February Believers Magazine

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A MINI COMMENTARY ON 1ST JOHN (4) service. In this context He is seen as enlightening. Because they had an anointing they could “know all things” (v.20). That is, they had the capacity to discern between truth and error. The Spirit taught them the truth, hence they had no need “that any man teach” them (v.27). This does not mean that divinely gifted teachers of the Word are redundant, but in the context the reference is to the Gnostics who purported to impart superior innovative knowledge; in fact, their teaching was seriously flawed. At a practical level, John is saying that because immature believers have the Holy Spirit, they know intuitively when something is erroneous, even although by reason of their spiritual infancy they may be unable to find a Bible verse to prove their point. • Another important truth in the section is that the Holy Spirit “abides” in the believer (v.27); there is permanence about His enlightening activity. The Comforter abides with believers “for ever” (Jn 14.16). There is never any situation in which a Christian would have Saul’s experience when “the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul” (1 Sam 16.14). We would never have to pray as did David, “take not thy holy spirit from me” (Ps 51.11). Allied with the enlightening activity of “the anointing”, there must be resolve on the part of the believer to hold firmly to the sound doctrine that was imparted at conversion; “Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning” (v.24). Refusing to abandon familiar, foundational, original truth gives evidence that a man continues “in the Son, and in the Father”, and with that union with divine persons there is the promise of eternal life (v.25). To give an inch to false teachers places a question mark over the reality of one’s profession of faith. (The terms “abide”, “continue” and “remain” in v.24 are different translations of the same Greek word.) It does seem that John had confidence in the stability of these young believers. The ongoing teaching of “the anointing”, that is the continuing impartation of truth by the Holy Spirit, would reinforce what had already been taught by Him, as indicated by the verb tenses of “teacheth” and “hath taught” (v.27). Compliance would be sufficient to confirm that they were among those who “abide in him”. Again, at a practical level, we have to abide in Him by cultivating communion with Him, “cleav(ing) unto the Lord” (Acts 11.23). Some translations place the end of v.27 in the imperative mood and read, “abide 44 ye in him”, and that is how the teaching is extended to the whole family of God in v.28. The Whole Family (vv.28-29) At v.28, John reverts to addressing the whole family: fathers, young men and little children. In using the “little children” word, he is going back to the term of affection that embraces everyone, and the plea to all is to “abide in him”. With the background, it obviously includes the need for doctrinal stability, but there is surely an appeal to maintain the links of communion with our Lord. Practically, it involves the consistent reading of Scripture to hear His voice. It demands a disciplined prayer life which betokens our dependence on Him. It means wholly following the Lord as did Caleb (Deut 1.36), rather than following “afar off” as did Peter on the eve of Calvary (Mk 14.54). The effect of “abiding” will be seen when “he shall appear”. In this context, the appearing seems to refer to His appearing to His own at the Rapture rather than to His manifestation to the world at His coming in power and great glory. John seems to have the Judgment Seat of Christ in view. Those who abide will have confidence then. (John uses the word “confidence” on another three occasions in the epistle: in relation to prayer, 3.21; 5.14; and in relation to the day of judgment, 4.17, there translated “boldness”.) The word carries the idea of freedom in speech. Those who abide will not be struck dumb with their mouths closed in an embarrassed silence under the scrutiny of the Judge of the living and the dead. Allied with that positive confidence, negatively, there will be an absence of shame. Will failing to abide mean that I will be ashamed of my worldliness, my carnality, my lack of Christlikeness, my shallowness? A disciplined prayer life ... betokens our dependence on Him. It is interesting that John uses the pronoun “we” in his statement. He indicates that at the coming day of review, if they have failed to abide it will reflect on him as their spiritual mentor. Nowadays, there are no apostles to take responsibility for us and instruct us, but there are men described as “them that have the rule over you” (Heb 13.17). Their duty is to “watch for your souls, as they that must give account”. Is it possible that our mediocrity will be an embarrassment to our elders when asked to give an account of their stewardship? To be continued.
