Publication date
8/1/10
Volume
31
Number
15
The WatchTower
Members of Christ's Household
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1910/15/1910-15-1.html
 
 
 
JULY 
IS. 
1910 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
(237-243) 
the 
body 
of 
Christ 
shall 
be 
complete-when 
the 
"elect" 
number 
shall 
be 
full-we 
understand 
there 
will 
be 
no 
additions 
to 
it, 
just 
as 
there 
will 
be 
no 
deficiency 
in 
that 
Body 
when 
it 
shall 
be 
glorified. 
This 
nature 
of 
glory, 
honor 
and 
immortality 
of 
the 
kingdom 
plane 
seems 
to 
appertain 
only 
to 
the 
Father, 
to 
the 
Son 
and 
to 
the 
"bride, 
the 
Lamb's 
wife." 
We 
know 
of 
nothing 
in 
the 
Scriptures 
nor 
in 
analogy 
that 
would 
imply 
that 
it 
could 
be 
shared 
by 
any 
others 
at 
any 
time; 
but 
of 
course 
what 
God 
has 
not 
clearly 
revealed 
we 
may 
not 
know 
of 
a 
certainty. 
\Ve 
may 
be 
sure 
of 
one 
thing, 
however, 
and 
that 
is 
that 
Christ 
will 
always 
be 
"Head 
over 
the 
church 
which 
is 
his 
body"; 
that 
he 
will 
always 
be 
Head 
over 
all 
things. 
Another 
thing 
we 
may 
be 
quite 
sure 
of 
is 
that 
the 
church 
thus 
honored 
by 
the 
Father 
as 
members 
of 
The 
Christ 
will 
have 
still 
other 
glories; 
as 
the 
Apostle 
declares, 
"that 
in 
the 
ages 
to 
come, 
God 
might 
show 
the 
exceeding 
riches 
of 
his 
grace 
in 
his 
kindness 
toward 
us 
through 
Christ" 
(Eph. 
2: 
6, 
7) 
, 
implying 
not 
only 
that 
the 
glory 
of 
Christ 
is 
to 
be 
perpetual, 
but 
that 
the 
glory 
of 
the 
church 
is 
also 
to 
be 
perpetual-not 
confined 
to 
the 
Millennial 
age. 
DOES 
THE 
DEGREE 
OF 
SUFFERING 
DETERMINE 
THE 
DEGREE 
OF 
REWARD? 
\Ve 
agree 
that 
our 
Lord's 
statement 
respecting 
John 
the 
Baptist, 
"He 
that 
is 
least 
in 
the 
kingdom 
of 
heaven 
is 
greater 
than 
he" 
(Luke 
7 
:28), 
applies 
to 
the 
entire 
class 
of 
ancient 
worthies; 
and 
further, 
that 
it 
refers 
not 
merely 
to 
the 
earthly 
status 
of 
the 
Gospel 
church 
as 
being 
superior, 
but 
marks 
the 
church 
as 
a 
superior 
class 
in 
the 
future. 
This 
question 
might 
arise: 
In 
view 
of 
the 
statement 
of 
the 
Apostle 
James. 
"Take, 
my 
brethren. 
the 
prophets, 
as 
an 
example 
of 
suffering 
affliction 
and 
of 
patience" 
(Jas. 
5: 
10). 
and 
in 
view 
also 
of 
our 
Lord's 
words 
referring 
to 
the 
sutt'er­ 
ing 
of 
the 
church, 
"So 
persecuted 
they 
the 
prophets 
which 
were 
before 
you," 
and 
also 
of 
the 
detailed 
statement 
of 
these 
sufferings 
of 
the 
ancient 
worthies 
furnished 
us 
by 
the 
Apostle 
Paul 
(Hebrews 
11), 
what 
should 
we 
say 
as 
to 
the 
degree 
of 
their 
sufferings 
in 
comparison 
with 
those 
of 
the 
church 
ana 
the 
reward 
that 
would 
justly 
be 
due 
them 
as 
compared 
with 
the 
reward 
of 
the 
church? 
THE 
GOSPEL 
AGE 
THE 
"ACCEPTABLE 
DAY" 
FOR 
SACRIFICES 
We 
answer 
that 
if 
the 
Lord 
intends 
to 
reward 
his 
people 
in 
proportion 
to 
their 
suffering, 
some 
of 
us 
seemingly 
will 
get 
a 
very 
sIT.all 
reward. 
