It is essential that we understand how the ministries of the Lord Jesus and His disciples are correlated. The Lord Jesus’ ministry was primary to the Jews. He said, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (to display the Father’s special care and love for His first-chosen people—NC). Paul said of Him, “Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers (Mat 15:24; Rom 15:8).
It is the same concerning Peter’s ministry. “As the gospel of the circumcision was committed unto Peter … for he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision …” (Gal 2:7, 8). In the former passage the Lord Jesus is called a “minister of the circumcision,” His ministry being connected with the people of the covenant of circumcision—that made with hands. In the latter passage, Peter is also spoken of as having the “apostleship of the circumcision.” In this sense, then, Peter’s ministry was similar to that of the Lord Jesus. In both cases it was a ministry on behalf of the truth of God—a ministry of the security and establishment of the promises made to the fathers. But Peter’s ministry was rejected as that of the Lord’s had been. Individuals submitted to the Messiah and became recipients of a blessing that was according to the promise, but the nation in blindness and unbelief refused their blessings (i.e. some who believed in God - Jn 14:1 - received blessings, but not most because of unbelief—NC).
Peter had another ministry, just as the Lord Jesus did. If the Lord Jesus had a ministry in which He addressed Himself to the Jewish nation as such, He had also a ministry in which He specifically addressed Himself to the true children of God (believers in Him—NC) in the midst of the nation. In John 10 He speaks of thus ministering to the true sheep of the Jewish fold. Peter was given a ministry of like nature—a ministry specifically intended for the true believers among the circumcised. In John 21:15-17 our Lord commissions Peter to shepherd and feed His lambs and sheep.
In the early chapters of Acts we have the record of Peter’s ministry to the nation of Israel, and in his two epistles he carried out a special ministry to the persecuted and dispersed disciples—the followers of the persecuted and rejected Messiah. In speaking of Peter’s ministry in his epistles as especially intended for converted Jews, it is to be understood that it applied to all Christians; but its primary application is to believers connected with Israel wherever they have been scattered (1Pe 1:1; 2Pe 1;1).
Paul also had a double ministry: one towards the world—the nations—all men; the other towards the Body of Christ, the Church (Col 1:23, 24). In either case it was a ministry of the grace of God—a dispensing of blessings from the Father, whether to believers individually or corporately.
In the Old Testament times promises were made, but the blessings implied in the promises were not then dispensed. When our Lord was on earth He did dispense certain blessings to individuals where He found faith, He did minister the forgiveness of sins, for instance, to individuals who believed; but He did not give the full blessing that goes with the fulfillments of the promise of forgiveness (e.g. New Heaven not yet—NC); nor did He, in the days of His flesh, give the Holy Spirit.
In connection with the ministry of Peter there was both the ministration of the forgiveness of sins and of the Holy Spirit; yet Peter did not minister the fullness of blessing which is the present portion and possession of faith. In the Father’s wisdom, this was reserved for Paul. The full scope of faith’s blessings, so far as they are now bestowed in this dispensation, is exclusively through the ministry of Paul (knowledge of the Body and Church of Christ was only through Paul—NC). We have also in Paul’s ministry the blessings that are in hope—that is, what will yet be done for us and given to us as completing the blessings which redemption has acquired for us. What we find in Paul’s ministry, then, is the entire sphere of blessing in which the Father displays His wondrous grace and mercy.
But now to turn to John’s ministry. Its leading feature is that it occupies us with the Father Himself—with what He is in Himself. It is what is intrinsic, essential, underived and eternal. It is the Life of God, the eternal Life that was ever with the Father. In his Gospel, John’s ministry related to the manifestation of God in His Son become Man. His life on earth is viewed as a declaration of what God is—His nature, character and Life, displayed on earth as testimony to men, the features and characteristics of His unchangeable nature, not only proclaimed but shown and exhibited.
In John’s Epistle the Life that is eternally in the Son and has been manifested among men in its eternal, unchanging nature, is viewed as a communication, and the ways in which it displays itself in those to whom it has been communicated are unfolded. In the book of Revelation John writes of the ways of the Eternal—He who is the First and the Last, Head of the new creation, the living One, though He died—in bringing all things into accord with His own eternal nature.
The distinctive features of the ministries of Peter, of Paul and of John are explicit and plain. They are in no way in opposition, but perfectly harmonious, each in agreement with the others, none to be pitted against the others. They are not to be compared as if one is paramount to the others. There should be no depreciation of Peter’s ministry as if it were defective—not equally perfect with that of Paul and John.
