“I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church . . . .” The body of Christ is that mystery which has been hidden from ages and generations past, but has now been revealed to His saints. This mystery is so great that after it was revealed by the apostles, only very few people through the ages have understood it. We can rightly ask, “Why is that?” It is because we still need to receive it as a revelation despite the fact that the apostles have written about it, and because this revelation has to do with sufferings. “And you . . . yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and irreproachable in His sight . . . .” Vs. 21-22. As we can see, Jesus had an earthly body, He who was “born of the seed of David according to the flesh.” He partook of the same flesh and blood as the children. Rom. 1:3; Heb. 2:14. This flesh harbored the enmity, which caused Cain to become a murderer, and which has been the cause of difficulties, strife, and division throughout all ages. It was in this area that God did a work in Jesus in the days of His flesh. At first God hedged in Israel by the law and separated them from the Gentiles. In spite of this, they could not be one body, especially not with the Gentiles. However, Paul has now revealed this mystery of how all were reconciled in Jesus’ body. “Who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of division between us, having abolished in His flesh the enmity . . . so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. . . . For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.” Eph. 2:13-18. This was done through the cross, and the stumbling stone of the cross hides this mystery from those who will not suffer. Gal. 5:11. We read about those who showed by their life that they were enemies of the cross of Christ—they desired earthly things. Phil. 3:18-19. They were not opposed to the wooden cross of Calvary, but they were opposed to the cross that put to death the enmity in the flesh—which was an offense to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. 1 Cor. 1:23. We are crucified to the world, and the world is crucified to us by the same cross. Gal. 6:14. Only the few desire to enter into these sufferings of Christ in order to build the body of Christ. 1 Pet. 4:13. Those who are to be reconciled in His earthly body—the church—to be presented blameless before His face, need to be crucified with Christ and no longer live for themselves. Gal. 2:20. Then the enmity is put to death, and both Jew and Gentile, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free, will become one new man—one body. Col. 3:11-15. We can ask this question: “Was anything still lacking in Christ’s sufferings for His body, which is the church, which Paul needed to fill up?” No, of course not, nothing was lacking in opening up the possibility for us to become “one new man”—one body, which is the church. But Jesus could not build up this body which was to consist of all nations. It could only be built up after the day of Pentecost, after they had been baptized with the Holy Spirit. The church cannot be built without those same sufferings of Christ, and without that same death of Christ. Phil. 3:10. All those whom Jesus puts in the church to help the saints to grow up to be equipped “for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,” need to fill up these sufferings of Christ. Eph. 4:11-16. They need to be able to bear each other and forgive each other as Christ forgave them. No one can do that without being crucified with Christ, which means that he no longer lives for himself. Only those who in each place are willing to fill up these sufferings of Christ are capable of serving and edifying the body of Christ, with the result that this Word can be fulfilled: “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful.” Col. 3:15. Then you do not need to organize and elect leaders by majority vote to hold things together. Paul also suffered physically to bring the gospel to the Gentiles. 2 Tim. 2:9-10. If you live for yourself, it is easy to withdraw from these sufferings as well. But God be thanked that He, in these last days of the dispensation of grace, has raised up servants who are willing to fill up these sufferings of Christ so that the body of Christ can be built up.Sigurd Bratlie

By Elias Aslaksen Then it was only the sounds of the animals that should have been utterly destroyed, Now, during the time of the dispensation of the new covenant, it is the sounds of the old man which, by faith in Christ’s work should have been crucified or put to death (put off) so that he could never again utter any discordant sounds that are reminiscent of a terribly out-of-tune musical instrument! Just as such sounds jar the ears of a musical person, so all the discordant sounds of the old man jar the ears of God and all spiritual people. For example: dissatisfaction, complaining, accusation, reproaches, anger, irritation, slander, unthankfulness, boasting, bragging, strife, criticism, and the lust to judge as well as a whole lot of useless and vain talk and conceit. All this is part of the old man’s horrible and unpleasant character. Rom. 6:6; Gal. 2:20; Gal. 5:24; Gal. 6:14; Eph. 4:21-22; Col. 3:8-9; Jas. 1:21; 1 Pet. 2:1; Phil. 3:10; Col. 1:22; Col. 3:3; 2 Cor. 5:15. Saul lost his kingdom because of his disobedience—his partial disobedience. Most “believers” in the dispensation of the new covenant have lost their crown as well as their kingship and the state of being worthy of being Jesus’ bride, because of their disobedience to the words about putting off the old man and his works which consist of all conscious sin. This is noticeable in daily life because of all this “bleating,” which is sufficient evidence that the old man has definitely not been put off! It is quite common for both young and old to “bleat” more or less or very much about one thing or another! Wake up in deadly earnest so that the old man can no longer make a sound, for the simple reason that he has truly been put off or crucified and has therefore died! I wish each and every one success in this rewarding endeavor!

