In the local church the main feature is the service. But when we say “service,” we do not mean a kind of Christian meeting. This is not our service. When we say “church service,” we mean the practical serving in the church by many functions. For example, church service includes the functions of the elders, who care for many things in the responsibility of the church. The function of the deacons, who care for the church business and church affairs, is also included in the church service.
All those who know the Bible agree that the two books written by the Apostle Paul to Timothy cover this matter of the church service. These books help us to know the way to behave in the church, and this is quite practical. Paul says that he writes these things that we may know how to behave ourselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God. Hence, the entire two books to Timothy are simply to reveal how we must practically behave ourselves in the church.
If we pray-read all the above verses which we have chosen from these two books, we will realize that they are all related to the matter of humanity. In Christianity today, most seeking ones pay their attention to the heavenly side. They say that we need power, the manifestation of the gifts, and the miraculous things. I recognize that in the Lord’s economy, there is a place for the miraculous. I myself have experienced a good number of miraculous things in my Christian life. But in these two books to Timothy, which are written that the serving ones may know how to behave themselves in the church, there is nothing miraculous. Rather, these two books are very much related to the proper humanity.
In 1 Timothy 3, Paul gives us the qualifications of an elder. He does not say that to be an adequate elder you must have power, with all the gifts and miracles. No, in his writings concerning the qualifications of an elder, he does not even mention these things. Listen to what he says: “The overseer then must be without reproach, husband of one wife, temperate, of a sober mind, orderly, hospitable, apt to teach, not an excessive drinker, not a striker, but forbearing, not contentious, not fond of money” (1 Tim. 3:2-3). All these qualifications are the virtues of humanity which are so necessary for the eldership. Paul did not say a word about power and gifts.
In the past years of my Christian life and work, I have seen a good number of able persons with miraculous gifts and power. But eventually what they were and what they did became a distraction and damage to the building up of the local church. In the long run, the local church can only be built up by persons like those whom Paul has described in this chapter. Through these persons, the church will gradually be built up in a solid way. I believe many of us have seen able persons who were powerful and miraculous in gifts, yet eventually were of no benefit for the building up of the church. They were capable persons, yet they did not have the qualifications mentioned by the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 3. They may build up twelve inches by their spiritual capabilities, but eventually they tear down fourteen inches by what they are. They may build up something by what they do, but they tear down more by what they are.
The building up of a local church requires the proper humanity. It does not depend on our work as much as it does on our humanity. To be temperate, sober, and forbearing is not a small thing. A local church does not need powerful elders, because sooner or later the church will be torn down by them. The church needs forbearing, gentle elders who do not give themselves to anything but the humanity of Jesus. I do not believe it is necessary to mention all these aspects. We all know what it means to be temperate, to exercise self-control, and to be forbearing, gentle, patient, and to make allowances for others. It takes the proper humanity to leave some margin for others. Out of this, there will be the real building up. We do need the proper humanity for the building up of a local church.
I am so happy for the last verse at the end of these two books: “The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you” (2 Tim. 4:22). If there were not such a verse, we would only have some good teachings; we could never fulfill them. Who can be such an elder? There is not one among us. Only the Lord Jesus Christ has such a humanity, and praise the Lord, He is in our spirit! We must learn to turn to our spirit to take the very humanity of Jesus. He is in our spirit, and where the Lord Jesus is, there is grace. Even He Himself is the grace. All we need for the building up of the church is the humanity of Jesus. We need all the virtues of His humanity. I cannot be such a person, but by enjoying His humanity in my spirit I can. It is not my duty; it is an enjoyment!
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