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In the Bible God’s building begins with the tabernacle and consummates with the New Jerusalem. In the tabernacle there were gold and wood but no stone. Stone was used along with gold and wood in the building of the temple. Although the Bible speaks of the foundation stone of the first temple, there is no mention of the topstone until the time of the rebuilding of the temple. Zechariah speaks of the topstone (4:7) but not of the foundation stone. Thus, it is possible to have the foundation stone without the topstone but not to have the topstone without the foundation stone. In order to have the topstone you must have both the foundation stone and cornerstone.
In the church, God’s building in the New Testament, there is gold, but there is no wood. The wood has been petrified, and thus it has become stone. Furthermore, in the New Jerusalem not only will there be no wood; all the stones will be precious stones, not ordinary stones. Therefore, with the first stage of God’s building, the tabernacle, there were gold and wood, but in the consummation there will be gold and precious stone. When the church life began in Germany, there was very little stone; there was mostly wood. But in the church in Stuttgart today, there is not only wood but also a certain amount of stone. In the days to come the wood will decrease, and the stone will increase. Hallelujah for the decrease of the wood and the increase of the stone!
The change from wood to stone comes about through the process of transformation. Formerly, a certain brother was altogether wood, but today he is sixty percent stone and just forty percent wood. After another period of time he will be eighty percent stone and twenty percent wood. When this brother enters the New Jerusalem, he will be one hundred percent stone, and that stone will be precious stone. In addition to salvation we need transformation. Although salvation may take place in an instant, transformation is a lifelong process. I have been in this process for more than fifty-two years, and I am still in the process of being transformed. I realize that I still have some amount of wood. However, I fully expect that the wood that remains will also be petrified, changed into stone.
The Bible reveals that Christ is both the Lamb and the stone (John 1:29; Acts 4:10-11). It is quite common for Christians to praise the Lord and say, “Worthy is the Lamb! Hallelujah to the Lamb! Glory to the Lamb! Praise the Lamb!” But have you ever heard someone praise Him by saying, “Hallelujah to the stone! Worthy is the stone! Praise the stone! Glory to the stone!”? It seems that historic Christianity does not know Christ as the stone or praise Him as such. One day the Lord Jesus said to the Pharisees who were rejecting Him, “Have you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, this has become the head of the corner. This was from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” (Matt. 21:42). When the Pharisees rejected Christ, they also rejected the cornerstone. When Peter was preaching the gospel, he also spoke of Christ as the cornerstone. According to Acts 4:10 and 11, Peter said, “Let it be known to you all and to all the people of Israel that in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified and whom God has raised from the dead, in this name this man stands before you in good health. This is the stone which was considered as nothing by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner.” All Christians realize that the Lord Jesus is the Savior, but very few realize that He is also the stone. He is both the crucified Lamb and the rejected stone.
Christian theology repeatedly emphasizes the fundamental matter of redemption. However, the theologians do not see the matter of the building, and thus they do not talk about it. Therefore, theology emphasizes Christ as the Lamb but neglects Him as the stone. Christ is not only the Lamb for redemption; He is also the stone for the building. The building, not redemption, is the goal. Redemption is part of the process to reach the goal.
The fact that Christ is both the Lamb and the stone is proved by comparing Revelation 5:6 with Zechariah 3:9. Revelation 5:6 indicates that Christ is the Lamb with seven eyes, and Zechariah 3:9 indicates that He is the stone with seven eyes. Thus, the seven eyes of the Lamb are the seven eyes of the stone. This proves that the Lamb is the stone and that the stone is the Lamb. Furthermore, it reveals that Christ’s redemption is for the building. Christ is not only the Lamb to redeem us; He is also the stone for God’s building.
Regarding Christ as the stone, there are three main aspects: the foundation stone, the cornerstone, and the topstone, the capstone. At the bottom of the building, there is the foundation stone, and at the top, there is the capstone. Between the foundation and the capstone there is the cornerstone that joins the wall and supports the topstone. Thus, with the foundation, the cornerstone, and the topstone, we have the complete structure of the building. As the building stone, Christ is the bottom, the top, and the joining and supporting element. He is everything in God’s building. Moreover, Christ is also the living stone (1 Pet. 2:4). Anything that is living grows, increases, and produces. Thus, as the stone for God’s building, Christ is not only the foundation, the corner, and the top, but also the One who is increasing and producing. He has produced us, and now He is increasing within us to make us living stones for God’s building (v. 5).
In God’s building, everything is Christ. God’s temple, God’s eternal habitation, is Christ. In this building, Christ is the foundation stone, the cornerstone, the topstone, and the living stone for the increase. At the bottom, at the top, on every side, and in every corner, we have Christ. Eventually, this Christ is the church. The church is the building with Christ as the foundation, the cornerstone, the topstone, the increasing wall, and ultimately the entire building. This is the kernel of the Bible, Christ and the church.
