Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men.
(NASB95)
This
verse is composed of the following: (1) third person singular aorist passive
indicative form of the verb epiphainomai (ἐπιφαίνομαι), “has appeared”
(2) conjunction gar (γάρ), “for” (3) articular
nominative feminine singular form of the noun charis (χάρις), “the grace”
(4) articular genitive masculine singular form of the noun theos (θεός), “God” (5)
nominative feminine singular form of the adjective sōtērios (σωτήριος), “bringing
salvation” (6) dative masculine plural form of the adjective pas (πᾶς), “all” (7)
dative masculine plural form of the noun anthropos (ἄνθρωπος), “men.”
The post-positive
conjunction gar is causal meaning that it is introducing a statement
which presents the reason for Paul’s previous instructions recorded in Titus
2:2-10.
Classical Usage of
Charis
Archbishop Trench writes of charis, “It refers to the heart or essence
of the Greek mind...charis also referred to the presence of grace or
beauty, which were the most joy-inspiring of all qualities for the Greek”
(Synonyms of the New Testament, page 181).
Charis is first of all that property that
produces joy in its hearers or beholders. It also referred to the presence of
grace or beauty, which were the most joy inspiring of all qualities for the
Greek.
Over a period of time, charis came to refer to grace that
embodied and expressed itself in gracious actions toward objects, not to favor
in the sense of beauty. The usage of the word evolved over a
period of time in Greek.
The noun charis
in classical Greek initially referred to grace and beauty as qualities and then
to gracious persons or actions, beautiful thoughts or speeches. It referred to
grace, which expressed itself in gracious actions toward people or things such
as favors.
Charis in the objective sense meant “outward grace or favor, beauty of
persons.” In the subjective sense, the word meant “grace or favor felt, whether
on the part of the doer or the receiver.” For the doer, charis meant,
“grace, kindness for or towards someone,” and for the receiver, it meant “a
sense of favor received, thankfulness, gratitude.”
The word was also
used for a favor done or returned and it was also used of women who gave sexual
favors to men and also referred to “gratification and
delight” in or from a thing. Charis not only designated both the
attitude of the gods but also that of men such as a rulers favor. In classical
literature, charis is the favor of the gods in Aeschylus’s works
Agamemnon 182, 581).
Trench states “charis implied a favor that was freely done without claim
or expectation of return.” (Synonyms of the New Testament, page 181 and 182).
The Greeks used the
word in reference to a favor done by one Greek to another out of sheer
generosity and with no expectation of payment in return or no expectation of
reward. Charis referred to giving with no strings attached.
Wuest writes, “The Greek word (charis) referred to an action that was
beyond the ordinary course of what might be expected, and
was therefore commendable” (Word Studies in the Greek New Testament, volume 2,
page 29).
Aristotle uses charis in this same manner, he writes,
“Let charis be that quality by which he who has it is said to
render favor (charin) to one who is in need, not in return for anything,
nor that anything be given to him who renders it, but that something be given
to that one in need” (Rhetorica 2.7).
Therefore, the basic fundamental definition of charis
in classical Greek includes the ideas of “grace, an undeserved favor, kindness,
goodness, beauty, gratitude, thankfulness, delight, and pleasure.”
In the Hellenistic period, charis was a term for demonstrations of a
ruler's favor. The word was mainly used in the plural for “gifts.” In
Hellenism, to show charis to people came to suggest favoritism. It was
also used for the showing of grace in court.
Euripides used it
for the power of love (Hipp. 527). Charis also referred to supernatural
power, which flowed from the gods above. It referred to a spell or demonic
force that affects human life with supernatural influences.
Septuagint Usage of
Charis
The Greek noun charis is used to translate the following Hebrew words in
the Septuagint: (1) gedhullah, “greatness, dignity; chalaq,
“flattering”; (2) chesedh, “kindness, steadfast love, mercy, grace”; (3)
racham, “compassion, mercy”; (4) ratson, “what is acceptable,
favor.”
The most frequent equivalent used in the Septuagint is the noun chen,
“grace, favor, inclination,” which is employed 61 times. Chen and chesedh
are the most important of these words. Chen means “favor, delight,
grace.” It was particularly employed when favor was shown or asked without
conditions or stipulations (Genesis 6:8).
The noun chesedh is used often to describe the Lord (Ex.15:13; 20:6;
34:6-7; Num. 14:18-19; Deut. 5:10; 7:9, 12; 2 Chron 20:21; Ezra 3:11; Ps.
100:3; 106:1; 118:2-3). The word denotes “kindness, goodness, favor, mercy,
grace” and is connected to the Lord's faithfulness in His covenant relationship
with His people Israel. The terms grace and covenant are related in the Old
Testament. Chesedh refers to the grace policy of God towards His
covenant relationship with Israel. In this relationship, He exercises
faithfulness, mercy and compassion towards sinners through the forgiveness of
sins based upon the Lord Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the Cross, which was yet
future in the Old Testament and was portrayed in the Levitical animal
sacrifices.
Chesedh describes God’s attitude towards His covenant people Israel.
God’s faithfulness is manifested in His gracious, merciful acts towards His
people who have been apostasy. His deliverance of His people demonstrates that
God’s grace is inherent in the covenant relationship.
Girdlestone discusses grace in the Old Testament, he writes, “Grace is the free
bestowal of kindness on one who has neither claim on our bounty, nor adequate
compensation to make for it...An act done with any expectation of a return from
the object on which it is wrought, or one that is meted out as a matter of
justice, recompense, or reward, is not an act of grace...In the great
proportion of passages in which the word grace is found in the New Testament,
it signifies the unmerited operation of God in the heart of man, effected
through the agency of the Holy Spirit. We have gradually come to speak of grace
as an inherent quality in man, just as we talk of gifts; whereas it is in reality the communication of Divine goodness by the
inworking of the Spirit and through the medium of Him who is ‘full of grace and
truth’” (Girdlestone’s Synonyms of the Old Testament, pages 125-126).
Grace is expressed through mercy and compassion. The Hebrew term racham,
“compassion, mercy” denotes grace, whose basis rests upon a close relationship
between the giver and the recipient of grace (Exodus 22:19; Psalm 116:5).
New Testament Usage
of Charis
God’s grace is the
main theme of the Greek New Testament. Charis is found approximately 155
times in the New Testament. It is found mostly in the Pauline corpus where it
occurs approximately 100 times.
The word occupies a special place in the salutations in the Greek New Testament
and final greetings. The word does not occur in Mark, Matthew, first and third
John and is used in the salutations of 1 Thessalonians and Philemon.
Charis plays a crucial role in the New Testament’s presentation of God’s
relationship to mankind. The word does not always refer specifically to the
doctrine of grace for it can mean “thanks, thank-offering, to enjoy with
thanks.”
In the Greek New Testament, it was elevated from referring to an earthly
benefit to referring to a heavenly one, from signifying the favor, grace and
goodness of man to man, to signifying the favor, grace and goodness of God to
man.
In New Testament usage charis denotes the grace of the worthy to the
unworthy, of the holy to the sinful. It had never had this meaning before, even
in the Septuagint, where the Hebrew word that approximate the meaning of charis
in the New Testament chesedh, which is not translated by charis
(except in Esther 2:9) but usually be eleos.
The essence of charis in the Greek New Testament is that it is unearned
and unmerited. The concept of charis in the Greek New Testament is
consistently defined in terms of God’s gracious act of redemption that is found
in the Person and Finished Work of Christ on the Cross, which establishes the
believer’s eternal relationship with God. It is also defined in terms of God
providing everything the believer needs to experience and enjoy fellowship with
Him.
Incorporated into the meaning of charis in the Greek New Testament is
that the believer is beneficiary of the love of each member of the Trinity.
They are the beneficiaries of the love of God before salvation in that the
Trinity loved the entire human race self-sacrificially and impersonally in that
sinful mankind was obnoxious to a holy God.
The believer after salvation is the object of the love of God since they
possess the life and righteousness of God through imputation at
the moment of salvation. God the Father’s divine provision for salvation
is the impeccable unique Person and finished work of Christ on the Cross and
after salvation it is His Word and His provision of the Spirit as the
believer’s true teacher and mentor. Therefore, the grace of God is God’s
provision for salvation and a post-salvation relationship with Him.
Moulton and
Milligan have the following comments regarding charis, they write, “The
utmost we can attempt with this important word is to illustrate some of its
meanings from our sources with the view of showing how readily it lent itself
to the deeper Christian implications involved in its NT use. 1. ‘grace,’
‘graciousness’: OGIS 3839 (Commagene rescript—mid. i/b.c.) ἔργα
χάριτος ἰδίας: cf
Lk 4:22. 2. ‘favour’: P Leid Di. 11 (b.c. 162–161) (= I. p. 25, UPZ i. p. 231)
περὶ μὲν οὖν
τούτων δοῖ σοι ὁ
Σάραπις καὶ ἡ Ἶσις
ἐπαφροδισί[α]ν
χάριν μορφὴν
πρὸς τὸν
βασιλέα καὶ τὴν
βασίλισσαν, similarly ib. K10
(c. b.c. 99) (= I. p. 52), P Lips I. 10414 (ii/i b.c.)
χάριν σοι ἔχω ἐφʼ
αἷς γράφεις ἐπι[σ]τολαῖς,
and ib.24, BGU I. 19i. 21 (a.d. 135) ἠξίου
προσφυγεῖν τῇ
χάριτι τοῦ θεοῦ
ἐπιφανεστάτου
Αὐτοκράτορος, ib.
IV. 10855 (time of Marcus) κατὰ τὴν
χάριν τοῦ θεοῦ
Αἰλ[ί]ου Ἀντων[ε]ίνου
δύνονται ἔχειν
τὸν τάφον, P Grenf II. 684 (a.d. 247) ὁμολογῶ
χαρίζεσθ[αι] σοὶ
χάριτι ἀναφαιρέτῳ
καὶ ἀμετανοήτῳ,
P Oxy XIV. 166412 (iii/a.d.) τὰς γὰρ ἐντολάς
σου ἥδιστα ἔχων
ὡς χάριτας
λήμψομαι, ‘for I shall be most pleased
to accept your commands as favours’ (Edd.), and P Fay 1368 (iv/a.d.) (= Ghedini
p. 242) in which the writer summons those whom he is addressing to return to
their homes πρὸ τοῦ τις ὑμᾶς
ἐνέγκῃ· καὶ οὐκ
ἔστιν οὐκέτι ἐν
ὑμῖν χάρις, ‘before some one
compels them, and there is no longer favour extended to them’: cf. Lk 1:30,
2:52, Ac 2:47, al. 3. ‘thanks,’ ‘gratitude’: P Oxy
VII. 102118 (a.d. 54) διὸ πάντες ὀφείλομεν
. . . θεοῖς πᾶσι ε̣ἰ̣δ̣έ̣ναι
χάριτας, ‘therefore ought we all to give
thanks to all the gods,’ notification of the accession of Nero, BGU II. 59613
(a.d. 84) τοῦτ[ο̣] οὖν
ποιήσας̣ ἔσῃ
μοι μεγάλην
χάριταν (= -ιτα), P Oxy VI.
963 (ii/iii a.d.) χάριν δέ
σοι οἶδα, p 685 μῆτερ,
ἐπὶ τῇ σπουδῇ
τοῦ
καθεδραρίο̣υ
(‘stool’), ἐκομισάμην γὰρ
αὐτό, and the constantly recurring
χάρις τοῖς θεοῖς,
as in P Petr I. 292 (iii/b.c.) (= Witkowski2, p. 30)
χάρις τοῖς
θε<ο>ῖς πολλή, εἰ
ὑγιαίνεις, P Hib I. 796 (c. b.c.
260) εἰ ἔρρωσαι . . . εἴ<η>
ἂν ὡς ἐγὼ θέλω
καὶ τοῖς θεοῖς
πολλὴ χά[ρι]ς, ‘if you are
well, it would be as I wish, and much gratitude would be due to the gods’
(Edd.), BGU III. 8436 (i/ii a.d.) χάρις τοῖς
θεοῖς ἱκάμ[ην εἰς]
Ἀλεξανδρίαν, P Fay
12416 (ii/a.d.) τοῖ[ς] θ̣[εο]ῖ[ς]
ἐ̣σ̣τ̣[ι]ν̣
χ̣άρις ὅτι οὐδεμία
ἐστὶν
πρόλημψις ἡμεῖν
γεγενημένη, ‘thank heaven,
there is no preconceived principle on our part’ (Edd.), PSI I. 946 (ii/a.d.)
θεοῖς δὲ χάρις ὅτι
ἤρεσε καὶ τῷ
παιδὶ ἡ ποδίς,
καὶ
προσεδρεύει ἰς
τὰ μαθήματα, P Giss I. 176
(time of Hadrian) (= Chrest. I. p. 566) χάρις
τοῖς θεοῖς πᾶσι
ὅτι σε
διαφυλάσσουσι ἀπρόσκοπον,
and the Christian P Oxy VI. 9396 (iv/a.d.), where a servant writes to his
master regarding the illness of his mistress, εἴη διὰ
παντὸς ἡμᾶς
χάριτας ὁμο[λογοῦντα]ς
διατελεῖν ὅτι ἡμῖν
ἵλεως ἐγένετο
. . διασώσας ἡμῖν
[τὴν ἡμῶν]
κύριαν, ‘may it be
granted us to continue for ever to acknowledge our thanks to Him because He was
gracious to us by preserving for us our mistress’ (Edd.): cf. Lk 17:9, Rom
6:17, 1 Tim 1:12, 2 Tim 1:3, Heb 12:28, al. See also Epict. iv. iv. 7
τότε καὶ ἐγὼ ἡμάρτανον
νῦν δʼ οὐκέτι,
χάρις τῷ Θεῷ, ‘then I too
was faulty, but, thanks to God, not now’ (cited by Sharp, p. 10), and for the
χάρις ascribed to the Emperors,
cf. Syll 365 (= 3 798)7ff. (a.d. 37) τῆς ἀθανάτου
χάριτος . . . θεῶν
δὲ χάριτες
τούτῳ
διαφέρουσιν ἀνθρωπίνων
διαδοχῶν, ᾧ ἢ
νυκτὸς ἥλιος
καὶ τὸ ἄφθαρτον
θνητῆς φύσεως—said
of Caligula! Other exx. are cited by Wendland in ZNTW v. (1904), p. 345 n2. 4.
We may note one or two prepositional phrases—P Par 63 (b.c. 164) (= P Petr III.
p. 22) διὰ χάρειν, “through
favouritism” (Mahaffy), BGU IV. 113516 (b.c. 10) κα]τ̣ὰ
χάριν̣, P Oxy XIV. 16726 (a.d. 37–41)
μετὰ χάριτος, with
reference to a profitable sale of wine, almost = μετὰ
χαρᾶς, ‘with joy’ (see Olsson, p. 78), ib. IX. 11885
(a.d. 13)
στοχα(σάμενος)
τ̣οῦ μηδ(ὲν) ἀγνοηθῆναι
μηδὲ πρὸς
χά(ριν) οἰκονομηθ(ῆναι),
‘making it your aim that nothing be concealed or done by favour’ (Ed.). 5. The
favourite Pauline greeting χάρις καὶ
εἰρήνη may have been suggested by the union of
the ordinary Greek and Hebrew forms of salutation, but both are deepened and
spiritualized, χαίρειν (cf. Ac 15:23, 23:26,
Jas 1:1) giving place to χάρις, and εἰρήνη
(cf. Ezra 4:17, Dan 4:1) pointing to the harmony restored between God and man
(cf. Jn 14:27). See further Hort 1 Pet. p. 25f., and the discussion on the
Apostolic Greeting by F. Zimmer in Luthardt’s Zeitschrift 1886, p. 443ff. Reference
should be made to the Note “On the meanings of χάρις
and χαριτοῦν” in Robinson Eph. p.
221ff., and to the exhaustive monograph ‘Charis. Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte des
ältesten Christentums’ by G. P. von Wetter (Leipzig, 1913).[1]
The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon: (1) Prop. that which affords joy,
pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness (2) Good-will, lovingkindness,
favor (3) Attends and assists one (4) Used of the kindness of a master towards
his inferiors or servants, and so especially of God towards men (5) Used of the
merciful kindness by which God, exerting His holy influence upon souls, turns
them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith,
knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of Christian virtues (6)
The grace of God promoting the progress and blessings of the Christian
religion; sustaining and aiding the efforts of the men who labor for the cause
of Christ; assisting and strengthening his followers and ministers to bear
their troubles (7) What is due to grace; the spiritual condition of one
governed by the power of divine grace; a token or proof of grace; a gift of
grace; benefaction, bounty; the aid or succor of divine grace; of the various
blessings of Christ experienced by souls; capacity and ability due to the grace
of God; the aggregate of the extremely diverse powers and gifts granted to
Christians; used of the power to undertake and administer the apostolic office;
of the gifts and knowledge bestowed upon Christians (8) Thanks (for benefits,
services, favors); recompense, reward.[2]
The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised: (1) Pleasing show, charm; beauty,
gracefulness; a pleasing circumstance, matter of approval (2) Kindly bearing,
graciousness (3) A beneficial opportunity, benefit (4) A charitable act,
generous gift (5) An act of favor (6) Favor, acceptance (7) Free favor, free
gift, grace (8) Free favor specially manifested by God towards man in the
Gospel scheme, grace (9) A gracious provision, gracious scheme, grace (10)
Gracious dealing from God, grace (11) A commission graciously devolved by God
upon a human agent (12) Grace, graciously bestowed divine endowment, or
influence (13) Grace, a graciously vouchsafed spiritual position (14) An
emotion correspondent to what is pleasing or kindly; sense of obligation (15) A
grateful frame of mind (16) Thanks (17) To oblige, gratify.[3]
Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, “Charis has various
uses, (a) objective, that which bestows or occasions pleasure, delight, or
causes favorable regard; it is applied, e. g., to beauty, or gracefulness of
person, Luke 2:40; act, 2 Cor 8:6, or speech, Luke 4:22, RV, ‘words of grace’
(KJV, ‘gracious words’); Col 4:6; (b) subjective, (1) on the part of the
bestower, the friendly disposition from which the kindly act proceeds,
graciousness, loving-kindness, goodwill generally, e. g., Acts 7:10; especially
with reference to the divine favor or ‘grace,’ e. g., Acts 14:26; in this
respect there is stress on its freeness and universality, its spontaneous
character, as in the case of God's redemptive mercy, and the pleasure or joy He
designs for the recipient; thus it is set in contrast with debt, Rom 4:4,16,
with works, 11:6, and with law, John 1:17; see also, e. g., Rom 6:14,15; Gal
5:4; (2) on the part of the receiver, a sense of the favor bestowed, a feeling
of gratitude, e. g., Rom 6:17 (‘thanks’); in this respect it sometimes
signifies ‘to be thankful,’ e. g., Luke 17:9 (‘doth he thank the servant?’
lit., ‘hath he thanks to’); 1 Tim 1:12; (c) in another objective sense, the
effect of ‘grace,’ the spiritual state of those who have experienced its
exercise, whether (1) a state of ‘grace,’ e. g., Rom 5:2; 1 Peter 5:12; 2 Peter
3:18, or (2) a proof thereof in practical effects, deeds of ‘grace,’ e. g., 1
Cor 16:3, RV, ‘bounty’ (KJV, ‘liberality’); 2 Cor 8:6,19 (in 2 Cor 9:8 it means
the sum of earthly blessings); the power and equipment for ministry, e. g., Rom
1:5; 12:6; 15:15; 1 Cor 3:10; Gal 2:9; Eph 3:2,7. To be in favor with is to
find ‘grace’ with, e. g., Acts 2:47; hence it appears in this sense at the
beginning and the end of several epistles, where the writer desires ‘grace’
from God for the readers, e. g., Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:3; in this respect it is
connected with the imperative mood of the word chairo, ‘to rejoice,’ a
mode of greeting among Greeks, e. g., Acts 15:23; James 1:1 (marg.); 2 John
10,11, RV, ‘greeting’ (KJV, ‘God speed’). The fact that ‘grace’ is received
both from God the Father, 2 Cor 1:12, and from Christ, Gal 1:6; Rom 5:15 (where
both are mentioned), is a testimony to the deity of Christ. See also 2 Thess
1:12, where the phrase ‘according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus
Christ’ is to be taken with each of the preceding clauses, ‘in you,’ ‘and ye in
Him.’ In James 4:6, ‘But He giveth more grace’ (Greek, ‘a greater grace,’ RV,
marg.), the statement is to be taken in connection with the preceding verse,
which contains two remonstrating, rhetorical questions, ‘Think ye that the
Scripture speaketh in vain?’ and ‘Doth the Spirit (the Holy Spirit) which He
made to dwell in us long unto envying?’ (see the RV). The implied answer to
each is ‘it cannot be so.’ Accordingly, if those who are acting so flagrantly,
as if it were so, will listen to the Scripture instead of letting it speak in vain,
and will act so that the Holy Spirit may have His way within, God will give
even ‘a greater grace,’ namely, all that follows from humbleness and from
turning away from the world.”
A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian
Literature-Third Edition: (1) a winning quality or attractiveness that invites
a favorable reaction, graciousness, attractiveness, charm, winsomness (2) a
beneficent disposition towards someone, favor, grace, gracious care/help,
goodwill (3) practical application of goodwill, (a sign of) favor, gracious
deed/gift, benefaction (4) exceptional effect produced by generosity, favor (5)
response to generosity or beneficence, thanks, gratitude.[4]
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains: (1) To
show kindness to someone, with the implication of graciousness on the part of
the one showing such kindness – ‘to show kindness, to manifest graciousness
toward, kindness, graciousness, grace’ (88.66). (2) That which is given freely
and generously – ‘gift, gracious gift’ (57.103). (3) An expression of
thankfulness – ‘thanks’ (33.350). (4) A favorable attitude toward someone or something
– ‘favor, good will’ (25.89).
Analytical Lexicon
of the Greek New Testament lists the following meanings: (1) as a quality that
adds delight or pleasure graciousness, attractiveness, charm (LU 4.22); (2) as
a favorable attitude; (a) active, of what is felt toward another goodwill, favor
(AC 2.47); (b) as a religious technical term for God’s attitude toward human
beings kindness, grace, favor, helpfulness (JN 1.16, 17; EP 2.8); (3)
concretely; (a) of exceptional effects produced by God’s favor ability, power,
enabling (RO 12.6; 1C 15.10); (b) of practical proofs of goodwill from one
person to another kind deed, benefit, favor (AC 24.27; 2C 1.15); collection for
the poor, generous gift (1C 16.3); (4) as an experience or state resulting from
God’s favor state of grace, favored position (RO 5.2); (5) as a verbal thank
offering to God gratitude, thanks (1C 15.57; 2C 9.15); (6) as contained in
formulas that express greetings or farewell in letters goodwill, favor,
blessing (RO 1.7; 16.20). (Friberg, T., Friberg, B., & Miller, N. F.; 2000;
Vol. 4: Analytical lexicon of the Greek New Testament, page 407; Baker's Greek
New Testament library. Grand Rapids, Mich.; Baker Books)
The noun charis, “grace” in Titus 2:11 refers to the incarnation
of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ as well as His earthly life, teaching,
substitutionary spiritual and physical death’s on the cross as well as His
resurrection from the dead, which provided eternal salvation for all mankind.
