(Colossians 2:19)
God has ever sought the blessing and prosperity of His people, grieving over their backsliding, and when they have turned again to Him, it has rejoiced His heart. In Psalm 81 we find God mourning the backsliding of Israel, recalling what He had done for them, and telling what would have been theirs had they been faithful to Him, “I should soon have subdued their enemies…their time should have endured for ever, He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with the honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.” When the mass of the people turned from God, and forfeited His blessing, God’s eye ever rested on the godly remnant that valued His word, and sought to walk in the light of it. It is still the same today: if the great mass of those who profess Christ’s Name are unfaithful to their profession, He will bless those who endeavour to keep His word, and seek to honour His holy Name in their lives. Scripture holds out blessing for us in our individual path; but there is also peculiar blessing in relation to the assembly, which can still be enjoyed in these days of the church’s ruin. It is in relation to the assembly that the increase of God is brought before us.
The Headship of Christ
Our verse clearly shows that the increase of God comes from Christ as the Head of the body; and if we are to enter practically and intelligently into the blessing that comes from Christ in this way, we must learn the truth of His headship, and act in the light of it. The widest aspect of this precious truth is found in Ephesians 1:22, where Christ is seen at God’s right hand, with all things under His feet, and as Head over all things to the church. When Christ comes forth to fill the universe with His glory, the greatness of His headship will be displayed before all. Already, we have been brought into this great secret: God has shown to us that the Man whom men crucified and slew, and whom He raised from among the dead, will control the vast universe, and all its resources will be administered by Him. As in Ephesians 4, Colossians presents Christ as Head of the body, Colossians 1 portraying His wonderful glories, which entitle Him to be pre-eminent in every sphere in which He is found. This being so, it is surely becoming that we remember what His place is in the assembly, so as not to allow anything to deprive Him of it.
The Danger at Colosse
The saints at Colosse were evidently in need of the instruction regarding Christ’s place as Head of the assembly; and it is to be observed that the Spirit of God, through the Apostle, dwells on the greatness of the Head before speaking of the things that were threatening to deprive them of what He had for their enrichment. Philosophy and legality may have impressed them with their show of worldly wisdom and religion, but the former was but the empty vapourings of the human mind, and the latter only the shadow of the substance that could only be found in Christ. Shadows and vapours will never satisfy the hearts of those occupied with them; the increase of God will only come to those who depend on Christ, and who feed upon the living fulness supplied by the Head of the body.
The Present Dangers of the Church
Looking at the sphere of Christian profession, we see many great systems which claim the name of the church of God; and in them all the Colossian evil may be discerned. Under various pleas, whether of learning, traditions or progress, the principles of the world have effectively excluded Christ from His place as Head of the church. Religious ordinances, borrowed from Judaism, the pretension of human wisdom, with much else to gratify the flesh, proclaim to the spiritually intelligent the human origin of the great religious systems, and declare them to be of the world in character and in their principles of action. The will of God is of little concern to them, and the Name of Christ, the Head of the church is hardly mentioned in their deliberations. Many true saints of God are held in these systems, and also many godly clergymen; but their righteous souls must often be vexed with the things they see and hear. But few of the godly in the great systems have learned the truth of Christ’s headship, which accounts for their remaining in what is so dishonouring to Him.
Those Professedly Gathered on the Ground of the One Body
We should not be surprised at the state of Christendom, for the Scriptures have plainly forewarned us of what to expect in these last days; and through these warnings many have escaped from the bondage of the great human systems, and acknowledge the truth of the one body as their ground of gathering together. Such are highly favoured as having received light in relation to the finished work of Christ, His present place at God’s right hand, His expected coming at any moment, and His place as Head of the body, among many other precious truths. The challenge comes to those of us who have been enlightened, Are we holding the Head? It is good to hold and minister the doctrine regarding Christ’s headship, but are we giving the Lord Jesus Christ His true place in the assembly? Are we watchful to see that nothing, or no one, is allowed to interfere with Christ’s prerogative to direct and control all in His assembly?
What Holding the Head Involves
At Colosse, man was evidently having an undue influence among the saints, for the Apostle writes, “Let no man therefore judge you…let no man beguile you of your reward.” Human judgments and teachings have no place in God’s assembly, everything for the assembly must have its source in Christ, and anything that has its origin in man disputes the claims of Christ. The Head of the assembly has plainly, in the holy Scriptures, given to us His thoughts and commandments for the ordering of all our gatherings, and for regulating all connected with His testimony, and if we are ever in difficulties He is available to us as our resource. As Head, all His wisdom and resources are for our help, and we can draw upon His supplies of grace in every exercise and exigency. We are altogether independent of man’s wisdom, his direction and his sources of supply of whatever kind, for we “are complete in Him, who is the Head of all principality and authority.” If then Christ is the One who directs, controls and supplies all the great spheres in the vast universe of God, He is surely able to look after the affairs of His assembly.
The church never had an earthly head; neither Peter, nor Paul, received such a position from Christ, nor did they claim to be anything but apostles, serving the Lord and His saints. Each had his own particular and peculiar place in the service of the Lord, but they sought to cast the saints on Christ and His word. Others Scriptures teach our dependence on the Holy Spirit, but Colossians emphasises our dependence on Christ our Head. There are those whom men appoint as heads of churches, but none can ever be acknowledged as head of the church. Then there are those of whom Paul warned the elders of Ephesus, “men speaking perverted things to draw away the disciples after them;” men who put themselves forward, and between the disciples and Christ. Those who follow such men are not holding the Head.