We need to experience all these aspects of Christ as the stone for God’s building. If we experience Him in these aspects, we shall have a complete building. This building is simply Christ Himself. The fact that Christ is the foundation stone is not a doctrine; it is something that we must experience. Apart from the church life you cannot experience Christ as the foundation stone. Furthermore, outside the church life it is impossible to experience Christ as the cornerstone, much less as the topstone. During the early days of the church life in Germany, you brothers probably did not have very much experience of Christ as the foundation stone. But after the stormy winds began to blow and attacks began to come upon the church, you realized that you cannot afford to be the church without a foundation. You had to experience Christ in such a way that you could withstand the storm and the tide. This is the experience of Christ as the foundation. Praise the Lord that in Stuttgart the foundation has been laid!
Gradually, after the laying of the foundation, you began to experience Christ as the cornerstone, as the One who joins the building together. It is not enough for the walls to be solid; they must also be connected. They are joined by your experience of Christ as the connecting element, that is, as the cornerstone. This is much more than a doctrine; it is a very real experience.
Although you may have Christ as the foundation stone and the cornerstone, you will eventually realize that you are still in the open air. What will protect you from the rain? You need not only a solid foundation and a strong cornerstone but also the topstone. It is not a simple matter for Christ to be the topstone. Zechariah 3:9 reveals that the topstone has been engraved. This engraving indicates some kind of dealing. On neither the foundation stone nor the cornerstone was there any engraving. The engraving on the topstone makes it beautiful. The beauty of the building is mainly with the topstone, and this beauty comes from the engraving, the cutting. This matter is deep and profound.
In relation to the building of the first temple, there was no mention of the topstone. Only at the time of the rebuilding of the temple does the Bible speak of the topstone. In fact, no other stone is mentioned. Although the rebuilt temple was small in size, its beauty surpassed that of the previous temple. In the eyes of God, the rebuilt temple was beautiful and precious. The church that was built on the day of Pentecost was rather large, but its topstone was not that beautiful. Later, the church was damaged. Now, at the end of this age, the Lord is rebuilding the church. Although it is smaller in size than it was on the day of Pentecost, it has the topstone full of engraving. This engraving is the beauty of today’s recovered church. The saints in the church in Stuttgart should be encouraged, for the church in their locality has a certain amount of beauty.
I hope that many of you will have a spiritual dream concerning God’s building. In your dream may you see the foundation stone, the cornerstone, and the topstone with its beautiful engraving. Today in the rebuilt church we have the topstone with its engraving. When I speak of having a spiritual dream, I am not talking nonsense. According to the book of Genesis, Joseph had two such dreams (37:5-9). In the first dream the other sheaves bowed down to his sheaf. In the second the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to him. Joseph had these dreams long before he began to reign in Egypt. Likewise, before we can have the genuine church life, we need to have some dreams. Day and night may you dream of the foundation stone, the cornerstone, and the topstone. Eventually, your dreams will be fulfilled.
Up to this point we have seen a bird’s-eye view of the Old Testament. In principle, we should come to know the Bible in the same way as we acquaint ourselves with a city. We should first see a general sketch and then become familiar with the main streets. If, instead of seeing a general sketch of the city, you begin by learning all the small streets, lanes, and alleys, you will get lost and never come to know the city as a whole. Likewise, if you try to know the Bible by first studying it verse by verse, you will get lost. You will not even be able to find your way through the first chapter of Genesis. For example, Genesis 1:2 speaks about darkness being on the surface of the deep. You may wonder what the darkness is and then what the deep is. In your attempt to find out, you may consult a concordance and, after that, a Bible dictionary. If you go through the Bible this way, it will take a long time to complete even the first several verses of the first chapter of Genesis. If you take this way, you will never come to know the Bible. The way to know the Bible is to first have a bird’s-eye view and see the kernel of the Bible, which is Christ and the church. In the first three chapters of Genesis we have Christ, and in the remaining forty-seven chapters we see the church. In Exodus we have the tabernacle; in 1 Kings, the temple; and in Ezra, Haggai, and Zechariah, the rebuilt temple. This is a bird’s-eye view of the Old Testament.
We come now to the New Testament. The first thing we must do is to find out who Christ is and what Christ is. Does it sound rather strange to speak of what Christ is? Because Christ is so wonderful and all-inclusive, we must know not only who He is but also what He is. When we say that Christ is God and man, we are speaking of who Christ is. But when we say that Christ is the light and the door, we are speaking of what Christ is. In this chapter we need to see who Christ is in His divinity. In the following chapter we shall see who Christ is in His humanity.
