Outside The Camp

    Hebrews 13:12-13 are the focal verses for the entire book of Hebrews. It is what the book is all about; the Son above the angels, a better covenant, a better priesthood, a better way by faith, and finally that we are to go outside the gate where He is, bearing His reproach.

    This is one of the most difficult scriptures I have ever faced. It literally flies in the face of all that is religious, of all that is sacred to human interest, of much of that in which I identify myself even as a Christian. One cannot begin to identify the various meanings contained within this passage without realizing how costly our identification with the Lord Jesus really is.

    Our Lord Jesus came into a hostile world and lived His life in it. He also came and functioned within an hostile religious system. It was a system originally instituted by God Himself, which had become prostituted by men into something He could no longer allow Himself to be identified. It was the religious establishment with which our Lord could not identify, not the people or His love for them. It is difficult to imagine the ramifications when Jesus told the Pharisees (John 8:44) " Ye are of your father the devil, ..." And again when He was teaching the people He said (Mat 5:20 KJV) " For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." The Pharisees were themselves the religious standard of the day.

    The background of this passage in Hebrews comes from the ceremonial sacrifices given to Moses by the Lord for the children of Israel as they went through the wilderness. They were continued in Solomon’s Temple. While the blood of the sacrificial animals was used for the atonement and sanctification of the people, the bodies of the animals sacrificed were taken outside the camp and burned.

    Inside the camp was where the Israelites lived. It was their culture. Culture is defined as: the totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought. The uniqueness of their culture was that it was a culture originally defined by Divine law given at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 20-23). Life inside the camp offered all the advantages any society or culture needed and desired for life itself. Inside the camp was where they found their identity. Though there were 12 tribes they were all Israelites. They were divided only by families, nothing else.

(1) There was family, the basic institution of life and order. (2) There was order. All successful cultures have had some measure of government and order. It is basic to the preservation of any society or culture. (3) There was safety. It is estimated by some that when the children of Israel left Egypt there were a million or more. They appeared as an awesome force to other peoples. (4) There was the familiar. If you have ever visited a foreign country with a different language and customs, you certainly understand how precious the familiar is in our everyday lives. (5) There was the religious order and life so necessary to meet their spiritual needs. (6) There was physical sustenance, food and shelter. (7) It was a place of acceptance. All in all, the camp was a very precious place. It was the desire of all Israelites to live within it’s borders and social parameters. Without the camp there was judgment, death and shame. All of the advantages inside the camp were forfeited outside the camp.

There was evidently another dimension added in the scripture concerning Jesus’ suffering outside the camp. What was wrong inside the camp that Jesus had to suffer outside the camp? Why would the scripture tell us to go outside the camp to Him and bear His reproach? Because that’s where He is, outside the camp, for this is what the Word says. I will endeavor to clarify as we proceed.

    It is evident from the Scripture that He suffered outside the gate to sanctify all people, or set them apart in God’s own purpose. If He had suffered inside the camp He would have sanctified those in the camp into what they already were, not what they were to become! He would have justified their religious system, and would have made reconciliation only a matter for the Jews. As it is, suffering outside the gate made it possible, by grace through faith, for all men, including the Jews, to know the Lord, to be reconciled, for the Word declares (2 Pet 3:9) "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

    The history of Christianity is a history of "camp builders". It is apparent that the great movements of Christianity, while they may have begun "without the camp" have invariably become camps of their own. The identity they first knew with the Lord outside the camp, bearing His reproach, eventually became a camp that had it’s own identity. Their identity became what they were and what they believed and did. People identified them in this manner, and they ultimately came to accept that identity as well. Their identity became that of the movement itself rather than the original purpose of identifying with the Lord Jesus outside the camp and bearing His reproach. Each camp eventually takes on it’s own form of practice, doctrine and worship. They are literally saying, "If you join us this is what we believe and this is how we do things. This is what you must become. This is what we expect of you." The traditions of the camp became holy to them and in many instances made the Word of God ineffective.

In my own life I was a part of a denomination and so identified myself with it that I sincerely felt a sorrow for those who were not part of it, that somehow they were inferior in what they believed and in their status with the heavenly Father. It was with a real sense of mission that I taught the people many times what we (the denominatiion) believed and the distinctives of our faith. When I decided to leave it, I was visited by one of the leaders in the State in which I lived who, with tears in his eyes, told me what a mistake I was making. I would have great difficulty in my life and would be alone in serving the Lord if I left. While my motives for leaving were not pure, I am now certain it was the hand of God. The tragedy in that decision is that I simply joined myself to another camp and repeated the process once again.