In Titus 2:11, the articular construction of the noun charis, “grace” is
serving as a function marker meaning that it is marking this word as the
nominative subject of the verb epiphainomai (ἐπιφαίνομαι), “has appeared.”
Classical Usage of
Theos
The etymology of theos
has not yet been clarified. The only thing that is certain is that it was
originally a title. It is originally a predicative term and had a broad usage
in classical literature. Homer employed both the plural theoi and the
indefinite singular theos (tis). In this use he is sometimes
thinking of a divine being and work in general. Sometimes he has a particular
god in mind and sometimes specifically Zeus. The term was applied to any
superhuman being.
Johannes Scheider
commenting on the classical usage of the word, writes, “Greek religion was
polytheistic. The gods were represented in anthropomorphic form as personal
beings who exercised a determining influence on the world and fate of men, but
who themselves were dependent on a superior fate. As they were not
creator-gods, they were not thought of as outside the universe and
transcendent. The cosmos included both gods and men. The influence of the gods
was not universal, but was limited by their natures
and attributes. They were not righteous in the OT sense. The Greek gods had
form. Consequently, the statement ‘God is spirit’ (John 4:24) could not be
applied to them. From Aeschylus onwards the different gods came increasingly to
be identified. Their convergence into one divine being was prepared by the
pre-Socratic thinkers and the ideas of classical tragedy. The Greek
philosophical understanding of god was
non-personal. Philosophers sought the origin of all things and the
principle that shaped the world. In the process of rationalizing and
moralizing, brought about by philosophical criticism and reflection, an
important transformation of the Greek concept of god
took place. The divine forms were spiritualized and finally replaced by general
concepts like ‘world reason, the divine,’ and ‘being,’ which influenced and
formed the world as powers giving it meaning and creating order. In Hellenistic
syncretism the various Greek and non-Greek divinities were assimilated and even
equated as a result of the recognition that behind the
diverse names stood the same entities. This is particularly clear in the
Isis cult. Not infrequently these tendencies lead to the honouring of one
godhead as the divine All. The development reached its height in Neo-Platonism,
where the divine is the universal One which has no objective existence or
personality. It is being itself which is manifested through a series of
hypostases and emanations in the world, since it is the ground and force behind
everything that is.”[5]
Hermann Kleinknecht
once again commenting on the usage of theos in Greek literature, writes,
“Zeus takes the first decision and has the final word. Hence piety often
equates him quite simply with God (cf. Hom. Od., 4, 236;
Demosth.Or., 18, 256; Aesch. Suppl., 524 ff.; 720 ff.; Ag.,
160 ff.). Under the influence of rational theological speculation along causal
lines there develops out of the original plurality of gods a divine genealogy
and hierarchy (cf. Hesiod’s theogony). We read of higher and lower gods, of
families of gods, and finally of a pantheon. In Greece and Rome there is not
only a trinity etc., but also a group of twelve gods (hoi dodeka theoi),
and this expression comes to be used for the unity and totality of the gods who
rule the world (cf. Pind. Olymp., 5, 5; Plat.
Phaedr., 247a). For the most part theos is
used for such well-known deities as Zeus, Apollos,
Athena, Eros etc. But to call the cosmos God is also good Greek
(Plat. Tim. 92c: hode ho kosmos...theos, Orig.
Cels. V, 7); the phthonos is a kakistos kadikotatos theos, Hippothoon
Fr., 2 (TGF, p. 827), and in Eur. even meeting again is a god: Hel. 560: ho
theoi theos gar kai to gignoskein philous. In Aesch. Choeph. 60
eutuchein is for men theos te kai theou pleon. Similarly,
original forces (dike II, 181), both inward and
outward, may be furnished with the predicate theos, and later
abstract concepts, cosmic magnitudes and divine attributes such as aion
(I, 198), logos, nous (Corp. Herm. II, 12), are personified
in the cultus and philosophy and hypostatised as gods. Eulabeia is an adikos
theos, Eur.
Phoen., 560; 782, and lupe isa deine theos,
Eur. Or. 399.”[6]
Heroes such as
Chiron and Colonos were described as gods. Homer speaks of extraordinary men as
theos. An outstanding ruler may be called theos in the
Hellenistic period. In the Hellenistic cult of the ruler and the Roman cult of
the emperor theos becomes a designation of office. The word is used
increasingly in the world of religious philosophy to denote impersonal
metaphysical powers and forces. To the Greek athanatos is synonymous
with theos. The gods are called immortals (athanatoi,
Hom. Iliad, 1, 503; Odyssey 1, 31). This does not mean eternal
pre-existence. It means only that they have no end, that they are not subject
to death.
Septuagint Usage of
Theos
Theos occurs in the LXX
with few exceptions as a translation for the Hebrew words `Elohim and Yahweh
(Yahweh, Lord God). This latter is the personal name of God, the name under
which He revealed Himself as the God of Israel (Exodus 3:13-15). Elohim
and Yahweh are rarely translated by kurios or other terms. `Elohim
describes God and is the plural of `eloahh, but it usually takes its
verb in the singular when used of the true God. When it is in reference to the
Lord the plural form has no effect upon the reality that God is one
(monotheism). `Elohim, derived from `el,
is one of the oldest terms for God, and it is found in all the Semitic
languages.
In the OT `el
serves both as a common name and as a proper name for the God of Israel (Num.
23:8; Psa. 16:1 [LXX 15:1]; Isa. 40:18;
etc.). The Greek theos as well as the Hebrew `el were also used
by polytheists. They are in fact used so in the Scripture both
of the true God (theos) and of foreign gods (theoi). The
term theos is actually a title and not the
personal name for God.
New Testament Usage
of Theos
The noun theos
as would be expected appears numerous times in the NT. The NT rests firmly on
the foundation of the OT, when it speaks about God, but its emphases are new.
It is the same God who reveals Himself in the NT as in the OT, and whose plan
of salvation, there promised, comes to fulfillment in the NT.
Louw and Nida lists the following NT meanings (Greek-English Lexicon of
the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains, volume 2): (1) The one supreme
supernatural being as creator and sustainer of the universe – ‘God’ (page 137).
(2) Any one of many different supernatural beings regarded as having authority
or control over some aspect of the universe or human activity – ‘god’ (page
143). (3) A female deity – ‘goddess’ (page 144).
Vine's Expository
Dictionary of Biblical Words, “theos, (I) in the polytheism of the
Greeks, denoted ‘a god or deity,’ e. g., (Acts 14:11; 19:26; 28:6; 1 Cor. 8:5;
Gal. 4:8). (II) (a) Hence the word was appropriated by Jews and retained by
Christians to denote ‘the one true God.’ In the Sept. theos translates (with
few exceptions) the Hebrew words Elohim and Jehovah, the former
indicating His power and preeminence, the latter His unoriginated, immutable,
eternal and self-sustained existence. In the NT, these and all the other divine
attributes are predicated of Him. To Him are ascribed, e. g., His unity, or
monism, e. g., (Mark 12:29; 1 Tim. 2:5); self-existence, (John 5:26);
immutability, (Jas. 1:17); eternity, (Rom. 1:20); universality, (Matt. 10:29;
Acts 17:26-28); almighty power (Matt. 19:26); infinite knowledge, (Acts 2:23;
15:18; Rom. 11:33), creative power, (Rom. 11:36; 1 Cor. 8:6; Eph. 3:9; Rev.
4:11; 10:6); absolute holiness, (1 Pet. 1:15; 1 John 1:5); righteousness, (John
17:25); faithfulness, (1 Cor. 1:9; 10:13; 1 Thes. 5:24; 2 Thes. 3:3; 1 John
1:9); love, (1 John 4:8,16); mercy, (Rom. 9:15,18); truthfulness, (Titus 1:2;
Heb. 6:18). See GOOD, No. 1 (b). (b) The divine attributes are likewise
indicated or definitely predicated of Christ, e. g., (Matt. 20:18-19; John
1:1-3; 1:18), RV, marg.; (5:22-29; 8:58; 14:6; 17:22-24; 20:28; Rom. 1:4; 9:5;
Phil. 3:21; Col. 1:15; 2:3; Titus 2:13), RV; (Heb. 1:3; 13:8; 1 John 5:20; Rev.
22:12,13). (c) Also of the Holy Spirit, e. g., (Matt. 28:19; Luke 1:35; John 14:16;
15:26; 16:7-14; Rom. 8:9,26; 1 Cor. 12:11; 2 Cor. 13:14). (d) Theos is
used (1) with the definite article, (2) without (i. e., as an anarthrous noun).
‘The English may or may not have need of the article in translation. But that
point cuts no figure in the Greek idiom. Thus in (Acts 27:23) (`the God whose I
am,' RV) the article points out the special God whose Paul is,
and is to be preserved in English. In the very next verse (ho theos)
we in English do not need the article’ (A. T. Robertson, Gram. of Greek, NT, p.
758). As to this latter it is usual to employ the article with a proper name,
when mentioned a second time. There are, of course, exceptions to this, as when
the absence of the article serves to lay stress upon, or give precision to, the
character or nature of what is expressed in the noun. A notable instance of
this is in (John 1:1), ‘and the Word was God’; here a double stress is on theos,
by the absence of the article and by the emphatic position. To translate it
literally, ‘a god was the Word,’ is entirely misleading. Moreover, that ‘the
Word’ is the subject of the sentence, exemplifies the rule that the subject is
to be determined by its having the article when the predicate is anarthrous
(without the article). In (Rom. 7:22), in the phrase ‘the law of God,’ both
nouns have the article; in (v. 25), neither has the article. This is in
accordance with a general rule that if two nouns are united by the genitive
case (the ‘of’ case), either both have the article, or both are without. Here, in
the first instance, both nouns, ‘God’ and ‘the law’ are definite, whereas in
(v. 25) the word ‘God’ is not simply titular; the absence of the article
stresses His character as lawgiver. Where two or more epithets are applied to
the same person or thing, one article usually serves for both (the exceptions
being when a second article lays stress upon different aspects of the same
person or subject, e. g., (Rev. 1:17)). In (Titus 2:13) the RV correctly has
‘our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.’ Moulton (Prol., p. 84) shows, from
papyri writings of the early Christian era, that among Greek-speaking
Christians this was ‘a current formula’ as applied to Christ. So in (2 Pet. 1:1) (cf. (1:11; 3:18)). In the following
titles God is described by certain of His attributes; the God of glory, (Acts
7:2); of peace, (Rom. 15:33; 16:20; Phil. 4:9; 1 Thes. 5:23; Heb. 13:20); of
love and peace, (2 Cor. 13:11); of patience and comfort, (Rom. 15:5); of all
comfort, (2 Cor. 1:3); of hope, (Rom. 15:13); of all grace, (1 Pet. 5:10).
These describe Him, not as in distinction from other persons, but as the source
of all these blessings; hence the employment of the definite article. In such
phrases as ‘the God of a person,’ e. g., (Matt. 22:32), the expression marks
the relationship in which the person stands to God and God to him. (e) In the
following the nominative case is used for the vocative, and always with the
article; (Mark 15:34; Luke 18:11,13; John 20:28); (Acts 4:24) in some mss.;
(Heb. 1:8; 10:7). (f) The phrase "the things of God" (translated
literally or otherwise) stands for (1) His interests, (Matt. 16:23; Mark 8:33);
(2) His counsels, (1 Cor. 2:11); (3) things which are due to Him, (Matt. 22:21;
Mark 12:17; Luke 20:25). The phrase ‘things pertaining to God,’ (Rom. 15:17;
Heb. 2:17; 5:1), describes, in the Heb. passages, the sacrificial service of
the priest; in the Rom. passage the gospel ministry as an offering to God.
(III) The word is used of divinely appointed judges in Israel, as representing
God in His authority, (John 10:34), quoted from (Ps. 82:6), which indicates
that God Himself sits in judgment on those whom He has appointed. The
application of the term to the Devil, (2 Cor. 4:4), and the belly, (Phil.
3:19), virtually places these instances under (I).”
BDAG list the following meanings for theos: (1) In the Gr-Rom. world the
term θεός primarily refers
to a transcendent being who exercises extraordinary control in human affairs or
is responsible for bestowal of unusual benefits, deity, god, goddess
(2) Some writings in our lit. use the word θ. w. ref. to Christ (without
necessarily equating Christ with the Father, and therefore in harmony w. the
Shema of Israel Dt 6:4; cp. Mk 10:18 and 4a below), though the interpretation
of some of the pass. is in debate. In Mosaic and Gr-Rom. traditions the
fundamental semantic component in the understanding of deity is the factor of
performance, namely saviorhood or extraordinary contributions to one’s society.
(3) God in Israelite/Christian monotheistic perspective, God the predom.
use, somet. with, somet. without the art. (4) that which is nontranscendent but
considered worthy of special reverence or respect, god
(5) of the devil.[7]
In Titus 2:11, the noun theos means “God” referring to the Father. The
word functions as a genitive of source from which the head noun, charis,
“grace” derives or depends. This indicates that the grace which appeared
“originated from” God the Father. As we noted “grace” speaks of the incarnation
of the Son of God, His earthly life, teaching, spiritual and physical deaths on
the cross as a substitute for sinful mankind and His resurrection from the
dead. None of these events would have taken place if it were not according to
the Father’s eternal plan. God the Father is the
author of the salvation plan of God for sinful mankind that is based upon His
grace policy and is executed by God the Son and revealed by the Holy Spirit.
The
verb epiphainomai means “to appear, to be manifested” and is a reference
to the First Advent of Jesus Christ. Thus, it speaks of the manifestation of
the grace originated from the Father through the First Advent of Christ. This
verb is in the emphatic position of the sentence
The aorist tense of this verb is a constative aorist which describes the First
Advent of Christ in summary fashion. The passive voice of this verb means that
the subject receives the action of the verb by either an expressed or
unexpressed agency. Here of course, the grace of God is the subject and the
unexpressed agencies of the Father and the Spirit. This indicates that the
grace of God received the action from the Father and the Spirit of being
manifested two thousand years ago during the First Advent of Christ. The
indicative mood is declarative presenting this Spirit inspired Pauline
assertion as a non-contingent or unqualified statement of fact of history.
The adjective sōtērios in classical Greek indicates the act of
saving, delivering or preserving (Liddel Scott). It had a wide usage as a
substantive and is at times synonymous with sōtēria,
“deliverance, salvation.” The word appears 36 times the LXX and often with
reference to the salvation or deliverance God provides for sinners.
This adjective occurs only five times in the New Testament. In Luke 2:30, it
means “salvation” and is used to describe the person of Jesus Christ. In Luke
3:6, the word means “salvation” and is used again of the person of Christ but
this time it is referring to the millennial reign of Christ. In Acts 28:28, the
word means “salvation” and is again used of Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 6:17, sōtērios
means “salvation” referring to the Christian’s deliverance from sin and Satan.
In Titus 2:11, the
adjective sōtērios means “bringing salvation, offering
salvation” referring to the offer of eternal salvation to all
of sinful mankind through faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. His
substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths and resurrection delivered the
entire human race from eternal condemnation, the devil, his cosmic system,
condemnation from the Law, the sin nature, and personal sins.
This adjective sōtērios
functions as a predicate nominative meaning it is making the assertion that the
grace originating from God the Father, has been manifested offering eternal
salvation to each and every human being.
The noun anthropos denotes a “person, human being” and is used in a
generic sense for the human race and in the plural
means “people, human beings.” It is modified by the adjective pas, which
is used attributively emphasizing the totality of the human
race and specifically refers to unregenerate sinful humanity. It is also
used in a distributive sense indicating that the grace of God has been
manifested offering salvation to “each and every member of the human race”
without exception. The noun anthropos is functioning as a dative of
advantage indicating that the grace of God has been manifested offering
salvation “on behalf of” or “for the benefit of” each and
every member of the human race.
Translation of Titus 2:11
Titus 2:11 For the grace originating from God has been manifested offering
salvation for the benefit of each and every member of
the human race.
Exposition of Titus 2:11
Titus 2:11-14
constitutes a single sentence in the Greek text. However, most English
translations break it out into a least a couple of sentences. Titus 2:11-14
presents the reason for Paul’s previous instructions recorded in Titus 2:2-10.
In Titus 2:2-3, Paul addresses the proper godly conduct which older men and
women in the Christian community are to manifest as a lifestyle. Then, in Titus
2:4-5, the apostle addresses the responsibilities of younger Christian women
which they were to learn from the older women. In Titus 2:6-8, he addresses the
proper godly conduct of younger Christian men. Lastly, in Titus 2:9-10, Paul
addresses the proper godly conduct which slaves were to manifest in relation to
their masters. Therefore, here in Titus 2:11-14, the apostle Paul presents the
reason why he wanted these various groups in the Christian community to reflect
godly standards in their lives which is the result of applying his apostolic
instruction.
The grace of God
has appeared through the person and work of Jesus Christ whose death and
resurrection provided the offer of salvation to each and every member of the
human race, It also instructs the Christian to deny
ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in
the present age. This is the reason why the various groups in the Christian
community mentioned in Titus 2:2-10 were to model the Word of God in their
lives which is the direct result of applying the Word of God. Consequently,
Titus 2:11-15 also presents the reason why the teaching and conduct of the
Judaizers are in error and opposed to God as well as those apostate Cretan
pastor-teachers who were adhering to their teaching.
Titus 2:11 also
unpacks the phrase appearing at the end of Titus 2:10, namely “the teaching
of God, our Savior.” Thus, Titus 2:11-15 explains how God is our Savior and
for what purpose He is the Savior of the Christian. Titus 2:11-15 teaches the
Christian that the purpose of the incarnation of the Son of God, His earthly
life, His teaching, His substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the
cross and resurrection was so that they would live a godly life and be zealous
for good works which are pleasing to God.
The “grace” in Titus 2:11 refers to the incarnation of the Son of God,
the Lord Jesus Christ as well as His earthly life, teaching, substitutionary
spiritual and physical death’s on the cross as well as His resurrection from
the dead, which provided eternal salvation for all mankind.
The unique Person of the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work on the
Cross-is the source of grace (2 Cor. 8:9) and He is a gift from the Father (2
Cor. 9:15). He was full of “grace and truth” (John 1:17) and the
believer receives the grace of God through Him (John 1:16). It is by the grace
of God that Jesus Christ died a substitutionary spiritual death for all mankind
(Heb. 2:9). Therefore, the throne in which Christ sits is a “throne of grace”
(Heb. 4:16).
The message of God’s saving act in Christ is described as the “gospel of the
grace of God” (Acts 20:24), and the “word of His grace” (Acts 20:32;
cf. 14:3). By His grace, God justifies the undeserving and unworthy through
faith in His Son Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:24). Grace is an absolute and is no
longer grace if we are saved on the basis of human
works (Rom. 11:6).
Grace is all that
God is free to do in imparting unmerited blessings to those who trust in Jesus
Christ as Savior based upon the merits of Christ and His death on the Cross. It
is God treating us in a manner that we don’t deserve and excludes any human works
in order to acquire eternal salvation or blessing from
God.
Grace means that God saved us and blessed us despite ourselves and not
according to anything that we do but rather saved us and blessed us because of
the merits of Christ and His work on the Cross. It excludes any human merit in
salvation and blessing (Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5) and gives the Creator all the
credit and the creature none.
By means of faith, we accept the grace of God, which is a non-meritorious
system of perception, which is in total accord with the grace of God. Grace and
faith are totally compatible with each other and inseparable (1 Tim. 1:14) and
complement one another (Rom. 4:16; Eph. 2:8). Grace, faith and salvation are
all the gift of God and totally exclude all human works and ability (Eph.
2:8-9).
Titus 3:5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds,
which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing
of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. (NASB95)
Ephesians 1:3-14 teaches that believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are the
recipients of three categories of grace: (1) “Antecedent” grace: The Father’s
work in eternity past. (2) “Living” grace: Our spiritual life and its
accompanying invisible assets. (3) “Eschatological” grace: Resurrection bodies
and our eternal inheritance.
Therefore, since God has dealt graciously with the believer, the believer is in
turn commanded to be gracious with all members of the human
race, both believers and unbelievers (Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13; 4:6; 1
Thess. 3:12).
A Christian is someone who is a “partaker” of
the grace of God (Phil. 1:7) and he is to live by the same principle of grace
after salvation (Col. 2:6; Rom. 6:4). Grace is the Christian’s sphere of
existence (Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:3; Col. 1:2). The believer who rejects this
principle is said to have “fallen from grace,” (Gal. 5:1-5).
God in His grace and love disciplines the believer in order
to get the believer back in fellowship with Himself (Heb. 12:5-12). He
also trains the believer through undeserved suffering in
order to achieve spiritual growth (2 Cor. 12:7-11).
The believer is commanded to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord
Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18). The believer experiences the grace of God
while in fellowship with God, which is accomplished by obedience to the Word of
God. God in His grace has given the believer the ability to learn and
apply bible doctrine through the ministry of God the Holy Spirit in order to achieve spiritual maturity (Jn. 16:13-15; 1 Cor.
2:9-16).
God in His grace has provided the church with the spiritual gift of
pastor-teacher to communicate the mystery doctrine for the church age, which
produces spiritual growth (Eph. 3:1-5; 4:8-12, 16). The Christian life from
beginning to end is built upon God's policy of grace (2 Cor. 6:1-9; Rom. 5:2;
John 1:16).
The grace of God has been manifested and revealed to the entire human race in
time through the following: (1) Unique Theanthropic Person of Jesus Christ (2)
Salvation work of Christ on the Cross (3) Word of God (4) Holy Spirit’s various
salvation and post-salvation ministries.
God the Father according to His grace policy has provided the unbeliever the
spiritual gift of evangelism and the royal ambassadorship of believers as the
vehicles that God the Holy Spirit employs to communicate the Gospel of Jesus
Christ for their salvation (Jn. 16:7-11; Eph. 4:11; 2 Cor. 5:17-21).
God the Father according to His grace policy has provided the believer with the
spiritual gift of pastor-teacher as the vehicle, which the Holy Spirit employs
to communicate the Word of God, which produces spiritual growth (Eph. 3:1-5;
4:8-12, 16). God the Father according to His grace policy has provided the human race the Word of God and the Spirit of God, which
reveal His plan from eternity past (Word: 2 Pet. 1:20-21; 2 Tim. 3:15-16;
Spirit: Jn. 16:13-15; 1 Cor. 2:9-16).
In relation to the unbeliever, God the Father’s gracious provision of salvation
based upon faith in the merits of the Person and Work of Christ on the Cross-is
revealed by the Holy Spirit through the communication of the Gospel. In
relation to the believer, the Holy Spirit through the communication of the Word
of God reveals all the benefits of God the Father’s gracious provision for
their salvation.
The Spirit of God through the communication of the Word of God reveals all that
the Father has graciously done and provided for the believer to do His will.
Therefore, we learn about the grace of God by listening to the Spirit’s voice,
which is heard through the communication of the Word of God (Colossians 1:3-6).
The Word of God informs the believer of all that God the Father has provided
for the believer through Person, Work and Life of the Lord Jesus Christ. The
Holy Spirit reveals the will of the Father through the communication of the
Word of God (Acts 21:11; 28:25; 1 Cor. 12:3; 1 Tim. 4:1; Heb. 3:7; Rev. 2:7,
11, 17; 3:6, 13, 22).
