The Spirit as seen Objectively
in the Book of Acts, and other ministry
Ministry by J. Taylor
– Part Four

Now we arrive at the incoming of the nations as before God, that is our forefathers.

• It had been made known that the veil which hid the gentiles should be removed. Simeon in the temple as the Babe was brought in by His parents, takes the Child in his arms and says,
  • "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the gentiles", Luke 2: 29-32.

• A light for the revelation of the gentiles that is what Christ was. In Him as Man, the gentiles as being men all come into the view of God. The veil that shut them off was removed in Jesus becoming Man.

• As becoming Man, in the mind of God He stood in relation to men. As Peter put it to Cornelius,
  • "I myself also am a man".

• As Cornelius so was he, both men. So in chapter 8 we are approaching the incoming of the nations to blessing. Many of us here, especially the young, have no idea what the sphere of blessing implies, into which we have been brought.

• The gentiles were about to be introduced into it and so we have the peculiar service of the Spirit in that relation. That is what I want to dwell upon.

• So I take up Philip first in relation to the Ethiopian eunuch who may be regarded as a gentile, though doubtless a proselyte as he had been up to Jerusalem to worship.

• Notice the peculiar activities of the servant – I speak in particular to any who serve in any way, so that we may be concerned that what we give should be spiritual and therefore representative of Christ and God, for God is a Spirit.

• We need to take notice of the imperativeness of being spiritual whether in work or service. Philip may be taken as an example. He had no special service to God though he was a deacon. He was not recognised among the apostles as gifted to preach.

• It is a question of using a brother developed into doing the work without any form of recognition by the saints. He was a deacon. He went down to Samaria and preached Christ! Excellent!

• More than that, there was result from his preaching. I need not go over the work at Samaria. He had a wonderful time there. And then the angel of the Lord said,
  • "Go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went".

• No questioning! It is one thing to preach Christ and get converts but it is another thing to obey a divine command peremptorily. It says, he arose and went. You see he is qualified.

• It is delightful to heaven to have Christ preached. Paul says,
  • "we are a sweet odour of Christ to God, in the saved and in those that perish", 2 Corinthians 2: 15.

• But what marks me after successful service? Am I to live in those plaudits? Satan suggests it and it has been the ruin of many.

• Note, it is not the Spirit yet; it is a providential thing, an angel, but the servant is obedient. Wanting in obedience the servant may miss much. How much would Philip have missed if he had remained in Samaria to continue his successful work?

• But being obedient the Holy Spirit says, 'I will honour you'. He is told to join the chariot. The Holy Spirit tells us who the occupant of the chariot was, he was in charge of a queen's treasury. God had His eye on this man and He would have Himself rightly represented.

• I urge at the outset obedience, or we cannot convey the right thought of God. Philip preached the Christ in Samaria; he had that impression in his soul. He would convey that. But now he is directed by the Spirit of God to join himself to a chariot occupied by this African, who was a noted man.

• He ran at once, under the influence of the Spirit's power. You see God is about to impress this gentile with His idea. God has only one idea before Him – Jesus. Philip had preached the Christ at Samaria; to the eunuch – Jesus.

• Here I like to stop for a moment to dwell on the way God introduces Jesus in Acts.
  • "The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up", Acts 1: 1-2.

• Then the witness of the two men, which stood by the disciples, in white apparel:
  • "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven", Acts 1: 11.

• And again Peter in his address:
  • "God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ", Acts 2: 36.

So Philip joins the chariot under the command of the Spirit of God, and the man is reading the Bible.

• One may thank God for the number of Bibles there are today, but one has to own that it is less read. This authorised version we have was appointed to be read in churches in England, and one is thankful for every church in which it is read.

• You may read it in a legal way because you have been brought up to read; thank God if you read the Bible. Alas, we know it is less and less read, but here was a man who was reading it.

• You may say, 'I have little time to read the Scriptures'. One often hears complaints about too much written ministry. No time: what about the time spent in the street cars, etc.?

• This man might have excused himself that it was no time to read the Bible. Doubtless the sun beat down upon him fiercely – but he was reading the Bible. The Holy Spirit is interested in everyone reading the Bible even if unconverted.

• So the Holy Spirit says, Join yourself, there is a link between the christian and every man who reads the Bible. I always feel safe spiritually as I show my Bible in the open. This great statesman was not ashamed of the Bible.

• But now I want to urge the understanding of it. It is not to be read scholastically but with the understanding, and so he says,
  • "How can I, except some man should guide me?"

  • So the speaker is concerned that the Bible readers should understand.

• What was he reading? He was reading about Jesus, one of the most touching scriptures in the whole Bible. But I do not stop to dwell on that – I am speaking about the Spirit.

• Philip preached unto him about Jesus from that scripture. Possibly never a sermon like Philip's, one would like to have heard him. You can see at a glance that it was no stock sermon. He was under the command and influence of the Spirit and such a man is always ready to speak from any scripture.
  • He "preached unto him Jesus".

• And as they went on their way the eunuch said,
  • "here is water; what doth hinder me …?"

• It may be some here were hindered. One could furnish a list of hindrances. One meets souls year after year who make no headway at all, and one wonders what is hindering. But the eunuch says, "what doth hinder me?"

• Philip does not say anything about the water; the man was profoundly affected by the preaching of Philip – and they went down both together; on the one hand a soul touched by the influence of Jesus, on the other hand one who could represent Him here.

• They went down both of them lovers of Jesus, going down into that which symbolised His death. How the force of those words would come home:
  • "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter …".

• He was taken from oppression and from judgment,
  • "his life is taken from the earth".

• That life is gone from the earth and the eunuch says, 'Mine must go, too'. Philip's was already gone. It was a fine sight for heaven – those two men in the water together.

But when they came up the Spirit caught away Philip and the eunuch saw him no more. How is this gentile to get along without his preacher?

• Some people say: My preacher, my minister, my clergyman. This man had to get along without his preacher. If he had been governed by natural feelings he might have asked Philip to come along with him. As it was in the days of Judges, they hired a man to be a priest.

• But the Holy Spirit says you are to get along without the preacher, that is His business, you do not need him more. The Spirit of the Lord caught him away.

• What spiritual impression that man went back to Ethiopia with. Would he not go home with the feeling that there was a spiritual realm? We look not on that which is seen but that which is unseen. He went on his way rejoicing – not sorrowful that his preacher was taken away from him.

• Happy for Philip that he was in such a state that the Spirit of the Lord could catch him away. The Lord is going to do that for us shortly. I speak about the rapture; that is what it means.

• If I am on material lines I shall be greatly surprised when I am raptured. But not Philip; he was not surprised when the Spirit caught him away. The Lord Himself shall descend and we shall be changed and caught up. Who can say about the actual power and means used?

• What an impression the eunuch would carry into Ethiopia. He might tell her Majesty the details. She never heard anything like that, it would impress her.

• Christianity is a spiritual realm. We have principles and doctrines but if you take away the Spirit it will soon become an outward form.

Now I go on to Peter to show how the company at Caesarea was impressed. We have much of the experience of Peter in the Scriptures. This is a unique one.

• While they were preparing a meal for Peter, he went up on the housetop to pray. It was a preparing time. While he prayed he became in an ecstasy. I know little about these things, but there they are.

• He was beside himself, lost to seen things; and he saw a sheet come down from heaven. God said, as it were, that he was not simply to be prepared for but he was to be prepared.
  • If we are to have any part in this service there must be divine service; you must be prepared or you can never represent Christ.

• It comes down, and Peter says,
  • "It came even to me".

• What for? To prepare Peter to represent God to us gentiles, that the truth might come to us in a proper spiritual way.

• Peter pondered the vision, as Mary of old kept the things in her mind, pondering them in her heart. And the Spirit of God says to Peter,
  • "Behold, three men seek thee. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them".

• People had been sent from Caesarea to come to him and heaven began to prepare Peter to receive them.

• We hear nothing of the dinner that was being prepared for him. What was of account was that Peter should be made ready. I am to be made ready if I am to represent God. The Spirit says,
  • "Go with them, doubting nothing, because I have sent them".

Dear brethren, the Holy Spirit is here and operating, and if we have the light of God, He will send people to us.

• We may be sent on the one hand to receive them. Think of the Holy Spirit sending a soul to you to enlighten him.

• Peter was praying, but while he was waiting for that meal God said, 'Are you ready?' and when the men came the Holy Spirit said,
  • "Go down and go with them … I have sent them".

So Peter went down to Caesarea and Cornelius met him and was so affected he fell down and did him homage.

• Peter's successor – so-called – at Rome would be glad of such a thing; he would not lift him up and say,
  • "I myself also am a man".

• But Peter says it and lifts him up – the spiritual man rightly representing God and representing heaven says, "I am a man".

