There are two expressions employed which throw great light on the
subject. In this verse we read of the things which God had done _with_
them, and the same expression occurs in Acts xv. 4. But if we pass on to
Acts xv., we find it stated that “God had wrought upon the Gentiles _by_
them.” {74a} The one expression implies companionship, the other
instrumentality. Consider them separately.
(1) “With.”
The idea is that throughout the journey our Lord was literally fulfilling
His promise. “I am with you alway.” {74b} They went out to preach in
His name and He went with them, as their constant, never-failing, though
invisible, companion and friend. Thus, while they were acting, He was
acting also. The two were acting together, and so fulfilling the one
purpose of God. The action of the Lord was giving effect to the action
of the preacher, though in some cases it was quite independent of it.
Take the case of Lydia as an illustration. {74c} St. Paul preached to
that little company assembled at the place of prayer by the riverside at
Phillipi. There was the action of the preacher. But now look at the
action of the Lord working with him. By His fore-seeing providence He
had brought Lydia from her home at Thyatira, and by His guiding Spirit
had brought St. Paul from his work in Asia Minor. It was He that brought
them both to the same spot on that Sabbath morning. Then, again, while
St. Paul was preaching the Lord was acting, for He was acting with His
servant, first by the preparatory leading of His providence, and
afterwards by the heart-opening movement of the Holy Ghost
(2) And this leads me to the other expression, “_by_.” This expresses
something different to companionship, for it teaches that in thus drawing
sinners to Himself He makes use of men as instruments. In the case of
Lydia the Lord opened her heart, but the things which were spoken by St.
Paul were the instrument which God employed to lead her to the faith. It
was not without instrumentality, but by it, that God acted. It is
important to bear this in mind—that human instrumentality is not in
antagonism to faith. We must remember the “by” as well as the “with,”
and that when God has given means, we do not honour Him by neglecting or
ignoring them. St. Paul was most anxious to urge on the Corinthians that
it was God alone who gave the increase, but while he did so he was not
deterred from adding that he had planted and Apollos watered. {75} We
know that God is a Sovereign, and that He, if He pleased, could gather in
the whole company of His elect without the use of any one man to work for
Him; but we know also that “by us” the preaching is to be fully known,
and we are fully persuaded that if we are to look for a harvest we must
both plant and water.