5 To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

A man heartily believing the truth will heartily reject error; and if he does not heartily do the latter it is proof that he is incapable of heartily doing the former…."

My days and my ways Ch 32

9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.

Pillar's in Yahweh's temple

James, Peter, and John were "pillars" in the apostolic community in the first century (Gal. 2:9). They were principal men, upholding men, men upon whom the fabric rested. It was a privilege to be a pillar in that arrangement of things; but what shall it be to be a pillar in the glorious mystical temple of the Deity in the kingdom of God?

This is the promise: it is a great and precious promise; it would be such if it meant only a fifty years' pillarship.

Power and honour among men for fifty years, even in the present evil state of things, is considered a great prize, but the man that attains to pillarship in the divine arrangement of things, to be established on the ruins of the present system, "shall go no more out."

A pillar in the mortal system breaks and is taken away: a mortal ruler dies; but a ruler in the divine aion is immortal. His position is as stable as the sun in the heavens. When 500 years have rolled away, he will still be found in his place, as strong and joyful and as established as at the beginning.

The name of God is written upon him: he is invested with the divine nature: he is immortal; he cannot die any more: he is equal unto the angels. He also bears the name of the new Jerusalem, which at that time will have come down from God out of heaven. He is not an isolated unit. He is part of a system. He is a constituent of the Jerusalem government - the Jerusalem - governed polity - which will have come from God out of heaven, in having been created and established by Christ at his return from heaven.

This will be the new Jerusalem as contrasted with the old - new indeed in all senses; for in the old Jerusalem arrangement of things, there was nothing of immortality or stability. It was weak through the flesh, because in the hands of the flesh; but the new Jerusalem is out of heaven and from God, and spiritual, immortal, and invincible in all its characteristics.

What an unspeakable honour to be an element of such a kosmos. It is considered a great thing now to be in any of Her Majesty's "services"- to exercise authority under the royal arms. This is to have Victoria's name written upon a man, and the name of London, and to be a pillar in the Constitutional Temple. But it is a poor affair compared with the commonwealth of Israel. There is none of the stability, permanence, strength, life, efficiency, glory, and gladness that belong to the household of God in the age to come.

In view of these things, it is but the commonest wisdom to ponder the fact that this glorious status is promised with reservations. It is to be bestowed on "him that overcometh." This intimates to us that: -

"There is a battle to be fought, A victory to be won."

Where is the battle and when? Can there be any doubt about this? Let us open our eyes and see. The battle is now-in the common-place life of our probation. There is a danger of forgetting this. There is a danger of acting on the common notion that the business now on hand is to get as much enjoyment as ever we can. The battle we have to fight is the battle Paul fought in his day. At the end of his life, looking back he said he had fought it-

"I have fought a good fight!"

Seasons 1.75.

14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

Peter rebuked before them all.

Plausible but fallacious

Partial Inspirationists endeavour to make capital out of Peter's conduct in burdening the Gentiles with an abrogated Jewish ordinance (Gal. 2:11–15).

The argument is...If Peter erred thus, should we not receive his teaching with caution and question its infallibility? The argument, however, ignores one very important fact, viz., that the spirit was given not to make men impeccable, but to enable them when moved by it to write and speak unerringly.

Peter, like Paul, would doubtless lament that many things which he did were due to the weakness of the flesh (Rom. 7:15–20), and with Paul would only wish to be followed wherein he followed Christ (1 Cor. 11:1).

Had Peter in his epistle said that his action towards the Gentiles on this occasion was right, partial inspirationists would have some show of reason for their animadversions. But the case stands differently. Inspired writing makes known the circumstance and condemns it.

The ground of our confidence in Peter, David, and many others, whose lives have not been spotless is contained in such passages as the following:

"The spirit of the Lord spake by me, and His word was on my tongue."

Would any say that David's sins prevented the Spirit's utterances through him from being infallible? If not, then, why should Peter's wrong action preclude the infallibility of his writing? If Peter was so liable to err, how great was the necessity that he should be divinely guided when writing for our learning!

Bro AT Jannaway

The Christadelphian, Nov 1886

The faith of Christ appeals to every motive of self-control, and induces and strengthens every effort at the attainment of all that can possibly be noble in human character. It tells us that this life is not all-that this is but a stepping-stone to a beyond - a preparation for things to come after, that will realize every aspiration of the human heart, and rectify every wrong experienced in the present state.

It brings to bear the powerful stimulus of hope - hope of perfect good to come; yet, the influence of fear - the fear of Christ's displeasure - the fear of rejection from his presence.

It purifies with the prospect of a divine tribunal, at which our whole life will be made manifest in its true and actual character, and in its just and unerring issues.

It opens and expands the heart with the adoration of God in fear and love of Him continually. It constrains to deeds of righteousness and mercy, when motive for both would fail if we were left to the impulses of a decaying and self-concerned nature.

Noble impulse felt in ardent youth subsides with the advance of age, and with the increase of vain experience. Nothing but the fear of God will keep it alive to the end of the day; because this brings with it a motive totally independent of our own feelings, or the attractiveness of our surroundings.

The spirit of obedience - the spirit of hope - the spirit of reverence -the spirit of love towards God and the Lord Jesus Christ, will bear us through all the weakness and discouragements of human experience, and keep us steady in that patient continuance in well doing which God will honour at the last in the bestowment of everlasting life

Seasons 1.103.

The works James speaks of are those opposed to "the works of the flesh," and termed "the fruit of the spirit," such as love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, temperance."

Now, James teaches that if a justified man's faith (and he cites Abraham as an example) be unaccompanied with such works as these, he is possessed of a dead faith, and has no means of proving that he has faith at all. Paul says, Abraham was justified by faith; James, that he was justified by works; both agree, for they speak of Abraham at different epochs of his life.

James refers to the time of his offering up Isaac; and Paul to upwards of twenty years before his son was born. He was then justified from all his past sins by faith, or believing on God; he was afterwards when proved justified by works the fruit of faith; by which works, says James, his faith was perfected.

"Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only."

The works Paul was opposed to as a ground of justification were the works done in obedience to the law of Moses; but he agreed with James, that where the works of faith were wanting there was spiritual death; and that in such a case, though all past sins had been purged, the man was unfruitful of holiness, and therefore could not inherit the kingdom of God.

Mystery of the Covenant of the Holy Land explained

20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

He (Yahweh) has invited man to approach.‭ ‬He has said‭ "‬Come unto me.‭" "‬Look unto me.‭" "‬Draw nigh to me.‭" "‬Come out from among the unclean:‭ ‬and I will receive you.‭"

But between these two points—the point at which man is invited,‭ ‬and the point at which his compliance is accepted—lies this awful ceremony of holiness,‭—‬the condemnation of sin in the public crucifixion of one who bore the sin nature,‭ ‬but who was himself obedient in all things.‭ ‬A condemnation with which we are required to identify ourselves in the ceremony appointed for the purpose—baptism into his death.‭

We do not‭ "‬show forth the Lord's death‭" ‬to any effectual purpose if we do not see the terrible majesty of God which was vindicated in it.‭ ‬The principle is illustrated to us in the vision of the seraphim covering head and body in the presence of God,‭ ‬and saying‭

‭"‬Holy,‭ ‬holy,‭ ‬holy is the Lord of Hosts.‭"

If the angels of His presence humble themselves thus before God,‭ ‬what attitude becomes mortal man but the very one provided in this institution:‭ "‬crucified with Christ,‭" ‬yet saying with Paul,

I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

‭TC Aug 1894. p296.