\Ve 
have 
neither 
been 
stoned 
to 
death, 
nor 
sawn 
asunder, 
nor 
have 
we 
wandered 
in 
sheepskins 
and 
goatskins; 
nor 
have 
we 
been 
without 
any 
place 
to 
lay 
our 
head. 
\Ve 
might 
say, 
however, 
that 
some 
of 
our 
sufIer­ 
ings 
may 
be 
of 
a 
different 
kind 
from 
theirs: 
It 
is 
possible 
to 
endure 
figurative 
scorching 
or 
stoning, 
and 
to 
have 
our 
names 
cast 
out 
as 
evil, 
etc. 
But 
on 
the 
whole 
we 
cannot 
say 
that, 
so 
far 
as 
merit 
is 
concerned 
in 
the 
matter 
of 
suffering, 
there 
is 
any 
advantage 
that 
the 
church 
can 
claim 
over 
the 
ancient 
worthies 
even 
among 
those 
of 
our 
number 
who, 
in 
the 
early 
church, 
were 
burned 
as 
torches 
by 
Nero. 
It 
would 
seem 
that 
we 
must 
make 
allowance 
for 
divine 
"election"; 
that 
it 
pleased 
God 
to 
call 
us 
with 
this 
high 
calling. 
During 
the 
Millennial 
age 
even 
some 
may 
perhaps 
become 
as 
loyal 
to 
the 
principles 
of 
righteousness 
as 
any 
of 
the 
ancient 
worthies 
or 
any 
of 
the 
church, 
and 
yet 
not 
be 
rewarded 
with 
either 
their 
distinction 
or 
ours. 
\Ve 
are 
favor<>d, 
we 
believe. 
only 
in 
that 
we 
live 
at 
this 
particular 
time 
of 
blessing-"the 
acceptable 
day 
of 
the 
Lord"-in 
which 
the 
Lord 
is 
ready 
and 
willing 
to 
accept 
our 
sacrifices; 
and 
this 
acceptable 
day 
could 
not 
begin 
until 
our 
Lord 
Jesus 
had 
made 
his 
sacrifice 
and 
opened 
up 
"the 
new 
and 
living 
way," 
whereby 
we 
might 
follow 
in 
his 
steps. 
John 
the 
Baptist 
had 
a 
very 
honorable 
work 
to 
perform, 
but 
that 
work 
was 
to 
be 
accomplished 
before 
our 
Lord's 
death 
and 
before 
the 
opening 
of 
this 
"acceptable 
day." 
Therefore 
he 
could 
not 
be 
of 
the 
Gospel 
age 
church 
and 
did 
not 
come 
under 
our 
"high 
caIling"-joint-heirship 
with 
our 
Lord 
in 
the 
kingdom 
of 
heaven. 
ATTENDING 
NOMINAL 
CHURCH 
SERVICES 
\V 
e 
infer 
that 
our 
suggestion 
relative 
to 
attendance 
at 
nominal 
church 
services 
was 
not 
fully 
grasped 
by 
some 
of 
our 
readers. 
\'i' 
e 
had 
no 
thought 
to 
encourage 
membership 
in 
any 
human 
institution. 
\Ve 
had 
no 
thought 
to 
encourage 
i.n 
any 
manner 
these 
institutions. 
\Ve 
merely 
wished 
to 
suggest 
that 
some 
d<>ar 
friends, 
in 
our 
judgment, 
incline 
to 
go 
to 
an 
extreme 
in 
that 
thev 
f<>ar 
to 
set 
foot 
inside 
nominal 
church 
edifices. 
Our 
thought 
is 
that 
these 
should 
be 
recognized 
as 
g-athering 
places 
of 
those 
who 
profess 
some 
knowledge 
of 
and 
some 
love 
for 
our 
Savior-the 
world's 
Savior. 
\Vhile 
we 
cannot 
agree 
with 
all 
that 
they 
stipulate 
in 
their 
creeds, 
we 
(an 
sympathize 
with 
them 
in 
the 
sense 
that 
we 
realize 
how 
they 
got 
into 
the 
darkness 
and 
bondage 
they 
are 
in, 
because 
we 
were 
once 
in 
the 
same 
ourselves. 
lNe 
have 
reason 
to 
believe 
that 
some 
of 
them 
are 
as 
honest 
as 
were 
we. 