January 2014 QUESTION BOX ? ? Has the new covenant with Israel and Judah already been made, or is it still future? If the latter, when and how will it be applied? From the prophecy of A Jeremiah 31.31 we find the new covenant is not yet made with the two houses of Israel and Judah, but awaits fulfilment in the future, for note what Jeremiah declares in the future prophetic tense: “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah”. There should not be a difficulty here. Those of the Jews and we of the Gentiles, who now believe in Christ, come into the distinct position as one body, but possessing all the moral and spiritual blessings of the new covenant. The fulfilment of it pertains to the Jewish people in the last days, when the Messiah comes to reign over them. The Lord Jesus died for that nation and not that nation only, but that also He should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad (Jn 11.52). The Lord’s death will avail for both purposes; the time and order of applying it is another question. In fact, we know that Israel as a nation rejected the message and hence the blessing remains in abeyance until the fullness of the Gentiles is come in. When the Redeemer shall come to Zion and out of Zion (for both are true) “all Israel shall be saved”. Of course we believe that all the efficacious value for Israel then as for us now is in the blood of Christ. Israel then will have sacrifices as well as an earthly temple and priesthood, but these will be only commemorative signs of the one great offering of Christ (see Ezekiel chs. 44 to 46). The Epistle to the Hebrews excludes these for the Christian. Israel restored will enjoy the new things of the new covenant. They will have a new sanctuary, a new sovereign in Christ, a new status as a nation, a new soil in the land (Ezek 36.34-35), a new stream of life and healing flowing through the land (Ezek 47) and a new spirit (Ezek 36.25-27). John J Stubbs QUESTION BOX ? Is it in order for a Christian to carry an organ donor card to “give others the gift of life” (National Health Service quote)? First of all, it should be borne A in mind that the believer’s body is most precious to God. Indeed our salvation will not, in one sense, be complete until our bodies (these bodies of “our humiliation”) will be changed and “fashioned like unto his glorious body” (Phil 3.21). The RV renders this “conformed to the body of his glory” - this will, of course, take place when the Lord Jesus returns to the air for His own. So Paul writes, “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed...For this corruptible must put on incorruption (the reference is to ‘the dead in Christ’), and this mortal must put on immortality (this brings in ‘we which are alive and remain’)” (1 Cor 15.51,53). Thus, in view of the value of the believer’s body to God, Paul prays that “your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess 5.23). For many years now, there has been the ability in certain situations to perform transplant surgery. It should be mentioned that blood transfusion is a form of transplant which has been practised for a considerable period of time and this seems to have been well accepted even by believers. In practice, there are two main sources of donor organs for transplant - living human donors and dead human donors. Living human donors of e.g. kidneys, tend to be close relatives to the individuals concerned. However, the question relates to dead human donors, since the issue of whether a Christian should carry an organ donor card is raised. There are those believers who would adopt the view that, since we should be concerned about the physical as well as the spiritual wellbeing of our fellow men and that we are to “do good unto all men” (Gal 6.10), we should carry an organ donor card in order to “give others the gift of life”. The present writer, however, would lean to the view that it would be unwise to promise to give bodily organs to another in the event of an untimely death. Let us bear in mind that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps 139.14) and, as has already been emphasised, the believer’s body is precious to God. David E West 45
Page 2 and 3: NEW TITLES Minor Prophets F A Tatfo
Page 4 and 5: FROM THE EDITOR From the editor As
Page 6 and 7: OCCASIONAL LETTERS “And it came t
Page 8 and 9: “A GOODLY HERITAGE (13)” by D L
Page 10 and 11: John 8.1-59 ‘The light was shinin
Page 12 and 13: A MINI COMMENTARY ON 1ST JOHN (4) m
Page 16 and 17: OUR ADVOCATE Our Advocate 1 John 2.
Page 18 and 19: THE CHURCH OF GOD (1) earthly minis
Page 20 and 21: THE SERVICE AND TESTIMONIES (1) tha
Page 22 and 23: ELIJAH (3) have been in the past. O
Page 24 and 25: ABRAHAM’S FOUR ALTARS God” (Heb
Page 26 and 27: THE LORD’S WORK & WORKERS childre
Page 28 and 29: THE LORD’S WORK & WORKERS WITH CH
Page 30 and 31: FORTHCOMING MEETINGS FEBRUARY 21 Du
Page 32 and 33: FORTHCOMING MEETINGS APRIL 27 Bally
Page 34 and 35: NOTICES Holiday Homes Cyprus, Papho
Page 36: NEW TITLES INTRODUCTORY OFFER The P

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