• It is well to know if we are serving God how to go down to people. If I am anything different it is because God has made me different, and being thus it is easy for me to go down.

• So they went into the house talking together. The Jew and gentile together as men; and then Peter opened his mouth and preached. It is what the Spirit is doing, he is speaking of Jesus, and while he was speaking the Holy Spirit fell on them that heard the word.

• Let not any preacher think he does the thing; the work belongs to God. Speaking of it afterwards Peter says, God gave them the Holy Spirit as to us at the beginning.

• See how the Holy Spirit laid hold of these men. Jew and gentile, he has made all one body. Nevertheless the gentile is brought in as distinct – the Holy Spirit lays hold of them. They are not brought in at Jerusalem; the sheet represented the mind of God.
  • "Ye also are builded together", Ephesians 2: 22.

• As the Jews were built in so are we. Today whatever building there is, is in the gentiles; that is the feature that remains. We are builded together for an habitation of God in the Spirit.

• A wonderful time. The Holy Spirit fell on all these. Like the prodigal they are brought into a place of love – the love of God. The kisses of the father to the prodigal denoted this.

In closing: what is found at Antioch? The notables. Every christian is marked by notability. As is said in Psalms,

• "This and that man was born in her".

• And when God writes up His people, He says – Psalm 87: 6,
  • "This man was born there",

• taking account of what is characteristic of each one. We want to be notables. The Holy Spirit makes no note of one because he has money or social position. The notables at Antioch were spiritual notables.

• The first was Barnabas, another Niger – a coloured brother amongst them, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen the foster-brother of the tetrarch, lastly Saul. They were in the assembly that was there, as if God would dwell on His princes.

• They were ministering to the Lord and fasting. These two things go together. If we attempt to carry on ministry without fasting we shall corrupt the ministry.

• So in that condition locally the Holy Spirit had asserted His sovereign right. The Holy Spirit says,
  • "Separate me now Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them".

• The Holy Spirit is speaking as to missionary service. The church never sent out missionaries; the Holy Spirit does it. They fasted, and prayed and laid their hands on them, but they were the choice of the Spirit and He says let these men go.

• Not a bit of jealousy in their service, they let them go – they do not send them; the Holy Spirit sent them. They are the missionaries of the Holy Spirit in His activities in relation to us gentiles,
  • so that there might be some little representation of Christ in the ministry, that what we are going on with is no human system – it is a spiritual thing or nothing.

• So if we do not make room for the Spirit it must disappear, for the Spirit cannot support anything that is of man. So the testimony will go on until the Spirit and the bride say, Come. The Spirit has the bride with Him and
  • "the Spirit and the bride say, Come", Revelation 22: 17.

G.A.R.

The Spirit would be present with them in power for testimony, and they should be trustworthy. He would unfold things, and open up the truth as needed.

• The first point to see is that the Spirit has come in and formed a dispensation and taken charge of it, as it were; so that the apostles were to be restful. Times and seasons were in the Father's hand; the truth as to them would come out in due course, but not yet.

• In the meantime the depths of God would be brought out, a greater thought than times or seasons. The Holy Spirit, in perfect knowledge of all, would be with the disciples, and He would unfold the truth as needed, and regulate everything.

• So that the first point is to rest in the sense that a divine Person is here as Christ was here, and here in relation to God.

• Chapter 2 brings out the state of the brethren, the apostles and others that were there, showing how unified they were, and fit for the Spirit to take on and use, so that they moved in relation to Him. That is the great general thought in this beginning in the early chapters.

Then I thought that we might look at chapter 5 to see Him acting in relation to discipline in the assembly, and then at chapters 8, 9, and 10.

• In chapter 8 He is seen in relation to evangelical service, sovereignly taking charge of the service in Philip; and in chapter 9 He comforts the saints.

• In chapter 10 He sovereignly takes over the gentiles. There are other features that will open up later.

R.W.S. The restoration of the kingdom was not on lower ground than what the Lord had in mind.

J.T. The Lord does not say anything about it, save that as included in times or seasons it was in the Father's hand. The point is the Spirit. You are impressed with the great fact of the Spirit who was about to come.

A.E.H. "The depths of God;" do you look upon that as connected with the objective side of things? You have suggested that it stands related to the full outshining of the revelation of God.

J.T. "The Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God", 1 Corinthians 2: 10.

• That is largely what is developed, so that the point is to make room for the Spirit. He is here as a great Commissioner; a divine Person sent here, and He operates as such.

T.A.T. Do you think that those whom the Lord was addressing knew much about the truth of the Spirit?

J.T. Their understanding as to Him, and as to all things, was relatively meagre until the Spirit Himself came, but much had been said, by the Lord, of His coming. All the gospels, especially Luke and John, indicate this.

• The Lord went so far as to say that they should get the Spirit from the Father by asking Him. John stresses much the Spirit and His coming. He alone speaks of Him as the Comforter.

S.J.H. Does the Lord's remark,

• "It is not yours to know times or seasons",

• suggest that it was theirs to know what is in the Spirit and in His realm?

J.T. That is what I thought. The apostles, no doubt, would inquire together as to what He meant. Why does He not say more?

• Let us be impressed with the great fact that He has come, His presence here is the great characterising fact of the dispensation. Let us seek to understand and appreciate the immensity of it.

A.N.W. I think your use of the word 'restful' is interesting. We might be worried about the times and seasons, but there is enough to keep us restful.

J.T. That is the great point, to keep "in the Spirit".

W.L. In both of these chapters the thought of the Holy Spirit being upon the disciples is emphasised. Would that suggest that He is to be in evidence in an objective sense?

J.T. Yes. He is here in the saints and others may take account of Him. He can be taken account of even by unconverted people; that is what comes out in Acts 2: 15. Peter says,

• "these are not full of wine, as ye suppose, for it is the third hour of the day".

• Then he goes on to tell what it was – what they saw: the Spirit is to be taken notice of in public testimony. Previously it says,
  • "there appeared to them parted tongues, as of fire, and it sat upon each one of them", Acts 2: 3.

• It is the external side too in Luke; and again,
  • "he that … has anointed us, is God", 2 Corinthians 1: 21.

• It is what is observable. That the Spirit of God has come in, is a wonderful fact.

A.E.H. Does the sitting on each of them suppose there was work to be performed in them, to make it possible for the disciples to take up a position of that kind?

J.T. He came on Christ as a dove and abode upon Him, but here He appeared as parted tongues of fire, and sat upon each one of them.

A.N.W. "And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but do ye remain in the city till ye be clothed with power from on high", Luke 24: 49.

• Is that an outward evidence of His presence?

J.T. Yes, it is public. John represents what is inward.

A.H.P. Is there any correspondence in Pentecost with what had been seen in the Lord personally in His public service here, in the gospel of Luke especially?

J.T. Yes. The Holy Spirit came on the Lord Jesus, and He was on Simeon. It was a public matter, and the greatness of it is stressed.

• What could be brought into Jerusalem to compare with it? All the happenings of the world would pale into insignificance as compared with this great event. We are to be occupied with the great thought of the Holy Spirit come in. We should be greatly impressed by it.

• As we see here, it is not a question of the times or seasons; but I fear that, if you announced you were going to give an address on times and seasons, you would get a much greater hearing than if you were giving an address on the Holy Spirit.
  • "But the rumour of this having spread, the multitude came together and were confounded, because each one heard them speaking in his own dialect" verse 6.

• Why had not the apostles inquired from the Lord about this great coming event? If they had been observant they would have inquired about the Holy Spirit, but in their minds it was a question of the kingdom being restored to Israel.

• But God was working and what was evident in the disciples caused a great stir in Jerusalem.

J.R.H. The word for power in verse 7 is interesting. It evidently gives the idea of the right to exercise power. What would you say about that?

J.T. That is what it is. It is not the dynamic idea, but authority. In Acts 1: 8, "ye will receive power", it is dynamic power. The former in general is made effective by the latter.

• The apostles had authority from the Lord, but active power (ability) was needed to make it effective. The latter is the Spirit,
  • "But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and spoke forth", Acts 2: 14.

• What is conveyed is that he had authority, but concurrently there was, in him and with him, the Spirit of God. Hence the great practical result on that great day – three thousand added.

• A supporter of the Jewish system might have challenged Peter as to his authority to speak, and asked him, What authority have you to stand up and preach? You are not the high priest, nor of the priestly class, nor even a Levite.

• Well, the actual power of the Spirit was there manifestly – universally felt. Thus the two ideas, authority and effective power, were illustratively present.

• Peter had the real power, confirming the authority with which he spoke. The activities of the Spirit accompanied the public services of the apostles at the beginning; and, through humble dependence on the Lord, this will in measure mark the service now.

J.R.H. There is no right representation of God without that authority.

J.T. There should be authority. Positive representation of God does not have a mandate from any college. The Spirit operating carried His own credentials with it.

