January, 1940
TH E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
“I attribute the decline of the church in this country to the decline of the theological schools. Why is it that the clergy do not command the respect that we should all like to feel for them? I think you will find the answer by looking at the catalogue of the divinity school . . . The student learns about building management, and community sing ing, and church socials.” Yes, the Bible, loved as the revealed truth of God, is essential for growth and power. A Christian,Indian boy, writing to a missionary of a spiritual awakening they were having in his community, said: “We are having a great rebible here.” It was not a bad mistake. I know of many communities, great num bers of churches, and a host of Chris tians who need to be “rebibled.” We need to get back to the Bible, back to the place where the Word of God be comes our light, our food, our desire, and our spiritual atmosphere. II. A New Priesthood of Believers (vs. 4 -8). At this point we advance from the state of becoming to the state of being. The movement is from the state' of in dividual units of newborn life to the state of collective life wherein we who are believers are living stones built up into a great temple. These living stones find a new sphere—a sphere of fellow ship and a bond of union in the living Christ. Two things are in view in these verses: First, The Foundation or Sub structure, v. 4; and second, The Build ing or Superstructure, v. 5. 1. The Foundation or Substructure (V. 4). Without controversy, this is Christ who is described as “a living stone.” Christ is both the foundation and the comer stone of the Christian commu nity of believers we call the church. When He said to Peter, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church,” the rock was not Peter, the small stone, but Christ the great comer stone. We note in our passage that Peter himself is teaching that Christ is the foundation of the church. Remember that He is a living founda tion. Every foundation under every building is a dead one and deteriorates with time, but whoever believes on Christ “ shall not be confounded,” for he is built upon a living foundation. 2. The Building or Superstructure (v. 5). I call to your mind the distinction between the individual life structure of the Christian, and the collective life structure of the church. In the individ ual structure of each life, the founda tion is Christ (His Person and work); the building is Christ’s teaching, devel oped in the life. But in the collective structure of the church, the foundation
a rock of offense,” and society and fam ily and individuals which are not built upon Christ fall to pieces and go to min without Him. III. A New People for the World (vs. 9, 10 ). Here is a new people created not to be spectators in a crumbling and chang ing world, nor a spectacle of a crystal- dead piety; but to be servants of the Lord God to exert a benign and heav enly influence upon the society iri which they live. The Christian’s obligation is in the present tense: “Ye are.” Christians are four things: 1. “Ye are a chosen generation.’' .This is our CALLING. We are called as an “elect : ce,” moving in the world, but never a part of its sordid life. 2. “Ye are . . . *a royal priesthood.” This is our PREROGATIVE. 3. “Ye are . '. . a holy nation.” This is our CHARACTER. The new society is produced by re generation. The old society that wal lows now in crime and war is seeking to improve itself by the twin sciences, eugenics and euthenics, but the only hope for the world is a re-bom hu manity. 4. “Ye are . . . a peculiar people.” This is our DISTINCTION.
is Christ, while the building is com posed of the Christians as “living stones.” In this great temple we are: Built UPON Christ. This is our foun dation. Built INTO a Spiritual House. This is our corporate existence. Built UNTO a Holy Priesthood. This is our office. Built FOR the Offering of Spiritual Sacrifices. This is our ministry. Thus the sacredness of a certain house and a certain order of men and a cer tain ritualism is past. It is superseded by spiritual things. It is replaced by a spiritual house*—collective believers; by a spiritual priesthood—individual believ ers, and by spiritual sacrifices—obedi ence, love, praise, and worship. If Jesus is a living stone of magnifi cent and majestic proportions and of precious value, He is not such to all kinds and classes of men. But their choice for or against Him creates a wide difference. To the believer He is a comer stone (v. 6). To the unbeliever He is a stum- blingstone (v. 8). The presence of Christ makes Him a comer stone. The absence of Christ makes Him a stumblingstone. In one case He is precious. In the other, He creates a predicament, for He is then “a stone of stumbling, and
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