and desires after one object, the coming of the bridegroom: “The Spirit and the bride say, Come:” and this closes the whole scene and judicial witness to the Churches themselves, thenceforward only in heaven as regards the Church in acting on the earth. us. Then as coming paramountly to convict and guide, as shown in John, as the comforter sent and judicial witness to the Churches themselves, thenceforward only in heaven as regards the Church in acting on the earth witness of Lordship in Christ, acting in the members of His body in witness; then as the ministration of his love to His body for its growth up into His fullness lastly, as a prophetic and judicial witness to the Churches themselves, thenceforward only in heaven as regards the Church in acting on the earth.
Such are the operations, as fully developed, of this blessed agent of divine power in us and towards the world. The chief topics, I believe, are noticed: I pretend to nothing more. Those who seek to search Him out, must do so by His own aid in the word itself; and may they, while dwelling on it here as a subject of thought, be led to refer to that Holy One Himself in His presence and personal power, as one who is with the Church—the Comforter sent—not merely resting in thoughts about Him, but led, actuated, directed by Him, and honoring Him as energized by Him in all things.
This is specially the Church’s need.
Concluded from p. 2130.)