• "Never man spoke thus, as this man speaks", John 7: 46.

A.N.W. Does it show itself differently in the conveying of power by the Lord Himself? In Luke 9 He gave them "power and authority". How would that show itself?

J.T. The former would be the actual power of the Spirit; the latter a mandate. The Spirit confers authority too, as well as being the power to make it effective, which is illustrated in Acts 13: 2-4

• "And as they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me now Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Then, having fasted and prayed, and having laid their hands on them, they let them go. They therefore, having been sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, and thence sailed away to Cyprus".

• That is, the authority is there, and the actual power also as seen in the blindness brought upon Elymas in verse 11; so that anyone coming in contact with them would see it.

• It is a question not only of dynamic power, but of something that indicates authority behind it. The Spirit of God is God, and He sent them forth. His stamp is on them.

T.A.T. Of course He would express His mind through some brother?

J.T. "The Holy Spirit said, Separate me now".

• We are not told how it happened in detail. Undoubtedly it would be through some brother, but the sending forth was by the Spirit of God.

R.W.S. Is this the side of the Spirit coming Himself? He comes in to carry on the work that the Lord had started.

• "These things I have said to you, abiding with you; but the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and will bring to your remembrance all the things which I have said to you", John 14: 25-26.

J.T. Yes. The facts of His coming are given in the beginning of Acts 2.

• "And when the day of Pentecost was now accomplishing, they were all together in one place. And there came suddenly a sound out of heaven as of a violent impetuous blowing, and filled all the house where they were sitting".

• These are the facts of the transaction. Was there ever such a transaction? The incoming of Christ was not thus signally marked. There was no public manifestation at the Lord's birth, but here there is a "violent impetuous blowing".

• That is heaven's way of coming in. It is not wind in the ordinary sense, it is breathing, meaning that the inner parts of God, speaking reverently, are active themselves. It is how He is coming in by His Spirit.

J.D. Say a word on John 14: 25-26,

• "These things I have said to you, abiding with you; but the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and will bring to your remembrance all the things which I have said to you".

• Would the sending of the Spirit by the Father underlie what is in your mind?

J.T. Yes; and the Son sends Him too. But it is now the fact of His coming, the actual transaction; enlarging on what the Lord had said;

• "ye will receive power, the Holy Spirit having come upon you".

• It is His action, and so we have the accompanying facts as to what they heard in the house; what filled the house:
  • "there came suddenly a sound out of heaven as of a violent impetuous blowing, and filled all the house where they were sitting".

• What was that for? What is anything that is happening on earth compared with it? There were persons there sitting; the word is used particularly. They are restful and composed, and now this happens.

• Those present would say, We shall never forget this! It was intended that they should never forget; it would go with them in all their activities. It was mighty power, not a storm, but, as it were, God breathing; and the very inwards of God expressing themselves in this most significant way.

H.B. Would you say that this is a much deeper thought than is seen at the end of Exodus where everything is anointed after the gathering together of the material?

J.T. This is a deeper thought. It is God's powerful breathing. Scripture speaks in several connections of the breath of God, but this is the most unique one. The sound of it filled the house where the disciples were sitting.

• The apostles would say, We understand now what the Lord said as to authority and the power that goes with it.

J.W. If we are concerned about the times and seasons we are apt to be selfish; looking for the restoration of the kingdom would imply that we are concerned as to what belongs to ourselves.

J.T. Quite so, turning aside from the divine thoughts and purposes, and the means by which they are effected – the Spirit of God. The times and seasons have their place, as Paul says to the Thessalonians:

• "ye know perfectly well yourselves, that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief by night", 1 Thessalonians 5: 2.

• Christians come to know these things through the Spirit of God as here. The main thing is His presence among us. He guides us into all the truth, John 16: 13.

R.W.S. He fills the house. Is it the thought of filling whatever He comes into?

J.T. Yes. We are to be filled with the Spirit. Coming in, He commands attention. What else do you want?

• If you brought in all the radios in the world – and they afford only the most wretched matter – it would be only to interfere with this work and service of the Spirit. Do I want a radio to fill my house? Normally the believer's house is already filled.

A.H.P. Would what we see here, external power and authority, indicate a divine Person here to carry the testimony through?

J.T. Yes. It says, "there appeared to them;" it was to impress them. If we are divinely impressed we shall impress others. Peter stands up on that principle; he was in this sense impressed as he arose to speak on the day of Pentecost.

R.W.S. Anything less than being filled is short of the divine idea.

J.T. Yes; the general idea is being filled with what is presented. It is a heavenly sound of impetuous breathing.

• Saul breathed out "threatenings and slaughter", but this is opposite; this is God breathing, as giving to His people and affording to all men, as they value it and seek it, the gift of His Spirit.

W.L. They were all together. Would that be the 120?

J.T. Yes. All who were there heard it. It is a heavenly sound, as the passage says,

• "suddenly a sound out of heaven".

• They evidently knew the sound. What am I going to listen to? The whole house is filled with this precious sound.

W.L. It was not specially for the apostles.

J.T. There were more than the apostles there; the 120 were there.

• "They were all together",

• it is said; that is, those mentioned in the first chapter.

J.D. Your allusion to the inwards of God expressed in this way is very sweet, I think; as it reflects on the whole service of Christ and what He accomplished. The Spirit can be identified with that.

J.T. Assembly features were there. The persons there were suitable; all together, not an absentee, which is a principle that runs through. They were in one place when the wonderful breathing sound from heaven filled the house. Morally there was no room for anything else.

A.E.H. The wonderful feelings of it are typically suggested in the account of the feast of Pentecost in Leviticus 23: 15-22. There is instruction regarding "thy field", the corners were not to be reaped, but left to the poor and the stranger.

• There is infinitely more than enough in the Spirit for the apostles and those gathered at Jerusalem. It reaches out.

J.T. There is no time limitation to the feast of Pentecost. All that fits in here. It is left open. In a sense we are shut up to the Spirit; it is His day.

• There is no limit to His activities; nor is there a limit to what He may open up to the assembly. He searches all things, even the depths of God.

• Prophecy had much place with the brethren in the early days of the revival over one hundred years ago, and God helped much in the inquiry; opening up the dispensations, also the territory in view in the prophetic scriptures.

• The ministry rendered was most precious and instructive, clarifying the whole outlook, and thus making way for the ministry relative to Christ and the assembly which the Spirit has kept before the saints ever since.

Ques. "As the Spirit gave to them to speak forth", Acts 2: 4.

• Is that administration in the Spirit's hands?

J.T. That is what is prominent in this chapter. The Lord had been preparing the apostles for it.

Ques. Is that what you had in mind in the objective side of the Spirit? In a certain sense the Spirit has charge of the position.

J.T. Yes. Even in regard of detail in service: you are concerned for instance, about giving an address to the brethren; you feel very feeble, but presently something suggests itself to you, and you are assured. The Holy Spirit is always ready to do that.

• Your mind is thus clear, and as you proceed you are supported. The word to note is,
  • "as the Spirit gave to them to speak forth".

• Whatever your main thoughts are, you are concerned as to what the Spirit gives, and the general help He renders.

A.B. Does the apostle have in mind in that connection the reference in Isaiah 64: 4: "who acteth for him that waiteth for him"?

J.T. That passage is quoted in 1 Corinthians 2 where we have the truth relative to the Spirit enlarged on.

• Isaiah says: "Never have men heard, nor perceived by the ear, nor hath eye seen a God beside thee, who acteth for him that waiteth for him".

• Let us allow the Spirit to enter. He is a divine Person regarded here objectively; let Him in and He will "speak forth".

T.S. What difference do you make between the filling of the house and the filling of them?

J.T. The sound is what fills the house – heaven calling attention. Thus we must let heaven speak. It fills the house. Then it says,

• "And there appeared to them parted tongues, as of fire, and it sat upon each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak".

• The parted tongues are for your eye; the sound is for your ear.

• It sat on each of them. You cannot just say the tongues sat on each of them, It sat on each of them; each one has It. That means we have to think of one another in relation to the Spirit.

• We have to think of heaven, of course, as regards the sound; but according to what appeared, the Holy Spirit came on each one, so that I have now to learn to think of the brethren as thus affected; anointed by the Spirit.

W.L. These features were carried forward.

J.T. Yes. These brethren were impressed and I am sure they would never lose the impression, they would pass it on. The lame man of Acts 14 heard Paul speaking and was impressed.

A.N.W. "We hear them speaking in our own tongues the great things of God", Acts 2: 11.

S.McC. "And it came to pass in Iconium that they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake that a great multitude of both Jews and Greeks believed", Acts 14: 1.

J.T. That chapter, as already noted, illustrates what is before us. They "so spake", and the impotent man "heard Paul speaking".

