The Medical Missionary, vol. 15
November 14, 1906
“The Church of Christ” The Medical Missionary, 15, ns20, pp. 162, 163.
ALONZO T. JONES
NEAR the close of the preceding article, it was stated in the words of the Scripture that the Church of Christ in truth, is “the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” MEDM November 14, 1906, page 162.1
Upon this it was then inquired, How could it be possible that any conception of the Church or of what pertains to Christ’s own divine conception? And how could it be possible for that divine conception to be accomplished by any other than his own divine Spirit? MEDM November 14, 1906, page 162.2
What mind can comprehend the fulness of Him who filleth all in all? That fulness is infinite. No finite mind can compass it. Only the infinite mind can fathom or compass the infinite. The fulness of Him that that filleth all in all is nothing less than infinite. Therefore nothing less than the infinite mind can comprehend it. MEDM November 14, 1906, page 162.3
Yet Christ’s Church is “the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” The idea, the conception of this church is therefore infinite; and only the infinite mind can possibly comprehend that idea, that conception, that “fulness” which Christ’s Church is, to organize it and build it up. And this is exactly the thought and the word of Him who is the only Head of the Church of Christ—that it is only “from the Head,” through the administration of his own divine and infinite Spirit, that his Church is organized and built up. MEDM November 14, 1906, page 162.4
It is just as true of the Church of Christ as of any other of the things of God, that “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things that God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit; for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deeps things of God.” The Church of Christ with its infinite blessings, with its infinite blessings, with its infinite privileges and opportunities, with its infinite possibilities, cannot by any means be excluded from the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. And in the very Spirit of things it is forever true that no eye ever saw, no ear ever heard, nor has it ever entered into the heart of man, what God in the Church of Christ hath prepared for them that love him. But thank the Lord, it is equally true that God hath revealed to us these glorious things of the Church; hath revealed them to us by his Spirit; because the infinite Spirit fathoms and comprehends clearly all things, yea, the deep, the infinite, things of God. MEDM November 14, 1906, page 162.5
“The things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God.” The Church of Christ which is his body, and which is the fulness of him that filleth all in all, is assuredly of the things of God. And this thing, this idea, this thing of the Church of God knoweth no man, but only the Spirit of God. MEDM November 14, 1906, page 162.6
What an infinite mistake, then, was made, and what an infinite loss was incurred, when, as we have seen, the Greeks took their native, human, and heathen, idea and conception of a perfect earthly, human, and heathen State, a public, government or confederacy and made this to be the idea and conception of the Church of Christ which is in truth nothing less than the fulness of Him who filleth all in all! And how that awful mistake and loss were deepened and enlarged when this false conception of the Greeks was seized upon by Rome and was merged in Roman imperialism and passed off as the “universal Church.” MEDM November 14, 1906, page 162.7
This adoption of the Greek idea and conception of a petty republic or confederacy of this world wholly, and passing it off on themselves and before the world as the church of Christ, was the fundamental error and the transcendent blunder in the great apostasy and the working of the mystery of iniquity that developed “that man of sin, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God showing himself that he is God.” MEDM November 14, 1906, page 163.1
For if such a thing as that Greek concept were the Church of Christ, then whatever worldly-minded man, ambitious of power, that could put himself at the head of it and manipulate it according to his ideas and permeate it with his spirit—then that man would be the head—the “visible head”—of the Church of Christ! MEDM November 14, 1906, page 163.2
But thank the Lord, no such thing as that ever was, nor ever could be, the Church of Christ. Ever and always it was only a human, worldly, and heathen, system of government and confederacy. And whatever man put himself at the head of it and dominated it, was the head of only a human, worldly, heathen, and political system of government and confederacy, exactly as was the head of any other worldly, heathen, and political system. MEDM November 14, 1906, page 163.3
The Church of Christ is no such thing. It is the body of Christ, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all. And Christ himself, in his own person, is alone the head of it. From him, the head, it is permeated with his own divine will. From him, the head, by that same divine Spirit, each member is joined to this body. To each one of these members of him there is given, and each one of these receives, not the spirit of the world nor of worldly things, “but the Spirit which is of God;” and this in order “that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” MEDM November 14, 1906, page 163.4
Christ came, not to make of this world the kingdom of God. Christ came to bring the kingdom of God to this world; in order that men might be delivered from this world and from the power of darkness, and be translated into the kingdom of God and his dear Son. MEDM November 14, 1906, page 163.5
Christ came not to make either the things or the ideas of this world the things or ideas of God. He came to bring the things of God and the ideas of God to this world; in order that mankind might be called out, delivered, and saved forever, from the erroneous, the dark and debased and debasing things and ideas of this world, and be translated “into the marvellous light,” the sanctifying truth, and the exalted, exalting and glorifying things and ideas of God. MEDM November 14, 1906, page 163.6
To accomplish this his own “eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord,” God has given without measure his own eternal Spirit to those who will be of his Church, in order that we shall know not the things of the world, but only the things of God, the things of the Church of God, the things of the kingdom of God. MEDM November 14, 1906, page 163.7
Therefore the administration, the operation, and the manifestation of the holy and eternal Spirit of God is the one fundamental and transcendent thing for members of the Church of Christ to know. MEDM November 14, 1906, page 163.8
The diversities of gifts of the Spirit, the differences of administrations of the Lord, and the diversities of the operations of God who worketh all in all through the one eternal Spirit—this is the one only, but glorious, field of study of the members of the Church of Christ. For there is just “one body and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling: one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” MEDM November 14, 1906, page 163.9
The sovereignty of the Holy Spirit in the Church and over the Church; the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit in each member of the Church and over each member of the Church; and, in him and by him and through him, the sovereignty of Christ as head of the Church, as head of each member of the Church, and as head over all things to the Church;—this, as the kingdom of God which Christ brought to this world, is the one only realm, dominion, or government, of the Church of Christ and of God, or of any member of that Church. MEDM November 14, 1906, page 163.10
Long ago God declared of this time—this time of the latter rain—that he would raise up “thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece.” And the context plainly shows that it is in the recognizing and receiving of the Holy Spirit in this very thing of the sovereignty and sole reign of his own Spirit in and over his church, that he will raise up “the sons of Zion against thy sons, O Greece.” Zechariah 9:12, 10:3. Thus will he sanctify and cleanse his Church; and thus will he prepare his Church to meet him when he appears in his glory, so that he can indeed “present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” MEDM November 14, 1906, page 163.11
And now is that time. Now is the time of the receiving of His Spirit in the latter rain. Now is the time to “ask of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain.” Therefore let us now recognize the Holy Spirit. Let us ask for the Holy Spirit. Let us receive the Holy Spirit. Let us fully and freely own the sovereignty of his Holy Spirit in and over the Church and over all things to the church. Let us recognize the Church of Christ as indeed his body, and as indeed “the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” Let us seek and follow the guidance of this sovereign Spirit away from the shallow, petty, and vain things of Greece and Rome, and into the deep and exalted and exalting things of God. MEDM November 14, 1906, page 163.12
“Ask and ye shall receive.” “He that asketh receiveth.” “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” MEDM November 14, 1906, page 163.13