There is a tendency, perhaps, naturally in us all, to give a prominence to the blessings ministered by Paul which overshadows the Blesser Himself. It was this tendency that was in the mind of our dear brother Darby, when he counseled us not to neglect John when pressing Paul. He did not mean by this advice that John is to balance Paul, but that the apprehension and enjoyment of John’s ministry will be a cure to our proneness to being occupied with the range of our blessings in such a way as to have them more distinctly before us than the One who has blessed us.
It is the Blesser Himself which whom John occupies us. What He is—what He is essentially, intrinsically, eternally. What He is in essence, in nature and character: this is what John reveals to us. What would all the sphere of our blessings be without God Himself? It certainly ought not to need much consideration to realize that the Blesser is greater than the blessings. The Giver is higher than His gifts.
The Son of God who came from the Father to give us knowledge of Himself is above the benefits He has procured and secured for us, inestimable as all these are; and we need the sense of this in our souls to keep us from glorifying ourselves on account of the great blessings that have been given us. The ministry of John serves to maintain us in this very needful apprehension.
“That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full” (1Jo 1:3, 4).
— Corydon Crain (1847-1925)
MJS daily devotional excerpt for July 31
“The present and eternal ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Son; the past, present, and future ministry of the Son is to glorify the Father. Our life and ministry will bring glory to our Father to the extent that we abide in the Son, and are controlled by the Holy Spirit.” -MJS
“When one’s ministry or outreach flows from close communion with the Father, one’s influence and moral authority will be recognized. Moreover, such a workman is not carried beyond what he has received from the Lord, so that his ministry finds sanction in hearts without any pressure.” –John Nelson Darby (1800-1882)
“The object of all Christian life and ministry, of whatever kind, must surely be to bring glory to God. Any lesser motive is inferior. If this were kept in the forefront of our thinking and praying, it would have two beneficial results. The hectic strain would be taken out of our lives and service, and spontaneous fruitfulness would follow.
“We can aim to meet the needs of people as a primary objective, and fret because so many of our efforts prove abortive. We may secretly pride ourselves on our ability to minister, or on our efficient service, and reap nothing but frustration. It is only when our whole outlook is made radiant by His glory, because we are hungry to do His will and that only, that our activities will be quickened into new life, and others be truly blessed.” -J.C.M.
It is the same concerning Peter’s ministry. “As the gospel of the circumcision was committed unto Peter … for he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision …” (Gal 2:7, 8). In the former passage the Lord Jesus is called a “minister of the circumcision,” His ministry being connected with the people of the covenant of circumcision—that made with hands. In the latter passage, Peter is also spoken of as having the “apostleship of the circumcision.” In this sense, then, Peter’s ministry was similar to that of the Lord Jesus. In both cases it was a ministry on behalf of the truth of God—a ministry of the security and establishment of the promises made to the fathers. But Peter’s ministry was rejected as that of the Lord’s had been. Individuals submitted to the Messiah and became recipients of a blessing that was according to the promise, but the nation in blindness and unbelief refused their blessings (i.e. some who believed in God - Jn 14:1 - received blessings, but not most because of unbelief—NC).
Peter had another ministry, just as the Lord Jesus did. If the Lord Jesus had a ministry in which He addressed Himself to the Jewish nation as such, He had also a ministry in which He specifically addressed Himself to the true children of God (believers in Him—NC) in the midst of the nation. In John 10 He speaks of thus ministering to the true sheep of the Jewish fold. Peter was given a ministry of like nature—a ministry specifically intended for the true believers among the circumcised. In John 21:15-17 our Lord commissions Peter to shepherd and feed His lambs and sheep.
In the early chapters of Acts we have the record of Peter’s ministry to the nation of Israel, and in his two epistles he carried out a special ministry to the persecuted and dispersed disciples—the followers of the persecuted and rejected Messiah. In speaking of Peter’s ministry in his epistles as especially intended for converted Jews, it is to be understood that it applied to all Christians; but its primary application is to believers connected with Israel wherever they have been scattered (1Pe 1:1; 2Pe 1;1).
Paul also had a double ministry: one towards the world—the nations—all men; the other towards the Body of Christ, the Church (Col 1:23, 24). In either case it was a ministry of the grace of God—a dispensing of blessings from the Father, whether to believers individually or corporately.