Regarding who Christ is in His divinity, there are seven items. First, Christ is God. Certain so-called Christians do not believe that Christ is God. Among them are the Children of God and the modernists. Approximately twenty-five years ago a certain group of so-called Christians in Manila who did not believe that Christ was God sent four representatives to visit me. Two were medical doctors, one was an attorney, and one was an accountant. They came to see me with the intention of proving that Christ was not God. I referred them to John 1:1, which says, “In the beginning was the Word...and the Word was God,” and to John 1:14, which says, “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us.”
Throughout the centuries there have been many debates concerning the person of Christ, especially concerning His divinity. Some who denied that Jesus is God argued that Christ was a good man who was made God after His resurrection. This is heresy. The Bible says that in the beginning, that is, in eternity past, our Christ was God. He is nothing less than God Himself. Although Christ is God, this does not mean that we have two Gods. We have one God, the unique God. Christ is our unique God. The unbelieving Jews in their stubbornness do not believe that Christ is God. If they believed this, they would be converted. Although the unbelieving Jews refuse to admit that Christ is God, we believe that He is God because the Bible says so. Romans 9:5 says, “Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever.” Our Christ is the very God who is over all.
Second, Christ is the Creator. Hebrews 1:10 says, “You in the beginning, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of Your hands.” The very God our Creator, the One who created heaven and earth, is Christ.
Third, Christ is the Lord. Heaven and earth belong to Him. We also belong to Him. Everything has an owner, a possessor. The Owner of the universe is Jesus the Lord. He owns the heavens, He owns the earth, and He owns you and me. If you do not believe in Jesus, then you are a person without an owner. How pitiful that would be! Anyone who does not have an owner has no care and protection. If you do not believe in Jesus, you do not have the Lord as your Owner. Your parents are not your owner; neither is your husband or wife. The Lord Jesus must become your Owner. If you receive Him, He will become your Owner. You will become His possession, and He will take care of you. How good it is to have One to possess us!
Consider the example of my watch. If my watch had no owner, it would have no care or protection. Because I own my watch, I take good care of it. If it is not in its proper place, I do not have the peace to sleep at night. If I take such care of my little watch, how much more does the Lord take care of those whom He possesses. Who is taking care of you? If you do not have Jesus, you do not have a Lord, and you do not belong to anyone. How thankful I am that I have Jesus! He is my Lord, and He is taking care of me.
Fourth, Christ is Jehovah, the everlasting One. From eternity to eternity, He is Jehovah. The name Jehovah means “He who was, He who is, and He who will be.” The name Jehovah is included in the name Jesus, which means “Jehovah the Savior.”
Fifth, Christ as the Son is the Father. Those who hold to the traditional teachings are troubled when we say that Christ the Son is the Father. However, I do not care for tradition or for history; I care only for the pure word in the Bible. Isaiah 9:6 says, “A child is born to us, / A Son is given to us; / ...And His name will be called / ...Mighty God, / Eternal Father.” In this verse we see the child and the Son. The child is born to us, and the Son is given to us. As we all know, the child was Jesus born in the manger at Bethlehem, and the Son is the Son of God given to us. The child born in the manger is called the mighty God, and the Son is called the eternal Father. This certainly indicates that the Son is the Father. But according to traditional teachings, it is heresy to say that the Son is the Father. Thus, because I quote Isaiah 9:6, pointing out that the Son is called the eternal Father, I have been accused of teaching heresy. Some of the critics may say, “The Son is the Son, and the Father is the Father. How can you say that the Son is the Father? To say this is heretical.” Nevertheless, I do not care for tradition or for man’s teaching; I care only for the Bible, for Isaiah 9:6. Is the Father not spoken of in Isaiah 9:6? Certainly He is. Is the Father in this verse different from the holy Father in the Godhead? If you say that the Father in Isaiah 9:6 is different from the Father in the Godhead, then you have two divine Fathers, and you yourself are heretical. In your mentality you may still cling to the concept that the Son is the Son, that the Father is the Father, and that we should not say that the Son is the Father. If you claim that it is wrong to say that the Son is the Father, then you do not fully believe Isaiah 9:6.
Recently, in their writings, the opposers have said, “We must follow the historic church. Throughout the centuries, the church has always said that the Son is the Son and that the Father is the Father. To say something else is to deviate from the historic church. The local churches and Witness Lee have deviated from the teaching of the historic church.” However, we are not the first to deviate from the historic church. What about Martin Luther? In his time the church did not believe in justification by faith. When Luther saw the matter of justification by faith in the Scriptures, he turned from the historic church. If he had not deviated from the historic church, there would not have been any recovery. Without that deviation, how could there have been the Reformation? Every time the Lord recovers a certain matter, that recovery is a deviation from the historic church.
