| Christian Life and Doctrine | April 1961 |
Commissioned to Teach
“The anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye should abide in it “ —I John 2:27, margin
MANY are the blessings which reach the consecrated people of God through the medium of his Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit of God is his holy power. In our case it is the power of his thoughts, his will, over our lives, and also his holy power as it operates in connection with his providential overruling of all our experiences.
God’s thoughts, as they relate to his will for his consecrated people, are recorded in his Holy Word; and it is through the humble and submissive study of his Word, and obedience to the divine plan revealed therein, that we show ourselves approved unto him. (II Tim. 2:15) Those who surrender themselves fully to the doing of God’s will are begotten of the Spirit to the hope of a new life. Thus they become the sons of God. The Holy Spirit, operating through his Word, also anoints them to the high honor of being God’s servants.
It requires faith to believe that the great God of the universe can and does use his people here on earth in his service. We are so insignificant and imperfect that it is difficult to realize that God could use us in the outworking of his plans and purposes on behalf of the human race. But this is what the Scriptures reveal, and we accept it with humility and thankfulness.
When Jesus began his earthly ministry he quoted Isaiah 61:1,2, and explained that this was his commission to serve his Heavenly Father. This passage reads, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
Verse 2 of this commission includes the proclaiming of “the day of vengeance of our God,” and the comforting of “all that mourn.” This is a reference to the day of vengeance upon the nations at this end of the Gospel Age, when many would be caused to mourn as a result of the “tribulation” it would bring upon the people. Jesus did not apply this to himself because he knew that it was not due to be fulfilled at that time.—Luke 4:16-21
Shortly after Jesus began his ministry, he sent his twelve apostles out to do a similar work. They too were to proclaim the Gospel of the kingdom. Besides, he sent out seventy evangelists to represent him in the great work he had come to do. On the night before Jesus was crucified he said in prayer to his Heavenly Father, “As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I sent them into the world.”—John 17:18
The commission which Jesus gave to his disciples was ratified at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon them. Then it was that the anointing of the Holy Spirit, which came upon Jesus at the time of his baptism, became truly effective on behalf of his consecrated followers, all who are baptized into his body. It was this that John had in mind when, in our text, he speaks of the “anointing” which we have received of him.
To Teach
IN OUR text John wrote that those who receive this anointing of the Holy Spirit need not that any man teach them. This does not imply that these are exempt from the need of Bible study, either individually or in association with others. John is emphasizing the fact that if we are truly anointed by the Holy Spirit to be the Lord’s representatives, then we have been taught by God and have learned the truth which he wants us to make known to others. We are taught by God through his Word, and through the means which he has provided to help us understand his Word.
In order to be qualified representatives of the Lord we need to be acquainted with the glorious message of the divine plan contained in his Word. This is not a human message. It does not come from man, nor can it be understood by any except those whom the Lord enlightens by his Holy Spirit. Only such are able to understand “the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 13:11) Jesus told his disciples that many righteous men of old desired to see these things but were not permitted to do so. To this he added, “Blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.”—Matt. 13:16,17
We may not know just how the Holy Spirit of God enables those whom he draws to himself to understand “the mysteries of the kingdom.” Through his faithful people, the seeds of truth are sown as widely and continuously as possible. However, only one here and there responds with understanding and appreciation. But it is a marvelous thing to note the readiness with which these receive the Word, and how quickly they come to an understanding of the divine plan.
The wise man wrote, “As thou knowest not what is the way of the Spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.” To this Solomon added, “In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.”—Eccles. 11:5,6
How encouraging to realize that the results of “seed sowing” are in the hands of the Lord! And we rejoice to realize that by his Spirit the Lord does assist those whom he calls in the study of his Word. We may think of this as a part of the anointing work of the Holy Spirit, for by this anointing we are both authorized and qualified to be “the light of the world,” workmen who need not to be ashamed because we have rightly divided the Word of truth.—Matt. 5:14; II Tim. 2:15
The Message
THE HOLY Spirit’s commission to Jesus, as recorded in Isaiah 61:1-3, presents a fairly comprehensive idea of the message of truth we are authorized to proclaim. It is the good news of the kingdom, including the glorious hope of the resurrection of the dead. It also embraces the message of the high calling, in that we are still to proclaim “the acceptable year of the Lord.”
