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Scripture Reading: Gal. 2:11-21; Mark 1:1
In the foregoing message we pointed out that in the Gospel of Mark we see a life that is fully according to and for God’s New Testament economy. The term “God’s New Testament economy” is familiar to most of us. However, in order to be refreshed in our understanding, let us consider, in a simple, basic way, what God’s New Testament economy is.
God’s New Testament economy is to work Himself into His chosen people to make them members of Christ so that Christ may have a Body for His expression. In this description of God’s economy we see a few important matters: that God wants to work Himself into His chosen people; that God wants to make His people members of the Body of Christ, the church; and that the Body of Christ is for Christ’s expression. In the Gospel of Mark we see a life that is fully according to and for this New Testament economy of God.
As we have pointed out, if we compare the Epistle of James and the Gospel of Mark, we shall see that these books present two kinds of lives. In the Epistle of James we see something of the life of James, and in the Gospel of Mark we see the life of the Lord Jesus. Each of these books helps us to understand the other. Without Mark we might not be clear concerning the Epistle of James. Likewise, without James we might not have such a clear understanding of the Gospel of Mark. It is when we compare these two books and see the two lives revealed in them that we have the proper understanding of both the Epistle of James and the Gospel of Mark.
Because the Epistle of James emphasizes practical Christian perfection, many Christians have a deep appreciation of this book. As we have pointed out in the Life-study of James, James does emphasize Christian perfection, and he emphasizes this in practice, not in doctrine. Therefore, many godly, devoted, and pious believers love the book of James. James tells us to pray for wisdom so that we may behave properly. He also encourages us to restrict our speaking, to bridle our tongue, so that we may live a godly life. In every chapter of his Epistle, he brings forth certain matters related to godliness.
In church history as well as in the Bible James was known for his godliness. He spent much time in prayer, and he was highly regarded among Christian Jews in ancient times. According to chapters fifteen and twenty-one of Acts and chapter two of Galatians, James was highly regarded by the saints. For example, Galatians 2:12 refers to some who “came from James.” According to this verse, when these came to Antioch, Peter “shrank back and separated himself, fearing those of the circumcision.” This is an illustration of the influence of James. Even Peter, the leading apostle, was under his influence.
Geographically, Jerusalem was in the south, and Antioch was in the north. Many Bible teachers regard these two cities as two great centers. There was a church in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1), and also one in Antioch (Acts 13:1).
From reading the book of Acts it may seem that the church in Jerusalem had a Jewish appearance and the church in Antioch had a Gentile appearance. Some may think that since Jerusalem was in Judea and Antioch was in the Gentile world, it was necessary for the church in Jerusalem to have a Jewish appearance and the church in Antioch to have a Gentile appearance. Perhaps you would say, “How could the church in Jerusalem, a city of the Jews, not be Jewish in its appearance? And how could the church in Antioch not be Gentile in its atmosphere? Surely, the churches in Japan have a Japanese appearance and the churches in America, an American appearance.” This may be logical from the human point of view. But the New Testament reveals that the church is neither Jewish nor Gentile. First Corinthians 10:32 speaks of three categories of people: the Jews, the Gentiles (Greeks), and the church. This indicates clearly that the church is something apart from both the Jews and the Gentiles. God has called His chosen ones out from both the Jews and the Gentiles to be the church. Therefore, the church should be neither Jewish nor Gentile. If the church has either a Jewish or a Gentile appearance, then to some extent the church has lost its character or at least some of its characteristics.
If we read carefully Acts 15 and 21 and Galatians 2, we shall see that at the time of Peter, Paul, and James, Jerusalem exerted a considerable influence over Antioch. This means that the church in Jerusalem exercised influence over the churches in the Gentile world. James might have been concerned that the churches in the Gentile world did not practice the Mosaic law. This might have been the reason that he sent certain brothers from Jerusalem to Antioch. Those brothers might have gone to Antioch to observe the situation among the believers there.
Before certain ones went to Antioch from James, Peter was behaving himself properly as a brother and a member of the Body of Christ. In particular, he ate with the Gentiles. As Paul says of Peter, “before some came from James, he ate with those of the nations” (Gal. 2:12). However, when the brothers came from James, Peter was frightened and took the lead to pretend, that is, to behave as a Jew once again. Paul’s word for this pretending was hypocrisy: “And the rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy” (Gal. 2:13).
Some may question what was wrong with Peter’s behavior. It may appear that there was nothing wrong. But to those who know God’s New Testament economy it is clear that Peter made a serious mistake. His behavior in shrinking back and separating himself from the Gentile believers involved a mixture that was damaging to God’s New Testament economy.
God’s New Testament economy is not a matter of keeping the law or practicing rituals. Neither is God’s economy a matter merely of doing good according to human ethics or philosophy. God’s New Testament economy is a matter of God working Himself into His chosen people so that they may have Him, the Triune God — the Father, the Son, and the Spirit — as their life. When God’s people have His life, they are automatically able to live this life. To live God’s life simply means to live by God and even to live God Himself. Hence, the economy of God is neither a matter of keeping the Jewish law nor of doing good according to human philosophy; it is a matter of having God as life and then living Him. It is extremely important that we all see this.