The Spirit does not operate independently from the Word of God when He is
actively working on behalf of the believer (John 16:13-15). God the Holy Spirit
in common grace makes the Gospel message understandable to the unbeliever (John
16:7-11; 1 Cor. 2:10-15). God in His grace has to seek
after spiritually dead human beings who have no ability to seek Him (Rom. 3:11;
5:6-11; Eph. 2:1-5).
In the Greek New
Testament, the term charis is used in the expression “grace and peace”
that appears in the introduction to his epistles.
Philippians 1:1 Paul and Timothy, slaves owned by Christ Jesus, to all the
saints in union with Christ who are presently located in Philippi including the
overseers and deacons. 2 Grace to all of you and peace from God our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ. (Author’s translation)
Romans 1:7 To those who are presently located in Rome, loved by God, set
apart ones, elected to privilege: Grace to all of you and peace that originates
from God our Father and the Lord Jesus who is the Christ. (Author’s
translation)
In Philippians 1:2 and Romans 1:7, charis, “grace” refers to the
revelation of the blessings and benefits given to the believer at the moment of salvation, and which blessings and benefits
are imparted by the Holy Spirit through the communication of the Word of God,
which is the mind of Christ.
These blessings and benefits would include the revelation of the following: (1)
character of God and the Lord Jesus Christ; (2) blessings effected by the work
of the Trinity; (3) will of the Father; (4) provisions to perform the Father’s
will, (5) rewards for executing the Father’s will.
The impartation of these blessings to the believer pivots off his obedience to
the will of the Father. Both the believer and the unbeliever “learn” of the
grace of God (i.e. His unmerited favor) by “listening” to the voice of the
Spirit, which is heard through the communication of the Word of God.
The unbeliever
receives the grace of God at the moment of salvation
by obeying the voice of the Spirit, which is heard by the unbeliever through
the communication of the Gospel for salvation by an evangelist or a believer
operating under his royal ambassadorship.
The believer receives the grace of God by obeying the voice of the Spirit who
speaks to the believer regarding the will of the Father through the
communication of the Word of God by the believer’s divinely ordained
pastor-teacher, or fellow-believer. The Holy Spirit reveals the Word of God to
the believer making it understandable to the believer since the Word of God is
spiritual phenomena (Jn. 16:13-15; 1 Cor. 2:10-16).
The
human race would have no knowledge of who and what God is, what He has graciously
done for the human race through the death, resurrection, ascension and session
of Jesus Christ if it were not for the Spirit of God. He inspired the
Scriptures, which reveals these things and who speaks to humanity through the
communication of the Word of God. Nor would the human race
know the extent to which and manner in which God has loved the entire human
race if it were not for the Spirit of God inspiring the Scripture which reveals
these things and who speaks to humanity through the communication of the Word
of God.
Believers would not know the deliverance that they can experience in time from
Satan, his cosmic system and the old sin nature if it were not for the Spirit
revealing through the communication of the Word of God the will of the Father
and what the Father did on their behalf through Christ’s death and
resurrection, ascension and session. They would know nothing of the fantastic
future that the believer has if it were not for the Spirit revealing it to the believer
through the communication of the Word of God (1 Cor. 2). The believer could not
experience fellowship with God if it were not for the Spirit and the Word.
The believer is able to experience a relationship with His Master, the
Lord Jesus Christ by obeying the Spirit’s voice, which is heard through the
communication of the Word of God. The believer experiences the blessings of
having the character of Christ reproduced in their lives by obeying the
Spirit’s revelation of the Father’s will, which is accomplished through the
communication of the Word of God.
Obedience to the Father’s will as it is revealed by the Holy Spirit through the
communication of the Word of God in turn enables the Holy Spirit to reproduce
the life and character of Christ in the believer, which is the Father’s will
for the believer from eternity past.
The attributes of each member of the Trinity are involved in grace in that the
grace of God is expressed through the harmonious function of all God’s divine
attributes in relation to both men and angels.
God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are co-equal, co-infinite
and co-eternal and all with the same divine essence. God is not only a unity of
three Persons, all with same divine essence but also the essence of God is a
unity of invisible attributes, never working independently of each other. If
they did work independently of each other, this would corrupt the integrity of
the divine essence.
Each of the divine attributes has a role to play in man’s salvation. Grace
involves the attributes of each member of the Trinity providing in imparting
unmerited blessings to the believer at the moment of
salvation without compromising the divine integrity. They are also involved in
providing the unbeliever the opportunity to receive these unmerited blessings
by exposing them to the Gospel of grace.
Grace is God giving of Himself (His holiness) in order to
benefit all mankind. Grace is the sum total of
unmerited benefits, both temporal and spiritual, imparted to the sinner through
the harmonious function of the sum total of divine attributes of each member of
the Trinity as a result of the sinner making the non-meritorious decision to
trust in the Person and Work of Christ on the Cross. This is why John writes
the following: John 1:16, For of His fullness we have all received, and
grace upon grace. (NASB95)
Of course, the gospel communicates the grace of God as manifested in the person
of Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection. The gospel is the good news and
God’s victorious proclamation of His love in delivering the entire human race
from sin, Satan, his cosmic system and eternal condemnation and has reconciled
them to Himself through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This
reconciliation with God and deliverance and victory over sin, Satan and the
cosmic system that God accomplished through His Son’s crucifixion, burial,
death, resurrection and session is received as a gift and appropriated through
faith in Christ (John 3:16-18; Acts 16:31; Romans 5:1-2).
The good news for the sinner is that through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone
they can be delivered from eternal condemnation, sin, Satan and his cosmic
system as well as condemnation from the Law. The sinner must first obey the
gospel by trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior so as to
be declared justified by God before they can possess an experiential knowledge
of God since only faith alone in Christ alone results in the transformation of
the sinner to a person who is acceptable to God. Faith alone in Christ alone
transforms their unregenerate sinful state to a regenerate state which is
acceptable and pleasing to God.
The good news for the justified sinner after their conversion is that as a result of their faith in Christ, they are identified
with Him in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session. The
justified sinner must continue to obey the gospel after their conversion if
they want to possess an experiential knowledge of God in the sense that they
must appropriate by faith their position in Christ. They must consider
themselves as crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with Christ if they are
to experience fellowship and sanctification, which results in an experiential
knowledge of God. This obedience to the gospel also results in the Holy Spirit
producing actions in the justified sinner which are pleasing and beneficial to
God and others.
In Titus 2:11, “has been manifested” is a reference to the First Advent
of Jesus Christ. Thus, it speaks of the manifestation of the grace originated
from the Father through the First Advent of Christ. This verb is in the
emphatic position of the sentence
Adam Clark writes “There is a beauty and energy in the word epiphainomai
hath shined out, that is rarely noted; it seems to be a metaphor taken from the
sun. As by his rising in the east and shining out, he enlightens, successively,
the whole world; so the Lord Jesus, who is called the
Sun of righteousness, Malachi 4:2, arises on the whole human race with healing
in his wings. And as the light and heat of the sun are denied to no nation nor
individual, so the grace of the Lord Jesus, this also shines out upon all; and
God designs that all mankind shall be as equally benefited by it in reference
to their souls, as they are in respect to their bodies by the sun that shines
in the firmament of heaven.”[8]
Hiebert writes “Thus, the picture is that of Jesus Christ as the Sun of
Righteousness breaking forth in human history to penetrate the moral and
spiritual darkness of the world. Those who were ‘the people who sit in darkness
have seen a great light; and on those sitting in the region and the shadow of
death a light has dawned’ (cf. Matt. 4:16). ‘Men could never have formed an
adequate conception of that grace apart from its personal manifestation in
Christ, in his incarnation and atonement.’”[9]
“Offering salvation” refers to the offer of eternal salvation to all of sinful mankind through faith in Jesus Christ as
Savior. His substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths and resurrection
delivered the entire human race from eternal condemnation, the devil, his
cosmic system, condemnation from the Law, the sin nature, and personal sins.
This salvation or deliverance is accomplished in three stages:
(1) Positional: At the moment the believer exercised faith alone in Christ
alone, he was delivered “positionally” from the sin nature through the
crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session of the Lord Jesus Christ
(Luke 19:9; John 4:22; Acts 4:12; 13:26, 47; 16:17; Rom. 1:16; 10:1, 10; 11:11;
2 Cor. 6:2; Eph. 1:13; Phlp. 1:28; 2 Thess. 2:13; Heb. 2:10; 5:9; 6:9; 1 Pet.
1:9-10; 2 Pet. 3:15; Jude 3; Rev. 7:10).
By “positionally,”
I mean that God views the believer as crucified, died, buried, raised and
seated with Christ, which was accomplished at the moment
of conversion through the Baptism of the Spirit when the omnipotence of God the
Holy Spirit placed the believer in an eternal union with Christ. In other
words, the “positional” aspect of the believer’s salvation refers to the past
action of God saving us from sin when we trusted in Jesus Christ as our Savior.
Ephesians 2:8 For
by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is
the gift of God, 9 not as a result of works, so that
no one may boast. (NASB95)
The believer’s
deliverance positionally sets up the “potential” for him to experience this
deliverance in time since this deliverance can only be experienced after
conversion through obedience to the teaching of the Word of God. It also
guarantees the believer’s ultimate deliverance at the rapture, which is based
upon the sovereign decision of God rather than the volition of the believer.
(2) Experiential:
After conversion, the believer can “experience” deliverance from the sin nature
by appropriating by faith the teaching of the Word of God that he has been
crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with Christ. This constitutes the
believer’s spiritual life after being delivered from real spiritual death (2
Cor. 1:6; 7:10; Romans 6:11-23; 8:1-17; Phlp. 2:12; Galatians 2:20; Colossians
3:5-17; 2 Tim. 2:10; 3:15; Heb. 2:3, 10; 1 Pet. 2:2). In other words, the
“experiential” aspect of salvation is used of the believer’s deliverance from
sin in the present moment.
1 Corinthians 1:18
For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us
who are being saved it is the power of God. (NASB95)
(3) Ultimate: The
believer will be delivered “ultimately” and permanently from the sin nature
when he receives his resurrection body at the rapture of the church, which is
imminent (Rom. 13:11; 1 Thess. 5:8-9; Heb. 1:14; 9:28; 1 Pet. 1:5). In
other words, the “ultimate” aspect of salvation is used of the believer’s
future deliverance from sin.
2 Timothy 4:18 The
Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will
bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever.
Amen. (NASB95)
In Hebrews 9:24-28,
all three stages of the believer’s salvation are referred to.
Hebrews 9:24 For
Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one,
but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us (experiential
aspect of the believer’s salvation); 25 nor was it that He would offer
Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood
that is not his own. 26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since
the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He
has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. (This
makes possible the “positional” aspect of salvation) 27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after
this comes judgment, 28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the
sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin,
to those who eagerly await Him. (This refers to the “future” deliverance of
the believer at the rapture). (NASB95)
Warren Wiersbe
commenting on Hebrews 9:24-28, writes, “Did you notice that the word ‘appear’
is used three times in Hebrews 9:24–28? These three uses give us a summary of
our Lord’s work. He has appeared to put away sin by dying on the cross (Heb.
9:26). He is appearing now in heaven for us (Heb. 9:24). One day, He shall
appear to take Christians home (Heb. 9:28). These ‘three tenses of salvation’
are all based on His finished work.” (Wiersbe, W. W. The Bible Exposition
Commentary. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books)
Just as in the
believer’s sanctification, his deliverance positionally sets up the “potential”
for him to experience this deliverance in time since this deliverance can only
be experienced after conversion through obedience to the teaching of the Word
of God through the enabling power of the Spirit. It also guarantees the
believer’s ultimate deliverance at the rapture, which is based upon the
sovereign decision of God rather than the volition of the believer.
The believer can
experience his sanctification and salvation, i.e., the victory over and
deliverance from sin, Satan and his cosmic system through the omnipotence of
the Spirit by appropriating when he appropriates by faith the teaching of the
Word of God that he has been crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with
Christ (Romans 6:11-23; 8:1-17; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:5-17).
“For the benefit of each and every human being” indicates that the First
Advent of Jesus Christ was for the benefit of each and every
member of the human race. In other words, the incarnation of the Son of God,
His earthly life, teaching, His substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths
on the cross and resurrection was for the benefit of each and
every human being. It speaks of the doctrines of the unlimited atonement
and common grace.
Paul is not teaching that there is “universal” salvation as a
result of Christ’s death and resurrection on behalf of every member of
the human race since these two events did not automatically save every member
of the human race from eternal condemnation, sin and Satan. Rather, he is
simply describing the “offer” of salvation that is available for all of sinful humanity. Christ’s death and resurrection
established the basis for the offer of eternal salvation being extended to the
entire human race. Eternal salvation of course is appropriated by faith alone
in Jesus Christ alone as Paul clearly delineates in Romans 3:21-5:1.
Excursus: The Unique Person of Jesus
Christ
Who is Jesus of Nazareth, who is called the Christ by many Christians today?
Tim LaHaye writes, “Almost everyone who has heard of Jesus has developed an
opinion about Him. That is to be expected, for He is not only the most famous
person in world history but also, bar none, the most controversial person.”[10]
The only piece of literature that can truly reveal to the
human race Jesus Christ’s real identity is the Bible since it alone
contains the record of the evidence and eyewitness testimony as to His true
identity, which is contrary to liberal scholarship today.
This author is writing from the conviction that the Bible in its original
autograph is inspired by the Holy Spirit. This author believes that the Holy
Spirit supernaturally directed the human authors of Scripture that without
destroying their individuality, their literary style, their personal interests
or their vocabulary, God’s completed and connected thought towards man was
recorded with perfect accuracy in the original languages of Scripture. Therefore,
this author holds to the conviction that the Bible in its original languages is
the exact record, the mind and will of God and contains the very words of God.
It bears the “authority” of divine authorship. Two passages of Scripture
support this conviction.
2 Peter 1:20-21,
“Above all, you do well if you recognize this: No prophecy of scripture ever
comes about by the prophet’s own imagination, for no prophecy was ever borne of
human impulse; rather, men carried along by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”
(NET Bible)
2 Timothy 3:16-17,
“Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God
may be capable and equipped for every good work.” (NET Bible)
Now, the Scriptures invite us to examine the eyewitness testimony and evidence
that demonstrates the fact that Jesus of Nazareth is the God-Man. They invite
us to examine Jesus of Nazareth for ourselves and to conclude for ourselves His
significance.
Who is He? Knowing
who He is just as important as what He did. The challenge that confronts every
person who hears the gospel message about Jesus is not so much what He did, but
Who He is because the significance of what He did hinges on who He is. In other
words, if Jesus Christ is not God, then His death on the cross is not the
payment for our sins and has not destroyed the works of the devil, thus we are
still in bondage to sin and Satan.
Jesus made bold
claims. The boldest of these claims was that He is God. No other religious
leader has ever made such a claim without being considered a nut. Not one
recognized religious leader, not Moses, Paul, Buddha, Mohammed, and Confucius
ever made such a claim as being God but Jesus did.
Why? There are only three possibilities: He is either Lord, a liar or a
lunatic. Josh McDowell states “if Jesus wasn’t God, then He deserves an Oscar.”
(The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict, Josh
McDowell, page 137; Thomas Nelson Publishers; Nashville)
C.S. Lewis wrote,
“A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be
a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic-on a level with the man who
says he is a poached egg-or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make
your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or
something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill
Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let
us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human
teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”[11]
There are some who
claim that Jesus never claimed to be God but this
totally disregards the entire New Testament. If He wasn’t God, then why did He
forgive people’s sins? Only God can do that. If He wasn’t God, then how could
He have been raised from the dead? Jesus was sentenced to death because He made
the claim that He was the Son of God (Mark 14:60-64).
It has always been
the contention of those who trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and compose the
church that He is the God-Man. Church councils have testified to this fact
along with some of the church’s greatest theologians.
The Nicene Creed
(The First Council of Nice, A. D. 325): “We believe in one God, the
Father Almighty, the maker of all things visible and invisible; and in one Lord
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten of his Father, of the substance
of the Father, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten (gennethenta),
not made, being of one substance (omoousion, consubstantialem)
with the Father. By whom all things were made, both which be in heaven and in
earth. Who for us men and our salvation came down (from heaven) and was
incarnate and was made man. He suffered and the third day he rose again, and ascended into heaven. And He shall come again to
judge both the quick and the dead. And (we believe) in the Holy Spirit.
And whosoever shall say that there was a time when the Son of God was not (en
pote hote ouk en), or that before he was begotten he was not, or
that he was made of things that were not, or that he is of a different
substance or essence (from the Father) or that he is a creature, or subject to
change or conversion-all that so say, the Catholic and Apostolic Church
anathematizes them.”
The Council of
Chalcedon (A.D. 451): “We teach with one voice that the Son of God and our Lord
Jesus Christ is to be confessed as one and the same (Person), that He is
perfect in Godhead and perfect in manhood, very God and very man, of a
reasonable soul and (human) body consisting, consubstantial with the Father as
touching His Godhead, and consubstantial with us as touching his manhood; made
in all things like unto us, sin only excepted; begotten of His Father before
the worlds according to His Godhead; but in these last days for us men and for
our salvation born (into the world) of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God
according to His manhood. This one and the same Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son (of God) must be confessed to be in two
natures, unconfusedly, immutably, indivisibly, distinctly.”
Benjamin Warfield
(1851-1921): “These manifestations of a human and Divine consciousness simply
stand side by side in the records of our Lord's self-expression. Neither
is suppressed or even qualified by the other. If we attend only the one class we might suppose Him to proclaim Himself wholly
Divine; if only to the other we might equally easily imagine Him to be
representing Himself as wholly human. With both together before us we
perceive Him alternately speaking out of a Divine and out of a human consciousness;
manifesting Himself as all that God is and as all that man is; yet with the
most marked unity of consciousness. He, the one Jesus Christ, was to His
own apprehension true God and complete man in a unitary personal life.”
Charles Hodge
(1797-1878): “The facts which the Bible teaches concerning the person of Christ
are, first, that He was truly man, i.e., He had a perfect or complete human
nature. Hence everything that can be predicated of man (that is, of man
as man, and not of man as fallen) can be predicated of Christ. Secondly,
He was truly God, or had a perfect divine nature. Hence everything that
can be predicated of God can be predicated of Christ. Thirdly, He was one
person. The same person, self, or Ego, who said,
‘I thirst,’ said, ‘Before Abraham was, I am.’ This is the whole
doctrine of the Incarnation as it lies in the Scriptures and in the faith of
the Church” (Systematic Theology Vol. 2., pg. 380).
Lewis Sperry Chafer
(1871-1952): “Through His Incarnation Christ combined both the perfect, divine
nature of God and human nature in one Person. He was no less God because
of His humanity and no more than human as respects humanity because of the divine
being which He was. If the Logos was to become ‘flesh’ and as Immanuel be
one of the human family, there was but one way it could be done. He must
submit to a human birth. Had He suddenly appeared on earth among men as
if one of them or even been seen descending from heaven, the identity of His
person-without a human body, soul, and spirit all of
His own-could never have been established satisfactorily. It is too often
assumed that Christ began to be at the time of His birth of the virgin, whereas
He was from all eternity. From the standpoint of fact, then, humanity was
only added to Deity” (Systematic Theology, Vol. 7, pg. 196).
Let’s look at some
other claims that Jesus made where He expresses His equality with God.
John 5:17 But He
answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working. 18 For
this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more
to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling
God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.” (NASB95)
In this passage
Jesus is putting His activity on a par with the Father’s activity and thus
justifies healing on the Sabbath. Notice that He calls the Father, His Father
and not our Father. Jesus implied that while God is working, He, the Son, is
working too.
John 5:19 Therefore
Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can
do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for
whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. 20 For
the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things
that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than
these, so that you will marvel. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and
gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. 22 For not
even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, 23 so
that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not
honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to
you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and
does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” (NASB95)
Here in this
passage, Jesus warns those who accuse Him of blasphemy that they are actually hurling it at God, and that it is God who is
outraged by their treatment of Him. He claims here the right to be worshipped
as God.
John 8:58 Jesus
said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.’ 59
Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went
out of the temple.” (NASB95)
In this passage, He
declaring His preexistence in that He existed before
Abraham.
John 14:8 Philip
said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said
to him, “Have I been so long with you, and {yet} you have not come to know Me,
Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how {can} you say, ‘Show us the
Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in
Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the
Father abiding in Me does His works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and
the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.”
(NASB95)
The Lord makes
clear to Philip in this passage, His equality with the Father.
Jesus received
worship as God and accepted it, which is further evidence supporting His claim
that He is God.
Matthew 8:2 And a
leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, “Lord, if You are
willing, you can make me clean.’” (NASB95)
John 9:35 Jesus
heard that they had put him out, and finding him, He said, “Do you believe in
the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”
37 Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking
with you. 38 And he said, ‘Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped Him. 39 And Jesus
said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may
see, and that those who see may become blind.” (NASB95)
Matthew 14:33 And
those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God's
Son.” (NASB95)
Matthew 16:13 Now
when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His
disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some
{say} John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one
of the prophets. 15 He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon
Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus
said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not
reveal {this} to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 I also say to you that
you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of
Hades will not overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of
heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and
whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” 20 Then He
warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ.
(NASB95)
Jesus declared
Himself to be the final key to all the mysteries of life.
John 14:6 Jesus
said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the
Father but through Me.” (NASB95)
Jesus also made
many indirect claims to deity. For instance, He forgave the sins of people…this
is reserved for only God, yet Jesus forgave sins.
Mark 2:5 And Jesus
seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 But
some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “why
does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?”
(NASB95)
This passage
demonstrates the authority as God that Jesus exercised during His first advent.
Now, in this
article, through the Scriptures, I will present to you the various doctrines
pertaining to the unique person of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. These
include His preexistence, His humanity, His deity, His hypostatic union, His
impeccability and condescension. All of these are essential for the Christian
to understand in order to “grow in the grace and
knowledge of Jesus Christ,” which 2 Peter 3:18 commands us to do.
My prayer is that
this study will give us a greater appreciation for who our Lord is and should
cause us to draw closer to Him in a more intimate fellowship. Finally, my
prayer is that this study would also cause us to bring glory and praise to Him
and worship Him for who He is, the great God-Man Savior!
The Preexistence of
Christ
John 8:58 Jesus
said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”
(NASB95)
This statement by
our Lord to the Jews clearly affirms His preincarnate state or preexistence as
the eternal Son of God. It will be noted that Christ’s existence prior to
becoming a human being is nowhere in Scripture argued as a doctrine,
but is everywhere assumed and used as the basis of the doctrines of the
incarnation, hypostatic union and atonement for sin.
Our Lord’s birth in
Bethlehem 2000 years ago was not His origin, only His incarnation. There could
be no incarnation and hypostatic union without our Lord having a previous
existence. To deny the preexistence of our Lord renders the incarnation and
hypostatic union impossible. To go back further, could there be a Trinity were
there no preexistent Son of God? The one necessarily presupposes the other.
Christ’s preexistence is not a matter of purely academic interest but in fact
it is the foundation on which the whole superstructure of the Christian faith
rests. If our Lord is not preexistent, He cannot be God, and if He is not God,
He cannot be the Creator or Redeemer.
Jesus was unique
among men in that His birth did not mark His origin, but only His appearance as
a man on the stage of time. Of no other person would it be possible to
distinguish between His birth and origin, or to say that His life did not begin
when He was born. He was the meeting place of eternity and time, the uniting of
deity and humanity, the junction of heaven and earth. His origin was not
related to His birth, or His nature dependent only on human ancestry. His
nature was derived from His eternal being.