“For there are three who bear witness: the Spirit, and the water, and the blood . . . and these three agree as one.” 1 John 5:7-8. These scripture verses contain a particularly deep meaning for the purpose of revival, understanding, and sanctification. The fact that the three witnesses agree as one means that they cannot be separated—they must be the three witnesses in the believer’s life. “This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears wit­ness, because the Spirit is truth.” 1 John 5:6. John emphasizes the point that Jesus came not only by water, but also by blood. It is easiest to stop with the cleansing by water, and have your sins forgiven. However, the narrow way, which only a few find (Matthew 7:14), is the way of being surrendered into the death of Christ until blood flows. Hebrews 12:4. We receive the forgiveness of sins by the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without spot and blemish. Though our sins are as red as scarlet, they can be as white as snow. This is the cleansing from the manifest works of the flesh. We have our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:22. This is the external cleansing, a cleansing of the flesh. Hebrews 9:13. It is a great salvation and gives those who accept it eternal life and an eternal glory on the new earth. Revelation 21:24. However, when compared to having the witness of the Spirit because one has resisted sin to bloodshed, the witness of the water is an “only.” If we walk in the light as He is in the light, the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7. This is where the cleansing of the “inner man” begins. The Spirit is the one who witnesses when we re­sist sin to bloodshed, because the Spirit is the truth. We sing in a song, “Walking in light, sin resisting—this is my cov’nant with Thee. Thou didst by this give Thy promise, that I triumphant shall be.” This is the covenant which is fulfilled when we walk in the light—and which John saw so great and explained more fully. This is God’s hidden wisdom which He has ordained for our glory! 1 Corinthians 2:7. It will succeed for us if we are apprehended of the fact that it is a covenant which has to be kept until blood flows. The virgins whom the Bridegroom did not know when He came to fetch His bride (Matthew 25:12), had not walked in the light “to bloodshed.” The Spirit, who is the truth, could not give them this tes­timony. God’s Spirit requires a sacrifice. The prophet Jeremiah says, “Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord slothfully, and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.” Jeremiah 48:10. It is not enough to be fervent in spirit, as Apollos was, teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus. Acts 18:25. He had to be taken aside and the way of God concerning Him who suffered “death in the flesh, but was made alive in the spirit” (1 Peter 3:18) had to be explained more accurately to him. The Spirit does not witness before the blood flows, nor before the sacrifices which the High Priest has pointed out, have been brought. Hebrews 10:19-25. If we live according to the flesh we shall die! We can have victory over the works of the flesh which are evident (Galatians 5:19), but we only receive the witness of the blood if we put to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit. Romans 8:13. “For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:10-11. If we are dead to sin, we are set free from it. Romans 6:22. Subsequently, we can be put into the ministry to serve God. In this service (being alive to God), we find our life and lose it again, and the Spirit witnesses to the death of our self-life. By sharing in the fellowship of the sufferings of Christ, we receive “the witness of the Spirit, of the water, and of the blood.” Romans 8:16-17. When our sins are forgiven we have the testimony of Christ by water and by the Spirit. By water and by the blood we have the testi­mony of the Spirit that we are one flesh with Jesus; we are members of His body. Galatians 2:20. “This is a great mystery, but I speak con­cerning Christ and the church.” Ephesians 5:32. Jesus’ coming is near. At midnight a cry will be heard, “Behold, the Bridegroom is coming; go out to meet Him!” Therefore examine yourselves whether you are in the faith. 2 Corinthians 13:5. Concerning this faith Jesus says, “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8. In this faith we re­sist sin to bloodshed. Jesus Himself is the author and finisher of this faith, and the Spirit bears witness to it.Trygve Sandvik