T.A.T. Peter was impressed when Cornelius received the Spirit.

• "Can any one forbid water that these should not be baptised, who have received the Holy Spirit as we also did?", Acts 10: 47.

• The Spirit was the gift of God.

J.T. Quite so, we will come to that. These parted tongues, as the passage says, "sat upon each one of them". Individuality is stressed in this.

J.R.H. What is your thought of parted tongues of fire?

J.T. They imply the overthrow of the language barrier set up at Babel. The Holy Spirit gave them power to speak the languages of those present from many countries.

J.R.H. Does as of fire allude to what is drastic?

J.T. Yes; the destruction of what is of the flesh in those who speak. This includes mere natural eloquence. They speak "the great things of God", verse 11; that is the kind of thing you will be able to do; speak of the great things of God.

Rem. "To-day, if ye will hear his voice", the voice of the Spirit.

J.T. Quite so.

C.R. "The breath of the Almighty giveth them understanding", Job 32: 8.

• Does this relate to something like that?

J.T. The breath of the Almighty is a great thought. The first allusion to it is in Genesis 2 where God breathed into Adam the breath of life.

• It is the same breath that ignites the lake of fire, as said in Isaiah 30. What God can do! What He can use to ignite a fire He can use to make a man live; He can change things in their use.

• This scene in Acts 2 is to impress the disciples. They were going to serve in the testimony in the power and character of that of which they are being made conscious.

A.N.W. What is this "it"?

J.T. It refers to what appeared to them, pointing to their speech – the power and universality which would mark it.

• "Peter, standing up … lifted up his voice and spoke forth to them. Men of Judaea, and all ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give heed to my words".

J.C. "There appeared to them: " how does this power work out?

J.T. It works out so that we have right thoughts about one another; we have mutual esteem for each other as in the Lord's service. God is thinking of us all. It promotes mutual feelings.

• I am glad of another brother's prosperity in the service. We see how God qualifies His servants, and we have joy in each other's success. We see that "each one of them" was in God's mind.

• I think we do well to occupy ourselves with the saints, and especially with those qualified to serve, as the objects of God's care and blessing. You say, We are not much; but we love the brethren more and more as we pursue this line.

J.R.H. Is it a question of taking account of the place each of the saints has in divine favour?

J.T. Exactly. Look at them here. These tongues as of fire are on each one of them. This would promote unity in their service.

W.L. Would that be one reason why Peter could say,

• "Look on us", Acts 3: 4?

J.T. Just so, they are worth looking at. Peter and John were heaven's best in testimony. These in the house as the Spirit came in were all to be looked at; as there your eye would be affected by what appeared. It was for those inside.

Ques. Would it be exemplified in Moses and Aaron in their great speaking before Pharaoh? All that came out in testimony in Egypt was known in Israel. Later Miriam spake against Moses; it was really taking issue with the great speaking of God in Moses.

J.T. Yes. Aaron was a great speaker; God says,

• "I know that he can speak well", Exodus 4: 14.

• In some Egyptian drawing-room, doubtless, some would have listened to Moses, because he had been instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in words and deeds. I do not think Aaron was, but God says, "I know that he can speak well".

• Moses now is thinking that he himself cannot speak well, but God would use him according to the ability he had. If subject, we progress in the right thought as we cease to say we cannot do this or that.

R.W.S. The Lord had grief over the man in Mark 7 "who could not speak right". He is just one man whom He touched; now it is many.

J.T. The whole of humanity is in view for blessing. We have that suggestion here. All men are to be reached by the speaking inspired by the Spirit.

T.S. Does speaking originate with God? Is it something that stands out as original with God? I was thinking of Adam giving the animals their names, and calling his wife's name Eve; his mind having prominence.

J.T. I think the greatest creative work of God is the art of speaking, the vocal powers God has given man. God says to Moses,

• "Who gave man a mouth?", Exodus 4: 11;

• and as we see here, it is most efficient in the hands of God.

• Well, this appearing implies that God has made man's mouth; these tongues allude to that. The word tongue predominates in the idea of language, indeed it is used as a synonym for language.

• Therefore, the idea is that as they looked around on one another – because this is visible, it says "there appeared to them" tongues as of fire – they were to see on each one this wonderful means of communication. The point is what they were to see; how they were to be impressed.

H.B. The epistle to the Galatians says,

• "but, on the contrary, seeing that the glad tidings of the uncircumcision were confided to me, even as to Peter that of the circumcision, (for he that wrought in Peter for the apostleship of the circumcision wrought also in me towards the Gentiles), and recognising the grace given to me, James and Cephas and John … gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship", Galatians 2: 7-9.

• Is that a similar principle?

J.T. Quite so, the ministry of the uncircumcision given to Paul, that of the circumcision to Peter. Evidently they were both good speakers. Peter is very impressive here:

• "But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and spoke forth to them, Men of Judaea, and all ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give heed to my words".

• What authority there was in his voice! and his enunciation must have carried well too, for he calls attention to his words, not simply his voice.

Ques. What was there about the speaking that caused the listeners to perceive that they were unlettered and uninstructed men?

J.T. They were not college men, but, nevertheless very effective in what they were saying.

R.A. Speaking of Rebecca it says, "And the maiden ran and told these things to her mother's house", Genesis 24: 28.

• Then it says, "Laban ran out to the man, to the well. And it came to pass when he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister's hand, and when he heard the words of Rebecca his sister", verses 29-30.

• Is it what Laban saw and heard?

J.T. Quite so. He was impressed.

W.L. Would you say in that way that speaking forth is stressed as the Spirit came, not merely speaking?

• "As the Spirit gave to them to speak forth", Acts 2: 4.

J.T. That would mean that the pitch is to go far afield. 'Speak out', we say sometimes. The idea would be that these speakers were full of the things they were speaking about, we can hear them speaking. I suppose these comments went on while Peter was speaking:

• "And they were all amazed and in perplexity, saying one to another, What would this mean? But others mocking said, They are full of new wine", verses 12-13.

• Peter takes up the words of the mockers, which is remarkable. He says, in effect, I will address them. Why should he pay attention to mockers? It is the sense you have that you are greater than they are, and can overpower them with what you have to say.

A.H.P. Would the appearance of fire be for themselves personally, or enter into their service towards others?

J.T. It was for themselves, but it was intended to affect their ministry; in dealing with adverse things you must be drastic.

A.H.P. Peter remonstrates severely with Simon Magus.

J.T. When an emergency arises through the flesh working, the idea of fire comes in. It means that you go the whole way, dealing with it effectively. So with Ananias in chapter 5; we shall see later how the Spirit is treated of in that chapter.

A.E.H. In the book of James we have a contrast:

• "the tongue is fire, the world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set in our members, the defiler of the whole body, and which sets fire to the course of nature", James 3: 6.

• Man has used the tongue to set on fire the course of nature, but the Spirit uses it to give authority and guidance to carry divine things through.

J.T. We are told that God is a consuming fire. That bears on what is before us.

T.A.T. As to ministry, there is a time to stand up and a time to sit down. 1 Corinthians 14: 30. Peter had been sitting down, but now he is standing up with the eleven. Are the eleven standing too?

J.T. Certainly. I do not think the apostles are exclusively alluded to in the Spirit coming in, because parted tongues sat on each of them, but Peter and the eleven were the appointed ones; appointed by the Lord Jesus to preach.

• Later, other servants, as we are told in chapter 13, were appointed by the Holy Spirit, but these twelve were appointed by the Lord Jesus, and the Spirit takes them on.

• They do not lose their commission. Paul is added later, also Barnabas, but the status of the twelve is immutable so that they appear in the heavenly city.

Ques. Is the greatness of the position to be seen in these men who are to be for signs and wonders? Like this mighty blowing, are they not to be taken account of in this way?

J.T. Quite so. When Peter stands up the twelve are involved. Verse 4 is a general description:

• "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them to speak forth".

• This does not mean formal addresses, but what characterised the disciples. Those that heard them say,
  • "how do … we hear them speaking in our own tongues the great things of God?"

  • Then verse 14 says, "But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and spoke forth to them, Men of Judaea, and all ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give heed to my words".

• This is a formal address to set out what had happened, a most remarkable gospel testimony with great results.

• There are no specific results from the general speakings, but three thousand were added through Peter's address. It is to suggest to us the advantage of formal preaching in the power of the Spirit by those fitted for such service.

T.W. Is it right to say that the Holy Spirit is no less on earth now than then, in spite of what might appear outwardly?

J.T. The Spirit is here in the same sense, only there are great limitations because of the great breakdown in the assembly. He is hindered by the condition of the public body. He uses that vessel, but He is hampered by the condition of it.

A.N.W. By vessel do you mean the persons or the assembly?