    One of the tragedies in Christianity today is that we have come to believe and accept that His ekklesia (called out ones), is made up of the multitude of these camps. Therefore we look at unity in Christ’s body as an alliance rather than one of organic unity. And horror of horrors, we have exported this tragedy to the foreign lands where we have carried the gospel. The scripture is clear. (Eph 4:4-6) {4} " There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; {5} one Lord, one faith, one baptism, {6} one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all."

There are sound biblical principles today which will put one outside the camp. I would explore some of these with you. All I ask is that you pray about them and search the scriptures to verify or reject them.

Identifying the Camp

    The Lord gave me a word recently regarding the matter of form. It was, "It is the presence of God which makes holy, not the form nor the place. God doesn’t fit the form and transcends the place." He is greater than any form devised by man and no place or system on earth is large enough to confine Him. One of the failings of mankind and the Church is that we have sought to do both, confine God to both form and place. It seems evident that the motivation to carry the gospel of the Kingdom to all the world, really had its genesis in Antioch and not Jerusalem. It would have been too easy to look upon Jerusalem as "world headquarters" and have Christianity centered there. It is an all-world gospel, not a Jewish one.

    One cannot identify the false without knowing what the true really is. One of the ways the Treasury agents of the United States Government learn to identify counterfeit money is by studying the true currency to such a degree that any deviation will be quickly seen. This is absolutely essential in knowing how the Lord identifies His "ekklesia" or called-out ones. We find a fundamental description in Ephesians 4.

And another description is found in the high priestly prayer of our Lord Jesus when He prayed to the Father in John 17:21.

In the 14^th chapter of Romans, the apostle Paul defined several things which are regarded as differences of opinion which exist within Christ’s body. Romans 14:1 is explicit in this matter. "Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions." None of these things Paul wrote about could possibly justify building another camp. In fact he wrote that we are to accept such as these. I heard a brother say one time, "Whatever the Church is, it must be big enough to include all of God’s people."

    It is crucial to have and know our true identity. There has long been controversy within a segment of Christianity whether redemption/salvation is an institutional issue, i.e., salvation is of and in the Church. Jesus did not tell Nicodemus in John 3 that he must ‘join the Church’ to be saved, but that he must be born again. Being born again is that Divine birth which places us in the body of Christ. (1 Cor. 12:13) This is also the baptism referred to by Paul in Ephesians 4:5.

You see, we are one! If the Word says there is one Lord then there cannot be a Baptist Lord, a Pentecostal Lord, a Catholic Lord, a Charismatic Lord, a Jewish Lord, an Assembly of God Lord, a Church of Christ Lord. There is only one Lord! If the Word says there is one body there cannot be a Methodist body, a Baptist body, an independent body, a Pentecostal body, an Assembly of God body. There is only one body! There cannot be a Baptist faith, a United Pentecostal faith, a Catholic faith, nor a Faith faith, etc., etc.,etc. There is only one faith! It is the faith which brings us into Christ, and the same faith which sustains us in Christ. While most evangelicals today would vehemently deny such a thing, it is as if we have added an institutional dimension to the redemption offered by our Lord!

Institutional identity has expanded in our generation to particular ministries. Some individual ministries have become so popular they have become institutions. They generally identify with particular doctrines such as faith, prosperity, Divine healing, or something else. Doctrinal identity can become a matter of pride as easily as anything else. While their teachings per se may be fundamentally true, it seems their focus may easily become ministry building, i.e., to build a ministry. I cannot find anywhere in Scripture where the Lord commissioned anyone to build a ministry. That would exalt the ministry-builder, not the Lord Jesus Christ! I can only find that we are to make disciples, but by no stretch of the imagination are they to become ours! They are to be His! Yes, fathers produce sons, but their identity is always to be found in Him.

It is apparent in Christianity today that there are so many camps, that they have come, to some degree, to a place in which they are willing to acknowledge the other camps as having some quasi-legitimacy, but cling tenaciously to their own separate traditions, doctrine and faith as the true, the legitimate.

    It would seem obvious at this point to simply say the alternative to going outside the camp is to stay in it. While I would certainly not want to make the solution more difficult, neither over-simplify, I would have us look at the nature of life outside the camp.