The Lord Jesus
Christ did not become God’s Son at the incarnation or when He rose from the
dead. His resurrection in fact demonstrated that He was the eternal Son of God
who has no beginning. He is God, supreme and without beginning.
Our Lord was
conscious of a previous existence. He spoke of the
glory He had with the Father before the foundation of the world.
John 17:5 “Now,
Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You
before the world was.” (NASB95)
He claimed
preexistence in explicit and unmistakable terms.
John 16:26 “In that
day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the
Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have
loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father. 28 I came forth
from the Father and have come into the world; I am
leaving the world again and going to the Father.” (NASB95)
Our Lord’s first
appearance on earth was not when born of His virgin mother. Every other man in
history entered life as the result of a biological process and as a new being,
but the Lord Jesus knew neither beginning of days nor end of life (Hebrews 7:3).
Old Testament
Prophets’ Testimony of the Preexistence of Christ
The Old Testament
abounds in references to our Lord’s preexistence or preincarnate state. In
these appearances He is often called the “Angel of the Lord.” They also are
called in theology, “theophanies” or “Christophanies,” which are theological
terms used to refer to either a visible or auditory manifestation or both of the Son of God before His becoming a man permanently
in Bethlehem.
The first of these
appears in Genesis 1:1 where He is presented as the Creator of the heavens and
the earth.
Genesis 1:1 In the
beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (NASB95)
“In the
beginning” refers to eternity past when there was only the Trinity and no
creation or creatures.
A comparison of
Genesis 1:1 with other Scripture clearly teaches that all of creation is the
work of the second Person of the Trinity, God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:15 He
is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by Him
all things were created, {both} in the heavens and on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things
have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in
Him all things hold together. (NASB95)
John 1:1-4 In
eternity past the Word has always existed and the Word has always existed face
to face with the God (the Father) and the Word has always existed as God. He
was in eternity past face to face with God. All things came into being through
Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In
Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. (Author’s translation)
The preincarnate
Christ appeared to the patriarch Abraham (Genesis 18:1) and his son Isaac
(Genesis 26:23-25), and Isaac’s son Jacob whose name was later changed to
Israel (Genesis 28:10-22; 31:10-13; 32:24-32; 35:1). The Lord also appeared to
Moses (Exodus 3:2) and his successor Joshua (Joshua 5:13-15). It was the Lord
who was in the fiery furnace with Daniel’s three friends (Daniel 3:19-30).
The prophet Isaiah
presents His testimony concerning the preexistence of Christ in Isaiah 9:6-7.
Isaiah 9:6 “For a
child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will
rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty
God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of
{His} government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to
establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and
forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.” (NASB95)
The
expression “the Everlasting Father” means that Jesus Christ is the
eternal Son of God in human flesh (John 8:58).
The prophet Micah
also testifies to the preexistence of Christ.
Micah 5:2 “But as
for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from
you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from
long ago, from the days of eternity.” (NASB95)
“From
the days of eternity” is an obvious reference to the fact that the baby
named Jesus by Mary in Bethlehem existed from eternity past.
The Apostle John’s
Testimony of the Preexistence of Christ
In the very first
paragraph of his gospel, the apostle John testifies to the fact that Jesus of
Nazareth, the incarnate Word of God, existed from eternity past.
John 1:1 In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He
was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and
apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was
life, and the life was the Light of men. (Author’s translation)
John 1:14 And the
Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the
only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (NASB95)
The prepositional
phrase “in the beginning” that appears in John 1:1-2 refers to eternity
past. “Word” is the noun logos, which is one of the many titles
for the Lord Jesus Christ. It denotes the fact that He reveals God to men, thus
He is the perfect and complete revelation of God. He is the perfect
manifestation of the Trinity. The Word is the personal manifestation of deity
and the life of the Trinity, which is eternal.
The noun logos
indicates that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Creator and Sustainer of the
universe (John 1:3, 10; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:3, 10). It expresses His
divine omnipotence, thus, the word indicates that the
Lord Jesus Christ is the author, sustainer and giver of life. Notice, that the
Word of God who existed from eternity past became a human being according to
John 1:14, thus making clear the preexistence of Jesus Christ.
In 1 John 1:1-4,
the apostle John teaches concerning the preexistence of Christ.
1 John 1:1 What was
from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what
we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life 2 and
the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the
eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us, 3 what we
have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have
fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His
Son Jesus Christ. 4 These things we write, so that our joy may be made
complete.” (NASB95)
“What” is
the relative pronoun hos, which should be translated “who” and
not “what” since it is a personal reference to the unique theanthropic
person of history, the Lord Jesus Christ. The figure of speech called constructio
ad sensum is in effect here where sense agreement supersedes tactical
agreement. Therefore, even though the neuter gender of the relative pronoun
does not agree with the masculine gender of logos, “Word,” and
the feminine gender of zoe, “life” it is a personal reference for
the Lord Jesus Christ. This is confirmed by the fact that John is stating that
he heard someone speak, bore witness to His words and actions, with his own
eyes, observed and even touched with his own hands.
“Was” is the verb eimi, which is used in an absolute sense
meaning “to exist.” The imperfect tense of the verb is a customary imperfect
tense, which can be used to indicate a regularly recurring activity in past
time (habitual) or a state that continued for some time (general). Here in 1
John 1:1 the latter is in view referring to an ongoing state. It indicates that
the Lord Jesus Christ has always existed from eternity past.
“From the
beginning” is composed of the preposition apo, “from” and the
genitive feminine singular form of the noun arche, “the beginning.”
The preposition apo, “from” is used in a temporal sense. It is
employed with the genitive of time arche, which refers to eternity past.
The preposition apo plus the genitive arche does not emphasize
kind of time but rather the extent of time. Together, they answer the question
as to how long the Lord Jesus Christ has existed. This prepositional phrase
declares that He has always existed from eternity past.
So we could translate
1 John 1:1 as follows: “Who has always existed from eternity past, who we
have heard, who we have witnessed with our eyes, who we observed, even our
hands touched concerning the Word who is the life (of God).”
In this passage,
the apostle John mentions the first two of three states or spheres of existence
experienced by the Lord Jesus Christ: (1) Pre-incarnate: Eternity past as the
second person of the Trinity, the Son of God. (2) Incarnate: Virgin birth through
the first advent to the resurrection. (3) Glorified Incarnate: Resurrection and
on into eternity future.
In 1 John 2:13-14
and Revelation 1:8, 21:6 and 22:13, John refers to the preexistence of his Lord
and Savior.
1 John 2:13 I am
writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the
beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the
evil one. 14 I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him
who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men,
because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have
overcome the evil one. (NASB95)
Revelation 1:8, “I
am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, Who is
and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (NASB95)
Revelation 21:6,
“And He (the Lord Jesus Christ) said to me, it is done. I am the Alpha
and the Omega, the beginning and the end.” (NASB95)
Revelation 22:13,
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the
beginning and the end.” (NASB95)
The Apostle Paul’s
Testimony Concerning the Preexistence of Christ
The apostle Paul
teaches in Philippians 2:6 that Jesus Christ existed from eternity past.
Philippians 2:5
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in
Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard
equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form
of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance
as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even
death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed
on Him the name, which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus
EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the
earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father. (NASB95)
In this passage,
the apostle presents a three-fold division of Christ’s career: (1) His
preincarnate state as the Son of God in eternity past. (2) His incarnate state
as the “Theanthropos” during His first advent. (3) His glorified state as
resurrected humanity.
Philippians 2:6-11
consists of two main sections, which are built up in parallel style. The first
section is contained in verses 6-8 and forms the “catabasis” of our Lord. This
refers to His gradual descent from existence in eternity past to His substitutionary
spiritual and physical deaths on the cross. The second section is contained in
verses 9-11 and forms the “anabasis” of our Lord. This refers to His gradual
ascent from resurrection out from the dead to the Great Genuflex at the
conclusion of human history.
These verses
express the true humility of the Lord Jesus Christ and His servanthood. The
passage emphasizes His obedience as the Last Adam in contrast to the
disobedience of the first Adam. It records a succession of events from our
Lord’s preexistence in eternity past to the incarnation, the cross and
culminating in His glorification.
Let’s look at
Philippians 2:6 in greater detail since this passage contains a verb that
denotes our Lord’s preexistence.
Philippians 2:6
who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a
thing to be grasped. (NASB95)
“Although He
existed” is the nominative masculine singular present active participle
form of the verb huparcho. This verb occurs as early as Homer in the
eighth century B.C. It is a compound word composed of the preposition hupo,
“under,” and arche, “a beginning.”
The preposition hupo
is often prefixed to other words to intensify or alter their meaning. The
prepositions apo, ek, para, and hupo all denote
“issuing, proceeding from.” As we noted in 1 John 1:1, the term arche
means “eternity past.” Huparcho is a word use to denote existence, which
proceeds or issues from eternity past.
Paul does not use
the simple verb of being here which is eimi but instead employs the stronger huparcho
to denote existence, which proceeds or issues from the beginning. The latter
denotes the inherency and expression of the divine attributes by our Lord in
His preincarnate state. It refers to eternity past in which our Lord functioned
as infinite and eternal God. The verb expresses the fact that prior to entering
the human race permanently in Bethlehem, He was the
eternal Son of God who expressed all the attributes of deity.
Lightfoot
commenting on the word, writes, “The word denotes ‘prior existence,’ but not
necessarily ‘eternal existence.’ The latter idea however follows in the
present instance from the conception of the divinity of Christ which the
context supposes”[12]
Vincent commenting
on the word’s usage in our passage, writes, “Huparchon has a backward
look into an antecedent condition, which has been protracted into the present.
Here appropriate to the preincarnate being of Christ, to which the sentence
refers. In itself it does not imply eternal, but only
prior existence.”[13]
Vine states that huparcho
“denotes to be, to be in existence, involving an existence or condition both previous to the circumstances mentioned and continuing after
it. This is important in Philippians 2:6, concerning the deity of Christ.
The phrase ‘being (existing) in the form (morphe, the essential and
specific form and character) of God,’ carries with it two facts of the
antecedent Godhood of Christ, previous to His Incarnation, and the continuance
of His Godhood at and after the event of His birth.”[14]
Kenneth Wuest makes
the following excellent comment, he writes, “The time at which the apostle says
our Lord gave expression to His essential nature, that of Deity, was previous to His coming to earth to become incarnate as the
Man Christ Jesus. But Paul, by the use of the Greek
word translated ‘being,’ informs his Greek readers that our Lord’s possession
of the divine essence did not cease to be a fact when He came to earth to
assume a human nature. The Greek word is not the simple verb of being, but a
word that speaks of an antecedent condition protracted into the present. That
is, our Lord gave expression to the essence of Deity, which He possesses, not
only before He became Man, but also after becoming Man, for He was doing so at
the time this Philippian epistle was written. To give expression to the
essence of Deity implies the possession of Deity, for this expression,
according to the definition of our word ‘form,’ comes from one’s inmost
nature. This word alone is enough to refute the claim of Modernism that
our Lord emptied Himself of His Deity when He became Man.”[15]
In Philippians 2:6,
the verb huparcho is what we call a concessive participle, which is used
by Paul to call attention to the fact that God the Son did something for us
under unfavorable circumstances, i.e., He became human! He became for a little
while lower than the angels (Hebrews 2:9).
2 Corinthians 8:9
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet
for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become
rich. (NASB95)
Hebrews 2:7 “YOU
HAVE MADE HIM FOR A LITTLE WHILE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS; YOU HAVE CROWNED HIM
WITH GLORY AND HONOR, AND HAVE APPOINTED HIM OVER THE
WORKS OF YOUR HANDS; 8 YOU HAVE PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.”
(NASB95)
The Creator left
heaven where He received the worship of angels in order to
become a human being and to suffer the humiliation of dying as a criminal on a
cross as well as spiritual and physical death! God the Son condescended by
becoming human.
The Deity of Christ
The
preexistence of Jesus of Nazareth who is called the Christ testifies to the
fact that He is infinite, eternal Son of God (John 1:1-2; John 8:58; 10:30a;
Colossians 2:9a; Rev. 1:8).
There are several
titles ascribed to Jesus Christ that signify His deity. He is called “the Son
of God” (Luke 1:35), “the Son of the Most High” (Luke
1:32), “mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6), “eternal Father” (Isaiah 9:6), “His goings
forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity” (Micah 5:2) “Lord” (Rom.
15:30; Ephesians 1:22; Phil. 2:11) and “God” (Titus 2:13).
The
Scriptures assign to Jesus Christ the same divine essence as God the Father and
God the Holy Spirit meaning that He possesses all the attributes of deity. The
Scriptures teach that He is sovereign (Matthew 28:18a; Colossians 2:10b), that
He is perfect righteousness (John 8:46a; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 7:26; 1
Peter 2:22; 1 John 2:21b) and justice (John 8:16a; 2 Tim. 4:8; Ps. 9:8; Deut.
32:4; Rev. 15:3b). Furthermore, the attribute of love is ascribed to Him (John
13:34; Rom. 5:8; Ephesians 3:19; 1 John 4:9-10) as well as eternal life (1 Tim.
1:17; 1 John 5:11), omniscience (Luke 11:17; John 2:24-25; 6:64; 21:17),
omnipresence (Matthew 18:20; Prov. 15:3), omnipotence (John 1:3, 10;
5:21; 1 Corinthians 1:23-24; Phil. 3:21; Hebrews 1:3; Rev. 1:8),
immutability (Mal. 3:6; Hebrews 1:10-12; 13:8) and veracity (John 1:14;
14:6a; 1 John 3:16).
The
Word of God presents Jesus Christ as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe
(John 1:3, 10; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:3, 10). His deity is referred to
in that He is said to have authority to forgive sins (Matthew 9:6; Luke 5:24;
Colossians 3:13). He has the power to raise the dead (John 5:21; 6:40; 11:25).
The Bible teaches
that all judgment belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ (John 5:22; 1 Corinthians
3:11-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Rev. 20:11-14), and that He receives worship from
both men and angels (Ps. 99:5; Phil. 2:10; Rev. 5:13-14) since He is equal with
the Father (John 10:30, 37-38; 14:9; 17:5, 24-25).
Fulfilled Prophecy
Testifies to the Deity of Christ
Then there is the
subject of the Old Testament Messianic prophecies that Jesus literally
fulfilled, which substantiate His claims to being God. The Old Testament was
written over a 1000 year period and contains nearly
300 references to the coming Messiah. All of these were literally fulfilled in
the Person of Jesus Christ, and they establish a solid confirmation of His
credentials as the Messiah. These Messianic prophecies extend over hundreds of
years and yet find their literal fulfillment in the short 33 ½ year life span
of one person, Jesus of Nazareth. Many of these prophecies were fulfilled in
one day. These prophecies truly accomplish the purposes of the Gospel writers
as they carefully pointed to the Person, words, and works of Christ. The early
church evangelized unbelievers by appealing to these fulfilled Messianic
prophecies, therefore, Christians today should follow suit. For these fulfilled
prophecies substantiate Christ’s claims as being the Son of God.
John 20:31 but
these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the
Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. (NASB95)
Matthew 26:56 “But
all this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures of the prophets.” (NASB95)
Luke 24:25 And He
said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the
prophets have spoken. 26 Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these
things and to enter into His glory? 27 Then beginning
with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things
concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.” (NASB95)
Luke 24:44 Now He
said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with
you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” (NASB95)
The Lord Jesus
Christ said He came to fulfill prophecy.
Matthew 5:17 “Do
not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to
abolish but to fulfill.” (NASB95)
Jesus appealed to
these Messianic prophecies many times during His ministry. These Messianic
prophecies were uttered by many different voices and over a period of five
hundred years yet they were all fulfilled within
twenty hours on the day that the Lord died for the sins of the world.
There is the
prophecy that He would be sold for thirty pieces of silver. Prophecy: Zechariah
11:12 “I said to them, ‘If it is good in your sight, give {me} my wages; but if
not, never mind.’ So they weighed out thirty {shekels}
of silver as my wages.” (NASB95)
Fulfillment:
Matthew 26:14 Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief
priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?’
And they weighed out thirty pieces of silver to him.” (NASB95)
Then we have the
prophecy that He would be betrayed by a friend.
Prophecy: Psalm
55:12 “For it is not an enemy who reproaches me, then I could bear {it;} nor is
it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me, then I could hide
myself from him. 13 But it is you, a man my equal, My
companion and my familiar friend; 14 We who had sweet fellowship together
walked in the house of God in the throng.” (NASB95)
Fulfillment:
Matthew 26:49 Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, “Hail, Rabbi.” and
kissed Him. 50 And Jesus said to him, “Friend, {do} what you have come for.’
Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized
Him.” (NASB95)
There is the
prophecy of the money cast to the potter.
Prophecy: Zechariah
11:13 Then the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter, that magnificent price
at which I was valued by them.” So I took the thirty
shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD.
(NASB95)
Fulfillment: Matthew
27:5 And he threw the pieces of silver into the sanctuary and departed; and he
went away and hanged himself. 6 And the chief priests took the pieces of silver
and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the temple treasury, since it is
the price of blood. 7 And they counseled together and with the money bought the
Potter’s Field as a burial place for strangers.” (NASB95)
The disciples
forsook Him, again true to prophecy.
Prophecy: Zechariah
13:7 “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, And against
the man, My Associate,” declares the LORD of hosts. ‘Strike the Shepherd that
the sheep may be scattered; And I will turn My hand against the little ones.’”
(NASB95)
Fulfillment: Matthew
26:56 “But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets may be
fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left Him and fled. (NASB95)
He was accused by
false witnesses.
Prophecy: Psalm
35:11 Malicious witnesses rise up; They ask me of
things that I do not know. (NASB95)
Fulfillment: Matthew
26:59 Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false
testimony against Jesus, in order that they might put Him to death; 60 and they
did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward. (NASB95)
Jesus of Nazareth
was smitten and spit upon, again another fulfillment of prophecy.
Prophecy: Isaiah
50:6 “I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck
out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting.” (NASB95)
Fulfillment: Matthew
27:30 And they spat on Him, and took the reed and
began to beat Him on the head. (NASB95)
Then there is the
prophecy that He would be dumb before His accusers.
Prophecy: Isaiah
53:7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did
not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that
is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. (NASB95)
Fulfillment: Matthew
27:12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He made
no answer. 13 Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they
testify against You?” 14 And He did not answer him with
regard to even a single charge, so that the governor was quite amazed.
(NASB95)
Isaiah prophesied
that He the Messiah would be wounded and bruised.
Prophecy: Isaiah
53:5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our
iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His
scourging we are healed. (NASB95)
Fulfillment: Matthew
27:26 Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he
delivered Him to be crucified. . . . 29 And after
weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right
hand; and they kneeled down before Him and
mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews.” (NASB95)
One thousand years
before Jesus of Nazareth appeared on the pages of history, David prophesied
that the Messiah would have His hands and feet pierced. David spoke of
crucifixion centuries before it was invented by the Persians. The Romans
perfected it.
Prophecy: Psalm
22:16 “For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me;
They pierced my hands and my feet.” (NASB95)
Fulfillment:
Luke 23:33 And when they came to the place called The Skull, there they
crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.
(NASB95)
The prophet Isaiah
wrote that the Messiah would be crucified with thieves.
Prophecy: Isaiah
53:12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide
the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death,
And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of
many, And interceded for the transgressors. (NASB95)
Fulfillment: Mark
15:27 And they crucified two robbers with Him, one on His right and one on His
left. 28 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with
transgressors.” (NASB95)
Then there is the
prophecy that people would ridicule Him.
Prophecy: Psalm
22:8 Commit yourself to the LORD; let Him deliver him; Let Him rescue him,
because He delights in him. (NASB95)
Fulfillment:
Matthew 27:41 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes
and elders, were mocking Him, and saying, 42 “He saved others; He cannot save
Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we
shall believe in Him. 43 He trusts in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He takes
pleasure in Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.” (NASB95)
There is the
prophecy in the book of Psalms that the suffering Messiah would have His
garments parted and lots would be cast for them. Again, Jesus of Nazareth
fulfilled this perfectly.
Prophecy: Psalm
22:18 They divide my garments among them, And for my
clothing they cast lots. (NASB95)
Fulfillment: John
19:23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments
and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also
the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. 24 So they said to
one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it
shall be”; this was to fulfill the Scripture: “They divided My outer garments
among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” (NASB95)
There is the
prophecy of His forsaken cry.
Prophecy: Psalm
22:1 “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are
the words of my groaning.” (NASB95)
Fulfillment:
Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice,
saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why hast Thou
forsaken Me?” (NASB95)
The
Psalms state that gall and vinegar would be given to Him.
Prophecy:
Psalm 69:21 “They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me
vinegar to drink.” (NASB95)
Fulfillment:
John 19:28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been
accomplished, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I am
thirsty.” 29 A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so
they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop, and brought it
up to His mouth. (NASB95)
Each of the
following prophecies was literally fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth.
Prophecy: Psalm
38:11 “My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague; and my kinsmen
stand afar off.” (NASB95)
Fulfillment:
Luke 23:49 And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from
Galilee, were standing at a distance, seeing these things. (NASB95)
Prophecy: Psalm
34:20 He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. (NASB95)
Fulfillment:
John 19:33, 36, but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead,
they did not break His legs; . . . 36 For these things came to pass, that the
Scripture might be fulfilled, Not a bone of Him shall
be broken. (NASB95)
Prophecy: Isaiah
53:9 His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His
death, because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth.
(NASB95)
Fulfillment:
Matthew 27:57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named
Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. 58 This man went to
Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given over
to him. 59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60
and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he
rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away.
(NASB95)
There is no way
short of being supernatural that Jesus could have manipulated the events and
people in His life to respond in exactly the way necessary for it to appear
that He was fulfilling all these prophecies, including John’s heralding Him.
So there were many
prophecies concerning the Messiah that were simply beyond the human control of
Jesus: (1) Place of birth (Mic. 5:2). (2) Time of birth (Dn. 9:25; Gen. 49:10).
(3) Manner of birth (Is. 7:14). (4) Betrayal (5) Manner of death (Ps. 22:16). (6)
People’s reactions (mocking, spitting) (7) Piercing (John 19:34) (8) Burial
(Matthew 27:59; Mark 15:46).
The following
probabilities are taken from Peter Stoner’s book entitled Science Speaks which
shows that coincidence is ruled out by the science of probability. Stoner says
that by using the modern science of probability in reference to the eight
prophecies, Stoner states the following: “We find the chance that any man might
have lived down to the present time and fulfilled all 8 prophecies is 1 in
1017…that would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000…17 zeros.
In
order to help us comprehend this staggering probability, Stoner illustrates it
by supposing that we take 1017 silver dollars and lay them on the
face of Texas. They will cover all of the state
two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass
thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel
as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is
the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same
chance that the prophets would have of writing these eight prophecies and
having them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time,
providing they wrote them according to their own wisdom.
Now these
prophecies were either given by inspiration of God or the prophets just wrote
them as they thought they should be. In such a case the prophets had just one
chance in 10 to the 17th power of having them come true in any man,
but they all came true in Christ. This means that the fulfillment of these
eight prophecies alone proves that God inspired the writing of those prophecies
to a definiteness which lacks only one chance in 10 to the 17th
power of being absolute.