J.T. Persons who have the Spirit bear witness severally, especially those specifically gifted, but collectively, as in Acts 2, they form the assembly, which is the great anointed vessel of light and testimony, in which God has set the gifts, as stated in 1 Corinthians 12: 28.

R.W.S. The assembly is still the place where the Spirit operates.

J.T. Thus all should attend the meetings of those who recognise the truth of the assembly.

• Scripture contemplates an unbeliever entering the assembly as prophesying is proceeding, and, as convicted by the Spirit, he falls down worshipping God. 1 Corinthians 14: 24-25.

• If I am really subject to the work of God I shall not fail to attend the meetings of those who own the assembly. That is where the Spirit operates.

W.L. The idea of coming together is immensely important.

J.T. It is indeed, and we may thank God that the saints value it increasingly. We are proving the gain of it. But, alas! the many do not even know of it, and a good proportion of those who do, neglect it.

E.F. It requires state for distinctiveness in divine things to come to light.

J.T. It comes by the Spirit. You find in the history of the brethren that distinctiveness in brothers comes out when we are together.

• Brothers say things in the assembly which they cannot say elsewhere. That is where divine thoughts come out most freely.

A.B. Is that why the apostle in writing to the Corinthians says,

• "But concerning spiritual manifestations, brethren, I do not wish you to be ignorant. Ye know that when ye were of the nations ye were led away to dumb idols, in whatever way ye might be led. I give you therefore to know, that no one, speaking in the power of the Spirit of God, says, Curse on Jesus; and no one can say, Lord Jesus, unless in the power of the Holy Spirit", 1 Corinthians 12: 1-3?

J.T. Therefore we need not only to be present, but also to listen to the speakings in the assembly. That is where we really learn the truth accurately and fully.

• The Spirit guides us into all the truth, John 16: 13. In the assembly we must listen to the speakings – how things are said.

W.L. Do you think that the eleven here added to Peter's power in his address?

J.T. Yes, the Holy Spirit was in them in the same sense as He was in Peter. They are gifts.

• In 1 Corinthians 12 we have the human body used to illustrate the assembly as composed of all saints, but the gifted ones are said to be set in the assembly:
  • "God has set certain in the assembly", verse 28, not in the body.

• The first mentioned are apostles, and other gifts follow. The word assembly has a more distinctive character as in relation to specific testimony.

J.R.H. This is in view of the Lord speaking to them as seen in the first chapter. He does not say of all the 120:

• "the Holy Spirit having come upon you … ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth", Acts 1: 8.

J.T. That is what Peter represents as seen in chapter 2: 14. In the whole of his address gift is in evidence, not simply that he had the Spirit of God.

• Persons are set in the assembly as gifts, so that if preaching is to be done, it is not assumed that every brother in the meeting can do it; it is not that at all.

• Preaching should only be by one that has ability for that purpose. Of course we must find out if he has it; if he has, it comes to the notice of the brother looking after the preaching. Such a brother can preach as representative of God in some sense.

J.D. As to the rest of the disciples here, they would be in full accord.

J.T. Yes. But the converts took account of the eleven, not especially of all the other christians that were there. It is said,

• "And having heard it they were pricked in heart, and said to Peter and the other apostles, What shall we do, brethren?", Acts 2: 37.

• These are the ones that convicted persons will especially notice.

A.N.W. Inside would it be more like Acts 1: 15:

• "Peter standing up in the midst of the brethren"?

• That is how the prophetic word is given.

J.T. That is right.

S.McC. In chapter 15, in the care meeting, there was much speaking that did not effect anything; then James says,

• "Brethren, listen to me", Acts 15: 13.

• Peter also refers to his mouth, "that the nations by my mouth should hear", verse 7.

J.T. Peter and James are the two who speak with authority there.

Well, the point is to observe how this great matter is dealt with in Acts 2 and 3, because these are inaugural chapters. They convey the general idea, which we may follow up and see developing later.

• The Lord would give us a great impression here of the scene at Pentecost. We get the distinctiveness of each in the parted tongues as of fire which sat on each one; then the speaking forth;
  • then the gifted men and the apostle Peter standing up with them – the other eleven apostles – and speaking formally in testimony as to the great general facts relative to Christ exalted and the Spirit here.

• This sets out the dispensation so far, as established in the power of the Spirit of God. The assembly is essential to this, formed of those to whom the Spirit had come; those receiving the word through the preaching being added to it.

• To what the Spirit had formed, the Lord added "those that were to be saved". We can but see the dispensation set up as God would have it, the Holy Spirit dominating it and operating generally in it.

A.B. Acts 2: 41 says, "Those then who had accepted his word were baptised",

• showing how the Spirit had been operating relative to Peter.

J.T. "His word", not what the others were saying. It is what he said, "his word" showing that in his ministry he especially represented God in this great position.

W.L. Yet they are not added to Peter!

J.T. No indeed. "And there were added in that day about three thousand souls;"

• the Lord added daily to what was there, it was a daily matter.

• In all this evidence of grace and power we can see how the dispensation was set up. These chapters, as we have said, are inaugurative of this great and blessed dispensation.

A.E.H. Would verse 29 suggest that the one speaking would be so conscious that what he was saying had divine authority that he could refer to it as having a voice?

• Peter says, "Brethren, let it be allowed to speak with freedom to you concerning the patriarch David".

J.T. There is liberty to speak about Old Testament personages. That patriarchal position of David relates to Christ, for Christ was the offspring of David. He is also the root of David.

J.R.H. This objective view of the Spirit is carried forward in Peter's address:

• "Having therefore been exalted by the right hand of God, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this which ye behold and hear", Acts 2: 33.

• Christianity as a dispensation of God is in view.

J.T. It is a public matter, and God is stressing it before the authorities today. It is emphasised that christianity is a reality – "that which ye behold and hear".

There is another thing to be noted here:

• "this is that which was spoken through the prophet Joel", verse 16.

• Then he quotes, "And it shall be in the last days, saith God, that I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your elders shall dream with dreams; yea, even upon my bondmen and upon my bondwomen in those days will I pour out of my Spirit, and they shall prophesy", verses 16-18.

• The suggestion in this quotation is that the youth are to be specially taken into account. The apostles were at this time comparatively young men; and Joel is cited as stressing young persons, both men and women, as in the mind of heaven to be taken on for service as the Spirit was poured out.

• And if the testimony of God is to be continued, the young will be employed by the Spirit. The Lord is taking up young men now, and there may be further space given for testimony.

• At any rate the Holy Spirit is still here, and He is sovereignly taking up young persons. Let us all be available to Him. There is more work to be done and He is taking on those who are available.

A.N.W. This should be a definite voice to young men now – a peculiar opportunity given for testimony.

J.T. Quite so, and for young women too. Why should they not be brought in? The four daughters of Philip the evangelist prophesied.

Rem. Joel refers to the old men too; elders are mentioned.

J.T. Yes; but you are struck with the stress on the young – "and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions and your elders shall dream with dreams; yea, even upon my bondmen and upon my bondwomen in those days will I pour out of my Spirit".

J.D. Why is it the Lord added instead of the Spirit? Is it that the Spirit was already objectively known in the assembly, and that was His sphere? The Lord would add from the outside, as it were, whereas the Spirit would work as in the assembly.

J.T. I think that is how the truth stands. The Spirit has effected the state of things which enables the Lord to act sovereignly in taking care of certain persons, and they are known as "those that were to be saved".

• There are those that are not to be saved, of course, they are out of what God is doing; and there are "those that were to be saved", and the Lord is looking after them. He rules over the dead and the living. Romans 14: 9.

• He selects those that are to be saved and places them in the assembly. Later He will place them elsewhere, but He is placing them now in the assembly.

• That brings out what we were alluding to this morning, the relation between the lordship of Christ – Christ above – and the Spirit operating here.

• So that in chapter 5 we have first "the Holy Spirit" in verse 3, that is the Spirit by Himself, as it were; then we have "God" in verse 4, which you may say is the Father; then we have "the Spirit of the Lord" in verse 9. So the three Persons are in mind in this attack of the devil through Ananias and Sapphira.

• Now we are in the presence of the economy of God set up in the assembly and attacked as such, because that is the point particularly, the Holy Spirit in it; He was specially lied to.

• The liberty of the apostles is striking in this new sphere; it is said that
  • "many wonders and signs took place through the apostles' means".

• It is to stress their position, because they represented the authority of Christ. Then we are told,
  • "all that believed were together",

• meaning they would be together in spirit, even if not always in body. They were together in body as seen in the beginning of chapter 2, but at the end of that chapter the idea is characteristic. Generally speaking that is what marked them.

A.N.W. "The apostles' feet" would indicate a place of authority.

J.T. Yes, that is what is meant; those that represent the Lord have their full place where the Holy Spirit is operating.

