Scripture Reading: Psa. 16:7; S. S. 5:14b; Phil. 1:8; Philem. 7, 20; Col. 3:12; Titus 3:4
Ⅰ
As a man, Christ had human inward parts with their various func-tions, and Christ's experiences in His inward parts were His expe-riences in His mind, emotion, will, soul, heart, and spirit, including His love, desire, feeling, thought, decision, motive, and intention— Luke 2:49; John 2:17; Matt. 26:39; Isa. 53:11-12; 42:4; Mark 2:8:
A
The inward parts of the peace offering signify the tenderness, smallness, and preciousness of what Christ is in His inward being toward God for God's satisfaction—Lev. 3:3.
B
Christ's inward parts instructed Him in the nights—Psa. 16:7b; Isa. 50:4:
１
When God counseled Christ as a man, Christ's inward parts instructed Him through His contact with God—Psa. 16:7.
２
The inward parts of Christ were one with God; this is the proper experience of a God-man—Phil. 1:8.
C
"His belly is an ivory work, / Overlaid with sapphires" (S. S. 5:14b); Christ's inward parts (belly) are full of deep, tender feelings wrought through His sufferings (ivory work) under a clear, heavenly vision (sapphire, cf. Exo. 24:10).
D
Eating the passover lamb with its inward parts signifies taking Christ in His inward parts—12:9; Phil. 1:8.
Ⅱ
Paul was a person who continually experienced Christ in His inward parts—v. 8; 2:5; 1 Cor. 2:16b; Rom. 8:6:
A
Paul was one with Christ even in His inward parts—in His affection, tender mercy, and sympathy—Phil. 1:8.
B
Paul did not keep his own inward parts but took Christ's inward parts as his—Eph. 3:17:
１
Paul took not only Christ's mind but also His entire inward being.
２
Paul's inner being was changed, rearranged, and remodeled.
３
Paul's inward being was reconstituted with the inward parts of Christ—Col. 3:12.
C
What was in Christ as truthfulness—as honesty, faithfulness, and trustworthiness—was also in Paul—2 Cor. 11:10.
D
Paul's love for the saints was not his love but the love in Christ, which is Christ's love; thus, Paul loved the saints not by his natural love but by the love of Christ—1 Cor. 16:24.
Ⅲ
To live Christ requires that we remain in the inward parts of Christ Jesus—Phil. 1:21a, 8:
A
Paul experienced the inward parts of Christ; he was one with Christ in His inward parts in longing after the saints—v. 8.
B
Paul did not live a life in his natural inner being; he lived a life in the inward parts of Christ.
C
If we would be those who are in Christ, we must be in His inward parts, in His tender and delicate feelings—John 15:4a.
D
To live Christ is to abide in His inward parts and there to enjoy Him as grace—Phil. 1:7; 4:23.
Ⅳ
In the book of Philemon, we have a picture of the church life lived in the inward parts of Christ Jesus—vv. 7, 12, 20; cf. Rev. 2:23:
A
The inward parts signify inward affection, tenderheartedness, and com-passions—Phil. 1:8; 2:1; Col. 3:12.
B
Paul's inward affection and compassions went with Onesimus to Phile-mon—Philem. 12.
Ⅴ
Paul took the inward parts of Christ Jesus as his own inward parts in caring for the church—Phil. 1:8:
A
Paul took care of the Body of Christ by taking Christ's feeling as his own feeling.
B
Christ's feeling for the Body became Paul's feeling for the Body.
C
Like Paul, we should take the feeling of the Head as our own feeling; this is most necessary for our living the Body life—v. 8.
Ⅵ
For the church life, the Body life, the life of the new man, we need to put on inward parts of compassion and kindness—Col. 3:10-12:
A
Compassion is a deep awareness of the suffering of another, coupled with the wish to relieve it—Luke 6:36:
１
Compassion is deeper, finer, and richer than mercy—10:33-34.
２
The word compassion is the deepest of words, showing the inward affection of God for man in his pitiful condition—Psa. 103:8; James 5:11; 2 Cor. 1:3.
B
Kindness is a benevolent goodness that issues out of mercy and love; it is in such kindness that the grace of God is given to us—Titus 3:4; Eph. 2:7:
１
David's showing the kindness of God toward Mephibosheth portrays God's kindness that qualifies us to eat food at the King's table con-tinually—2 Sam. 9:1-13.
２
"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted" (Eph. 4:32); "love is kind" (1 Cor. 13:4).