Christ’s mind is to be found in His word, but we may not be able to discern what His mind is in some particular difficulty, because of our ignorance or spiritual weakness. In such circumstances we can wait upon our living Head, asking Him to reveal His mind through His word, and He will not fail us. If we relied on Him more, how He would bless us? He would, indeed, feed us “with the finest of the wheat,” and sustain us “with the honey out of the rock.” All the vital supplies that are essential for the growth of the body are in the Head, but often spiritual development is impeded, both in our individual lives and in the assembly, because of our failure to avail ourselves of all that is in Christ.
Ministry from the Head
It must not be inferred however that the refusal of the help of the natural man means that Christ only acts directly, for, in His grace and wisdom Christ ministers to the assembly through His servants and His saints. From Ephesians 4 we learn that grace has been given to every saint, according to the measure of the gift of Christ, and this for the benefit of all. Then we read of the gifts given to men, for the work of the ministry and the edifying of the body of Christ. The same chapter also speaks of the body edifying itself in love, according to the effectual working in its measure, of every part, and contributing to this are the joints of supply. These joints of supply are in the body, and have a different kind of ministry from the gifts given to men, which include evangelists, who go out into the world with the Gospel.
Here, in Colossians 2:19 we have “joints and bands,” which evidently are on the same line of function as the joints of supply in Ephesians 4. Joints of supply facilitate the distribution of nourishment to the members of the body; joints would help in the movements and exercises connected with the body, while bands would bind the members together in spiritual help. A brother may not be a prophet or a teacher and yet be of great help to the saints by bringing Christ before them, by encouraging them in their exercises that tend to spiritual progress, or by fostering divine love and fidelity to Christ so as to draw the saints closer to each other in their endeavour to maintain the unity of the Spirit. This is a very useful and precious ministry that we might well covet; no doubt often carried out in comparative obscurity, but most effective in procuring for the saints the increase of God. The shining gifts, spoken of in 1st Corinthians, in which some sought to display themselves, are in marked contrast to the often hidden but effectual working of the joints and bands.
Increase with the increase of God
When the members of the body are functioning according to the will of God there will assuredly be this divine increase. This increase comes only from Christ, our heavenly Head, and it brings from Him divine energy, vitality, nourishment, light and direction for the members of the body. Spiritual refreshment, divine prosperity, edification, comfort, development in grace, and being united in love, are some of the features that come from the increase of God. Although we are living in days of great spiritual weakness, the Head of the body is still the same, and God’s desires for the blessing of His saints remains unaltered. This being so, it is for us to be in constant exercise before God that He may be pleased to minister to us that which will be for our enrichment and growth as members of Christ’s body.
Other Kinds of Increase
Increase in the numbers of a gathering may not be the increase of God, and this is evident when we consider the great numbers of mere professors in the human systems bearing Christ’s Name. Nor can the material prosperity of a gathering, or the wealth of an individual Christian, be looked upon as God’s increase, though God may prosper some in His government so that His work may be furthered. There were the women who ministered to the Lord of their substance, and the saints at Corinth who were “enriched in every way unto all free-hearted liberality, which works…thanksgiving to God.” But we also read, “Has not God chosen the poor as to the world, rich in faith”?
A company of professing Christians may have members of the nobility, intellectuals, scientists, writers, philosophers, and other cultured and educated men and women; and boast of their wealth in learning and tradition. These are the things in which the world prides itself, things that have their origin in man, and not in Christ. In the true church “(there are) not many wise according to flesh, not many powerful, not many high-born;” though God, in His grace, has called some. A naturally intelligent man may, or may not, be a help in God’s assembly. If he is a help, it will be through the grace that God supplies. There is ever the danger of the saints relying on the natural intelligence in man rather than on their Head in heaven.
How Increase is Sought
Where the Headship of Christ is set aside, it is not surprising to find the wisdom of man enthroned. Anything that will attract men to their gatherings is advocated and practised: the mind of Christ being of little or no account. Instead of divinely-given gifts there may be a humanly ordained ministry, educated in the schools of men; oratory and worldly discourses displacing the ministry of the Spirit of God. Nor should it be taken for granted that gatherings of true saints of God are free from this evil, for some, who should know better, have advocated that only “educated men” should minister the things of God. There would be little room for the Apostle Peter and his fellow disciples in gatherings where such influences prevailed. Choirs and attractive instrumental music are also much used to reach men, through their emotions, rather than through the conscience. How deeply solemn it is when true servants of the Lord are ensnared by these rudiments of the world!
In the light of all considered every true heart will acknowledge the importance of giving Christ His place as Head of the body. Much of the present spiritual weakness and low moral state of the saints is the result of ignorance or neglect of the precious truths that centre in Christ. What watchfulness should mark us! what exercise should there be! not to allow anything to come in between our souls and Christ our Head. Our fellowship, activities and sympathies should be all in relation to Christ, and to procure for His body the blessed increase of God essential for the well-being of the church.
R. 14.2.62