Those Who Are Nearer to Salvation Than the Apostles
2007-08-11 21:38
We generally think that the apostles are the first in Christ Jesus and the nearest to salvation. It is because the Bible says, "God has appointed first of all apostles," and the message of the cross is testified by the apostles whom the Lord Jesus appointed.
Among the parts of the body of Christ, the apostles are the mouths that preach the gospel and the feet that are on the mountains to preach it. It is written, "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'" (Isaiah 52:7). And again, "And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'" (Romans 10:15).
Why in the passages above is it written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!", instead of "How beautiful are the mouths of those who bring good news!"? It may be because the part of the body that follows Christ is the feet, not the mouth.
If there is only the mouth without the feet, it is as if one says "Yes" by mouth but does not have works. Therefore, although faith is precious, faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
When the gospel of salvation is accompanied not only with the mouth but also with the feet of sufferings on mountains, what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ is filled up in his body, which is the church. Therefore, although the mouth and the feet are the witnesses of the gospel, that gospel, if it does not have the hands working through love, is a dishonorable gospel without works.
Therefore, the apostles said, "But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister." (Hebrews 6:9-10).
"We are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation." And again, "For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister." The passages above show that more precious are your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
The love shown toward His name, the name of Christ, means ministering to the saints, ministering to the saints means obeying the new commandment, obeying the new commandment means loving the Lord Jesus.
It is written, "Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God. So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well. But as you abound in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us--see that you abound in this grace also." (2 Corinthians 8:1-7).
The gospel is preached by the mouth and the feet, and the love is shown by the heart and the hands. Therefore, among the members of Christ, the mouth and the feet are precious, but more precious are the heart and the hands. It is as if seeds are precious but fruits are more precious than seeds. The Bible says, "Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?" (Isaiah 53:1).
If there is only this phrase "Who has believed our message," that faith will be the faith without fruit in the end. For faith, this phrase "to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed" should be followed.
The apostles' gospel also says, "This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: 'Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?'" (John 12:38).
However, for the mouth and the feet, the heart and the hands look more precious, and for the heart and the hands, the mouth and the feet look more precious. The Bible says, "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, 'Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, 'I don't need you!' On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." (1 Corinthians 12:12-27).
Therefore, in the church, the apostles are the first, but in God, those who minister to the saints are the first. "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13). Amen. Thank you, Lord.
Among the parts of the body of Christ, the apostles are the mouths that preach the gospel and the feet that are on the mountains to preach it. It is written, "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'" (Isaiah 52:7). And again, "And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'" (Romans 10:15).
Why in the passages above is it written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!", instead of "How beautiful are the mouths of those who bring good news!"? It may be because the part of the body that follows Christ is the feet, not the mouth.
If there is only the mouth without the feet, it is as if one says "Yes" by mouth but does not have works. Therefore, although faith is precious, faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
When the gospel of salvation is accompanied not only with the mouth but also with the feet of sufferings on mountains, what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ is filled up in his body, which is the church. Therefore, although the mouth and the feet are the witnesses of the gospel, that gospel, if it does not have the hands working through love, is a dishonorable gospel without works.
Therefore, the apostles said, "But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister." (Hebrews 6:9-10).
"We are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation." And again, "For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister." The passages above show that more precious are your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
The love shown toward His name, the name of Christ, means ministering to the saints, ministering to the saints means obeying the new commandment, obeying the new commandment means loving the Lord Jesus.
It is written, "Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God. So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well. But as you abound in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us--see that you abound in this grace also." (2 Corinthians 8:1-7).
The gospel is preached by the mouth and the feet, and the love is shown by the heart and the hands. Therefore, among the members of Christ, the mouth and the feet are precious, but more precious are the heart and the hands. It is as if seeds are precious but fruits are more precious than seeds. The Bible says, "Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?" (Isaiah 53:1).
If there is only this phrase "Who has believed our message," that faith will be the faith without fruit in the end. For faith, this phrase "to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed" should be followed.
The apostles' gospel also says, "This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: 'Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?'" (John 12:38).
However, for the mouth and the feet, the heart and the hands look more precious, and for the heart and the hands, the mouth and the feet look more precious. The Bible says, "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, 'Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, 'I don't need you!' On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." (1 Corinthians 12:12-27).
Therefore, in the church, the apostles are the first, but in God, those who minister to the saints are the first. "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13). Amen. Thank you, Lord.