The Resurrection
Demonstrated the Deity of Christ
The resurrection of
Christ was a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.
Psalm 16:10 For You
will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo
decay. (NASB95)
It is also the
greatest attested fact in all of human history and is
mentioned by secular historians as well (Tacitus, Annals, XV, 44; Josephus,
Antiquities, Book 18, chapter 3).
Tacitus writes, “Christus,
from whom the name (Christians) had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty
during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius
Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment broke
out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where
all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre
and become popular.”[16]
Josephus writes,
“Now, there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him
a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works-a teacher of such men as receive
the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and
many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of
the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved
him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the
third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other
wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from
him, are not extinct at this day.”[17]
Talmud states, “On
the eve of Passover Yeshu was hanged. For forty days before the execution took
place, a herald went forth and cried, ‘He is going forth to be stoned because
he has practiced sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy. Any
one who can say anything in his favor let him come forward and plead on
his behalf.’ But since nothing was brought forward in his favor he was hanged
on the eve of the Passover.”
Paul taught in 1
Corinthians 15:3-4, the resurrection of our Lord from the dead is a fundamental
doctrine of the Christian faith at the very heart of the gospel.
1 Corinthians 15:3
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ
died for our sins according to the Scriptures 4 and that He was buried, and
that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. (NASB95)
The resurrection is
fundamental to the gospel because it demonstrates that Jesus of Nazareth is in
fact God. It demonstrated the substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths of
our Lord were acceptable to the Father as the atonement for sin. The resurrection
of Jesus from the dead was central to the preaching of the apostles, who were
witnesses of His resurrection (see Acts 2:24, 32; 3:15, 26; 4:10; 5:30; 10:40;
13:30, 33, 34, 37; 17:31).
Only one
resurrection has taken place in human history-the humanity of our Lord Jesus
Christ. He was the first fruits in resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:23). There
were only resuscitations prior to the humanity of Christ’s resurrection.
The following is a
list of those who were resuscitated in both the Old and New Testaments: (1)
Elijah and “the widow’s son” (1 Kings 17:17-24). (2) “The daughter of Jairus”
was resuscitated by our Lord (Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-26; Luke 8:41-56). (3)
“The widow’s son” was resuscitated by our Lord” (Luke 7:11-18). (4) “Lazarus”
was resuscitated by our Lord after being dead for 4 days (John 11:1-44). (5)
“Paul” was resuscitated after being stoned at Lystra (Acts 14:19-20; 2
Corinthians 12:2-4). (6) Paul resuscitated “Eutychus” who died after falling
out of a 3rd floor window sill because fell asleep
during one of Paul’s doctrine classes (Acts 20:7-12).
Jesus never
predicted His death without adding that He would rise again. Look at the list
of Scriptures in which Jesus predicted His resurrection: Matthew 12:38-40;
16:21; 17:9, 22-23; 20:18-19; 26:32; 27:63; Mark 8:31-9:1; 9:10, 31; 10:32-34;
14:28, 58; Luke 9:22-27; John 2:18-22; 12:34; chapters 14-16. Jesus not only
predicted His resurrection but also emphasized that His rising from the dead
would be the “sign” to authenticate his claims as being the Messiah (John
2:13-22).
Our Lord declared
openly that He was the resurrection (John 14:6).
John 11:25 Jesus
said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will
live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never
die. Do you believe this?” (NASB95)
The apostles
confirmed that He had risen from the dead on the third day (Acts 1:22; 2:24,
32; 3:15).
The resurrection of
Christ demonstrated to all that He was indeed who He claimed to be, namely, the
incarnate Son of God (Romans 1:1-4).
Romans 1:1 Paul, a
slave owned by Christ who is Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the
gospel originating from God, 2 which He promised beforehand through His
prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 concerning His Son, who was born as a
descendant of David with respect to His human nature. 4 The One demonstrated as
the Son of God by means of divine power with respect to a nature characterized
by holiness because of the resurrection from the dead ones, Jesus Christ, our
Lord. (Author’s translation)
Neither the Romans
nor the Jews could produce the body of our Lord to disclaim what the apostles
were proclaiming to the world. It was in the interests of these two groups to
put an end to such talk by simply producing the body which they could not since
He had in fact risen from the dead. Not even a guard of Roman soldiers
protecting the tomb could prevent the resurrection of Christ.
The tomb of our
Lord was owned by Joseph of Arimathea who was rich and was sealed with large
rock by the Romans at the request of the leaders of the Jews in
order to prevent the theft of the body by the disciples (Matthew
27:62-66). Even our Lord’s enemies remembered Him distinctly saying that He
would rise from the dead on the third day. Pilate’s own soldiers were sent to
perform the task of protecting the tomb (Matthew 28:14). These hardened Roman
soldiers were terrified by the angel who rolled away the large rock which had
sealed the tomb from entry on that Sunday morning of our Lord’s resurrection
(Matthew 28:4).
In fact some of the guard went into the city of Jerusalem to
report the resurrection of Christ (Matthew 28:11-15). In Matthew’s day it was
common knowledge in Jerusalem that these Roman soldiers had witnessed the
angels rolling away the great rock which sealed the tomb and had accepted a
bribe from the Jews to keep quiet about the resurrection (Matthew 28:15). It
was the guards that spread the lie that the body had been stolen.
The foundation of
Christianity is built upon the resurrection of Christ since the integrity of
our Lord is at issue and as attested by many witnesses He did rise from the
dead as He said He would (Acts 1:22; 4:2, 33; 17:18; 23:6; 1 Corinthians
15:14).
Christianity stands
or falls with the resurrection of Christ. If Jesus Christ didn’t rise from the
dead, then He is the greatest deceiver of all time. If He did rise from the
dead, then He is indeed the Son of God and we are
obligated to worship and adore Him as our Lord and Savior. If the resurrection
of Christ never took place, then as Paul says we as Christians are of all
people to be most pitied (1 Co. 15:15-23).
The Lord Jesus
Christ has three credentials: (1) Impact of His life through His miracles and
teachings upon history (2) Fulfilled prophecy in His life (3) His resurrection.
During His ministry, He pointed to the sign of His resurrection as His single
most important credential. He boldly declared even to His enemies that He would
rise from the dead. He said something only a fool would dare say. No founder of
any world religion known to men ever dared say a thing like that! But Jesus
did!
Christ predicted
His resurrection in an unmistakable and straightforward manner. His disciples
didn’t understand the fact that He had to suffer and rise again, but His
enemies, the Jews took His assertions quite seriously (Matthew 27:62-66).
Think about this
for a minute regarding Jesus’ claims of rising from the dead. If you or I
should say to any group of friends that we expected to die, either by violence
or naturally, at a certain time, but that, three days after death, we would
rise again, we would be quietly taken away by friends, and confined to an
institution until we got our act together. You would have to be a fool to make
the claims that Jesus made unless you knew without a doubt that this was going
to take place.
Only someone who
was the Son of God could know these things about Himself and make the claims
that Jesus made! Paul said that the resurrection demonstrated to all that Jesus
Christ was indeed who He claimed to be, the incarnate Son of God (Romans
1:1-4).
C.S. Lewis wrote,
“A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be
a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic-on a level with the man who
says he is a poached egg-or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make
your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or
something worse.”[18]
William Lane Craig
states: “Without belief in the resurrection the Christian faith could not have
come into being. The disciples would have remained crushed and defeated men.
Even had they continued to remember Jesus as their beloved teacher, his crucifixion
would have forever silenced any hopes of His being the Messiah. The cross would
have remained the sad and shameful end of His career. The origin of
Christianity therefore hinges on the belief of the early disciples that God
raised Jesus from the dead”[19]
The apostles always
appealed to the resurrection of Christ when evangelizing (cf. Acts 2:14-41).
Not merely is the resurrection of Christ the principle
theme of apostles’ message but if that doctrine were removed from their
message, there would be no doctrine left. If you remove the doctrine of the
resurrection of Christ from the Bible, everything else in the Bible is
meaningless.
For
the resurrection is considered as being: (1) The explanation of Jesus’ death
(2) Prophetically anticipated as the Messianic experience (3) Apostolically
witnessed (4) The cause of the Baptism of the Spirit (5) Certifying the
Messianic and Kingly position of Jesus of Nazareth.
The
resurrection of Christ is the doctrine that turned the world upside down in the
first century that lifted Christianity above Judaism and the pagan religions of
the Mediterranean world. The resurrection of Christ is of critical, practical
importance because it completes our salvation.
What
are the consequences of such an event in history? It is the concrete, factual,
empirical proof that life has hope and meaning. With the resurrection of
Christ, God defeated through His Son our greatest enemies as human beings: sin,
Satan and spiritual and physical death!
Without the
resurrection Jesus’ claims as the Messiah would not be established. Without the
resurrection there would still be no fulfillment of the prophecies concerning
the Messiah’s suffering and glory. Without the resurrection the Baptism of the
Spirit would not have taken place.
If the
resurrection of Christ is not historic fact, then the power of death remains
unbroken, and with it the effect of sin and the significance of Christ’s death
remains uncertified, and accordingly believers are yet in their sins, precisely
where they were before they heard the name of Jesus. There is no hope for this
lost and dying world under the deceptions of the Devil if Christ did not rise
from the dead.
If
Christ has not risen, then we are not justified before God for Christ has been
raised for our justification according to Romans 4:25. If Christ has not risen,
then we will not rise from the dead according to Romans 8:11, and if we will
not rise from the dead, then we have no hope.
The
book of Acts records the proclamation of the resurrection of Christ as its
central fact. The New Testament epistles and the book of Revelation are
meaningless unless Christ did indeed rise from the dead. The resurrection of
Christ has been and always be the central tenet of the church. It is one of the
most fundamental doctrines to the Christian faith. As W. Robertson
Nicoll states that “The empty tomb of Christ has been the cradle of the
church.”
From
her infancy, the church has not only believed in the resurrection of Christ,
but that her whole existence is totally dependent upon it. Without faith in the
resurrection of Christ there would be no Christianity at all. Christianity
stands or falls with the truth of the resurrection. If you can disprove the
resurrection of Christ, then you have destroyed Christianity.
Resurrection of
Jesus Christ is Supported by Evidence and Witnesses
Christianity
is based upon the historical fact of the resurrection of Christ. It is based
upon facts and these facts are verified by eyewitnesses that testify as to it
taking place. The resurrection of Christ is either the greatest miracle of
history or the greatest delusion which history records.
The
meaning of the resurrection of Christ is a theological matter. The resurrection
of Christ is an event in history.
The
nature of the resurrection body of Christ might be a mystery but the fact that
the body disappeared from the tomb is a matter to be decided upon by historical
evidence.
Here
are the basic facts surrounding Christ’s death and resurrection: (1) Jesus was
a Jew crucified by the Romans in the 1st century. (2) There is a vast mass of
literature that tells us that Jesus was a historical person. (3) He was
condemned by the Jewish Sanhedrin who then handed Him over to be executed by
the Romans. (4) Pontius Pilate passed the death sentence. (5) Jesus died at 3pm
in the afternoon at the Jewish Passover, the 14th day of the Jewish month of
Nisan (April). (6) The body of Jesus was placed in a tomb near the crucifixion
site, which was owned by a friend of Jesus. (7) The Romans soldiers verified
that Jesus was dead by thrusting a spear into Jesus side, which pierced His
heart, which released blood and water from the heart. (8) The Jews requested of
Pilate that he seal the tomb and place a guard over it to prevent the disciples
of Jesus from taking the body. (9) The place where Christ’s body was laid is a
specific geographical location near Jerusalem. (10) The man who owned the tomb
was a man living in the 1st half of the 1st century. (11) Jesus was buried
according to the Jewish custom of burying dead bodies. (12) The tomb was
composed of rock in a hillside near Jerusalem. (13) There are many witnesses
who claim to have seen Jesus on the 3rd day after His death. (14) The disciples
went out and proclaimed that Jesus had risen. (15) The disciples were men among
men, they were historical individuals. (16) The tomb of Jesus was sealed with a
large bolder. (17) The disciples of Jesus were not expecting His resurrection.
(18) The enemies of Jesus understood His claims that He would rise again
therefore they placed a seal on the tomb and assigned a Roman Guard to prevent
the body of Jesus from leaving the tomb. (19) The tomb of Jesus was empty on
the 3rd Day after His death. (20) The Seal on the tomb was broken and rolled
away from the tomb of Jesus. (21) Grave clothes of Jesus were found undisturbed
in the tomb by His disciples. (22) The enemies of Christ could not produce the
body of Jesus in order to refute the claims of Jesus’
disciples that He rose from the dead. (23) The Jewish Sanhedrin bribed the
Roman soldiers to say that the disciples of Jesus stole the body.
The resurrection of
Christ is an historical fact of history that can be verified by eyewitnesses:
(1) Disciples of Christ (Luke 24:9-11; Acts 1:1-3; 21-22; 2:23-24; 31-32;
3:14-15; 10:39-41; 13:29-39) (2) Roman Guard Protecting the Tomb of Jesus
(Matthew 27:62-66; 28:11-15) (3) Enemies of Christ (Matthew 28:11-15; Acts 2).
The
resurrection of Christ can be verified by evidence: (1) The Empty Tomb (John
20:2-9) (2) The Stone (Matthew 28:1-4; Mark 16:1-4; Luke 24:2) (3) Seal
(Matthew 27:62-66). (4) The Grave Clothes (John 20:2-9) (5) The Roman Guard
(Matthew 27:57-60; 28:11-15; Mark 15:42-45; Luke 23:50-52; John 19:38). (6) The
Silence of the Enemies of Christ at Pentecost (Acts 2) (7) The Transformed
Lives of the Disciples of Jesus (8) The Existence of the Christian Church (9)
The Observance of the First Day of the Week (Sunday) as the Lord’s Day (10)
Christ’s Appearances (500 on more than one occasion: 1 Corinthians 15:1-8;
Peter 1 Corinthians 15:5; 2 on the way to Emmaus Luke 24:13-15; 11 apostles
John 20:24-28; Paul Acts 9).
Luke
alludes to this preponderance of incontrovertible evidence and eyewitnesses in
Acts 1:1-3. The proclamation of the resurrection of Jesus could have not been
maintained in Jerusalem for a single day, for a single hour, if the emptiness
of the tomb had not been established as a fact for all concerned.
The
burden of proof rests not upon those who proclaim the resurrection as a
historical fact but rather the burden of proof rests upon those who either deny
that the tomb was found empty, or attempt to explain
the absence of the Lord’s body by some other rationale.
Remember
the enemies of Christ went to extraordinary lengths to ensure the fact that the
body of Jesus would not leave the tomb on the third day. The fact that the body
of Jesus was not in the tomb despite the extreme security measures by our
Lord’s enemies was indisputable evidence that He had risen.
The
last thing the enemies of Christ wanted was to have His body leave that tomb
and yet it did! Neither the Romans nor the Jews could produce the body of our
Lord to disclaim what the apostles were proclaiming to the world. It was in the
interests of these two groups to put an end to such talk by simply producing
the body which they could not since He had in fact risen from the dead.
The
four gospels agree that Jesus’ body was placed in a tomb after His crucifixion
and that on the third day it was empty. Even our Lord’s enemies could not
dispute that the tomb was empty. Our Lord’s enemies could have simply disproved
the resurrection of Christ and stop all the talk in Jerusalem concerning it if
they could have simply produced the body, which they knew they could not. They
didn’t even attempt to arrest the apostles in order to
obtain it because they trusted in the veracity of the Roman soldiers who were
under the command of Pilate himself. The silence of the Jewish leaders is as
significant as the boldness of speech by our Lord’s disciples.
The
grave clothes were undisturbed in the tomb thus incontrovertible evidence that
our Lord’s body was not stolen by grave robbers since they would not take the
time to make sure everything was in proper order because of time constraints to
commit such a crime.
The
gospels describe an orderly scene, not one of confusion that would have
resulted had the grave clothes been torn from the body. That something
extraordinary had taken place is shown by the fact that John “saw and
believed” (John 20:8).
The
five written accounts (the 4 Gospels and 1 Corinthians 15) tell of ten
different appearances by Jesus after the Resurrection, five on the first day,
five more spread over forty days, then an abrupt cessation.
Acts
1:1 The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do
and teach, 2 until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the
Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. 3 To these He also
presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs,
appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things
concerning the kingdom of God. (NASB95)
In Acts 1:3, Luke
tells us that Jesus showed Himself alive by many infallible proofs (en
pollois tekmeriois). This is an expression in the Greek, which indicates
the strongest type of legal evidence. The Greek word for “proofs” is the noun tekmerion.
It is a hapax legomenon in the New Testament meaning it appears only once in
this body of literature, namely, Acts 1:3. It is found
in secular Greek from Herodotus to the second century A.D.
Tekmerion refers to “that
which causes something to be known as verified or confirmed.”
The
word indicates “something that is surely and plainly known, indisputable
evidence, a proof.”
So what Luke is
telling Theopholis is that the resurrection of Christ “was surely and plainly
known, and that there is indisputable evidence that supports that this event
took place.” Therefore, the resurrection of Christ is an event within history.
At no point within the New Testament is there any evidence that the Christians
stood for an original philosophy of life or an original ethic. Their sole
function was to bear witness to what they claimed to have taken place, namely,
the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Consider this: Have
you noticed that in the book of Acts there is an enormous amount of emphasis
upon the resurrection of Christ but not a single reference to an empty tomb.
The Gospels record that fact.
Now,
why is there no mention of an empty tomb when the apostles evangelized in the
book of Acts? Simply this: There was no point in arguing about the empty tomb.
Everyone, friend and foe alike knew that it was empty. The only questions worth
arguing about were why it was empty and what its emptiness proved. In Acts 2,
did you notice that there was no refutation given by the Jews to Peter’s bold
proclamation that Jesus had risen from the dead. Why not? They knew the tomb
was empty and they could not deny this fact.
Now
remember this: The empty tomb does not prove the resurrection, but it does
present two distinct alternatives: The empty tomb was either an act of divine
power or a human one. There really is only one to choose from.
The
enemies of Jesus had no motive for removing the body. The friends of Jesus had
not power to do so. It would have been to the advantage of the authorities that
the body should remain where it was. The view that the apostles stole the body
is impossible. Therefore, the power that removed the body of the Savior from
the tomb must have been divine.
Thomas
Arnold, was for 14 years the famous headmaster of Rugby, author of the famous
3-volume History of Rome, appointed to the chair of modern history at Oxford,
and one well acquainted with the value of evidence in determining historical
facts, states the following: “The evidence for our Lord’s life and death and
resurrection may be, and often has been, shown to be satisfactory; it is good
according to the common rules for distinguishing good evidence from bad.
Thousands and tens of thousands of persons have gone through it piece by piece,
as carefully as every judge summing up on a most important cause. I have myself
done it many times over, not persuade others but to satisfy myself. I have been
used for many years to study the histories of other times, and to examine and
weigh the evidence of those who have written about them, and I know of no one
fact in the history of mankind which is proved by better and fuller evidence of
every sort, to the understanding of a fair inquirer, than the great sign which
God hath given us that Christ died and rose again from the dead”[20]
Former Chief
Justice of England, Lord Darling states: “we, as Christians, are asked to take
a very great deal on trust; the teachings, for example, and the miracles of
Jesus. If we had to take all on trust, I, for one, should be skeptical. The
crux of the problem of whether Jesus was, or was not, what He proclaimed
Himself to be, must surely depend upon the truth or otherwise of the
resurrection. On that greatest point we are not merely asked to have faith. In
its favor as living truth there exists such overwhelming evidence, positive and
negative, factual and circumstantial, that no intelligent jury in the world could
fail to bring in a verdict that the resurrection story is true.”
The People vs.
Jesus of Nazareth
Picture
yourself a member of a jury, preparing to decide one of the oldest cases in the
history of jurisprudence: The People vs. Jesus of Nazareth. The case has to do
with the claims of Jesus of Nazareth that He died and rose from the dead. The
people have been prosecuting this case based upon one of three theories:
The
“Swoon theory” contends that Jesus did not actually die on the cross but was in
such a state of exhaustion due to loss of strength and blood that he “swooned”
into a coma. In that coma-like state, they contend that he was believed to be
dead but when placed in the dampness of the tomb, He was revived and then
somehow pushed the stone away and slipped out into the night, unnoticed by
anyone. He then appeared to His followers, claiming to have been raised
miraculously when actually He had fallen into a coma.
The
“Kidnap theory” contends that Jesus did actually die
but in the middle of the night someone came and took His body. While unseen by
the soldiers who were guarding the tomb, this alleged kidnapper
or kidnappers broke the Roman seal and pushed the stone back and stole the body
and hid it where it would never be found. The disciples they allege claimed
that Jesus was raised because the tomb was empty, when all along, His body was
kidnapped.
The
“Hallucination theory” contends that the disciples of Jesus were
“hallucinating” that they saw Jesus raised from the dead and were actually seeing an apparition or a ghost. In other words,
this theory states that the claims of Jesus’ disciples that He was raised were
simply a figment of their imaginations.
These
three theories are the prosecution’s case but now its time to hear the defense.
The
attorneys for the defense are Matthew (Matthew 27:50), Mark (Mark 15:37), Luke
(Luke 23:46) and John (John 19:30), the four gospel writers who offer
eyewitness testimony that Jesus did in fact die physically. Their case contends
that Jesus did actually die and did not swoon or was
kidnapped and that they were not hallucinating when they saw Jesus three days
after His death.
Now,
some would say the testimony of these men was biased so the defense calls to
the stand the centurion, the Roman soldier in charge of the squad that
crucified Jesus of Nazareth.
Mark
15:39 When the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way
He breathed His last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
(NASB95)
Let’s
call to the witness stand the other soldiers in the crucifixion detail.
John
19:31 Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies
would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day),
asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken
away. 32 So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of
the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him; 33 but coming to
Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34
But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood
and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is
true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe.
(NASB95)
Let’s
now call to the witness stand those who belonged to the burial party of Jesus
of Nazareth.
John
19:38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a
secret {one} for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the
body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he
came and took away His body. 39 Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night,
also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds
{weight}. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings
with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. (NASB95)
The
body of Jesus was wrapped in eight-inch to one-foot-width strips of linen that
were wrapped tightly by the gummy consistency of the spices. During the
wrapping, the spices were pushed into the folds so that ultimately the body was
encased in a hardened wrapping of linen, from the shoulders to the ankles.
The
head was wrapped in a face cloth that was wrapped about the top of the head and
tied under the jaw to keep the jaw from sagging. This preparation of the body
in this manner would have left the appearance of Jesus’ body looking like an
Egyptian mummy. These men who prepared the body of Jesus would never have
wrapped the burial clothes around Jesus and laid Him in the tomb if there was
the slightest sign of life in Him. Therefore, as a jury member, you have heard
the eyewitness testimony as to the death of Jesus, which refutes the so-called
“Swoon Theory.”
Now,
with the death of Jesus of Nazareth firmly established, we come to the
cornerstone of the defense’s case: the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.
John
19:41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the
garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 Therefore because of
the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus
there. (NASB95)
The
tomb was a cave, one of many that pockmarked the area around Jerusalem. A large
one ton stone, circular in shape, was rolled in front
of the entrance to the tomb and was set into an inclined groove leading down to
the mouth of this opening. The stone was held in place, away from the opening
by a wedge at the bottom and when the burial preparations were completed, the
wedge was removed, allowing the pull of gravity to roll the stone into place,
sealing the opening of the cave, which kept the body safe from would be robbers
or wild animals.
