A Spiritual House - Its Witness

by G. Prasher, Jr., Manchester | Category: The House Of God | Oct 1974

"0 send out Thy light and Thy truth; let them lead me:

Let them bring me unto Thy holy hill.

Unto God, my exceeding joy". (Psa. 43:3,4)

In every age God's earthly dwelling-place has been a place where God reveals His light and truth. And not only that His people may themselves know Him and acceptably serve Him; He wishes also that from His house the light and truth might stream out to others for their blessing, that they also may be led to His holy hill, and to Him as their exceeding joy.

This was so in Solomon's day, for the Queen of Sheba came "from the ends of the earth" to hear his wisdom. She had heard of his fame "concerning the Name of the LORD". Solomon's knowledge of God was unexcelled in his generation, for he enjoyed the full revelation of divine light associated with God's earthly dwelling at that time. Little wonder that "Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king which he told her not".

Solomon's experience of God's house pre-figured the far more glorious time when the "mountain of the LORD's house shall be ... exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it". They will "go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem" (Isa. 2:2,3). In that coming era also truth divinely revealed in God's earthly dwelling-place will be radiated world-wide.

Consistent with this principle, the spiritual house of apostolic times was a centre of witness. There was to be found, in the apostles' teaching, the marvellous light of New Covenant revelation, unprecedented in all God's former dealings with men. Was this light to be confined to those first associated together to form God's spiritual house on the Day of Pentecost? Quite clearly not! Unceasing witness must be borne to others. The light received must be shared, the truth revealed passed on. "We cannot but speak the things which we saw and heard", declared Peter and John when threatened by Jewish High Priest and Council.

So the Master's word found fulfilment: "In Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" the apostles became His witnesses (Acts 1:8). As a result of their abundant labours churches of God were multiplied, and these together formed the "spiritual house" of which Peter wrote (1 Pet. 2:5). This spiritual house is remarkably described in 1 Tim. 3:15 as "the pillar and ground (or stay) of the truth", a description which illustrates the nature of the witness borne by disciples called together of God in this way. For this concept of the house of God as "pillar and ground of the truth" involves witness to all the truth that God has revealed. We learn from 1 Tim. 2:3 that "God our Saviour ... willeth that all men should be saved, and come to the (full) knowledge of the truth". Therefore if the house of God is to be the pillar and ground of the truth, those associated together to form that house must accept and contend for all that the Lord has revealed. There will be clear witness to the Person of Christ and His redemptive work, but equally an appreciation of and obedience to all that He has commanded.

This is well illustrated by the attitude of the apostle Paul in his message to the Ephesian elders (Acts 20:17-38). He had intense enthusiasm for the gospel of Christ - "testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (v.21). Yet he also said, "I shrank not from declaring unto you anything that was profitable ... I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole counsel of God" (vv.20,27). Paul realized that the churches of God together formed the house of God. So if this was indeed to be the "pillar and ground of the truth" it was essential that the same teachings and practices should obtain throughout all the churches - "even as I teach everywhere in every church" (1 Cor. 4:17); "and so ordain I in all the churches" (1 Cor. 7:17); "we have no such custom, neither the churches of God" (1 Cor. 11:16).

It was the intention that each church of God should contribute to the witness of the spiritual house by active testimony in its own area. Hence Paul's high commendation of the church in Thessalonica: "Ye became an ensample to all that believe in Macedonia and in Achaia... For from you hath sounded forth the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith to God-ward is gone forth" (1 Thess. 1:7,8). To the church in Philippi he wrote: "That ye may be blameless and harmless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom ye are seen as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life" (Phil. 2:15,16). So with much prayer and in the power of the Holy Spirit, the churches forming the spiritual house were enabled to shed abroad the light of divine testimony from place to place.

Supported by those churches, apostles and others dedicated themselves whole-time to an itinerant ministry. As guided by the Holy Spirit they would at times thrust out into new areas, spearheading the development of God's work so that other churches of God could be established, to be integrated with existing churches for the extension of the spiritual house. The story of the Acts vividly

portrays the missionary journeys of Paul and his companions in this sphere of service. At other times itinerant brethren would visit existing churches of God to confirm the souls of the disciples (Acts 14:22), strengthening them in the faith (16:5), exhorting them with purpose of heart to cleave to the Lord (11:23).

From its beginnings on the Day of Pentecost the spiritual house of apostolic times extended until it found expression throughout wide areas of the Roman Empire. Its witness had such mighty impact that enemies of the cross complained that the movement's leaders had "turned the world upside down" (Acts 17:6). Such was the effect through God's calling of the foolish, weal- and base of this world, and their dedication to His cause in the power, of the Holy

Spirit.

G. Prasher, Jr., Manchester | Oct 1974
The House Of God