And, as we have noted, in this end of the age we are also anointed to proclaim “the day of vengeance of our God.” This does not mean that we are to pronounce vengeance, either upon individuals or upon groups. It simply means that we are to explain to those who are meek and teachable the meaning of the present “distress of nations, with perplexity,” that it is a manifestation of God’s displeasure upon a sin-cursed and dying world.—Luke 21:25
Closely associated with the proclaiming of “the day of vengeance” is the commission to “comfort all that mourn.” (Isa. 61:3) This might well be a special reference to those who are caused to mourn by the distressing circumstances of “the day of vengeance.” Jesus said that “all the tribes of the earth” would mourn because of his presence, and it is our privilege to comfort at least some of these by pointing out to them the real cause of the world’s troubles.—Matt. 24:30
This seems to be the thought set forth in Isaiah 35:4, where we are commissioned to “say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you.” Today the hearts of the people are filled with fear, even as Jesus foretold, and it is our privilege to explain to these that they have no real cause to fear, that while the Lord’s vengeance is upon the governments, under Satan, his ultimate object is to save the people through the agencies of the messianic kingdom.
The anointing we have received to proclaim the Gospel of the kingdom does not teach us to be vindictive and harsh in making known the glad tidings. The message of the kingdom is a message of love, and should be presented with sympathy and understanding. We are not commissioned to tear down Satan’s social order, but to build hope and courage in the hearts of those who have a hearing ear.
Witnesses for Jesus
SOME of the details of the Holy Spirit’s commission are brought to our attention in the New Testament. For example, Jesus made it plain that his people were to go forth in his name. After his resurrection Jesus said to his disciples, “Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”—Acts 1:8
When, on the Isle of Patmos, the Apostle John was given a vision of those who would make their calling and election sure to reign with Christ, he said, “I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the Word of God, … and they lived lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” (Rev. 20:4) It seems evident from this that the Lord wants his people to give Jesus and his work of redemption a very prominent place in their message.
The apostles seemed to understand this point very clearly, and to abide by it. Peter made Jesus the very center of his pentecostal sermon; and thousands, of the Jews there gathered, repented and were baptized. Shortly after this Peter preached his wonderful sermon on restitution, and again he gave prominence to the name and power of Jesus.
We are informed that following this sermon on restitution, “the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees,” were “grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.” (Acts 4:1,2) Peter could not refrain from preaching Jesus Christ, even though this name was an offense to many who heard.
Paul’s preaching was after the same pattern. With reference to his visit to a synagogue of the Jews in Thessalonica, we read, “Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures, opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.”—Acts 17:1-3
To Whom?
HAVING been anointed by the Holy Spirit, to whom are we to proclaim the good news of the kingdom? The commission of Isaiah 61, quoted in part by Jesus, emphasizes that we are to minister to the “meek,” meaning the teachable—those willing and anxious to learn. But this is quite general in the sense that it does not specify any particular group or race of people.
Nor are we to take from this that we are to single out those whom we assume to be meek and confine our message to these. In the first place, we would be quite incapable of judging who, among all the people with whom we come in contact, are meek, and who are not. To use a scriptural expression, we are to “sow beside all waters,” in the belief that the Lord will overrule in such a way that the message will reach the hearts of those who are meek, while those who are not meek will have no ear for it.—Isa. 32:20
But we have a responsibility toward the meek who respond to the message. It is our privilege to further instruct these in the ways of the Lord. There is not only the evangelistic phase of the ministry, but the teaching and pastoral work as well. We are not only to witness the truth to others, but we are to build up one another in our most holy faith, and it is only these who benefit from this aspect of our ministry.
The kingdom message should not be held back from any who indicate a willingness to listen. Jesus made it clear that the whole world is to be considered our field of activity, and we should have a willingness to impart the message far and wide to Gentile and Jew; to professed Christians and those of the world; to believers and unbelievers; to the young and old, as we have opportunity.
At the same time we are to recognize the hand of the Lord in the matter of just where and when to proclaim the kingdom message. While Jesus commissioned his disciples to go into all the world to preach the Gospel, the divine overruling was such that the message was taken mostly to the west and north, rather than to the east, from Palestine. Paul obediently and gladly responded to the call, “Come over to Macedonia, and help us,” when his own plan was to go in another direction.—Acts 16:9,10
As individuals our field of activity is quite circumscribed—at least, this is true with most of us. Doubtless we would like to extend our sphere of activity in the Lord’s service, and it is well to have this desire. It denotes that the anointing power of the Holy Spirit is urging us on to greater sacrifices in the ministry of the truth. But we should not overlook the opportunities of service which are waiting for us close at hand, the little ways of witnessing which are known only to us and to the Lord. The Lord may be watching to see how faithfully we are using these before entrusting us with larger opportunities.
It is also important to watch the leadings of the Lord in connection with our co-operative ministry of the truth. The Lord knows how to open doors of opportunity, and how to close them. We should never try to force open any door of opportunity to serve the Lord, nor should we hesitate to enter those which the Lord unmistakably opens.
