PROBLEMS WITH OUR INTERPRETATION

PROBLEMS WITH OUR INTERPRETATION

I interject this article for the reason that tomorrow I teach this truth at a threefold communion service at my church. For those who wonder concerning this Brethren doctrine, follow the words that Christ was commanded to teach His faithful that they might follow (John 13:13-17).

Although the Kingdom of God permeates the Bible from the first pages to the end of the book, we at times forget to include that thought when we come to passages in the Bible that we have found comfort in the teaching of those whose insights we value. The Brethren have a resource for this unfolding of the Kingdom drama through a man who went through the whole Bible bringing forth that doctrinal truth from every page. That was Dr. McClain’s great treatise “The Greatness of the Kingdom” titled after Daniels statement in Dan. 7:27.

Dr. McClain points out to us in the beginning pages of the Bible the fact that Adam was placed in a garden and told to tend it. This rulership was mediated under the instruction and direction of God Himself. And at end of our Bible in Revelation Jesus hands over the Kingdom He has ruled over for 1000 years to the Father so that God is all in all (1 Cor. 15:24). By his labor we discover this thought of the Kingdom is on every page of the book. Our problem is that we have forgot that truth at times in our consideration of various teachings. We lose focus at times.

And then we have the chapter divisions which occasionally cause problems with the understanding of what might be contained in a particular passage. The Bible is a compilation of many shorter books written at different times and later assembled into the biblical canon. All but the shortest of these books have been divided into chapters, generally a page or so in length, since the early 13th century. Since the mid-16th century, each chapter has been further divided into "verses" of a few short lines or sentences. This chapter problem happens at the beginning of the 13th chapter of John which contains the teaching on the last supper Christ had with His disciples and the main event of that evening, the washing of the feet of the disciples. This was a Jewish setting with the men reclining at the table. We have always started our explanation of that night starting at the 1^st verse of chapter 13.

The unfolding of that chapter in our past instruction has avoided the inclusion of the thought of the Kingdom context. Three years have been spent with these men and it is a tense situation. They followed Him having been taught and then told to preach to the nation of Israel concerning the Kingdom of God (Matt. 10:1-5). John tells us He came to His own (John 1:11). He sent them out with the same message as John the Baptist (Matt. 3:11) and as well as Himself (Matt. 4:17) announcing to the nation for their need of repentance for the Kingdom of God was at hand due to the fact that the King was there standing before them and giving prophetic evidence that all He was saying was true. The nation loved the thought of coming out from under the Roman control but they didn't like the King's demands He placed on them (Luke 19:14). The leadership of the nation has been severely denounced by Jesus which brought the situation to this crisis point (Mark 14:1) where they were demanding His death and it was near to being brought about.

And here is where the chapter division has affected our understanding of this chapter and the 14th. Jesus before entering this room had one of His many conversations with the One Who sent Him. That conversation is contained in John 12:49-50. "For I have not spoken of Myself; but the Father which sent Me, He gave Me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that His commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto Me, so I speak." The Servant of the Father having just been given a commandment to speak to these men with certain wording brought these words He had just heard to the men in the upper room.

The next word we see is "Now." (13:1) Our problem is this is typically where the communion lessons start leaving out the context of the two verses prior. They reveal the utter importance of what He taught the disciples in that room. Two of the Godhead was involved in this command so far. The Spirit would bring the understanding later.

The men had arrived at this place and upon entering had their feet washed by someone before entering the house which was typical of that Jewish society. In New Testament times the lowest normally perform this task and it was done before even entering the house due to the cleanliness-minded Jew who would have the sandals removed at the door to wash the filth from the road.

They came to the house, removed their sandals, had their feet washed and went upstairs to the room where the preparation meal was ready. The disciples were in a highly troubled state for their long awaited Kingdom was not yet established and now the King was leaving. He had asked them to bring certain items to this house for a preparation meal for the Passover that was tomorrow (Luke 22:8). He had informed them that He desired to celebrate that Passover with them before He suffered but the nation refused to eat the flesh and drink the cup of the Lamb (John 6:53). To the nation Jesus was too stringent. But they had communion with each other and their Friend (John 15:15).

And then He stands from the table knowing His hour was here and He was about to depart and begins to give them the commandment that the Father had asked Him to carefully teach these men. His words were carefully spoken as He was told. For our sake God has Peter object to what Christ unfolds concerning this commandment concerning life that is eternal. Peter exclaims, “And now You of all are about to perform this again?” "What is going on here?"

Peter's objection came after some of the men's feet had been washed and standing there before him was the greatest Man he had ever known. Never would He wash his feet. And Jesus reply teaches us the heart of this commandment from the Father.

You say You are about to leave us, the Kingdom is not established, we have left everything (Luke 18:28), and now You attempt to repeat what has already been accomplished at the door? "If I wash thee not, you have no part with Me." Unless you allow Me to wash you, you will have no part in the Kingdom of Heaven. You have been waiting on this Kingdom and here is one of the two entrance requirements. You have already been bathed, but you also need washed. I shall wash you. You as well as the rest are all troubled in heart. You do not understand what I am saying to you at this point but you shall. I am going to prepare a place for you and I shall return after it is completed. When I get home to the Father, I will ask Him to send you the Comforter (John 14:16) and when you receive Him you shall know I have arrived home (Acts 2:33). Let not your hearts be troubled. You believe My Father, believe also what He has commanded Me to say and speak.