In the Old Testament times promises were made, but the blessings implied in the promises were not then dispensed. When our Lord was on earth He did dispense certain blessings to individuals where He found faith, He did minister the forgiveness of sins, for instance, to individuals who believed; but He did not give the full blessing that goes with the fulfillments of the promise of forgiveness (e.g. New Heaven not yet—NC); nor did He, in the days of His flesh, give the Holy Spirit.
In connection with the ministry of Peter there was both the ministration of the forgiveness of sins and of the Holy Spirit; yet Peter did not minister the fullness of blessing which is the present portion and possession of faith. In the Father’s wisdom, this was reserved for Paul. The full scope of faith’s blessings, so far as they are now bestowed in this dispensation, is exclusively through the ministry of Paul (knowledge of the Body and Church of Christ was only through Paul—NC). We have also in Paul’s ministry the blessings that are in hope—that is, what will yet be done for us and given to us as completing the blessings which redemption has acquired for us. What we find in Paul’s ministry, then, is the entire sphere of blessing in which the Father displays His wondrous grace and mercy.
But now to turn to John’s ministry. Its leading feature is that it occupies us with the Father Himself—with what He is in Himself. It is what is intrinsic, essential, underived and eternal. It is the Life of God, the eternal Life that was ever with the Father. In his Gospel, John’s ministry related to the manifestation of God in His Son become Man. His life on earth is viewed as a declaration of what God is—His nature, character and Life, displayed on earth as testimony to men, the features and characteristics of His unchangeable nature, not only proclaimed but shown and exhibited.
In John’s Epistle the Life that is eternally in the Son and has been manifested among men in its eternal, unchanging nature, is viewed as a communication, and the ways in which it displays itself in those to whom it has been communicated are unfolded. In the book of Revelation John writes of the ways of the Eternal—He who is the First and the Last, Head of the new creation, the living One, though He died—in bringing all things into accord with His own eternal nature.
The distinctive features of the ministries of Peter, of Paul and of John are explicit and plain. They are in no way in opposition, but perfectly harmonious, each in agreement with the others, none to be pitted against the others. They are not to be compared as if one is paramount to the others. There should be no depreciation of Peter’s ministry as if it were defective—not equally perfect with that of Paul and John.
There is a tendency, perhaps, naturally in us all, to give a prominence to the blessings ministered by Paul which overshadows the Blesser Himself. It was this tendency that was in the mind of our dear brother Darby, when he counseled us not to neglect John when pressing Paul. He did not mean by this advice that John is to balance Paul, but that the apprehension and enjoyment of John’s ministry will be a cure to our proneness to being occupied with the range of our blessings in such a way as to have them more distinctly before us than the One who has blessed us.
It is the Blesser Himself which whom John occupies us. What He is—what He is essentially, intrinsically, eternally. What He is in essence, in nature and character: this is what John reveals to us. What would all the sphere of our blessings be without God Himself? It certainly ought not to need much consideration to realize that the Blesser is greater than the blessings. The Giver is higher than His gifts.
The Son of God who came from the Father to give us knowledge of Himself is above the benefits He has procured and secured for us, inestimable as all these are; and we need the sense of this in our souls to keep us from glorifying ourselves on account of the great blessings that have been given us. The ministry of John serves to maintain us in this very needful apprehension.
“That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full” (1Jo 1:3, 4).
— Corydon Crain (1847-1925)
MJS daily devotional excerpt for July 31
“The present and eternal ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Son; the past, present, and future ministry of the Son is to glorify the Father. Our life and ministry will bring glory to our Father to the extent that we abide in the Son, and are controlled by the Holy Spirit.” -MJS
“When one’s ministry or outreach flows from close communion with the Father, one’s influence and moral authority will be recognized. Moreover, such a workman is not carried beyond what he has received from the Lord, so that his ministry finds sanction in hearts without any pressure.” –John Nelson Darby (1800-1882)
“The object of all Christian life and ministry, of whatever kind, must surely be to bring glory to God. Any lesser motive is inferior. If this were kept in the forefront of our thinking and praying, it would have two beneficial results. The hectic strain would be taken out of our lives and service, and spontaneous fruitfulness would follow.
“We can aim to meet the needs of people as a primary objective, and fret because so many of our efforts prove abortive. We may secretly pride ourselves on our ability to minister, or on our efficient service, and reap nothing but frustration. It is only when our whole outlook is made radiant by His glory, because we are hungry to do His will and that only, that our activities will be quickened into new life, and others be truly blessed.” -J.C.M.