Our 
suggstion 
is 
that 
while 
the 
first 
duty 
of 
the 
Lord's 
people 
who 
are 
in 
the 
light 
is 
to 
"forget 
not 
the 
assembling 
of 
themselves 
together"; 
while 
it 
is 
their 
duty 
to 
"build 
one 
another 
up 
in 
the 
most 
holy 
faith" 
and 
to 
"grow 
in 
grace" 
themselves; 
while, 
therefore, 
it 
is 
thcir 
duty 
to 
attend 
to 
their 
own 
spiritual 
nourishment 
by 
Scripture 
study, 
etc., 
nevertheless 
there 
may 
be 
times 
when 
nothing 
more 
important 
or 
more 
pressing 
or 
more 
opportune 
would 
present 
than 
a 
visit 
to 
some 
prayermeeting' 
or 
other 
meeting 
of 
Christian 
friends 
of 
the 
nominal 
systems. 
Our 
suggestion 
was 
not 
so 
much 
that 
nominal 
churches 
should 
be 
attended, 
but 
rather 
that 
none 
of 
us 
should 
feel 
afraid 
to 
attend 
one 
if 
favorable 
opportunity 
offered. 
peradventure 
we 
might 
there 
find 
some 
trnth-hungry, 
and 
some 
good 
might 
be 
accomplished. 
These 
remarks 
are 
speciallv 
applicable 
to 
such 
as 
have 
husbands 
or 
wives 
who 
would 
desire 
their 
company 
occasionally. 
and 
be 
willing 
in 
return 
to 
accompany 
them 
to 
Bible 
StudentR 
m<>etings. 
VOL. 
XXXI 
BROOKLYN, 
N. 
Y., 
A 
liGUST 
1, 
1910 
No. 
16 
MEMBERS 
OF 
CHRIST'S 
HOUSEHOLD 
The 
church 
of 
Christ 
is 
an 
aggregation 
of 
individuals 
which 
discerns 
in 
his 
church 
what 
we 
may 
perhaps 
partially 
discern, 
may 
he 
viewed 
from 
different 
standpoints. 
In 
the 
"Divine 
Plan 
but 
could 
not 
definitely 
determine 
and 
would 
not 
be 
allowed 
to 
of 
the 
Ages" 
we 
show 
on 
a 
chart 
the 
Gospel 
age 
and 
its 
various 
specify. 
He 
sees, 
he 
determincs, 
which 
are 
the 
fully 
conse­ 
united 
elements. 
Above 
the 
line 
of 
consecration 
are 
two 
classes, 
crated. 
and 
which 
are 
not 
fully 
consecrated. 
We 
could 
aseer­ 
representing 
the 
great 
company 
and 
the 
little 
flock. 
Below 
the 
tain 
that 
condition 
only 
by 
inquiry 
of 
the 
individual, 
and 
even 
line 
of 
consecration 
there 
is 
another 
class 
shown, 
the 
justified, 
then 
if 
he 
chose 
to 
misrepresent 
his 
position 
and 
to 
claim 
that 
who 
do 
not 
go 
on 
to 
complete 
their 
justification 
by 
consecration. 
he 
is 
a 
come 
crated 
believer, 
we 
should 
not 
be 
in 
a 
position 
Under 
the 
line 
or 
plane 
of 
justification 
is 
shown 
another 
c1ass- 
to 
judge 
him 
or 
decide 
against 
his 
expression. 
except 
his 
fruit­ 
hangers-on, 
denominated 
hypocrites. 
In 
the 
further 
develop- 
age 
betray 
his 
words; 
as 
the 
Lord 
says, 
"By 
their 
fruits 
shall 
ment 
of 
the 
chart 
we 
show 
these 
last 
two 
classes-the 
justified, 
ye 
know 
them"-not 
merely 
by 
their 
professions, 
but 
by 
their 
who 
do 
not 
go 
on 
to 
consecration, 
and 
the 
"tares" 
or 
hypocrites 
fruits. 
But 
aside 
from 
any 
fruits 
that 
would 
be 
injurious, 
we 
-both 
as 
falling 
away 
in 
this 
day 
of 
trouble, 
called 
the 
time 
are 
to 
accept 
the 
profession 
of 
all 
who 
claim 
to 
be 
believers 
of 
the 
harvest. 
being 
separated 
from 
the 
spiritual 
classes, 
the 
and 
consecrated. 
