| Christian Life and Doctrine | April 1977 |
The Oil of Gladness
“Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated Iniquity; therefore God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.” —Hebrews 1:9
AT THE time of the Memorial, the brethren of present truth throughout the world commemorate the suffering and death of our dear Redeemer and Head, Christ Jesus. We are reminded again of his fidelity to righteousness even in the face of suffering and death. He loved righteousness, and to him righteousness was the will of his Heavenly Father. He hated iniquity, which, to his perfect and inspired understanding, was everything contrary to the divine will—all that did not measure up to the divine standards. It was because of his unwavering loyalty to his Father and his militant hatred of every principle out of harmony with his Father’s plan and will that he was “anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows.
Nor is there any hint in our text that the “fellows” above whom Jesus was exalted were disloyal to their God. Lucifer, of course, was, and others of the angelic hosts deflected from their course of faithfulness under the leadership of Lucifer. But there were many of the angels who remained loyal to their Creator, yet they were not all called to the same high position in the divine arrangement to which Jesus was anointed and finally exalted. In this is exhibited the fact, which is apparent in all God’s dealings with his creatures, that it is his will that there shall be degrees of honor and glory among them.
A Secret of Joy
A point of special interest in this connection is the explanation that the exaltation of our Master was an occasion of joy. The “oil” by which he was “anointed” to his position above his fellows is described as the “oil of gladness.” There is doubtless a vital significance to this, as it indicates that true joy and gladness result from the operation of the divine will—joy for those who are exalted and also for those who are not. Happy indeed are those who can rejoice in the exaltation of their fellows because they recognize that “promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.”—Ps. 75:6
While we know that Jesus was exalted above all his fellows on the spirit plane, we realize also that he was anointed to be the Head over his church—the “Master” over his “brethren.” “All ye are brethren,” Jesus declared, and “one is your Master, even Christ.” (Matt. 23:8) And what a joy there is in the recognition of this fact! The psalmist declared, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments.”—Ps. 133:1,2
Here again the thought of gladness is associated with the anointing of our Head, Christ Jesus, as symbolized by the precious ointment poured upon the head of Aaron, the typical high priest. It is “good” and “pleasant,” David declares, for brethren to dwell together in unity, for it is like the precious ointment which represents the anointing of Jesus with the oil of gladness above his fellows. Here we are shown that the gladness is not alone on the part of the one exalted—who in this case is Jesus—but also on the part of the brethren as a whole. They dwell together in unity—a unity which is both good and pleasant—because they dwell in Christ, recognizing his headship in the church as being supreme.
All Members Necessary
In I Corinthians 12 the Apostle Paul gives us a more detailed picture of Jesus, the Head, and the church, his body. In this chapter we are reminded not only of the headship of Christ, but also that all the members of this one body are necessary to its proper functioning; that even the seemingly insignificant members have important roles to fill, so that none can say there is no need for these. And the apostle also explains that God has set every member in the body as it has pleased him. This great truth should be indelibly impressed upon the mind and heart of every Christian, and we should see to it that its implications control us in our associations with our brethren.
The picture given us by David of the anointing oil running down from the head over the body, even to the skirts of the garments, shows that as each consecrated one is inducted into the body of The Christ he partakes of the anointing—not of a literal oil, but of the Holy Spirit, which is symbolized by the oil. (I John 2:27) It is plain, then, that the “good” and “pleasant” unity of the brethren in Christ depends upon the full surrender of their wills to the will of their new Head, Christ Jesus. It depends also upon their recognition of the will of God with respect to the position in the body occupied by other members, and upon their rejoicing in the place which the Lord has assigned to them.
Any other viewpoint than this tends to disrupt the “good” and “pleasant” associations in Christ which otherwise would be their pleasure to enjoy. In this body arrangement, where all are members one of another, the joys and sorrows of each are experienced by all. If one member suffers, all members suffer; and by the same token we rejoice with those who rejoice. If one who professes to be a Christian does not thus share the feelings of his fellow travelers in the narrow way, he may well wonder whether or not he is really a member of the body of Christ.
