A Glorious Church

by J.C. RADCLIFFE | Category: General | Jul 1932

In that great structure of architectural skill and magnificence known as "St. Paul's Cathedral" (London), there are numerous monuments to many of the great heroes and intellectuals of this country. But where, it might be asked, among them all is there a monument to the great architect who planned the stately edifice-Sir Christopher Wren? He needs no such monument, for the entire edifice in itself is more than a sufficient memorial to the genius, skill and wisdom of the great man: and to this effect there is the epitaph, "Si monumentum requiris circumspice"--"If you seek his monument look around."

In somewhat similar manner "The Church which is His (Christ's) Body" will be throughout the eternal ages a monument to the infinite skill, wisdom and glory of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His will. "That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2. 7).

The main subject of this series of articles, "The Mystery of the Christ," connotes a transcendently wonderful truth indeed-for be it attentively noted-it is "the Christ" (Ephesians 3. 4, reading in the original, where the article is before the title "Christ"). This can mean nothing less than that the members are so united with the Head that the whole is actually named "the Christ"-the members being part of Himself, and thus " The fulness of Him that filleth all in all."

Ephesians and Colossians are the two books that deal very specially with the Mystery, but one is the converse of the other. In Ephesians we see what the Body is to the Head, "The fulness of Him that filleth all in all." In Colossians, what the Head is to the Body, "In Him ye are made full."

In Ephesians the members are said to be in Christ; in Colossians Christ is said to be in the members. Ephesians is mostly occupied with the Body; Colossians with the Head-but being complementary one of the other. Then again, in Ephesians the Spirit is mentioned about twelve times, whereas in Colossians He is mentioned but once. This is very suggestive in the light of 1 Corinthians 12. 13, where the Holy Spirit is very specially mentioned in connection with the Body. The Holy Spirit being co-equal with the Son in the Divine Unity,

there is but one mention of Him in Colossians, linking both epistles together.

The motives too, Thine own,

The plan, the counsel Thine,

Made for Thy Son, bone of His bone,

In glory bright to shine.

We are pleased that the title of this present series of articles is "The Mystery of the Christ," for had it been one that involved dealing with difficulties which may present themselves to the mind in connection with the Body in some passages, one would perhaps have felt reluctant in writing on the subject. One cannot but think that the Body is introduced in such places as Romans 12. and 1 Corinthians 12. in order to show that the principle of unity yet variety which is inherent in the Body, should find a reflection in saints together in collective testimony for God upon the earth; the main object of these chapters being practical. Very different from Ephesians 1., which is intensely doctrinal and presents "the Church which is His Body" from the divine constitutional point of view exclusively.

As to practical considerations which may arise in connection with the subject in relation to believers in general, it should be remembered that only an infinitesimal few of the Church the Body can be found on the earth at any given time: and again, any individual could in his lifetime come into contact with but very few of the members of the Body living on earth.

The Body is never a completed thing upon the earth at any given time. Thousands of members thereof have long since passed away to their heavenly rest; others, if so be that the present dispensation continues, will vet be built into it. "The Christ" implies that which is characteristic of the whole

dispensation from Pentecost to that moment, unknown to us, when the Mystery is complete; that moment of supreme delight to Him and to us.

There is another fact, too, which strikes one as being most important, namely, that the injunctions found in such scriptures as Romans 12. and so on, were given to those in a divinely constituted organisation and to those only. At a time like the present, when through Satan's craft and subtility it is most difficult to discern those who are really children of God from the unregenerate, the fact we have referred to is most important; for as regards the teaching of many scriptures they have their direct application only to those that are "within." At the same time we do not for one moment deny that there are many truly born-again ones in the "without," but how could we act towards them, and they toward us, in the letter and the spirit of teaching addressed to saints in the divine position if not found together according to God? And God never enjoins upon us that which is impossible. Besides, in Romans 12. more especially, the figure of the human body in relation to those who are "one body in Christ, and severally members one of another" (verses 4, 5) is introduced in connection with the various ministrations in the assembly. We are enjoined, however, to walk in wisdom toward them that are "without" redeeming the time, and "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how to answer each one " (Colossians 4. 5, 6); see also 1 Peter 3. 15.

As in many subjects, so also in the subject of the Body, there may be some scriptures which because of our lack of full knowledge may present a difficulty, and it is always well to remember the maxim, "We must not give up manifest truths because we cannot answer all questions about them"; -or as Paley has said, "Never let what we do not know, disturb our confidence as to what we do know." The fact that "the Christ " of the Mystery is not yet complete in actuality, although chosen in Him before times eternal, is obvious to the most superficial reader of the Scriptures.

This unique and wonderful Mystery will be the centre of heaven's glory in the eternal future. It will have the preeminence for in all things He must have the preeminence (see Colossians 1. 18). In Him we are made full; for it was the good pleasure of the Father that in Him should all the fulness dwell.

One day, many years past, the present writer was on a visit to a friend's house, and seeing a certain object that had the shape and appearance of an egg his interest was aroused; on more closely examining it, he discovered that it could be opened, and upon doing so came to another egg of a different colour and, of course, smaller, and so on and so on, opening for about six or seven times; finally coming to a little trinket or jewel in the centre of all.

Let us then, for the moment, take this little centre-piece to illustrate "the Church which is His Body"-"The Mystery"-the closest thing to God throughout the eternal ages. The other eggs, all of different colours, may be taken to illustrate the various circles of saved ones who are Christ's but not "in Christ," this latter term being used always to denote those who are members of "the Church which is His Body."

"But each in his own order" (band) 1 Corinthians 15. (the only place in the New Testament where the word is found). Christ the firstfruits; then they that are Christ's at His coming" (or more correctly, "in His presence"). This "GLORIOUS CHURCH" very shortly He will present to Himself, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, holy and without blemish.

"What raised the wondrous thought,

Or who did it suggest,

That we, the Church, to glory brought,

Should with the Son be blest?

0 God, the thought was Thine,

Thine only could it he;

Fruit of the wisdom, love divine,

Peculiar unto Thee."

J.C. RADCLIFFE | Jul 1932
General