Those who say that the historic church has never taught that the Son is the Father are the ones who hold on to the creed formulated at the Council of Nicaea. They say, “The Nicene Creed does not teach that the Son is the Father.” This reminds me of a proverb that says, “If your shoes are smaller than your feet, will you buy a new pair of shoes, or will you cut your feet to fit your shoes?” If your feet are too big for your shoes, you should not cut your feet to match your shoes; you should buy a new pair of shoes. But today’s opposers are trying to cut their feet to match their shoes. What they have is a short, narrow creed, a creed that is shorter and narrower than the Bible. However, unwilling to throw away their creed, they prefer to cut the Bible to fit their creed. Because I keep the whole Bible, I have been condemned. Do you believe the whole Bible, including Isaiah 9:6? Do you believe what Isaiah 9:6 says regarding the Son being called the eternal Father? If you do not, it means that you are cutting the Bible to fit your creed. I advise you to throw away those small shoes and buy a larger pair. Do not suffer by trying to cut your feet to match your shoes. Today those who follow the traditional teachings are cutting the Bible. Nevertheless, we praise the Lord for Isaiah 9:6. The child is the mighty God, and the Son is the eternal Father. Our Christ is God, the Creator, the Lord, Jehovah, and the eternal Father.
Sixth, Christ is the Son. There is no argument about this. As the Son, Christ is the image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15). Moreover, all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him bodily (2:9). As the Son, He is the embodiment and expression of the Father.
Seventh, Christ is the life-giving Spirit. First Corinthians 15:45 says, “The last Adam became a life-giving Spirit.” No creed is large enough to contain Isaiah 9:6 and 1 Corinthians 15:45. Who is the life-giving Spirit spoken of in 1 Corinthians 15:45? Without doubt, He is the Spirit. Christ, the last Adam, became this life-giving Spirit. Is this life-giving Spirit different from the Spirit in the Godhead? Certainly not. If you say that this life-giving Spirit is different from the Spirit in the Godhead, then you are heretical because you have two life-giving Spirits. Second Corinthians 3:17 says, “The Lord is the Spirit.” The Lord here is Jesus. Hence, Jesus is the Spirit.
Some Christians may say, “If the Son is the Father and the Lord is the Spirit, then are They one or three?” The answer is that They are both one and three. Although I cannot explain this, I do know that They are both one and three because the Bible tells us so. In this matter, we should all adopt the attitude taken by Martin Luther, who said,
Those who neglect the Scripture and approach such questions [as the Trinity] with confidence in their own mental power are the teachers of God, not His pupils...If reason disturbs you here and questions arise like those of the Turks: Are there, then, two gods? Answer: There is only one God, and still there is the Father and the Son. How is this possible? Respond with humility: I do not know.
The Trinity is a mystery. The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are both one and three. We do not know how this can be, and we should not try to know. To do so means that you intend to be God’s teacher. Because the Trinity is a mystery, no one can understand it adequately. All we can do is simply believe it according to the Bible. The Bible says that there is one God, and we say, “Hallelujah, there is one God!” The Bible says that this God is the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, and we say, “Hallelujah, our God is the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.” Furthermore, the Bible also says that the Son is called the Father and that the Lord is the Spirit. To this, we should also say Amen!
In this chapter we have seen seven matters relating to Christ’s divinity. We have seen that Christ is God, the Creator, the Lord, Jehovah, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Now I would ask you this question: How many do you have in your experience? Do you first have God and then the Creator, the Lord, Jehovah, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit? No, in experience we do not have seven; we have one. In our experience God is the Creator, the Creator is the Lord, the Lord is Jehovah, Jehovah is the Father, the Son is called the Father, and the Son is also the Spirit. Hallelujah, we have such an all-inclusive One! If you exercise your mentality over this matter, you will say that you have seven, because your mentality has been saturated and permeated with the traditional teachings. According to this mentality, you first have God the Father, then you have the Son, and the Spirit. To you, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are three Gods. You dare not say this, but deep within, unconsciously or subconsciously, you hold such a concept. The reason many hold this concept is that they have taken in too much of the garlic of traditional doctrine. They do not have the fresh air of the pure word of the Bible. According to the pure word of the Bible, our God is Triune: the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Moreover, the pure Word reveals that the Son is called the Father and that the Lord is the Spirit. Thus, we do not have three Gods; we have just one God. Our Christ is all-inclusive. If we have Him, we have God, the Creator, the Lord, Jehovah, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. All that the Divine Being is, we have in Christ. This Christ has become our Savior, our life, and our everything. By eating this Christ and enjoying Him, we become the material for the building of God’s house.