From the time of the apostles until today, there has been much debate concerning biblical teachings and theology. Much of this debate has been the result of one thing — missing the mark of God’s New Testament economy. Throughout the centuries, Christian teachers have been fighting over doctrines and practices, but the focus of God’s New Testament economy has been neglected. What a great loss it is to miss God’s New Testament economy!
Certain Christians, especially so-called holiness people, argue about the proper style of dress. For example, they may debate about the length of the sisters’ skirts or sleeves. This is a very simple illustration of how the saints have been distracted from God’s New Testament economy. We believe that if the saints see that in His economy God desires to work Himself into His chosen people so that they may have Him as their life and live Him, there will be no need to argue concerning anyone’s manner of dress.
We have seen that the New Testament economy of God is not a matter of keeping laws or observing rituals. Neither is it merely a matter of doing good in an ethical way. God’s New Testament economy is that we take Him as our life and live Him.
If we read carefully Galatians 2:11-21, we shall see that the atmosphere in Antioch changed after certain ones came from James. Before those brothers came, Peter and the other believers in Antioch were in a particular kind of atmosphere, the atmosphere of enjoying God’s New Testament economy. But then, due to the influence of James, the spiritual atmosphere changed, and the spiritual sky became cloudy. Something had come in to obscure God’s New Testament economy.
The situation in Antioch was so serious that Paul opposed Peter to his face (Gal. 2:11). Paul went on to give Peter a very good lesson. According to Galatians 2:14, Paul said to Peter in front of all, “If you, being a Jew, live like the nations and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the nations to live like Jews?”
Paul’s words spoken on that occasion continue through Galatians 2:21. You may have quoted Galatians 2:20 many times, especially the words, “I have been crucified with Christ,” without realizing what the context of this verse is. The context begins with verse 11 and included Paul’s open rebuke of Peter. Paul’s rebuke emphasizes the fact that we who believe in Christ should have only one kind of life, and this life is to live Christ. It is neither a matter of eating with Gentiles or not eating with them. On the contrary, it is a matter of having been crucified with Christ and of Christ living in us. Therefore, Paul could say, “Since I have been crucified with Christ and Christ lives in me, it is no longer I who live in this matter of eating. The question is not whether or not I eat with the Gentiles. The question is whether or not Christ lives in me.”
James was a godly person, very strong in practical Christian perfection. But if we measure him according to God’s New Testament economy, we shall see the defects in his living. In his Epistle James does not say anything about Christ living in us. In fact, he does not even speak of the divine life. Instead, James refers us to Old Testament people and Old Testament practices. Much of what he writes is based on the Old Testament. In his Epistle we do not find many New Testament terms. Even when he does use a New Testament expression, he immediately reverts to an Old Testament practice.
We should not measure the Epistle of James according to the natural concept, the ethical concept, or the religious concept. Instead, we need to measure this Epistle according to God’s New Testament economy. We know that God’s economy is to work Himself into us as our life so that we may live Him as the members of the Body of Christ. When we use this to measure the Epistle of James, we shall be able to see where this book stands in relation to the rest of the New Testament.
For a few centuries the status of the Epistle of James was uncertain. It was not until the Council of Carthage in A.D. 397 that this book was finally and officially recognized as part of the New Testament. One reason for the debate concerning the Epistle of James is that with respect to God’s New Testament economy this book is neither black nor white but gray. This means that this Epistle is a mixture of the Old Testament and the New Testament. In certain aspects the book of James has the “coloring” of the New Testament. An example of this is the word concerning the Father of lights begetting us so that we may be the firstfruits of His creatures (1:18). Other examples are what James says concerning the implanted word, the law of freedom, and the Spirit dwelling in us (1:21, 25; 4:5). These matters all belong to God’s New Testament economy, but they are found in an Epistle that bears a strong Old Testament flavor and color. This was the reason we pointed out that in this book we see a life that is not fully according to and for God’s New Testament economy.
When we turn from the Epistle of James to the Gospel of Mark, we see a life that is not at all gray. On the contrary, the life revealed in Mark, the life of the Lord Jesus as the Slave-Savior, is absolutely “white.” This means that the Lord’s life revealed in Mark is fully according to and for God’s New Testament economy.
Although the Gospel of Mark records a life that is absolutely according to and for God’s New Testament economy, we still need spiritual sight in order to see what is revealed in this Gospel. If we do not have this spiritual sight, we may regard the Gospel of Mark merely as a book of stories. Without such a sight, we shall not realize that it is a biography of a life that is fully according to and for God’s New Testament economy. Actually, the life presented in Mark is the reality, substance, and pattern of God’s New Testament economy.