In the
burial of Jesus, extra precaution was taken because of the insistence of the
chief priests and the Pharisees. The Romans placed a seal on the tomb and
posted a guard to insure that no fanatical follower of
Jesus would try to steal the body. The enemies of Jesus did not want an empty
tomb since that would verify Jesus’ promise that He would rise from the dead.
In
this regard, let’s call Mary Magdalene to the witness stand who is another
eyewitness.
John
20:1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb,
while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb.
(NASB95)
The
displaced stone and broken seal is the first piece of
historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, which brings us
to the second piece of evidence for the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth,
namely the empty tomb.
John
20:2 So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus
loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we
do not know where they have laid Him.” 3 So Peter and the other disciple went
forth, and they were going to the tomb. 4 The two were running together; and
the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first 5 and
stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not
go in. 6 And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and
he saw the linen wrappings lying there 7 and the face-cloth which had been on
His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by
itself. 8 So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also
entered, and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they
did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.
(NASB95)
Now,
the prosecution would jump up and state that Mary stated that she thought
someone took the body away, which leads us to three possible alternatives in
answering the question as to why the tomb was empty. The first possibility is
that Jesus was really alive and got out of the tomb under His own strength but this would have been a physical impossibility
for a man to roll back the one ton stone from inside the cave, especially for a
man who had just suffered through a crucifixion.
The
second possibility is that Jesus was dead, and somebody took the body and hid
it somewhere. There are only two groups of individuals who could have moved the
body, namely, Jesus’ friends or His enemies. The last thing the enemies of
Jesus wanted was for His body to leave the tomb and in fact, all their efforts
with the extra security precautions around the tomb give every indication that
they did not want to remove the body from the tomb.
Also,
if the enemies of Jesus removed the body then why
didn’t they produce the body when the disciples of Jesus proclaimed He had
risen from the dead. So if the enemies of Jesus did
not take His body then that leaves only one alternative, His disciples, which
is exactly what the Pharisees claimed but the disciples of Jesus, were
terrified of the Jewish and Roman authorities. In fact, the only apostle that
was at the crucifixion was John. Peter had denied three times of ever knowing
the Lord, thus, the disciples could never have
overpowered the Roman soldiers and took the body of Jesus Christ from the tomb.
Matthew
28:2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord
descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. 3 And
his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 The
guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the
women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has
been crucified.” 6 He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see
the place where He was lying. 7 Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has
risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there
you will see Him; behold, I have told you. 8 And they left the tomb quickly
with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus
met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and
worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word
to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.” 11
Now
while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported
to the chief priests all that had happened. 12 And when they had assembled with
the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the
soldiers, 13 and said, “You are to say,
‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’ 14 And
if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you
out of trouble.” 15 And they took the money and did as they had been
instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this
day. (NASB95)
So we see that the second theory that the disciples of Jesus took the body
was a story falsified by Jesus’ enemies. Now, we come to exhibit three, namely,
the grave clothes, the most tangible, material evidence.
John
20:3 So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the
tomb. 4 The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster
than Peter and came to the tomb first 5 and stooping and looking in, he saw
the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. 6 And so Simon Peter
also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen
wrappings lying there 7 and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not
lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 So the
other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw
and believed. (NASB95)
The
first “saw” in verse five is the Greek verb blepo, which denotes
a casual glance whereas the next “saw” in verse six is the verb theoreo,
which indicates a careful observation of details. What Peter observed carefully
was that the grave clothes, the hardened mummy-like wrappings were still
intact. This gave the appearance that a body was still within the wrappings,
revealing the contour of Jesus’ body, but they were like a hollow cocoon and
the head cloth was shaped as though still wrapped around a head, but there was
no head.
The
third “saw” in verse eight is the verb eidon, which means that
John had come to an understanding that Jesus had risen from the dead as the
result of perceiving the grave clothes.
Now to
solidify the case of the defense we have over five hundred eyewitnesses who
state that they saw Jesus alive after His death including the apostles.
1
Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also
received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that
He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the
Scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 After that
He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain
until now, but some have fallen asleep; 7 then He appeared to James, then to
all the apostles; 8 and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me
also. (NASB95)
The
fact that over five hundred people claimed to have seen Jesus of Nazareth
raised from the dead destroys the “hallucination” argument presented in this
case since it is highly unlikely that all these people could have been
hallucinating. Not only do we have the testimony of eyewitnesses recorded in
the Word of God but also the testimony of changed and transformed lives of
innumerable individuals throughout the centuries, up to this very day, both men
and women, of all races and backgrounds.
Therefore,
since you have heard the eyewitness testimony and the presentation of evidence,
what is your verdict? If you are an unbeliever, your response to the testimony
of the witnesses and evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ should be
one of faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16-18; Acts 16:30-31). If you are already
a believer, your response to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ should
be one of obedience and total commitment to Him (Mark 12:30).
Order of Events in
the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
First
in the order of events of the resurrection of our Lord is Mary Magdalene, Mary
the mother of James, and Salome start for the tomb (Luke 23:55-24:1). Then they
find the stone, which was used by the Romans to seal the tomb, had been rolled
away (Luke 24:2-9). This is followed by Mary Magdalene going to inform the
disciples (John 20:1-2).
Next,
Mary, the mother of James, draws near the empty tomb and sees the angel
(Matthew 28:1-2). She then goes back to meet the other women following with
spices. Meanwhile Peter and John arrive, look in and depart (John 20:3-10).
Mary Magdalene returns weeping, and then sees two angels, then Jesus Himself
(John 20:11-18). The risen Christ bids her to tell the disciples (John
20:17-18). Mary (mother of James) meanwhile returns with the women (Luke
24:1-4). They return and see the two angels (Luke 24:5; Mark 16:5). They also
hear the angel’s message that Christ has risen as He said He would (Matthew
28:6-8). On their way to find the disciples, they are also met by the
resurrected Christ (Matthew 28:9-10).
The
Scriptures describe fifteen post-resurrection appearances by the resurrected
Christ. There are a great variety of witnesses to the resurrection of Christ.
Both men and women were witnesses to the fact that He had risen. He appeared
before large groups to individuals as well as small intimate gatherings of
individuals.
The
Lord Jesus appeared to one person (e.g. Peter 1 Corinthians 15:5), to two on
the way to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-15), to the eleven (John 20:24-28), and on one
occasion to more than five hundred (1 Corinthians 15:6).
Especially
important is Paul also known as Saul of Tarsus who was the greatest enemy of
the early church. He was an intelligent and well-educated man and one with a
bias against the Christians. But he is emphatic that he saw the risen Jesus,
and this certainty altered the whole course of his subsequent life of suffering
and persecutions. Importantly Paul made the claim early, for his letters, the
oldest available documents that record this claim, were written within twenty
or thirty years of Jesus’ death.
Paul
says that “most” of the five hundred to whom Jesus appeared were still
alive (1 Corinthians 15:6), thus they could be interrogated as to the veracity
of such a claim. That there is no evidence of any serious attempt to refute the
testimony to the resurrection of Christ is significant.
Chronology
of the Post-Resurrection Appearances of Christ: (1) Mary Magdalene (John
20:14-18; Mark 16:9). (2) The women returning from the tomb (Matthew 28:8-10).
(3) Peter later on the day of the resurrection (Luke
24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5). (4) The disciples going to Emmaus in the evening
(Luke 24:13-31). (5) The apostles (except Thomas) (Luke 24:36-45; John
20:19-24). (6) The apostles a week later (Thomas present) (John 20:24-29). (7)
In Galilee to the 7 by the Lake of Tiberius (John 21:1-23). (8) In Galilee on a
mountain to the apostles and 500 believers (1 Corinthians 15:6). (9) At
Jerusalem and Bethany again to James (1 Corinthians 15:7). (10) To the 11
disciples (Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:14-20; Luke 24:33-53; Acts 1:3-12). (11)
At Olivet and the ascension (Acts 1:3-12). (12) To Paul near Damascus (Acts
9:3-6; 1 Corinthians 15:8). (13) To Stephen outside Jerusalem (Acts 7:55). (14)
To Paul in the temple (Acts 22:17-21; 23:11). (15) To John on the island of
Patmos (Rev. 1:10-19).
There
evidently were more appearances that the Scriptures do not record but which are
implied by John at the end of his gospel since our Lord gave the disciples many
infallible proofs that He had indeed risen from the dead (John 21:25).
The Resurrection of
Jesus Christ Makes Christianity Unique
The
resurrection of Christ makes Christianity distinct from Buddhism, or Islam or
any other religion on the face of the earth. The original accounts of Buddha
never ascribe to him any such thing as a resurrection. In fact
the earliest accounts of his death, we read that when Buddha died it was “with
that utter passing away in which nothing whatever remains.”
Mohammed
died on June 8, 632 A.D. at the age of 61, at Medina, where his tomb is
annually visited by thousands of devout Mohammedans. All the millions and
millions of Jews, Buddhists and Mohammedans agree that their founders have
never come up out of the dust of the earth in resurrection.
The
resurrection sharply distinguishes Jesus of Nazareth from all other religious
founders. The bones of Abraham and Muhammad and Buddha and Confucius and
Lao-Tzu and Zoraster are still here on earth.
You
might say well many individuals have died for their religion such as the
Muslims. When a member of Islam dies for his religion
it is in vain whereas when the Christian dies for the sake of Jesus Christ it
is not in vain. Why? Simply the Christian dies for someone, namely Jesus Christ
who rose from the dead. The member of Islam cannot make that claim.
The
difference between a member of Islam dying for his religion and the Christian
dying for his, is that the Christian’s faith is based upon an historical
Person, Jesus Christ, who died and has risen from the dead whereas the member
of Islam cannot make that claim.
The
Christian dies for that which he knows to be true and what he knows to be true
is based upon factual historical evidence. The same cannot be said of those who
belong to the Islamic faith or any other religion on the face of the earth.
The
resurrection of Christ lends credibility to the Christian’s faith in Jesus.
Christianity, whose basis is that of the resurrection of Christ, is not a blind
faith, but rather it is a faith based upon verifiable factual evidence and
witnesses.
The Effect of the
Resurrection of Christ on His Disciples
The
tomb of Jesus is empty. How else can we account for the transformation of the
apostles? Before the resurrection of Christ, His disciples were a frightened
lot, who for the exception of John were not even there at the cross when He was
crucified. They denied ever knowing Him as in the case of Peter according to
Matthew 26:69-75. They were huddled behind lock doors in fear and confusion
according to John 20:19. But after the resurrection, they were transformed.
They were courageous, and willing to give their lives for the Man from Nazareth
according to Acts 4:1-13 and many other passages.
After
the resurrection, the apostles were confident, embarking on massive missionary
projects so that they evangelized the entire Roman Empire. What could account
for this transformation? No doubt, it was the resurrection of Christ. Something
happened to them that so utterly transformed their innermost being. They became
courageous martyrs, rejoicing as ambassadors for Christ. They were not afraid
of death since their Lord had risen from the dead.
The Omnipotence of
God and the Resurrection of Christ
The omnipotence of
God the Holy Spirit raised Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ from the dead (Rom.
1:4; 8:11). The same divine power that raised Him from the dead will raise the
Christian from the dead at the rapture of the Church.
The
Lord Jesus Christ was trichotomous: (1) Body (2) Soul (3) Spirit. Therefore,
His death was unique: (1) His physical body went to the grave (Luke 23:50-53).
(2) His human spirit went to heaven (Luke 23:46; John 19:30). (3) His human
soul went into Paradise a compartment of Hades (Luke 23:43; Acts 2:27; 2:31;
Ephesians 4:9).
God
the Father and God the Holy Spirit are agents in the resurrection. The Lord was
brought back from the dead by three categories of divine power: (1) Omnipotence
of God the Father sent back Jesus Christ’s human spirit to the body in the
grave (Acts 2:24; Rom. 6:4; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 2:12; 1 Thess. 1:10; 1
Peter 1:21). (2) Omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit sent back His human soul to
the body in the grave (Rom. 1:4; 8:11; 1 Peter 3:18). (3) Omnipotence of God
the Son raised His physical body from the grave (John 6:39-40, 54 10:17-18).
Romans 10:9 Teaches
That Faith in the Resurrection is An Acknowledgement of the Deity of Christ
In
Romans 10:9, the apostle Paul teaches that if the Jew acknowledges with his
mouth to the Father that Jesus is Lord, which is equivalent to believing in his
heart that the Father raised him from the dead, then the Jew will receive
eternal salvation. This passage teaches that to acknowledge with one’s mouth to
the Father that Jesus is Lord, i.e. God is the same as believing in one’s heart
that the Father raised Jesus from the dead since the resurrection demonstrated
the deity of Christ and faith alone in Christ alone is the only way to receive
eternal life. A person can only be saved if he or she acknowledges the deity of
Christ and to do so one must believe in the resurrection since Romans 1:4
teaches that the resurrection demonstrates the deity of Christ. So Romans 10:9 lends further support for the deity of
Christ.
In
Romans 10:9, Paul is teaching the mechanics of how the Jew can get saved. This
continues his discussion of his desire and prayer to see the nation of Israel
saved.
He teaches in
Romans 10:1 that he desires and prays to the Father for Israel’s salvation.
Romans
10:1 Spiritual brothers, indeed, the desire produced by my own heart and in
addition my specific detailed request on behalf of them is always for their
deliverance. (Author’s translation)
Then,
in Romans 10:2, he testifies to Israel’s zeal for God, though he says it is not
according to an experiential knowledge of Him in the sense that they did not
personally encounter God through faith as He is revealed in the person and
works of Jesus of Nazareth.
Romans
10:2 Because I testify concerning them that they possess a zeal for God,
however by no means according to an experiential knowledge. (Author’s
translation)
Next,
the apostle Paul in Romans 10:3 teaches that the reason why unsaved Israel did
not have an experiential knowledge of God is that they rejected God’s
righteousness, which is offered in the gospel. He also teaches in this passage
that because the Jews zealously sought to establish their own righteousness,
they never submitted to God’s righteousness, which is offered in the gospel of
Jesus Christ.
Romans
10:3 Because they have in the past rejected the righteousness originating from
God the Father and continue to do so up to the present moment. In fact, because
they have in the past zealously sought to establish their own and continue to
do so up to the present moment, they never submitted to the righteousness
originating from God the Father. (Author’s translation)
In
Romans 10:4, Paul presents the reason for what is implied in Romans 10:3,
namely, that the Jews were wrong for not submitting to God’s righteousness
because they zealously sought to establish their own righteousness. They were
wrong “because” faith in Christ is the goal or purpose of the Mosaic Law
resulting in the imputation of divine righteousness to everyone who believes in
Christ as Savior.
Romans
10:4 Because (faith in) Christ is, as an eternal spiritual truth, the purpose of the
Law resulting in righteousness for the benefit of each and
every member of the human race to those who at any time do exercise
absolute confidence (in Christ). (Author’s translation)
Then,
in Romans 10:5, Paul cites Leviticus 18:5 to support his teaching in Romans
10:4 that the purpose of the Law was to lead Israel to faith in Christ.
Romans
10:5 Because Moses writes concerning this particular
righteousness, which is based upon obedience to the Law (as constituting
a source of justification): “The person who obeys them will cause himself to
live by means of them.” (Author’s translation)
The
apostle in Romans 10:5 presents the reason why faith in Christ resulting in the
imputation of divine righteousness and justification has always been the
ultimate purpose of the Law rather than obedience to the Law and to support
this he begins to cite a series of Old Testament passages. In Leviticus 18:5,
Moses writes concerning the righteousness that is based on obedience to the Law
that the Jew who obeys the commandments of the Law perfectly will live by them
or in other words, obtain eternal life. Of course, every person born into the
world is spiritually dead and possesses a sin nature, making it impossible to
render the perfect obedience that the Law requires.
Then,
in Romans 10:6, Paul quotes from Deuteronomy 9:4 and 30:12 to teach that the
righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ is
non-meritorious and attainable unlike perfect obedience to the Law.
Romans
10:6 However, the righteousness originating from and based on faith speaks in
the following manner: “Do not think in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into
heaven?’” This does imply bringing Christ down. (Author’s translation)
Paul
quotes from Deuteronomy 9:4 to teach that the righteousness originating from
and based on faith in Christ is non-meritorious since in the context of this
passage the Lord emphasizes with Israel that He would bring them into the land
of Canaan not on the basis of their own righteousness.
Paul
quotes from Deuteronomy 30:12 to teach that the righteousness that originates
from and is based on faith in Christ does not ask the question “Who will ascend
into heaven?” which is an implicit denial of the incarnation. This question
also implies that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith
in Christ is not an impossibility and is attainable unlike attempting to obey
the Law perfectly, which he mentions in Romans 10:5.
Next
in Romans 10:7, Paul does not quote exactly from Deuteronomy 30:13 but rather
only the principle taught in this passage to further emphasize that the
righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ is not an
impossibility and is attainable unlike attempting to obey the Law perfectly.
Romans
10:7 Or, “Who will descend into the abyss?” This does imply bringing Christ up
from the dead ones. (Author’s translation)
In
this passage, Paul cites the principle taught in Deuteronomy 30:13 to teach
that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ
does not deny the resurrection has taken place in the person of Jesus of
Nazareth.
Just
as he used the question “Who will ascend into heaven?” in Romans 10:6 as an
implicit denial of the incarnation, so he uses the question “Who will descend
into the abyss?” in Romans 10:7 as an implicit denial of the resurrection.
Just
as it is impossible for someone to ascend into heaven since that would imply
that Christ did not come in the flesh so it is impossible for someone to
descend into the abyss since that would imply that Christ did not rise from the
dead.
Just
as Paul taught in Romans 10:6 that it is impossible for someone to ascend into
heaven since that would imply that Christ did not come in the flesh so in the
same way he teaches in Romans 10:7 that it is impossible for someone to descend
into the abyss since that would imply that Christ did not rise from the dead.
Just
as Paul taught in Romans 10:6 that the righteousness that originates from and
is based on faith does not reject the incarnation, so in Romans 10:7, he
describes this righteousness does not reject the resurrection as well.
Now,
in Romans 10:8, Paul cites Deuteronomy 30:14 to teach that the righteousness
that originates from and is based on faith in Christ is easily accessible
available unlike the righteousness through perfect obedience to the Law.
Romans
10:8 But in contrast what does it say? “The word is always readily accessible
and available with respect to you,” in your mouth as well as in your heart,
namely, the word, which brings about faith, which we make it a habit to
publicly proclaim as heralds in a dignified and authoritative manner. (Author’s
translation)
It is
“readily accessible and available” in the sense that with the sinner’s heart he
or she can trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and with his or her mouth they can
audibly acknowledge to the Father that Jesus is Lord. This is indicated by a
comparison of the expression “in your mouth and in your heart” in Romans 10:8
with Paul’s statements in Romans 10:9-10.
Romans
10:9 presents the basis for Paul’s statement in verse 8 that the word, i.e. the
gospel is always readily accessible and available to the Jew, in his mouth as
well as in his heart, namely, the word, i.e. the gospel which brings about
faith. The gospel, which brings about faith in Christ, is readily accessible
and available to the Jew “because” if the unsaved Jew acknowledges with his
mouth to the Father Jesus is Lord, which is equivalent to believing in his
heart that the Father raised Him from the dead, then the unsaved Jew will be
saved.
Romans
10:9 Because, if you acknowledge with your mouth Jesus is Lord in other words,
exercising absolute confidence with your heart that God the Father raised Him
from the dead ones, then you will be delivered. (Author’s translation)
To
acknowledge with one’s mouth to the Father that Jesus is Lord is the same as
believing in one’s heart that the Father raised Jesus from the dead since the
resurrection demonstrated the deity of Christ and faith alone in Christ alone
is the only way to receive eternal salvation.
Therefore,
Romans 10:9 emphasizes that it is absolutely essential
for salvation that the sinner acknowledges the deity of Christ. This passage
presents the basis for Paul’s statement in Romans 10:8 that the word, i.e. the
gospel is always readily accessible and available to the Jew, in his mouth as
well as in his heart, namely, the word, i.e. the gospel which brings about
faith.
In
Romans 10:9, the conjunction hoti introduces a statement that gives the
reason why the gospel message, which brings about faith in Christ, is readily
accessible and available to the Jew. The gospel, which brings about faith in
Christ, is readily accessible and available to the Jew “because” if the unsaved
Jew acknowledges with his mouth to the Father Jesus is Lord, which is
equivalent to believing in his heart that the Father raised Him from the dead,
then the unsaved Jew will be saved.
Some
interpret hoti as introducing a content clause specifying the content of
“the word, which brings about faith.” However, Paul’s statement in Romans 10:9
is not presenting the content of the gospel since Christ Himself and His death
and resurrection are the content of the gospel according to 1 Corinthians
15:3-4.
Paul’s
statement in Romans 10:9 is not presenting the content of the gospel but rather
it is explaining “how” the gospel is readily accessible and available to the
Jew. Namely, if the Jew acknowledges with his mouth to the Father Jesus is
Lord, which is to believe in his heart that the Father raised Him from the
dead, then he will be saved.
If the
emphasis was on content then Paul’s statement would
simply present Christ Himself and His death and resurrection. However, his
emphasis is upon the basis as to why the gospel, which brings about faith in
Christ, is readily and accessible to the Jew.
It is
readily accessible and available “because” all the Jew has to
do to be saved is acknowledge with his mouth to the Father that Jesus is Lord,
which is equivalent to believing in his heart that the Father raised Him from
the dead since the resurrection demonstrated the deity of Christ and faith
alone in Christ alone is the only way to receive eternal salvation.
Romans
10:9 That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and
believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
(NASB95)
“If”
is the conditional particle ean, which is employed with the subjunctive
mood of the verbs homologeo, “you confess” and pisteuo, “believe”
in order to form the protasis of a third class
condition.
The
apodasis is implicit and involves the future indicative form of the verb sozo,
“you will be saved.” The protasis: “if you confess with your mouth Jesus
as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him
from the dead.” The apodasis: “you will be saved.”
The
third class condition in Romans 10:9 indicates the “certain fulfillment in the
future” that the Jew will be saved if he fulfills the condition of
acknowledging with his mouth to the Father Jesus is Lord, which is equivalent
to believing in his heart that the Father raised Him from the dead since the
resurrection demonstrated the deity of Christ and faith alone in Christ alone
is the only way to receive eternal salvation.
In
Romans 10:9, we have a third class condition, which
offers a condition that is certain to be fulfilled in the future since Paul is
speaking of salvation through faith alone in Christ alone.
“You
confess” is the second person singular aorist active subjunctive form of
the verb homologeo, which means, “to acknowledge” that Jesus of Nazareth
is Lord, which is a word here that denotes His deity.
The
question arises, “to whom does the unbeliever have to acknowledge that Jesus is
Lord in order to be saved?” Is a public affirmation to men required or is this
an acknowledgement to oneself or to God?