• So today where the Spirit is operating the authority of God and of Christ is recognised; where it is not recognised it is doubtful whether God is working there at all.

• Then chapter 2 goes on to say they
  • "had all things common, and sold their possessions and substance, and distributed them to all, according as any one might have need".

• That is, there was perfect care for the bodies of the saints as well as for their souls. And then,
  • "every day, being constantly in the temple with one accord, and breaking bread in the house, they received their food with gladness and simplicity of heart".

• It is the general character of the saints as viewed in this external way; a remarkable product, and God has His place, for they praise Him. They had favour with all the people; so far things are as they should be, as the Lord Jesus was here "in favour with God and men", Luke 2: 52.

• Persecution had not come. It would come, but in the meantime this is a beautiful thing being set up by the work of the Spirit. The Spirit having come in, the Lord added to what was there.

J.D. We can understand what takes place immediately in the end of chapter 4; the devil was standing by to corrupt the whole thing.

J.T. That is what we have to look at now. The work proceeded immediately after chapter 2 and the economy was set up in a most palpable and desirable and acceptable way.

• Peter and John go out and there are results, and then persecution comes in. The servants come back to their own sphere, to their own company and narrate what had happened, and then we are told that
  • "when they had prayed, the place in which they were assembled shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke the word of God with boldness. And the heart and soul of the multitude of those that had believed were one, and not one said that anything of what he possessed was his own, but all things were common to them; and with great power did the apostles give witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all", Acts 4: 31-33.

  • Then as to giving: "For neither was there any one in want among them; for as many as were owners of lands or houses, selling them, brought the price of what was sold and laid it at the feet of the apostles; and distribution was made to each according as any one might have need".

• Then Joseph, surnamed Barnabas, a Levite, came in, who,
  • "being possessed of land, having sold it, brought the money and laid it at the feet of the apostles".

We are struck with the place that external or temporal matters had with them. How practical they were: but the devil is now ready to corrupt them, to get a man and woman who were in the light into an untruthful condition.

• Thus the objective position of the Spirit is at once in evidence, the attack is against Him.

A.N.W. Verse 32 says "not one said that anything of what he possessed was his own", including these two, I suppose, up to a point.

J.T. Remarkable! It is to bring out the practicalness of the conditions; they were balanced.

• The stress is on the temporal needs, which are so perfectly met on the principle of sacrifice; not yet by persons well-off, as in chapter 11: 29, but in the general attitude of all.

J.W.D. What is the difference between divine Persons acting in Their own prerogative, and doing things by One Another's power? The Lord said He used the Spirit of God to cast out demons instrumentally. Matthew 12: 28.

J.T. It is good to bring that up. One of the first things stated in this book is that the Lord

• "by the Holy Spirit charged the apostles whom he had chosen", Acts 1: 2.

• The gospels tell us also that the Lord said,
  • "If I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then indeed the kingdom of God is come upon you", Matthew 12: 28,

• meaning that an organised system had come in. If He were operating by another divine Person, that would mean that one divine Person is subject to another. The economy is established, called the kingdom.

• The relation of divine Persons to each other in the economy is of extreme importance. The Father is supreme, He reserves things to Himself. The Son tells us that, and then the Son tells us about the Spirit; the Spirit is coming and He would do things.

• The Lord says to the disciples, in effect, Keep that before you; do not do anything for the moment; times and seasons were to be left with the Father.

• Now from Pentecost onwards in Acts the Holy Spirit had come and the apostles were to make room for Him. In chapter 2 we see how particularly effective His service was when He took one of them, Peter, and effected through him a wonderful result in the conversion of three thousand persons.

• Today the governments are saying, Think of the war, let everything else be subservient to that.

• But the answer is: Think of the Holy Spirit! Think of the marvellous things He is effecting! Coming into the present world conditions He is working out the greatest things. The greatest thoughts are being developed through the presence of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven; and that is the great point.

Ques. When the apostle says, "he that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit", 1 Corinthians 6: 17, does that bring out how close we are to the Lord?

J.T. Just so. In Ephesians 4: 2-6, the apostle says,

• "with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love; using diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, as ye have been also called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all".

• That is, he puts the position of the economy in its concentric circles. The fact is stated at the outset that there is "one body and one Spirit". That is the great central thought, and the great result of the presence of the Holy Spirit here.

• "One body": we are to come into all we have been speaking of. We are to learn first to take account of the saints: has each one got the Spirit?
  • "Parted tongues, as of fire, … sat upon each one of them".

• Consider what is in mind, watch them, see what is coming out in each one, and let him see what is coming out in me. Let us learn to respect and love one another and see that we are worthy of each other.

• The Spirit has for Himself suitable material to work out the truth of the body. Then we have "one Lord", which is an outer circle; and then "one God and Father of all" is the outermost circle, taking in all.

J.R.H. Would Ephesians 4: 22-25 link on with this?

• "Having put off according to the former conversation the old man which corrupts itself according to the deceitful lusts; and being renewed in the spirit of your mind; and your having put on the new man, which according to God is created in truthful righteousness and holiness. Wherefore, having put off falsehood, speak truth every one with his neighbour, because we are members one of another".

J.T. Yes; the new man is essential to the whole position. The old man would corrupt the whole system. That is what the devil is aiming at here:

• "the old man which corrupts itself according to the deceitful lusts".

• It is seen in the deception which marked Ananias and Sapphira.

Ques. "If any one corrupt the temple of God, him shall God destroy", 1 Corinthians 3: 17. That is the idea in this chapter, is it not?

J.T. Yes. Here the devil would corrupt the assembly by this man and his wife. They had no other distinction; we know nothing of them except what is stated in this chapter.

• They had "agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord", and to "lie to the Holy Spirit".

R.W.S. The point of invincibility seems to have been reached in verse 31 of chapter 4:

• "The place in which they were assembled shook".

• In this line of persecution the devil is completely defeated, so he tries a different method of attack – from within. Is that what he has been doing ever since?

• In the attack on the apostles before the tribunal he was unsuccessful; now he comes through persons inside to bring in deception.

J.T. It is a frontal attack in the fourth chapter; the leaders say

• "that it be not further spread among the people, let us threaten them severely, no longer to speak to any man in this name", verse 17.

• And in verse 18, "having called them, they charged them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus".

• In verse 7 they are questioned; then Peter replies, and they see his boldness and that of John; then they threaten them, verse 17. In verse 21 they "having further threatened them, let them go".

• I suppose the attack there was as far as the authority could go. It was frontal, as remarked. This movement must be stopped – that was what was in their minds.

• But what they met was too much for them – in the boldness of Peter and John, the way they spoke, with no effort to disguise their lowly origin. The result was the consolidating of the position. Chapter 4 is the attack and the consolidation.

• The question then was, whether the position had been damaged by the attack, but the fact was it had been consolidated. So we have the resultant things described from verse 32 to the end.

• Satan sees it is futile to proceed on this line; he is not succeeding. Now what is to be done? He will try to corrupt the position. What Satan cannot destroy he will corrupt, that is the great principle of satanic warfare.

• But the Spirit of God is in power in the assembly and the matter is dealt with summarily.

A.N.W. By what power would you say Peter discerned the lie? Should we have that power?

J.T. The facts mentioned are to bring out what the apostles were. They were the direct product of the Lord, of His patient working with these men; they were the Lord's own handiwork.

• Peter is put forward in these chapters, he is the leading apostle. Matthew 10: 2 says, "first, Simon, who was called Peter". He is equal to every emergency.

• This is a most serious one, it was the devil working in two of their own. It brings out how needful it is to be on the alert, as the Lord says in Mark 13: 37,
  • "But what I say to you, I say to all, Watch".

• If I do not watch, I may become an agent of the devil.

J.W.D. Do you think it is possible for anything like this sort of deliberate deception to operate amongst us today?

J.T. Yes; it may become true of any of us unless there is watchfulness. I may become an agent of the devil to damage the position, to corrupt it.

• Suppose these two had been allowed to continue – it would have been said, This company is not what it professes to be, there are liars amongst them. The Spirit of God saw to that.

• It is difficult to say anything as to the immediate details of their death; there is no evidence that Peter did anything, but they died.
  • "Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and expired".

A.E.H. Would it be right to say that the fact of the Spirit having operated in me would not be sufficient to save me from a collapse of this kind? I must understand something of the objective presentation of the Spirit in the economy to save me from this.

J.T. Yes; if the Spirit is apprehended as a divine Person operating personally amongst the brethren it is more serious, because one thought connected with His presence is first-hand knowledge.

• Of course God has that of everything in His universe. He made the universe; but at the same time He came down to see when men were building the tower of Babel. And He came down to Sodom, "to see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it".

• That is the way God would assure us of His righteous judgment. The presence of the Holy Spirit here implies first-hand knowledge of what is going on in our souls, in our circumstances; nothing can go for long undetected if He has a place.