The Lord’s arm has not shortened, nor has his power waned, since the days of the Early Church. There are still those Macedonian calls; and “iron gates” continue to open of their own accord. (Acts 12:7-11) This is true with respect to the Lord’s people both individually and collectively. We are blessed indeed if we learn to wait patiently on the Lord, and do not endeavor to run ahead of him in avenues of service which he has not clearly opened to us.
Not World Conversion
WE ARE not to look for large numbers to accept the truth at this time. We are in the “harvest” time at the end of the age, and ours is a harvesting work, although it is accomplished by a general “sowing” or proclaiming of the truth. While we believe that seeds of truth are now being sown which will be a blessing to the world in the early years of the kingdom, our primary objective is to reach and assist those whom the Lord is inviting to run for the prize of the high calling.
The Lord’s time for the conversion of the world, both Jew and Gentile, is still future. While we are glad to lay down our lives in the ministry of the truth now, and to be “beheaded for the witness of Jesus,” we rejoice to know that in God’s due time the true knowledge of him shall fill the earth as the waters cover the sea.—Rev. 20:4; Isa. 11:9
“And in that day,” Isaiah wrote, “there shall be a root of Jesse [Jesus], which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.” (vs. 10) Verse 12 reads, “And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.” Thus we are assured that when the knowledge of the Lord fills the earth both Gentiles and Jews will rejoice in it, and will rally around that “ensign” which will be “a root of Jesse.”—Rom. 15:12; Rev. 5:5; 22:16
What a glorious prospect we have for the whole world of mankind! Just as today we “see Jesus” and rejoice in all that he means to us and will mean to the world, so later he will become the “ensign” around whom the people of all nations will rally. (Heb. 2:9) Then, with that “pure language” turned to the people, they will all call upon the name of the Lord to serve him with one consent.—Zeph. 3:9
In the Church
ALL who are anointed by the Holy Spirit are authorized to be ambassadors for Christ, and, as such, to proclaim glad tidings to the meek. There are no exceptions to this. The Scriptures do not divide the Lord’s people into two classes called “clergy” and “laity.” However, in the assemblies of the Lord’s people called churches—Greek, ekklesias—the Scriptures indicate certain arrangements to be followed, and certain restrictions to be observed.
Paul wrote, “I suffer [permit] not a woman to teach.” (I Tim. 2:12) The reference here is to being a teacher in the church. It does not mean that women, enlightened by the truth and fully consecrated to the Lord, are not anointed to proclaim the Gospel of the kingdom by word of mouth and by distribution of the printed page. It is simply that the Lord, in his wisdom, and to carry out certain typical lessons, has limited teaching in the church to male members of the congregation.
And in this also there are limitations. In his letter to Titus, Paul mentions those who serve as “bishops,” or overseers in the church, and sets forth their qualifications. We quote:
“A bishop [overseer] must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; but a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men [margin, things], sober, just, holy, temperate; holding fast the faithful Word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision.”—Titus 1:7-10
From this it is clear that one who serves as a teacher in a congregation of the Lord’s people should measure up to a very high standard of righteous conduct in his life. And he must be able “by sound doctrine both to exhort and convince the gainsayers.” The enemies of the truth in Paul’s day were largely those of the circumcision who endeavored to convince the believers that they should subscribe to certain features of the Law. And doubtless the truth was then attacked in other ways also.
So it was important that teachers in the church be sound in the doctrines of the truth, and have a measure of ability to teach, that they might be able to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 3) Along this line we note in his various epistles Paul faithfully endeavors to correct the wrong doctrinal viewpoints of those to whom he writes. In his letters to the brethren at Thessalonica he discusses and clarifies the truth concerning our Lord’s return and second presence. In his letter to the Galatians he devotes considerable space to God’s covenants.
So, today, it is likewise important that those who serve as teachers in our congregations be sound in the truth—in the doctrines of present truth, for these doctrines are our “meat in due season.” The issues of truth and error today vary in detail from those confronting the Early Church, but it is just as important now for teachers to be able to defend the doctrines of the truth as it was at that time.
We can’t imagine Paul, or Peter, saying of those who were teaching error that they should be invited into the church to proclaim their views because doctrines were not too important. Proper doctrine and practice were both considered important in the Early Church, and should be so considered now. Let us hope and pray that it shall continue to be so.
With our teachers setting forth the truth in its purity, we all benefit as learners. And the more clearly we understand the doctrines of the truth, the more effectively we can proclaim them to others, as together we tell out, as widely as possible, the glad tidings of the kingdom, that fearful hearts may be given courage, and sorrowing hearts made glad.