Some
interpret homologeo in Romans 10:9 as a “public affirmation” to men and
use Luke 12:8 to support this interpretation. However, Jesus is speaking to
believers in Luke 12:8-9 and in Romans 10:9 he is writing concerning unsaved
Jews. That Jesus is speaking to believers in Luke 12:8-9 is clearly indicated
by the context since Luke 12:1 reveals that He is addressing His disciples and
in Luke 12:4, He calls those whom He addresses “My friends” and in Luke 12:4-7,
He teaches those whom He addresses regarding the Father’s care for them.
Luke
12:8,“And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me
before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; 9
but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.”
(NASB95)
Therefore,
confessing or acknowledging Jesus before men is not a reference to getting
saved since Jesus is teaching those who are already His disciples and thus
already saved. But rather the person who confesses the Lord before men in Luke
12:8 is a reference to the believer living an obedient life.
When
Jesus says He will acknowledge the person who acknowledges Him, it refers to
the public testimony by the Son of God to the faithful life of the obedient
Christian who executes the Father’s will. Thus, in this passage, when Jesus
says He will deny the believer before men, it doesn’t mean that they are denied
salvation since He is talking to those who are already believers. Neither does
it mean you will lose your salvation since that is obviously false doctrine. It
means that He will deny the believer of rewards.
2
Timothy 2:12 If we deny Him, He also will deny us. (NASB95)
Therefore,
those who interpret homologeo in Romans 10:9 as a “public affirmation”
to men of the deity of Christ can not use Luke 12:8 as support for this
interpretation since in Luke 12:8 our Lord is addressing believers and Romans
10:9 is addressing how unsaved Israelites can get saved.
Remember
Paul in Romans 9-10 is addressing the nation of Israel’s rejection of Jesus of
Nazareth as Messiah.
Now,
in John 12:42, John writes that many of the Jewish rulers believed in Jesus but
because of the Pharisees they were not acknowledging before the public that
they believed Jesus to be the Messiah for fear that they would be put out of
the synagogue.
The
Lord Jesus Christ taught Nicodemus that if he believes in Him that he will
receive eternal life and be saved.
John
3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His uniquely born Son, that
whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did
not send the Son into the world to judge the world (Christ would die in their
place), but that the world should be saved through Him (faith alone in Christ
alone). 18 He who believes in Him (the Lord Jesus Christ) is not judged.
He who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in
the name of the uniquely born Son of God.” (NASB95)
John
3:36 “He who believes in the Son has eternal life, but he who does not obey the
Son shall not see eternal life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (NASB95)
Paul
also makes this clear throughout his writings that salvation is by faith alone
in Christ alone (Romans 3:22, 26, 30; 4:3, 5; 5:1; Galatians 2:16; 3:24, 26;
Ephesians 2:8).
Paul
also makes it clear to the Philippian jailor in Acts 16:31.
Acts
16:30 “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They said, “believe in the Lord
Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (NASB95)
All of these passages make clear that no public affirmation is essential for
salvation. Therefore, in Romans 10:9, the verb homologeo does not refer
to a “public affirmation” or “admitting to people” that one has faith in Jesus
Christ as Savior since the Scriptures teach that the sinner can receive eternal
life and thus eternal salvation only through faith alone in Christ alone.
There is no public
acknowledgment of Christ necessary. Rather, the verb refers to the sinner
acknowledging to the Father that Jesus is Lord and which acknowledgement is, in
and of itself, exercising faith that the Father raised Jesus from the dead.
This is clearly indicated in the Scriptures because as we noted the Scriptures
teach that it is through faith alone in Christ alone that one is saved. It is
also indicated in that to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord is the equivalent to
having faith that the Father raised Jesus from the dead since the Father’s act
of raising His Son Jesus from the dead demonstrated that Jesus was in fact God.
Remember,
the term “Lord” in Romans 10:9 is a reference to the deity of Christ. To
acknowledge that Jesus is Lord, i.e. God is to believe that the Father raised
Him from the dead since the Father’s act of raising His Son Jesus from the dead
demonstrated that Jesus was in fact God. This is clearly indicated by Paul in
Romans 1:4. In this passage he teaches that there is a direct connection
between the resurrection of Jesus Christ and His deity in that the resurrection
demonstrated that Jesus of Nazareth was in fact the Son of God.
Romans
1:1 Paul, a slave owned by Christ who is Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart
for the gospel originating from God, 2 which He promised beforehand through His
prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 concerning His Son, who was born as a
descendant of David with respect to His human nature. 4 The One demonstrated as
the Son of God by means of divine power with respect to a nature characterized
by holiness because of the resurrection from the dead ones, Jesus Christ, our
Lord.” (Author’s translation)
If the
Father does not raise Jesus from the dead, then He is not God. The fact that
the Father raised Jesus from the dead makes clear that Jesus is the Son of God
and that He is also the object of faith for salvation and justification. The
resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth was the ultimate proof to the
human race that He was God and that the Father approved of Him and
accepted His substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the Cross as the
solution to the problem of personal sins and the sin nature.
Therefore,
in Romans 10:9 when Paul teaches that if the Jew confesses with his mouth Jesus
is Lord and believes in his heart that the Father raised Jesus from the dead he is referring back to what he taught in Romans 1:4,
which teaches that the resurrection of Christ demonstrated the deity of Christ.
Thus, when Paul teaches in Romans 10:9 that if the Jew confesses with his mouth
Jesus is Lord and believes in his heart that the Father raised Jesus from the dead he means that to believe in one’s heart that the Father
raised Jesus from the dead is in fact, an acknowledgment to the Father that
Jesus is Lord, i.e. God.
To
acknowledge to the Father that Jesus is Lord is to believe that the Father
raised Him from the dead since by raising Him from the dead, the Father was
demonstrating that Jesus was His Son and thus God.
Therefore,
in Romans 10:9, Paul is giving only one condition for salvation when he teaches
that the sinner must acknowledge with one’s mouth that Jesus is Lord and
believe in his heart that the Father raised Jesus from the dead.
That
there is only one condition being presented in Romans 10:9 and that faith alone
in Christ is the only way to receive eternal salvation and be declared
justified by God is further indicated in Romans 10:11.
Romans
10:11 For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE
DISAPPOINTED.” (NASB95)
So when Paul teaches in Romans 10:9 that in order to be saved the sinner
must acknowledge with his mouth that Jesus is God and believe in his heart that
the Father raised Him from the dead he is saying acknowledging in one’s heart
that Jesus is Lord is to believe that the Father raised Him from the dead. In
other words, to exercise faith that the Father raised Jesus from the dead is,
in and of itself, an acknowledgment that Jesus is Lord, i.e. God since the
resurrection demonstrated that Jesus is God and one is
saved only by faith alone in Christ alone! Therefore, we can also say based
upon this principle that faith in Jesus as Savior is an acknowledgement to the
Father or agreeing with the Father on the part of the sinner that one is a sinner and that Jesus is the Savior and God.
Also,
we can conclude that the verb homologeo in Romans 10:9 is an
acknowledgement “to the Father” that Jesus is His Son rather than an
acknowledgement to men because the Father raised Jesus from the dead to
demonstrate that Jesus was His Son. Therefore, because of the connection
between the resurrection of Christ and the deity of Christ, Paul is presenting
only one condition for salvation, and not two. To acknowledge that Jesus is God
is to have faith that the Father raised Jesus from the dead since the
resurrection demonstrated the deity of Jesus.
Romans
10:9 That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and
believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
(NASB95)
“With
your mouth” is composed of the preposition en, “in” and the
articular dative neuter singular form of the noun stoma, “mouth”
and the genitive second person singular form of the personal pronoun su,
“your.”
The
noun stoma refers to that organ of the human body that gives one the
capacity for speaking. In Romans 10:9, it is used in relation to the unsaved
Jew acknowledging with his or her mouth to the Father that Jesus is Lord. This
is equivalent to believing in his heart that the Father raised Him from the
dead since the resurrection was a demonstration of the deity of Christ and
salvation is only through faith alone in Christ alone.
The
preposition en functions as a marker of means and the noun stoma
functions as a “dative instrumental of means.” This denotes that “with” his
mouth, the unsaved Jew’s mouth must acknowledge to the Father that Jesus is
Lord in order to be saved.
The
definite article before the noun stoma is used with the personal pronoun su,
“your” to denote possession. The personal pronoun su refers to no
particular Jew and functions as a “genitive of
possession” and “possessive” pronoun indicating that this mouth in question
“belongs to” the Jew.
“Jesus”
is the accusative masculine singular form of the proper name Iesous,
which refers to the impeccable human nature of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the
God-Man.
The
word functions as an “object” in an object-complement double accusative
construction. Generally, in such constructions the first accusative is the
object, and the second is the complement, but this is not always the case.
In
Romans 10:9, the first accusative is the noun kurios, “Lord” and
in apposition to it is the proper name Iesous, “Jesus.” Now, it
appears that because of word order that the former is the object
and the latter is the complement but this is not the case.
Dan
Wallace presents the following principles of Greek grammar to determine which
accusative is the “object” and which is “complement” is a follows: (1) If one
of the two is a pronoun, it will be the object (2) If one of the two is a
proper name, it will be the object (3) If one of the two is articular, it will
be the object.[21]
Therefore,
in Romans 10:9, since Iesous, “Jesus” is a proper name, even
though it follows the noun kurios, “Lord” by way of word order, Iesou,
“Jesus” functions as the direct object of the verb homologeo, “you
acknowledge” and the other accusative, kurios, “Lord” is its
complement.
So the double accusative construction in Romans 10:9 indicates that the
acknowledgement that is required is that “Jesus is Lord,” i.e., Yahweh, the God
of the Old Testament.
“Lord”
is the accusative masculine singular form of the noun kurios, which is a
reference to the second member of the Trinity, Jesus Christ since up to this
point in the book of Romans, it is used of Him and there is nothing in the
present context, which indicates otherwise. In fact, in the book of Romans, kurios
is always used of Jesus Christ.
When
the noun kurios is applied to Jesus Christ it indicates the following:
(1) His equality with the Father and the Spirit. (2) His joint-rulership
with the Father over the entire cosmos. (3) His highest
ranking position as Chief Administrator in the divine government. (4)
His absolute sovereign authority as Ruler over all creation and every creature.
(5) His strategic victory over Satan and the kingdom of darkness in the angelic
conflict.
In His
deity, Jesus Christ is “Lord” (See Luke 20:42), however in His human nature He
received this title as a result of His obedience to
the Father’s will, which called for Him to suffer a spiritual and physical
death on the cross as a substitute for every member of the human race-past,
present and future (See Philippians 2:5-11).
In
Romans 10:9, Paul employs kurios, “Lord” to emphasize that Jesus
of Nazareth is God.
As we
noted earlier, the word functions as the “complement” in an object-complement
double accusative construction. This means that it is complementing the
accusative form of the proper name Iesous, “Jesus” in that it
predicates or affirms something about it. Therefore, kurios, “Lord”
is affirming the deity of Jesus of Nazareth.
“And”
is the “epexegetical” or “explanatory” use of the conjunction kai, which
introduces a statement that “explains” the previous statement of acknowledging
with one’s mouth to the Father that Jesus is Lord.
In
Romans 10:9, the conjunction kai is connecting the previous statement
“if you acknowledge that Jesus is Lord” with the one to follow “believe in your
heart that God raised Him from the dead.”
As we
noted both of these statements speak of one condition
for salvation. To acknowledge to the Father with one’s mouth that Jesus is Lord
is equivalent to believing in one’s heart that the Father raised Him from the
dead since the resurrection demonstrated the deity of Christ and faith alone in
Christ alone is the only way a sinner can receive eternal salvation.
The
previous statement “if you acknowledge that Jesus is Lord” looks at salvation
from the perspective of acknowledging the deity of Christ. The statement to
follow “believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead” looks
at salvation from the perspective of believing that the Father raised Jesus
from the dead. Therefore, because these two statements speak of one condition
and are looking at salvation from two different perspectives, the deity of
Christ and His resurrection, the conjunction kai is “explanatory”
meaning that it is introducing a statement that “explains” salvation from a
different perspective. We will translate the word, “in other words.”
“Believe”
is the second person singular present aorist active subjunctive form of the
verb pisteuo, which refers to making the non-meritorious decision “to
trust” or “to have absolute confidence in” the fact that the Father raised
Jesus from the dead.
In
Romans 10:9, the second person singular form of the verb is a reference to the
unsaved Jew who needs to hear what Paul is saying in this passage to be saved.
“In
your heart” is composed of the preposition en, “in” and the
articular dative locative feminine singular form of the noun kardia, “heart”
and the genitive second person singular form of the personal pronoun su,
“your.”
The
noun kardia denotes that aspect of the heart, namely the volition
exercising absolute confidence or in other words, faith that the Father raised
Jesus from the dead. This is equivalent to acknowledging with one’s mouth to
the Father that Jesus is Lord since the resurrection was a demonstration of the
deity of Christ and salvation is only through faith alone in Christ alone.
The
preposition en functions as a marker of means and the noun kardia
functions as a “dative instrumental of means” denoting that the heart is “the
means by which” the unsaved Jew’s must believe that the Father raised Jesus
from the dead in order to be saved.
The
definite article before the noun kardia is used with the personal
pronoun su, “your” to denote possession. The personal pronoun su
refers to no particular Jew and functions as a
“genitive of possession” and “possessive” pronoun indicating that this heart in
question “belongs to” the Jew.
“That”
is the conjunction hoti, which is used with the indicative mood of the
verb egeiro, “raised” in order to
introduce a direct object clause meaning that is introducing a clause that is
receiving the action of the verb pisteuo, “exercising absolute
confidence.”
“God”
is the articular nominative masculine singular form of the noun theos,
which refers to the Father since the articular construction of this noun in the
New Testament commonly signifies that it is a reference to God the Father.
“Raised”
is the third person singular aorist active indicative form of the verb egeiro,
which means, “to raise from physical death” and is used of the Father raising
His Son from the dead.
“Him”
is the accusative masculine singular form of the intensive personal pronoun autos,
which refers of course to the Son, Jesus Christ.
“From
the dead” is composed of the preposition ek, “from” and the
genitive masculine plural form of the adjective nekros, “the dead.”
The
plural form of the adjective nekros, “dead ones” refers to members of the human race who have died physically. The preposition ek
denotes separation and the adjective nekros functions as a “genitive of
separation” or as some grammarians call an “ablative of separation” in which
the genitive substantive is that from which the verb or sometimes the head noun
is separated indicating point of departure. Thus, the adjective nekros
functions as a “genitive” or “ablative of separation” indicating that the human
nature of Jesus Christ was raised “out from” those who are physically dead.
“You
will be saved” is the second person singular future passive indicative form
of the verb sozo, which means, “to deliver.”
In
Romans 10:9, the verb refers to being delivered by God from eternal
condemnation as well as the sin nature, personal sins, Satan and his cosmic
system since Paul is speaking with reference to unsaved Israel in our present
context.
So in Romans 10:9
Paul is teaching that if the unsaved Jew acknowledges with his mouth to the
Father that Jesus is Lord (i.e. God), in other words, if he believes with his
heart that the Father raised Jesus from the dead, then he will delivered from
eternal condemnation.
The
acknowledgement that Jesus is Lord is an affirmation of His deity and to
believe with his heart that the Father raised from the dead is connected to it
since the resurrection demonstrated that Jesus is God. Since the Bible teaches
that faith alone in Christ alone is the only way to receive eternal salvation
and the resurrection demonstrated that Jesus is the Son of God, we can conclude
that to acknowledge that Jesus is God is to believe that the Father raised Him
from the dead.
The Apostle Paul In Philippians 2:6 Affirms The Deity of Christ
Once again we return to the book of Philippians to continue with
our discussion regarding the person of Christ and in particular Philippians 2:6
in which Paul affirms the deity of Christ.
Philippians 2:6
who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a
thing to be grasped. (NASB95)
“In the form of
God” is the prepositional phrase en morphe theou. The noun morphe, “form”
appears only three times in the Greek New Testament (Mark 16:12; Phil. 2:6-7)
where it is used only with reference to the Lord Jesus Christ. Morphe means
“essence” and is used in two antithetical or contrasting statements in
Philippians 2:6 and 7. In verse 6, the word is used of the divine “essence” of
the Lord Jesus Christ whereas in verse 7, it is used with reference to God the
Son adding to His divine essence, the “essence” of a servant or slave.
Webster’s Ninth New
Collegiate Dictionary defines essence, “the properties or attributes by means
of which something can be placed in its proper class or identified as being
what it is.” They also define attribute, “an inherent characteristic.”
Vine quoting
Gifford writes, “Morphe is therefore properly the nature or essence, not
in the abstract but as actually subsisting in the individual and retained as
long as the individual exists.”[22]
Vincent gives an
excellent definition of morphe in Philippians 2:6, he writes, “We must
dismiss from our minds the idea of shape. The word is used in its philosophical
sense, to denote that expression of being which carries in itself the
distinctive nature and character of being to whom it pertains,
and is thus permanently identified with that nature and character. Thus it is distinguished from schema fashion, comprising
that which appeals to the senses and which is changeable. Morphe is identified
with the essence of a person or thing.”[23]
Wuest makes the
following comment he writes “Our Lord was in the form of God. The word ‘God is
without the definite article in the Greek text, and therefore refers to the
divine essence. Thus, our Lord’s outward expression of His inmost being was as
to its nature the expression of the divine essence of Deity. Since that outward
expression which this word ‘form’ speaks of, comes from and is truly
representative of the inward being, it follows that our Lord as to His nature
is the possessor of the divine essence Deity, and being that, it also
necessarily follows that He is absolute Deity Himself, a co-participant with
God the Father and God the Holy Spirit in that divine essence which constitutes
God, God.”[24]
The English word
“essence” is derived from the Greek adjective ousia, which means “being,
substance.” Essence means “inner nature, true substance, a person’s qualities
or attributes.” Some of these qualities of a person are visible and some are
invisible. Essence implies being or existence. God exists and there are certain
qualities or attributes which belong to His essence.
So therefore, in
Philippians 2:6, the noun morphe means “essence” and is used as the
object of the preposition en, which expresses a condition or a state.
Now, this prepositional phrase is employed with the nominative masculine
singular present active participle form of the verb huparcho, “although
He existed.”
Paul does not use
the simple verb of being here which is eimi but instead employs the
stronger huparcho to denote existence, which proceeds or issues from the
beginning. In Philippians 2:6, huparcho denotes the inherency and
expression of the divine attributes by our Lord in His preincarnate state. It
refers to eternity past in which our Lord functioned as infinite and eternal
God. The verb expresses the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ prior to entering the human race permanently in Bethlehem was the eternal Son
of God, who expressed all the attributes of deity. Therefore, the expression en
morphe theou huparchon, means “who although existing from eternity past in
the essence of God.” This expression affirms that our Lord is infinite and
eternal God and has a divine nature.
The Greek
expression to einai isa theo, “equality with God” also affirms
the deity of our Lord and explicitly teaches that Jesus Christ is God, equal to
the Father and the Spirit. This expression should be translated “existing
equally in essence with God.”
In this expression,
we have the present active infinite form of the verb eimi, which means
“to exist.” The present tense can be regarded as “stative” and a “gnomic”
present. The former denotes that our Lord “always existed in the state of
being” equal with God. The latter denotes that our Lord “as an eternal
spiritual truth” has always existed equally in essence with God.
The adjective isos,
“equality” pertains to that which is equal, either in number, size, quality or
characteristics.[25]
In Philippians 2:6 the adjective describes Jesus Christ as being equal with God
in character, nature and essence. So it is explicitly
affirming that Jesus Christ is equal to God. Therefore, we can see that the
expressions “form of God” and “equality with God” are among the strongest
expressions of our Lord and Savior’s deity in all the New Testament.
The Incarnation of
the Son of God
The word
“incarnation” is from the Latin: In and caro, the stem carn
means, “flesh.” In the context of Christian theology, the “incarnation” is the
act whereby the eternal Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, without
ceasing to be what He is, namely God the Son, permanently clothed His deity
with a sinless human nature, which He did not possess before the act, thus
making Him, the unique theanthropic person of the cosmos. The “hypostatic
union,” which we will note in chapter five, is the result of the incarnation.
It was accomplished by means of the incarnation, which itself was accomplished
by means of the virgin pregnancy.
The virgin birth
was the means by which the incarnation became a
reality.
John 1:14 And the
Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the
only uniquely born One from the Father, full of grace and truth. (NASB95)
1 Timothy 3:16 And
by common confession great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in
the flesh, was vindicated in the Spirit, beheld by angels, proclaimed among the
nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. (NASB95)
The second person
of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ, entered permanently into the human race by means of the virgin birth. He is the only
member of the Trinity to take upon Himself a human nature. Therefore, He is
different from the other members of the Godhead.
He is different
from the Father and the Spirit in that He clothed His deity with a sinless
human nature. He is different from the other members of the
human race in that He is God, and without a sin nature because He did
not have a human father. He did not cease to be God because He became a man,
nor was He less of a man because He was God. He was every bit of a human as the
rest of the human race. However, He did not possess a
sin nature since the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary and not a man. Therefore,
there is no one like Him in the universe; He is a totally unique person,
because He combined forever in Himself undiminished deity along with perfect
sinless humanity.
Isaiah’s Prophecies
When speaking of
the incarnation, we must of course discuss the virgin birth since, as we noted,
the incarnation was the result of the virgin birth (Isa. 9:6-7; Micah 5:2; Luke
1:30-35).
The virgin birth
was predicted in the Old Testament. In 700 B.C., the prophet Isaiah was used by
God the Holy Spirit to prophecy of the birth of our Lord.
Isaiah 7:14
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will
be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.” (NASB95)
“Immanuel”
is the Hebrew proper name ̔immanuel’el, which means “with us is
God.”
“Virgin” is
the noun `almah, which means a “young woman who has not had sex yet with
a man, but is at the age to be married.” That a virgin
would give birth to Immanuel obviously signals a miraculous birth.
Contrary to Jewish
tradition, no father is mentioned. The omission fits with the fact that the
Child is virgin-born. Matthew 1:23 tells us who “Immanuel” is, the Lord
Jesus Christ, and “the virgin” is, Mary.
The phrase “The
Lord Himself will give you a sign” points to the fact that the omnipotence
of God will perform the miracle of implanting the seed for the formation of the
human body of Christ.
Matthew 1:18, Luke
1:35 and Hebrews 10:5 says that God the Holy Spirit prepared a human body for
God the Son.
Matthew 1:18 Now
the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been
betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was
found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. (NASB95)
Luke 1:35 The angel
answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of
the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason
the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.” (NASB95)
The prophet Isaiah
also speaks of the incarnation in Isaiah 9:6-7.
Isaiah 9:6 For a
child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will
rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty
God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of
{His} government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to
establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and
forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this. (NASB95)
The phrase “will
be born” is the person feminine singular pual perfect form of the verb yaladh,
“to bear a child, to give birth.” The perfect tense of the verb says that in
700 B.C. when this was written, God saw the virgin birth as already having
occurred. The Pual stem is an intensive passive stem meaning that the divine
promise to the house of Israel of the virgin birth is certain to occur or
pictured in the mind of God as already having taken place. The pual passive
means that the house of Israel will receive the virgin birth from God.
“Will be given”
is the third person masculine singular niphal perfect form of the verb nathan,
“to give.” The pual stem is used in the passive sense meaning that the nation
of Israel is going to be acted upon by God when God the Holy Spirit will
produce a sinless human body for the Son of God. The perfect tense indicates
that God already considers that the birth of Christ is a certainty since He
knows all things because He is omniscient and He is
sovereign and has determined this to take place.