First, we must understand the nature and character of the mystery. It is organic and relational. We are joined together. We have been joined together by a Divine act. We are joined both vertically, to God Himself, and horizontally, to one another. ! Corinthians 6:17 defines our vertical joining. " But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit." That ‘joining‘ took place when He reconciled us to Himself on the Cross. We are joined to one another as Christ’s body. (Eph 4:16) "…from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love."

This is clearly not some joining as one would join a Country Club, some fraternal organization, political party, religious organization or cause, even a religious one. Those come about by human choice or volition. But our being joined to Him and to one another came through an eternal transaction between God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Furthermore, He not only joins us to one another, but has joined us to one another as He desired, not as we desire. (1 Cor 12:18) "But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired." In looking at the context of 1 Corinthians 12:14-47, we find also that this joining refers to function, or gifting.

It is in the joints of the body through which life passes. So basically, our being joined is so we can receive Christ’s life inherent in His body from one another. And, He is our life! But we are also joined together for completeness. An arm cut off from the body is simply a dead arm, with no life nor function. A body is not complete without an arm. And, the body is all put together in a functional form. Arms, legs, torso, internal organs – all designed to form a functional unit.

While we may believe we can no longer be a part of the institutional system, we must be careful that we do not become another camp. We must have an ‘outside the camp’ mentality, but equally make sure we can walk in Christ’s love with anyone who has been born again. Because of such widespread institutional mentality, so many of our brothers and sisters who love the Lord with all their heart, yet do not know the difference. There are also a great many leaders, exceptional men and women, in Christ’s body who love the Lord with all their heart and are doing everything they know to do to serve Him. And, God is blessing!

    The Word declares (Eph 1:9-10) {9} "He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him {10} with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth." All things are going to be summed up in Christ, both things in the heavens and on earth. Ultimately there can never be an institutional name nor system added to His name or body, not even the ‘independent’ ones. All things must be summed up in Him, not in Him plus something. And it will come to pass! God is doing it!

    The Word is clear. (Gal 5:13-16 {13} "For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. {14} For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "you shall love your neighbor as yourself." {15} But if you bite and devour one another, take care lest you be consumed by one another. {16} But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh."

It is so natural for the carnal mind to fall into the trap of doctrinal eliteism, or "I know something you don’t know." While we may be greatly blessed by living outside the camp, we must never lose His love for those who are not. We can never "cut them off" as we may have been cut off from the institution because we will not be a part of it. We must also remember that there is no "them and us." How can we influence anyone if we never touch them, or honor our spiritual bond in the Lord? We must never succumb to judging rather than loving. For after all, the Lord loves everyone as much as He does us. And this we know His love is unconditional!

    We must also remember that we cannot effect the change anyway. The best we can do is lovingly walk in what we see. It is God’s plan and purpose and He is the One who must cause the change. Hear the Word.

This is a very powerful passage. The Lord Himself is going to do the shaking. We are not! We can only stand as a testimony to His kingdom. Those things in both heaven and earth which are not of the kingdom, and stand in the way of the summing up of all things in Christ are going to be shaken, removed. This will take place so the kingdom, which cannot be shaken may be made manifest.

Being outside the camp does have its reproach. We may, and will be regarded as being in doctrinal heresy, unsaved, rebels, or (in modern terms) ‘wierdos’. But there is also a great satisfaction, a fulfillment in being where His is. Our walk must be fulfilled even as the Scripture declares, Galatians 5:13 "For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. We must walk as those reconciled to God and one another. We must love as those reconciled to God and one another. We must serve as those reconciled to God and one another. We must be quick to share the truth, but loathe to attack. It only spawns division, not love and spiritual unity. Change can only come by the revelation and conviction of the Holy Spirit. He will do the shaking!

And, we must remember, we do not have all the truth either. We must have a heart and mind to be a learner. There are those within the institutional system who have great knowledge of much precious truth.

There is much to learn from the pen and heart of the prophet Isaiah when he wrote; (Isa 50:4 "The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple." May it be so ‘til He comes again’!

¹  John 1:10-11 {10} "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. {11} He came unto his own, and his own received him not."

³  Mark 7:13

⁵  (Eph 1:8) {8} …". In all wisdom and insight {9} He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him {10} with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth. In Him "