Hence, 
if 
there 
is 
an 
election 
in 
the 
church, 
little 
flock 
and 
the 
great 
company. 
in 
which 
only 
the 
consecrated 
would 
be 
invited 
to 
participate 
However, 
during 
the 
Gospel 
age, 
the 
"wheat" 
and 
the 
"tares" 
-and 
if 
there 
are 
any 
whose 
outward 
conduct 
is 
moral 
and 
who 
grow 
together, 
and 
together 
they 
represent 
the 
kingdom 
of 
God, 
make 
profpssion 
of 
being 
consecrated-it 
would 
not 
be 
within 
as 
the 
Lord 
Jesus 
shows 
in 
the 
parable. 
(Matthew 
13) 
In 
our 
province 
to 
sit 
in 
judgment 
upon 
them 
and 
condemn 
them 
other 
words, 
God 
speaks 
of 
the 
church 
as 
a 
whole, 
including 
in 
and 
say 
that 
they 
are 
not 
of 
the 
church. 
Rather 
we 
should 
be 
the 
appellation 
the 
baser 
adherents 
as 
well 
as 
the 
fully 
eonse- 
obligated 
to 
accept 
their 
vote 
the 
same 
as 
any 
other. 
crated. 
THOSE 
WHO 
CONSTITUTE 
THE 
CHURCH 
OF 
THE 
PRESENT 
This 
is 
shown 
again 
in 
Revelation, 
where 
the 
Lord 
addresses 
TIME 
the 
Laodicean 
church, 
"Be 
zealous, 
therefore, 
and 
repent. 
Be- 
In 
a 
complimentary 
sense 
all 
believers 
in 
Christ, 
who 
are 
hold. 
I 
stand 
at 
the 
door 
and 
knock." 
(Rev. 
3: 
19, 
20) 
He 
approaching 
the 
Lord 
and 
who 
have 
turned 
from 
the 
world 
and 
thus 
indicates 
that 
from 
his 
viewpoint, 
which 
is 
all 
wisdom, 
he 
have 
professed 
to 
have 
fellowship 
with 
God's 
consecrated 
people 
V-61 
[4653] 
Jury 15, 1910 the body of Christ shall be complete—when the “elect” number shall be full—we understand there will be no additions to it, Just as there will be no deficiency in that Body when it shall be glorified. This nature of glory, honor and immortality of the kingdom plane seems to appertain only to the Father, to the Son and to the “bride, the Lamb’s wife.” We know of nothing in the Scriptures nor in analogy that would imply that it could be shared by any others at any time; but of course what God has not clearly revealed we may not know of a certainty. We may be sure of one thing, however, and that is that Christ will always be “Head over the church which is his body”; that he will always be Head over all things. Another thing we may be quite sure of is that the church thus honored by the Father as members of The Christ will have still other glories; as the Apostle declares, “that in the ages to come, God might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ” (Eph. 2:6,7), implying not only that the glory of Christ is to be perpetual, but that the glory of the church is also to be perpetual—not confined to the Millennial age. DOES THE DEGREE OF SUFFERING DETERMINE THE DEGREE OF REWARD? We agree that our Lord’s statement respecting John the Baptist, “He that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Luke 7:28), applies to the entire class of ancient worthies; and further, that it refers not merely to the earthly status of the Gospel church as being superior, but marks the church as a superior class in the future. This question might arise: In view of the statement of the Apostle James, “Take, my brethren, the prophets, as an example of suffering affliction and of patience” (Jas. 5:10). and in view also of our Lord’s words referring to the suffering of the church, “So persecuted they the prophets which were before you,” and also of the detailed statement of these sufferings of the ancient worthies furnished us by the Apostle Paul (Hebrews 11), what should we say as to the degree of ATTENDING NOMINAL We infer that our suggestion relative to attendance at nominal chureh services was not fully grasped by some of our readers. We had no thought to encourage membership in any human institution. We had no thought to encourage in any manner these institutions. We merely wished to suggest that some dear friends, in our judgment, incline to go to an extreme in that they fear to set foot inside nominal church edifices. Our thought is that these should be recognized as gathering places of those who profess some knowledge of and some love for our Savior—the world’s Savior. While we cannot agree with all that they stipulate in their creeds, we can sympathize with them in the sense that we realize how they got into the darkness and bondage they are in, because we were once in the same ourselves. We have reason to believe that some of them are as honest as were we. Our suggstion is that while the first duty of the Lord’s THE WATCH TOWER (237-243) their sufferings in comparison with those of the church ana the reward that would justly be due them as compared with the reward of the church? THE GOSPEL AGE THE ‘‘ACCEPTABLE DAY’’ FOR SACRIFICES We answer that if the Lord intends to reward his people in proportion to their suffering, some of us seemingly will get a very small reward. We have neither been stoned to death, nor sawn asunder, nor have we wandered in sheepskins and goatskins; nor have we been without any place to lay our head. We might say, however, that some of our sufferings may be of a different kind from theirs: It is possible to endure figurative scorching or stoning, and to have our names cast out as evil, etc. But