He said to them, do you know what I have done? They did not understand. But they would when the Comforter would teach them what He meant by all this (John 14:26).
Next we see the removal of Judas from the group, a cleansing act of the Teacher and Master; symbolic of the separation of the wheat and the tares at the end. Only He knew who the betrayer was and so in the end shall the same difficulty exist (Matt. 13:41), the angels shall help Him. For the heart of Judas was Satan inspired by hatred, as the result of satanic action, a determination to betray. In the heart of Jesus there was the passion to serve His Father, and to teach His faithful His final acts when they arrived to the home He was going to prepare for them.

Perfection is required at the end of the journey (Matt. 5:48; Rom. 8:29; Eph. 4:13; Phil. 3:12, 15; Col. 3:28; 4:12; 1 Thess. 3:10; 2 Tim. 3:17; Heb. 2:10; 13:21; James 1:4; 1:17 (a gift from above); 3:2; 1 Pet. 5:10; John 4:17, 18; 1 John 3:2; Jude 24). I love to read Peter’s answer after his protest, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head." You only need bathed once but the cleansing after salvation is different. And there is need at the last for the final foot washing by Me for I am presenting you to My Father.

Did Peter understand that last phrase of the Sermon on the Mount in Matt. 5:48? Did he realize the necessity of that final cleansing before going into the presence of the Father, the Ancient of Days? (Dan. 7:13-14) Yes, Peter finally came to understand. Paul also states that truth in Phil. 3:12 knowing he wasn’t home yet. “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.” Christ needs perfect servants to rule and reign with Him in the Kingdom. And what Christ apprehends, Christ keeps (John 10:28) ensuring the finalization of His desire for my perfection (Phil. 1:6; 3:21; Rom. 12:1-2).
He came to know that in that hour he saw into the very heart of Jesus. There was the outshining of the grace of God in the marvel of that action. He emptied Himself, He humbled Himself, He bent. He served His Father faithfully. And He was their Lord and Master. They called Him that. He was their Teacher and their Lord. He said, you are quite right. I am your Teacher, I am your Lord. But what is the Teacher doing now? What is the sovereign Lord of all authority, Who has all things placed into His hands doing now but greater still what shall He do at the end of your journey here on earth? He was speaking to you of His present as well as His final works with a believer before they might enter into the presence of the Father of Jesus, before entering their new home, and before entering into glory. He revealed final things this night with the separation of the wheat and tares and their final need to enter their new home He has prepared, the home of perfection. The bathing and the washing did Judas no good. So it is with all tares.

And then one of our final problems. If He is going to do this, why should I? He answers that problem by saying these words from the Father, "If I then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye ought also to wash one another's feet." What does that mean? His present work with us is also meshed with the work of the Comforter Who He and the Father sent and that is the word washings as we follow the Teachers example (Eph. 5:22-33). He knew that in the walk of those who were cleansed by the bathing there would be the contraction of defilement on the journey to their home; and they would need the washing of the feet until the day they leave this earth. He said, you have seen Me do it; you ought also to be ready to do it for each other. Paul was writing to the Galatian Christians and he said this (Gal. 6:1), "Brethren, even if a man be overtaken in any trespass, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of meekness, lest thou also be tempted."

What our Lord was saying to His fellow disciples was, I know the way, and now you do also, and all along this pilgrimage cleansed men will contract defilement. When your brother does, your business is not to emphasize the defilement, not to turn to your brother the cold shoulder of pride and indifference. Your business is to attempt to wash his feet, to restore such a one, as Paul says, in the spirit of meekness. Follow the Teacher’s example by aiding the Comforter in His work by bringing to remembrance the words of the Master and Teacher. As we do that, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ shines out, and the glory of the triumph of love is manifested in us and through us knowing our need at the end of our journey here. We need the whole church gifted by the Spirit to exert the labor as their Teacher taught for their arrival in the Kingdom, cleansed thoroughly and therefore perfect ready to go into the presence of the Ancient of Days and then to return with their Lord and Master to rule and reign with Him in perfected bodies wearing white robes. For He was given three things at His arrival back to the Father: dominion, glory and the Kingdom (Dan. 7:14).

To God be the glory for accomplishing this amazing work. And it took all Three for us to arrive at His prepared home perfect. We shall enter His gates with singing, bathed, washed and perfect, dressed in white. We will then be at the fullness of the stature of Christ. We shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2). No more need to have our faith increased (Luke 17:5).

And “He loved them unto the end” (John 13:1) symbolizes that their perfection at the end of their journey is sure. The Father sees the Son's wife who is ready for His Most Beloved Son (Matt 24:36).

And finally we have the problem anyone has with talking about the perfection of the saint which is finally accomplished at the end of the journey. Jesus washes the feet before entering the new home. Perfection is the ultimate destination of the walk of the Christian, finally accomplished by the King of the Kingdom Who is our Husband (Eph. 5:22-33) Who loves us to the end.

Heb. 5:9 “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.” (John 12:50)

The example has been given, “born again” is the one who follows. “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” (John 13:17) (Grk. makarios)