Present and Future
There is to be a glorified body of Christ, even as there is a body of Christ in the flesh now. And in that body beyond the veil it will be true that every member in it will be “set” in harmony with the divine will. Jesus, of course, will be the Head, and there will be degrees of honor among the other members; and the eternal joy of every member of that glorified body of Christ will result from the fact that while in the flesh the lesson of humble and joyful submission to God’s will was learned, and learned well.
The body of Christ in the flesh is represented by each local church or ecclesia of the consecrated, and God sets the members of these representative groups through the vote of his people. This is one of the laws of the new creation clearly set forth in the Scriptures, and we are of the firm conviction that any disposition on the part of the consecrated to ignore or deny it must necessarily result in spiritual loss. Consecrated saints who are wholly isolated from others of like precious faith by circumstances over which they have no control might well consider that their situation is one that is ordained for them by the Lord; and in it he is, of course, abundantly able to care for them and to bless them with all the riches of his grace. But it is surely the will of God for those who live near one another to associate themselves in an orderly manner, according to the arrangements laid down in the Bible for such group assemblies.
This is more, not less, important today than ever before. The spirit of the world is becoming more and more chaotic. Liberalism in thought and action is becoming increasingly the order of the day. This worldly attitude, based upon false conceptions of “freedom,” is attacking the consecrated. It is well to recognize this and, while we war against the world and the flesh along other lines, to give due attention to this point also. There can be no more dangerous position for any Christian than to be a “free lance.” To be “free” probably has a lure for some. How unwise for a soldier to separate himself from his company, reject the orders of his captain, and expect to fight safely and successfully! It is also unwise for a Christian to suppose that he can get along better by not being subject to the regulations of his brethren in a scripturally organized ecclesia.
One who insists upon thus being free not only exposes himself needlessly to the fiery darts of the Adversary, but his attitude often tends to raise disturbing questions in the minds of his brethren. In fact, every attitude, every expressed thought, every move, on the part of any of the Lord’s people which is not in keeping with the rules and regulations of the new creation is a disturbing influence, and to whatever extent the brethren yield to it, they lose just that much of the good and pleasant results of dwelling together in unity.
We are writing plainly on this subject because of its vital importance to the welfare of the brethren generally. Just as it is appropriate for us to exhort one another along lines which pertain to our spiritual lives and to godliness, so it is also appropriate with respect to the importance of observing the laws of the new creation as they pertain to church organization. Some may cry “bondage” when urged to observe these scriptural rules, but whatever bondage may be associated with such joyful obedience to Christ is but a part of what is involved in being his bond slaves.
As each local ecclesia is recognized by God as the church, and the servants of that ecclesia—duly elected by the congregation—are accredited by him as being divinely set, so it seems eminently proper that such ecclesias in their cooperation with one another through the exchange of speakers, or in other ways, recognize the authority invested in them. In this time of uncertainty, when firsthand knowledge of individual Christians may be hard to obtain, there can be no better recommendation for a brother to have than that he is a duly appointed elder in his home ecclesia.
Present Truth Doctrines
In speaking of ecciesias, we of course have in mind those scripturally organized groups of consecrated believers who hold to the doctrines of “present truth”—those precious doctrines of the divine plan of the ages built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ and his ransom sacrifice for the sins of the church and the world. These doctrines include the church’s share in the better sacrifices of the Gospel Age; a proper understanding of God’s covenants; the second presence of Christ; and the near manifestation of his kingdom for the blessing of all the families of the earth.