A.B. Do you think there is a wonderful tribute paid to Peter and John in Acts 4: 13?

• "They recognised them that they were with Jesus".

• It is not exactly that Jesus was with them, but that they were with Him.

J.T. Yes – "with Jesus". The work of Christ in them remained, a primary feature, because their names are to appear in the heavenly city. They are not directly the product of the Spirit, but of Christ's own handiwork.

• The Lord had said to them,
  • "the Spirit of truth … shall bear witness concerning me; and ye too bear witness", John 15: 26-27.

• They are viewed throughout as distinct. His own handiwork,
  • "because ye are with me from the beginning".

A.B. Would that link on with John 20: 22, where it is said,

• "he breathed into them, and says to them, Receive the Holy Spirit"?

J.T. Yes; they had a special advantage; no other men had or ever will have the advantages they had. And that brings out this very thing we are speaking of.

• What immediately follows in John 20 is the forgiveness of sins by the assembly, or the saints.
  • "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted to them; whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained", John 20: 23.

• That comes into our present-day circumstances. There is much evil arising among us, some of it hidden for years, and yet eventually it comes out. I suppose the length of time in some cases indicates how weak the position is, but still it comes out.

A.N.W. Had Ananias and Sapphira lied when they made the arrangement? The position was challenged when they placed the money at the feet of the apostles.

J.T. Yes. They were doing what others were doing, but not with the same sacrifice, and they covered this with a lie, affording Satan an opportunity to discredit the whole position.

• It is said that "Joseph, who had been surnamed Barnabas by the apostles, … being possessed of land, having sold it, brought the money and laid it at the feet of the apostles", verses 36-37.

• These two persons would act similarly. Evidently it was pride of heart; but it gave Satan an advantage. Covetousness entered into it, leading them to lie, Satan tempting them.

• It was the old man working; but it was the new man in Barnabas. It was the old man in Ananias and Sapphira; but it was the work of the Spirit in Barnabas.

R.A. Does Peter discern by the Spirit that Ananias is not what he should be, only bringing half the price?

J.T. He discerned that evil was there. It is a question of the power he had. He was an apostle of course, and the Holy Spirit was in him. He was operating by the Holy Spirit.

• Peter evidently discerned the state these two were in and the sin that was being perpetrated on the Holy Spirit.
  • He said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled thy heart that thou shouldest lie to the Holy Spirit?"

• He discerned their course was deceptive and thus corrupting, and he challenged it.

J.W.D. Do you see anything in the expression that Satan has filled in contrast to the filling idea of the Spirit in the Acts?

J.T. Just so. It is a terrible thing to be filled by the devil! And it was with a purpose, that he should lie to the Holy Spirit; and put aside for himself a part of the price of the estate.

J.R.H. Your remark as to evil being hidden for a long time is a humbling matter. Do you think that we should be able to detect evil much more quickly than we do?

J.T. It was detected quickly here. It was important to bring out what the economy was, how fortified, the Spirit being apprehended in it objectively, not just working in one and another, but generally operating, a divine Person in charge, as it were. It was He that brought out the guilt of Ananias and Sapphira.

R.W.S. It would be hidden more effectively between man and wife than between man and man, naturally speaking.

J.T. Collusion is easier; it would have taken place in their home. The Holy Spirit would have first-hand knowledge of that. He knew what had happened in the house – collusion to deceive.

• Peter says to the wife, "Why is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord?"

• That did not happen in the assembly, but elsewhere.

A.H.P. Would having the Spirit promote the idea of transparency amongst the people of God as bringing about correspondence between what we say and what we are? The Lord said He was altogether what He said. Ananias was not that.

J.T. Quite so. What an object that Man was for heaven! Here there was that which immediately discerned and resisted the corruptive element.

• Corruption is a weapon of the devil. Violence is too, of course, but corruption is more subtle. The antidote to that is in ourselves: "Watch", the Lord says.

• We are to be true in our household relations and affairs because the issuance of very much is from the house, the place of family responsibility. Ananias and Sapphira took counsel there to bring this into the assembly.

• The product of that house is over against the two wave loaves brought out of the houses of the Israelites on the day of Pentecost. What they brought out of their houses was not a dual lie, but what represented the new man. The loaves were baked with leaven, but the leaven was rendered impotent, the fire being applied.

Ques. What bearing does this lack of transparency have upon the question of practical unrighteousness amongst brethren?

J.T. It was unrighteous, but more, it was an act of pride; they would act like Barnabas, that is the outward setting of it.

• The devil would say to them, Now you be like Barnabas. The brethren are taking account of him, giving him a title. Why should not you have that?

• Besides, they were covetous. They said, We would like to have that, but we do not want to give up all the money. Added to the motive of pride there was covetousness.

W.L. Why does Peter act alone?

J.T. It is to bring out what Peter was. The Lord put him first, and in moral power and wisdom he was first.

W.L. In regard to Barnabas all the apostles act together.

J.T. It is to bring out what he was. The Lord had him in mind for great services.

J.W.D. Is there not a formation answering to Peter's ministry which would be very serviceable if true amongst us now.

J.T. You mean the power of discernment?

J.W.D. Yes, in household matters; the peculiar kingdom line that Peter seems to have had committed to him.

J.T. Peter was a married man himself. In this case he waited for the wife to come, he did not send for her.

• "But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled thy heart that thou shouldest lie to the Holy Spirit, and put aside for thyself a part of the price of the estate? While it remained did it not remain to thee? and sold, was it not in thine own power? Why is it that thou hast purposed this thing in thine heart? Thou has not lied to men, but to God. And Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and expired. And great fear came upon all who heard it … And it came to pass about three hours afterwards, that his wife, not knowing what had happened, came in".

• Peter did not send for her, clearly.
  • "And Peter answered her, Tell me if ye gave the estate for so much? And she said, Yes, for so much".

• There are no witnesses called, no papers of evidence sought for. It is to bring out the spiritual power that was there through the presence of the Holy Spirit, and especially in Peter. What a man he was! He is the handiwork of Christ.

• Indeed he himself in his own experience had known what it was to have the devil operating in him. What triumph is witnessed in him now as acting in the assembly in the power of the Holy Spirit in defeating Satan's efforts there!

A.N.W. I think you have said this is to be considered as a special case and might never be repeated. It is to have its effect as shown in verses 11 to 13:

• "And great fear came upon all the assembly, and upon all who heard these things. And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders done among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch, but of the rest durst no man join them: but the people magnified them".

J.T. It is the beginning of things, and there is outstanding judgment executed; never to be forgotten in the history of assembly discipline.

• Here, we are dealing with the Spirit viewed objectively in relation to assembly discipline.

• There is a great deal hidden among us, things that should be brought to the assembly; some assuming that things can be settled without the assembly, that capital sins can be settled with God without the assembly, but God will not have that.

• The assembly has a great place in discipline. The fact is stressed in Matthew, "tell it to the assembly", not, 'Tell it to the Lord', but "tell it to the assembly".

Ques. What are capital sins?

J.T. An action such as this is one, an act of collusion in pride, the desire to have reputation; or it may be some evil conduct extending over years.

• The devil is endeavouring to set aside the great fact of the assembly. It exists, very feebly now, but God would have us walk in the light of it.

• Whatever happens that should be, as it were, taken to the door of the tabernacle according to Leviticus 4, take it there and settle it there.

J.W.D. How do you apply the scripture,

• "ye who are spiritual restore such a one", Galatians 6: 1?

J.T. All these scriptures have to be taken contextually.

• "If even a man be taken in some fault";

• what the apostle says about it shows it is not a root matter and spiritual persons can deal with it.

• But still, the principle of the assembly is involved in that, because John 20: 23 does not say the Lord was speaking of the assembly; He spoke to the disciples:
  • "whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted to them".

• It is a question of confidence, and heaven would recognise the judgment of spiritual men in certain matters. Priesthood is involved, and the priests will act in relation to the assembly.

• It is a question of how the restoration takes place. It cannot be regarded as independency for it is according to Scripture, the special circumstances being understood.

J.D. If the conscience of the assembly has not been disturbed by the action, and spiritual persons having become acquainted with it, they can settle it.

J.T. You would have to allow for the magnitude of the sin.

J.D. Whether it was simply "taken in a fault".

J.T. Even if a man be taken in some fault. Do not pounce upon the man and make much of it, rather look into it and see whether it is a root matter. Is it characteristic or not characteristic? The person is taken or found in it.

• The priests know what to do and the assembly has confidence in them.

T.W. In the assembly the penalty depends on the state of the persons, not exactly on the crime.

J.T. We do not make the penalty fit the crime; we are dealing with persons, having their recovery in view.

A.N.W. There is a point in his being given his high title, "Satan".

