by T. Austin-Sparks
Readers of Volume 1 will know that this second volume is more specifically concerned with "The Mystery," while that had more to do with the "All Things in Christ."
There are some questions of considerable seriousness behind this volume. They are these:
Is the Church of God suffering deeply and tragically because she has lost - in a spiritual and living way - the great revelation which came in through the Apostle Paul?
Has the Church since Apostolic times - in the main - ceased to be what it was then constituted, and functioned, as being?
Does all the strong and widespread prayer for "revival" which goes unanswered for so many years mean that God is unwilling, and has to be pleaded with to do a great thing for His own glory? Or does it mean that if (as was the case again and again in Bible times) God has His required conditions, His breaking in with glory is spontaneous?
If the latter is true, what are those conditions? Was it not ever that His Own thought had found a full expression, and His Own ground had been reached?
It is with such questions that we turn to what has been revealed as to God's fullest purpose and thought, and ask whether God is not challenging His Church on this matter at this time. "Where there is no vision the people go to pieces," said a Prophet; and the vision for the want of which the Church languishes is that of God's eternal purpose concerning His Son and the Church which is His Body.
We are concerned pre-eminently with spiritual principles and not with Church technique; and we would appeal to our readers to keep that essential difference in mind. The need in any approach to heavenly and spiritual things is "a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; the eyes of your heart being enlightened." Any approach by means of natural reason will resolve everything into a mere treatise, when it might be a message from God.
T. A.-S.In keeping with T. Austin-Sparks' wishes that what was freely received should be freely given and not sold for profit, and that his messages be reproduced word for word, we ask if you choose to share these messages with others, to please respect his wishes and offer them freely - free of any changes, free of any charge (except necessary distribution costs) and with this statement included.