An ecclesia which as a group accepts and promotes these blessed doctrines of the Bible and carries on its activities in harmony with the laws of the new creation, in the spirit of love and goodwill toward all, assuredly has the approval of the Lord. To sever connections with such an ecclesia, or to associate with it merely as a visitor, must inevitably result in a certain measure of spiritual loss. For one professing to be “in the truth” to work against the interests of such an ecclesia, by seeking to draw away disciples from it, is to be guilty of causing divisions contrary to the doctrines which we have learned. Such, the apostle says, we should avoid.—Rom. 16:17
In some cases it would seem that the desire to work independently of the local ecclesia reflects a disposition not to be subject one to the other. How can we demonstrate to the Lord that we are happy in the position he has chosen for us in the body if we do not permit him to manifest his will through the expressed choice of his people? Even the great Apostle Paul, appointed directly by God for the special place he was to occupy in the body, gladly submitted to the laying on of hands by a local ecclesia. Who are we—any of us—that we should not do the same?
There is nothing that would please the Devil more than to create disunity among the Lord’s people. In order to accomplish this, his first line of attack is often against the solidarity of the local ecclesia. He uses very subtle methods to accomplish this—secret weapons, as it were—often camouflaged by the banner of “love.” When these subtle attacks are made, it is well to remember that to adhere closely to the laws of the new creation as they pertain to church organization does not manifest a lack of love. When one or more individuals sever their relationship with an ecclesia and charge intolerance on the part of those who do not agree with them, it is possible that they themselves are the ones who are really intolerant because they were not willing to subordinate their preferences to the will of the majority in the ecclesia. In such cases the “oil of gladness” which anointed the Head of the body and which should permeate all its members, causing them to dwell together in unity, is resisted by wills not wholly surrendered to the will of the Head.
All of the Lord’s consecrated people appreciate the privilege of attending ecclesia and convention gatherings, and it is well to remember that these gatherings take place because brethren have labored together in arranging for them. Gatherings of the saints, where there is sweet fellowship because the brethren have found how good and how pleasant it is thus to dwell together in unity, do not occur spontaneously. They represent painstaking planning and effort. If all the Lord’s people should decide they want to be free and to assume no responsibility in an ecclesia, there would be no meetings for any to attend.
Surely such a course would not be the Lord’s will. And if it is not the Lord’s will for all of his people, it is not his will for any of them. All who are in the “body” have a place to fill in the cooperative arrangements of that body; and it is only by occupying that place faithfully, no matter how small and seemingly unimportant it may be, that we discover that the Holy Spirit by which we are anointed is indeed “the oil of gladness.” We would urge, then, in every place where there are as many as two or three of “like precious faith,” that they meet together regularly, and in an orderly manner, choosing those best qualified to serve as leaders of the meetings, etc. Details of scriptural arrangements for such meetings are set forth clearly in Volume VI of Studies in the Scriptures, which we recommend be studied carefully and prayerfully by those not acquainted with them.
Such ecclesia meetings should not be organized under the auspices of The Dawn, because publishers of truth literature have no scriptural jurisdiction over the affairs of local churches. Should there be need for literature for use in such meetings, we are of course happy to supply it, but only as the ecclesia desires and requests it. Having favorable contacts with a large number of ecclesias throughout the country, we have enjoyed the privilege, in the Lord’s providence, of scheduling traveling brethren to serve local groups where such service is desired. These traveling brethren are sound in the doctrines of present truth and have the confidence and support of their home ecclesias. Arranging for them to serve is merely in the way of cooperating with the local ecclesias and thus helping—where that help is desired—to build the brethren up in our “most holy faith.”
The brethren of The Dawn are prepared to cooperate with all the Lord’s people along these lines—with individuals and also with groups. Surely there never was a time when it was more important for the brethren to work together harmoniously than now. Should we not all examine our hearts to make sure that therein is no trace of pride or ambition or bitterness or other form of selfishness which may now or later estrange us from our brethren and thus destroy that good and pleasant association with them which otherwise we might continue to enjoy? Let us all work for unity, based upon the truth, by being willing to subordinate our wills to the will of the Lord. If living where we can be associated with an ecclesia, let us learn to be subject to the will of that ecclesia, as unto the Lord. It makes splendid training in humility and helps to prepare for the glory, honor, and immortality of the future.