J.T. He was not known as Satan in the early days of Genesis, the serpent is the only designation used, suggestive of the degraded position of Satan. That is how he came into the present creation.

• Later he is called devil, Satan, old serpent, so there is no doubt as to who he is.

• In Genesis 3 the allusion is to cattle; he is not viewed as an angel or operating through a man. He is a serpent. The title given to him is in accord with the moment. He is the form of a serpent.

• According to Ezekiel 28: 13 he had been a great being: "every precious stone was thy covering".

• He is seen in Genesis as degraded and attacks the woman. You just wonder about it, how she could listen to such a creature. How much could be said of that!

• Adam had probably given him his name. Her husband called him serpent; why should she listen to him? But she did. Eve was in the transgression, Paul says, not Adam; that is not to be forgotten.

• The spearhead in this case was Ananias; the devil was in the man and incited him to do what Barnabas did.

• But Eve was in the transgression and Adam came into it. She was in it without him, she was the sinner before Adam, a very solemn consideration; in this way the woman has more experience of sin than the man. He came into it.
  • Now here it is said that Ananias "put aside for himself part of the price", he did it and "having brought a certain part, laid it at the feet of the apostles".

J.V. Why do you think the three divine Persons are brought in; he lied "to the Holy Spirit", he lied "to God", and he tempted "the Spirit of the Lord"?

J.T. The three Persons in the Godhead are there. The Spirit is made more prominent than the Father and the Son; He is viewed by Himself, and then God viewed by Himself, and finally the Spirit is spoken of as the Spirit of the Lord. The attack was directed against the Spirit in the assembly.

J.W.D. In regard to the devil in Ezekiel 28: 17, "Thy heart was lifted up", Peter must have discerned an affinity between that and these two.

J.T. That is exactly what is said in 1 Timothy 3: 6:

• "not a novice, that he may not, being inflated, fall into the fault of the devil",

• which is pride. That is what Ananias was suffering from.

F.K.C. In dealing with this matter in discipline, not only is the sin of the thing spread out, but the great dignity that attaches to the saints as having the Holy Spirit is emphasised.

• Peter said, "Thou hast not lied to men, but to God;" and then they had tempted "the Spirit of the Lord".

• The great dignity of the position is set out by Peter's word.

J.T. That is a good way to put it. The enemy is attacking the economy, divine Persons all seen in it. It is the enormity of the sin – not just a matter of a lie and pride in any setting; what was there on God's part is what the enemy was attacking; so that it is an enormous sin.

J.Deb. In contrasting this with the sin in Joshua 7, the young man with the Babylonish garment; what is the difference?

J.T. There is similarity. The young man hid the Babylonish garment and the wedge of gold. And it was also an inaugural time; the people were entering into the land. It was a Babylonish principle, theft and deception, brought in in a subtle way as this was.

J.Deb. Joshua said, to Achan, "Give glory to Jehovah" in connection with it. How do you look at that?

J.T. Seeing he confessed it.

J.Deb. In doing so did he give glory to God?

J.T. Yes. So here: God is glorified by what happened, not only in the exposure of Ananias and Sapphira, but also in the judgment meted out, in the power to deal with evil.

• What comes out in Corinth is that there is one very bad case selected. There was fornication among them, a specified case which was a very bad one. It was the only one apparently dealt with at that time, whereas Paul says later that there were others that had not judged themselves.

• Why should that be? Why should evil continue without being judged, just as it often is today? It was the weakness at Corinth in dealing with it that admitted of all these things continuing.

• Here the thing is met, dealt with as it comes in, and hence no corruption resulted. That is the thing to have on our consciences, to make room for the Spirit so that there will be detection.

• There is much corruption because many things are unjudged among the brethren and many think we cannot deal with them.

• The Lord would say, I want the assembly to be recognised in these matters, the Holy Spirit is in it and the Lord is in it. The Holy Spirit must be honoured, fear must be with us as in relation to the assembly.

J.R.H. Would it show the great accuracy of Peter's discernment that he brings out the inception of the matter as being with the man when he says,

• "Why is it that thou has purposed this thing in thine heart?"

J.T. Sapphira entered into it, but he took the lead in it.

J.D. Do you think Peter would remember the "parted tongues of fire" that sat upon each one, and would exercise his judgment as having that in mind?

J.T. The word fire enters into this; the severity of the judgment, because the Spirit is God. God is amongst us, and really through the Spirit.

• "A habitation of God in the Spirit", Ephesians 2: 22;

• that is what the assembly is.

T.A.T. Is there any instruction in the way the young men acted in connection with this discipline?

J.T. They were available; it connects with Exodus 24, where the youths of the children of Israel were available to Moses; he sent them, and they acted as priests. Here the young men buried Ananias and his wife.

• Possibly their youthfulness may mean that they were persons characteristically ready to serve among the saints in a physical sense.

• It is remarkable that they are called "young men" in verse 6, not "devout men", as it is in the case of Stephen – "devout men carried" him.

S.J.H. There are no documents in this case, but remarkable power to deal with it. That should help us in a case difficult to prove. So often cases are too difficult to prove and they go on through weakness. How can we meet that?

J.T. That is a good point to bring out. We must have proof. The Lord said in John 18: 23,

• "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil";

• and we know no proof can be brought up that is not really truth. So it is very important to have evidence.

• Then there is light, which makes all things manifest. Ephesians 5: 13.

• As in the assembly it forces out darkness. When Judas went out it was night, the light of the Lord's presence among the disciples forced him out.

• That is the thing to have before us, the scope of the situation, for the Spirit is not simply viewed as working in us, He is viewed objectively as a divine Person.

• You are impressed that there is something wrong. The thing is not to work up anything circumstantially, but to wait. Something will happen.

• The Holy Spirit is there with first-hand knowledge of everything, of what goes on in our houses and businesses, and something will happen to expose us. I do not see anything else, but to take up this line.

• Persons with the Spirit count on God and on the Spirit to expose the thing. You are conscious something is wrong, and you want help to bring it out so that it may be dealt with, and you wait on God who through His Spirit will act – perhaps also using governmental circumstances.

J.H. The filling of the house would mean that what is contrary would be expelled.

J.T. That is right. You see how Judas is exposed in John 12, when the house was filled with the odour of the ointment: "why was this ointment not sold … and given to the poor?"

• How utterly incongruous! He dealt just with what was relative to himself, how he was regarded in the position. We are to regard Christ supremely in the assembly, but Judas is bringing in this commercial matter.

• It was "not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief", that is the judgment of the Spirit of God stated long afterwards – "he was a thief and had the bag". The light exposed him.

A.N.W. John 8 is an evidence of that.

J.T. The light forced the woman's accusers out. The Lord wrote on the ground and this exposed them.

A.B. It is the same principle with Mary of Magdala out of whom went seven demons.

J.T. That is true, the position is rendered untenable.

Ques. Is there substance in Peter?

J.T. Just so, that is what is seen here. The effect of this action comes out afterwards as the position is again consolidated: "great fear came upon all". Applications for fellowship were fewer, but their quality would be improved.

A.H.P. These features are carried forward to the address to Philadelphia.

• The Lord says, "Behold, I make them of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews, and are not, but lie; behold, I will cause that they shall come and shall do homage before thy feet, and shall know that I have loved thee", Revelation 3: 9.

J.T. They are made to worship at the feet of the assembly. It is very remarkable. God must be working in view of this, for the reference is prophetic. Indeed in the testimonies before the authorities God is bringing out what He has here.

J.W.D. In regard to the thought of proof in cases of discipline, what about proof covering reception?

J.T. There should not be much difficulty there. I think we spend too much time in dealing with souls; the point is, Can they establish a right to the tree of life?

• "Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have right to the tree of life, and that they should go in by the gates into the city", Revelation 22: 14.

• That is the point; if they establish that right then there is no more to say, they have the same status as any of us.

J.W.D. Do you think a state of spiritual uneasiness amongst the brethren is sufficient warrant for keeping a person out?

J.T. I would be afraid of a person if the assembly normally is unsatisfied about him. He has not established his right.

• If one in the meeting is unreasonably opposed, that is another matter.

• Here the point is that the persons that would join are easily detected.
  • It says, "of the rest durst no man join them, but the people magnified them; and believers were more than ever added to the Lord",

• meaning believers in the true sense of the word.

• I think the action of discipline cleared the air. I always observe more liberty and power in meetings immediately after the Lord's rights are asserted in discipline.

• And then this matter of Peter's body, the shadow:
  • "so that they brought out the sick into the streets and put them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter, when he came, might overshadow some one of them. And the multitude also of the cities round about came together to Jerusalem, bringing sick persons and persons beset by unclean spirits, who were all healed", verses 15-16.

• It is a remarkable consolidation of the position, with increased power publicly for the apostles.