on the whole we cannot say that, so far as merit is concerned in the matter of suffering, there is any advantage that the church can claim over the ancient worthies even among those of our number who, in the early church, were burned as torches by Nero. It would seem that we must make allowance for divine “election”; that it pleased God to call us with this high calling. During the Millennial age even some may perhaps become as loyal to the principles of righteousness as any of the ancient worthies or any of the church, and yet not be rewarded with either their distinction or ours. We are favored, we believe, only in that we live at this particular time of blessing—‘the acceptable day of the Lord”—in which the Lord is ready and willing to accept our sacrifices; and this acceptable day could not begin until our Lord Jesus had made his sacrifice and opened up “the new and living way,” whereby we might follow in his steps. John the Baptist had a very honorable work to perform, but that work was to be accomplished before our Lord’s death and before the opening of this ‘‘acceptable day.” Therefore he could not be of the Gospel age church and did not come under our “high calling’—joint-heirship with our Lord in the kingdom of heaven. CHURCH SERVICES people who are in the light is to “forget not the assembling of themselves together”; while it is their duty to ‘‘build one another up in the most holy faith” and to “grow in grace” themselves; while, therefore, it is their duty to attend to their own spiritual nourishment by Scripture study, etc., nevertheless there may be times when nothing more important or more pressing or more opportune would present than a visit to some prayermeeting or other meeting of Christian friends of the nominal systems. Our suggestion was not so much that nominal churches should be attended, but rather that none of us should feel afraid to attend one if favorable opportunity offered, peradventure we might there find some truth-hungry, and some good might be accomplished. These remarks are specially applicable to such as have husbands or wives who would desire their company occasionally, and be willing in return to accompany them to Bible Students meetings. Vou. XXXT BROOKLYN, N. Y., AUGUST 1, 1910 No. 16 MEMBERS OF CHRIST’S HOUSEHOLD The church of Christ is an aggregation of individuals which may he viewed from different standpoints, In the “Divine Plan of the Ages” we show on a chart the Gospel age and its various united elements. Above the line of consecration are two classes, representing the great company and the little flock. Below the line of consecration there is another class shown, the justified, who do not go on to complete their justification by consecration. Under the line or plane of justification is shown another class— hangers-on, denominated hypocrites. In the further development of the chart we show these last two classes—the justified, who do not go on to consecration, and the “tares” or hypocrites —both as falling away in this day of trouble, called the time of the harvest, being separated from the spiritual classes, the little flock and the great company. However, during the Gospel age, the “wheat” and the “tares” grow together, and together they represent the kingdom of God, as the Lord Jesus shows in the parable. (Matthew 13) In other words, God speaks of the church as a whole, including in the appellation the baser adherents as well as the fully consecrated, This is shown again in Revelation, where the Lord addresses the Laodicean church, “Be zealous, therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” (Rev. 3:19, 20) He thus indicates that from his viewpoint, which is all wisdom, he vV—61 discerns in his church what we may perhaps partially discern, but could not definitely determine and would not be allowed to specify. He sees, he determines, which are the fully conseerated, and which are not fully consecrated. We could ascertain that condition only by inquiry of the individual, and even then if he chose to misrepresent his position and to claim that he is a consecrated believer, we should not be in a position to judge him or decide against his expression, except his fruitage betray his words; as the Lord says, “By their fruits shall ye know them”—not merely by their professions, but by their fruits. But aside from any fruits that would be injurious, we are to accept the profession of all who claim to be believers and consecrated. Hence, if there is an election in the church, in which only the consecrated would be invited to participate -——and if there are any whose outward conduct is moral and who make profession of being consecrated—it would not be within our province to sit in judgment upon them and condemn them and say that they are not of the church. Rather we should be obligated to accept their vote the same ag any other. THOSE WHO CONSTITUTE THE CHURCH OF THE PRESENT In a complimentary sense all believers in Christ, who are approaching the Lord and who have turned from the world and have professed to have fellowship with God’s consecrated people [4653]

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