“The government
will rest on His shoulders,” is a prophecy that our Lord would be a King.
The Holy Spirit’s
description that our Lord would be “wonderful” was manifested in His
“wonderful” character, life, words and works (cf. Matt. 21:15; Lk. 4:22; Acts
2:22; 4:30). “Wonderful” means He will be a supernatural wonder, a
marvel (Ex. 15:11; Judges 13:18).
The Holy Spirit’s
description that our Lord would be a “Counselor” was expressed by our
Lord’s perfect wisdom and in fact He was the personification of divine wisdom.
“Mighty God”
is the Hebrew name El Gibbor which refers to the fact that the Child
will be the omnipotent God.
The expression “the
Everlasting Father” means that Jesus Christ would be the eternal Son of God
in human flesh (Jn. 8:58).
The expression “Prince
of Peace” (Sar-Shalom) means that Jesus Christ would reconcile
fallen humanity to God through His death on the Cross (Eph. 2:14, 17).
The fulfillment of
the prophecies of Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6-7 are recorded in Matthew 1-2 and Luke
1-2.
Matthew’s Account
of the Birth of Christ
The gospel of
Matthew provides us with one of two accounts of the birth of Christ.
Matthew 1:18 Now
the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been
betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was
found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 19 And Joseph her husband, being a
righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away
secretly. 20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord
appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to
take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the
Holy Spirit.” (NASB95)
“Joseph” who
was engaged to Mary is said to be a “son of David,” which is intended to
show Jesus’ legitimate claim to the throne of David through his legal father
Joseph (see verse 31). The marriage of Mary and Joseph made our Lord the
“adopted” son and “legal heir” of Joseph, which reflects God’s sovereignty,
omniscience and omnipotence.
The angel tells
Joseph that Mary conceived by the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit. God the Holy
Spirit was the source of Mary’s pregnancy (Matt. 1:18) since the divine
omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit created the human body of our Lord.
Hebrews 10:5
Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU
HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME; 6 IN WHOLE BURNT
OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE.” (NASB95)
An act of divine
omnipotence produced the sperm that fertilized the egg in Mary’s womb and as a
result the Lord Jesus Christ had no sin nature like we do because He did not
have a human father. Mary’s womb was only the vehicle for the formation of the
human body of our Lord and the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit provided 23
perfect chromosomes to fertilize Mary’s normal, pure ovum, which produced a
fetus in Mary’s womb that was uncontaminated by Adam’s old sin nature.
Matthew 1:21 “She
will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people
from their sins.” 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the
Lord through the prophet. 23 BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL
BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,’ which translated means,
“GOD WITH US.” 24 And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the
Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife 25 but
kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.
(NASB95)
The name “Jesus”
means, “Yahweh saves” and expresses that Jesus would be the long
awaited Savior of the world and would be the fulfillment of the prophecy
of Genesis 3:15.
Luke’s Account of
the Birth of Christ
The gospel of Luke
gives us more details regarding the birth of Christ than Matthew.
Luke 1:26 Now in
the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called
Nazareth to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants
of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. (NASB95)
The phrase “in
the six-month” refers to six month’s after the
angel Gabriel had been sent to Zechariah to announce that his wife Elizabeth
would be pregnant in her old age and the child that she would bear would be the
forerunner of Jesus Christ, namely, John the Baptist.
“Virgin” is
the noun parthenos, which denotes “a young, unmarried girl who has not
had sex with a man yet.”
Joseph and Mary
were legally considered to be married but had not consummated the marriage by
having sex. The Jews had a tradition called betrothal or engagement period,
which was considered preparation for marriage but was legally binding. It was
an agreement that included witnesses, a marriage contract, and the payment of
the bridal price and was the first stage of the marriage and usually began when
the girl was about 12 years of age. This period was generally concluded after a
year when the woman would go to live at the man’s house instead of her parents.
If the marriage did not take place because of a breach of contract such as the
dowry not paid to her parents or if she had sex before marriage, the young
woman could not be married to another man until she was freed by due process
and a certificate of divorce.
Luke 1:28 And
coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”
(NASB95)
“Favored one”
is the verb charitoo, which means that God the Father was bestowing upon
Mary the gracious honor of bearing the human nature of the Messiah.
“The Lord is
with you” is an Old Testament greeting preparing Mary for her service to
bear the human nature of the Savior, including the assurance of divine
assistance in accomplishing this service and indicates that Mary was
experiencing fellowship with the Lord at this time.
Luke 1:29 But she
was very perplexed at this statement, and kept
pondering what kind of salutation this was. (NASB95)
The statement “she
was very perplexed at this statement” indicates that Gabriel’s greeting
confused Mary and she could not understand why she is being singled for such a
wonderful and gracious greeting.
The statement
“(she) kept pondering what kind of salutation this was,” indicates that
Mary carefully considered the implications and nature of this extraordinary
manner of greeting she received from the angel Gabriel.
Luke 1:30 The angel
said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.”
(NASB95)
Gabriel tells her
not to be afraid since she would be the recipient of an extraordinarily
gracious and fantastic honor, which is described in the following verses. He
tells her that she has found favor or grace in the eyes of God meaning that God
is going to bestow a great honor upon her that she did not earn or deserve but
does indicate that she was experiencing fellowship with God since God would not
choose her to bear the Savior if she were not.
Luke 1:31 And
behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him
Jesus. (NASB95)
The name “Jesus”
means, “Yahweh saves” and expresses that Jesus would be the long
awaited Savior of the world and would be the fulfillment of the prophecy
of Genesis 3:15.
Luke 1:32 He will
be great and will be called the Son of the Most High;
and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. (NASB95)
The statement “He
will be great” emphasizes the importance of Jesus to the fulfillment of the
Father’s plan to rule over the works of His hands (cf. Ps 8; Heb. 2:5-10). It
also means that Jesus would possess superiority in rank over both men and
angels and would be great in power and in wisdom, and in dominion on both earth
and in heaven since He will be the God-Man Savior (cf. Phlp. 2:5-11).
The prophecy that
Jesus would be “called the Son of the Most High”
emphasizes the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 9:6.
The prophecy “the
Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David” refers to the fact
that Jesus would fulfill the Davidic covenant in which God promised David that
a descendant of his would sit on his throne forever ruling over the nation of
Israel (See 2 Samuel 7:12-13; Jeremiah 23:5).
Luke 1:33 and He
will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.
(NASB95)
The prophecy that
Jesus would “reign over the house of Jacob forever” refers to the fact
that He would be the King of Israel and the prophecy “His kingdom will have no
end” refers to the fact that Jesus’ reign will never end on planet earth.
Luke 1:34 Mary said
to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” (NASB95)
Mary’s question was
not an expression of unbelief like Zechariah recorded in Luke 1:18-19 but
rather it was an expression of faith since she believed the promises but did
not understand how they would be fulfilled with her since her marriage with
Joseph was not yet consummated.
Luke 1:35 The angel
answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of
the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason
the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.” (NASB95)
In Luke 1:35, the
term “overshadow” is an Old Testament image of the cloud of God’s
presence that descended upon the tabernacle (Ex. 40:35) and is a metaphor for
the presence of God.
Luke 1:36 And
behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age;
and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. 37 For nothing will be
impossible with God. 38 And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may
it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
(NASB95)
When Mary said, “be
it done to me according to your Word” (Luke 1:38), she was saying yes to
the plan of God and expresses her faith in the Lord.
Mary had to agree
with God’s plan before the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit could implant the
seed that would form the perfect humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, thus
revealing a spiritual principle that our faith appropriates the omnipotence of
God in our lives (cf. Matt. 17:20).
Luke 2:1 Now in
those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of
all the inhabited earth. (NASB95)
According to Luke
2:1, our Lord’s birth took place during the reign of Caesar Augustus who was
the great nephew and adopted son of Gaius Julius Caesar who was one of the
greatest men of the ancient world. The title Augustus was a religious title and
an attempt to claim deity and he took the name Caesar by adoption and was the
first Roman Emperor who ruled from 31 B.C. to 14 A.D.
Rome was a Republic
and then became an Empire under Octavius meaning he was the sole ruler of Rome,
and whose rulership stretched over most of the inhabited world at that time and
was the fourth kingdom described in the prophecies of Daniel 2:40 and 7:23.
Rome took a census
every fourteen years for both military and tax purposes and each Jewish male
had to return to the city of his fathers to record his name, occupation,
property and family. Augustus issued a decree that a census be taken of
everyone in the Roman Empire but it was God who moved
Augustus to issue this census so that the prophesy in Micah 5:2 could be
fulfilled.
Proverbs 21:1 The
king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it
wherever He wishes. (NASB95)
The phrase “all
the inhabited earth” refers to the entire Roman Empire. The spiritual
condition among members of the human race was
spiritually bankrupt and morally decadent since the Gentiles were polytheists,
as were the Romans, and the Greeks also worshipped many gods along with
philosophy.
The spiritual
condition of the Jews was no better as evidence by their reception of Jesus as
recorded in John 1:11, “He came unto His own and His own received Him not.”
But it does appear that many in Christ’s day were expecting and looking for
Messiah to come, which is demonstrated by the fact that they knew where Messiah
was to be born (cf. Matthew 2:4). Luke 2:25-38 records that Simeon was looking
for the consolation of Israel, the Messiah.
Luke 2:2 This was
the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. (NASB95)
Quirinius was
governor of Syria on two different occasions (First: Luke 2:2; Second: Acts
5:37) and so the census in Luke 2:2 took place during his first reign as
governor of Syria in 4 B.C.
Luke 2:3 And
everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. 4
Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth,
to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of
the house and family of David 5 in order to register along with Mary, who was
engaged to him, and was with child. 6 While they were there, the days were
completed for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and
she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room
for them in the inn. (NASB95)
Each man went to
the town where his family’s register was kept and Joseph and Mary who were of
the house of David, lived in the town of Nazareth but both Joseph and Mary’s
family registers were in the town of Bethlehem. The last three months of Mary’s
pregnancy were spent in Bethlehem away from the gossip and the turmoil that
would have surrounded her in Nazareth.
Notice that Luke
records that Jesus was Mary’s “first-born,” and not Joseph’s indicating
clearly that Joseph was the legal father by adoption, but not by conception.
Mary wrapped the
Child in strips of cloth like bandages used to keep the infant’s limbs straight
and to limit movement. This type of treatment was considered appropriate and also served to identify a newborn (Luke 2:12). The
mother who bore the child had to wrap the child herself. The custom of the day
included cleaning and rubbing the baby with oil, usually olive oil. Then the
arms were placed at the baby’s side and were wrapped in strips of cloth. This
also served as a sign to the shepherds who were in field and were told by the
angel of the Lord that they could see the Messiah wrapped in cloths and lying
in a manger (Luke 2:12).
The word for “manger”
is the Greek noun phatne, which means, “feeding trough” and was employed
by Mary and Joseph as a crib for the baby Jesus. The mangers in the ancient
world were often made of stones laid like blocks, then plastered over with a
substance to make them waterproof. These feeding troughs could also be carved
from a single block of stone. Placing our Lord in one of these troughs speaks
of the believer feeding from our Lord who is the Word of God (John 6:54-56).
Therefore, we see
that at the birth of our Lord there were no trappings of royalty, no purple
robes, and no signs of wealth or of position, even though this One was born to
be the King of kings and Lord of lords. The King of glory condescended to be
cradled in a manger that was to hold food for cattle. He who had come to
provide heaven’s bread descended to a manger.
We do not have any
information regarding these Palestinian inns but in the Roman Empire, we know
they were places of ill repute and travelers, whenever possible, stayed with
friends, thus, the New Testament emphasizes hospitality to strangers. Jewish
inns may have been better, but this is only conjecture
and some believe the word “inn” should be translated “caravansary” and another
translation might be “guest house” because the word can mean “guest room” but
it was, however, a place where travelers stayed.
The earliest
non-scriptural reference to the birth of Christ is found in Justin Martyr, an
early church father, and is dated about A.D. 140 who stated that Christ was
born in a cave and Origen said the same in A.D. 248 as did Jerome, one of the
most brilliant scholars of the early church. Tradition says it was a cave in
the side of the hill behind the inn or guest house of the village
but the point is that whatever the exact nature of the place, the city was so
crowded with people because of the census that the only place left for them was
a cave.
Luke 2:8 In the
same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping
watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood
before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were
terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for
behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people 11
for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is
Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped
in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel
a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in
the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” 15 When the
angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one
another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has
happened which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they came in a hurry and
found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. 17
When they had seen this, they made known the statement, which had been told
them about this Child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at the things, which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary treasured all
these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 The shepherds went back,
glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had
been told them. (NASB95)
The announcement of
the birth of Christ was not given to the religious people in Jerusalem, the
Pharisees but rather it was given to a despised class of people, the shepherds.
The Pharisees despised them, putting them under the same classification as publicans
and tax collectors, depriving them of certain rights in the community. They
were not allowed to hold a judicial position and could not be admitted as a
witness in court. The reason for this harsh treatment was that the shepherd was
out alone in the fields for months at a time without supervision, which was a
great temptation to steal some of the increase of the flock.
The Pharisees hated
the shepherds but our Lord identified with them,
calling Himself the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14). In fact, He is described in
Hebrews 13:20 as the Great Shepherd of the sheep. Peter describes Him as the
Shepherd (1 Pet. 2:25). The fact that the good news of the Savior being born in
Bethlehem was given to the shepherds provides a striking picture of the mission
of Christ on earth who reached out to the forsaken, disenfranchised and
offscouring of society.
Reasons for the
Incarnation
There
are many reasons for the incarnation. First of all, it
was important since it resulted in Satan being judged. Our Lord’s obedience to
the Father’s will defeated Satan in the angelic
conflict.
John 12:31 “Now
judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world shall be cast out.”
(NASB95)
John 16:7 “But I
tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go
away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8
And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness
and judgment; 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and
concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me;
11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.”
(NASB95)
Without the
incarnation there would be no cross and without the cross, there would be no
victory over Satan.
Colossians 2:15
When He (the Father) had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He (the
Father) made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through
him (Christ). (NASB95)
Not only did the
incarnation bring about the defeat of Satan but of course it also provided all
of mankind with a Redeemer.
Galatians 4:4 But
when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman,
born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law,
that we might receive the adoption as sons. (NASB95)
If not for the
incarnation, there would be no cross and resurrection and therefore there would
be no salvation or hope for mankind.
Titus 2:11 For the
grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men. (NASB95)
If there was no
incarnation, there would be no cross and if no cross, no resurrection, thus
leaving the entire human race lost in sin.
1 Corinthians 15:17
and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in
your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have
perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men
most to be pitied. (NASB95)
The incarnation
provided hope for mankind.
1 Timothy
1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our
Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope. (NASB95)
Man would not be
reconciled to God without the incarnation.
Romans 5:10 For if
while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son,
much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not
only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom
we have now received the reconciliation. (NASB95)
2 Corinthians 5:18
Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ,
and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ
reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them,
and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. (NASB95)
Colossians 1:19 For
it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and
through Him to reconcile all things to himself, having made peace through the
blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in
evil deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death,
in order to present you before Him holy and blameless
and beyond reproach. (NASB95)
1 Peter 3:18 For
Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that
He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive
in the spirit. (NASB95)
Thus, since Christ
reconciled sinful humanity to a holy God, He is also the only “mediator”
between God and man. Thus without the incarnation,
there would be no mediator between sinful humanity and a holy God.
Job 9:32 “For He (God) is not a
man as I am that I may answer Him, that we may go to court together. 33 There
is no umpire between us, who may lay his hand upon us both.” (NASB95)
1 Timothy 2:5 For
there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ
Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony borne at the
proper time. (NASB95)
The incarnation
provided the human race with a “kinsman redeemer” who
is someone who pays a price to set someone free who is under bondage to
another.
1
Corinthians 6:20a For you have been bought with a
price. (NASB95)
There would be no
high priest to represent the believer before God without the incarnation.
Hebrews 2:17
Therefore, He (the Lord Jesus Christ) had to be made like His brethren (incarnation)
in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in
things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
(NASB95)
Hebrews 3:1
Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the
Apostle and high priest of our confession. (NASB95)
Hebrews 4:14 Since
then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the
Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high
priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One
who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us
therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive
mercy and may find grace to help in time of need. (NASB95)
Hebrews 6:19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and
steadfast and one which enters within the veil, 20 where Jesus has entered as a
forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order
of Melchizedek. (NASB95)
Hebrews 7:25
Therefore, He (the Lord Jesus Christ) is also able to save forever (eternal
security) those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to
make intercession for them. 26 For it was fitting that we should have such a
high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separate from sinners and exalted above
the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up
sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people,
because this He (the Lord Jesus Christ) did once for all when He offered
Himself. (NASB95)
Hebrews 8:1 Now the
main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has
taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.
(NASB95)
Hebrews 9:24 For
Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one,
but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 nor was
it that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place
year by year with blood not his own. 26 Otherwise, He would have needed
to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the
consummation of the ages He has been manifested (a reference to the
incarnation) to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after
this comes judgment, 28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the
sins of many, shall appear a second time for salvation without reference to
sin, to those who eagerly await Him. (NASB95)
Jesus Christ
functions as the believer’s “advocate” before the Father when the believer is
accused by Satan. This ministry is connected to His great high priesthood.
1 John 2:1 My
little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin.
And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous. (NASB95)
“Advocate”
is the word parakletos, which is a legal term used of “someone who
assists or defends another who has been accused of something.”
Satan accuses the
believer before the Father day and night. However,
Jesus Christ intercedes for the believer and defends the believer against
Satan’s accusations.
Revelation 12:10
“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority
of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down,
who accuses them before our god day and night.” (NASB95)
Therefore, without
the incarnation, the believer would have no advocate in heaven.
There would be no
“new creation” without the incarnation.
2 Corinthians 5:17a
Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. (NASB95)
Ephesians 2:14 For
He Himself (the Lord Jesus Christ) is our peace, who made both groups into one,
and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh
the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in
Himself (the Lord Jesus Christ) He might make the two (Jew and
Gentile) into one new man, thus establishing peace. (NASB95)
There would be no
one to sit upon David’s Throne without the incarnation.
Isaiah 9:7 “There
will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of
David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and
righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts
will accomplish this.” (NASB95)
Luke 1:32 “He (the
Lord Jesus Christ) will be great, and will be called
the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of his
father David.” (NASB95)
There would be no
millennium without the incarnation.
Revelation 20:4 And
I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them. And I
saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus
and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshipped the beast (Anti-Christ)
or his image, and had not received the mark upon their
forehead and upon their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for
a thousand years. (NASB95)
Revelation 20:6
Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over
these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of
Christ and will reign with Him (the Lord Jesus Christ) for a thousand years.
(NASB95)
There would be no
manifestation of God to man without the incarnation.
John 1:18 No man
has seen God at any time; the only begotten God (the Lord Jesus Christ), who is
in the bosom of the Father, He (the Lord Jesus Christ) has explained Him (the
Father). (NASB95)
“Explained,”
is the verb exegeomai, which means, “to lead out, to show the way to.”
The Lord Jesus Christ “led, who God is, out into the open.” In other words, He
explained or manifested through His words and actions the character and nature
of the Father. The Lord Jesus Christ fully revealed who God is and made known
the complete revelation of God to man.” Hence, He “explained” God to man.
John 10:30 “I and
the Father are one.” (NASB95)
John 14:8 Philip
said to Him (the Lord Jesus Christ), “Lord, show us the Father, and it is
enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you
have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father;
how do you say, ‘show us the Father’?” (NASB95)
God’s love for
mankind is revealed through the incarnation.
John 3:16 “For God
so loved the world that He (God the Father) gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him (the Lord Jesus Christ) should not perish,
but have eternal life.” (NASB95)
Romans 5:8 But God
demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us. (NASB95)
1 John 3:16a We
know love by this that He (the Lord Jesus Christ) laid down His life for us.
(NASB95)
1 John 4:10 In this
is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the
propitiation for our sins. (NASB95)
The prophecy of
Moses that God would raise up a Man who would be a prophet like himself is
fulfilled through the incarnation.
Deuteronomy 18:15
“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, you
shall listen to Him.” (NASB95)
Deuteronomy 18:18
“I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put
My words in His (the Lord Jesus Christ) mouth, and He shall speak to them all
that I command Him. 19 And it shall come about that whoever will not listen to
My words which He (the Lord Jesus Christ) shall speak in My name, I Myself will
require it of him.” (NASB95)
Matthew 17:5 While
he (Peter) was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and
behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I
am well-pleased; listen to Him!” (NASB95)
John 7:16 “My
teaching is not Mine, but His (God the Father) who sent Me.” (NASB95)
John 8:28b “I do
nothing of My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught
Me.” (NASB95)
John 12:47 “And if
anyone hears My sayings, and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did
not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 He who rejects Me,
and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is
what will judge him at the last day. 49 For I did not speak on My own
initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me commandment, what
to say, and what to speak. 50 I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has
told Me.” (NASB95)
The grace of God
towards mankind was manifested through the incarnation.
John 1:17 For the
Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus
Christ. (NASB95)
Romans 5:15 But the
free gift (Christ’s act of obedience to the Father’s
will in going to the cross) is not like the transgression. For if by the
transgression (Adam's sin) of the one (Adam) the many died (imputation of
Adam's sin to all members of the human race), much
more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus
Christ, abound to the many. (NASB95)
Titus 2:11 For the
grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all men. (NASB95)
The Humanity of
Christ
The
incarnation of the eternal Son of God resulted in of course, our Lord becoming
a human being.
The Scriptures use
the following titles when stressing our Lord’s humanity:
(1) “The Son of Man” (Matt. 24:30; Mark 26:64; Luke 5:24; 6:5;
John 1:51; 3:14; 8:28). (2) “The Son of David” (Matt. 1:1; Mark 10:47; Luke
1:32; 18:39; Rev. 22:16). (3) “The Man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5). (4) “Jesus”
(Acts 2:32; 8:35; Rom. 3:26; 1 Thess. 4:14; Heb. 2:9; 6:20).
The
Scriptures teach that the Lord Jesus Christ has a human body like ours but
without a sin nature (John 1:14; Heb. 10:5; 1 John 1:1; 1 John 4:2-3), that He
has a human soul (Matt. 26:38a; Isa. 53:11a) and a human spirit (Luke 23:46;
John 13:21; 19:30). He did not have an old sin nature like every human being
born in Adam because of the virgin birth. He did not have a sin nature because
He did not have a human father (Luke 1:35). The father passes along the sin
nature in the human race. However, our Lord did not
have a human father since the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary. Therefore, Jesus
Christ was totally free from the sin nature, which means He was perfect or
flawless. He remained free from all three categories of sin in the human race: (1) Old sin nature (2) Adam’s original sin
(3) Personal sins.
Therefore our Lord was found to be without sin in His humanity
(John 8:46a; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 7:26; 1 Pet. 2:22; 1 John 3:5). He was tempted
in all things as sinful humanity (Heb. 4:15). However, even though He was
tempted to act and live independently from God the Father’s plan for His life,
He never once sinned (Luke 4:1-4; Matt. 16:21-23). He even was tempted not to
go to the cross (Luke 22:39-44).
The Word of God
also testifies to the fact that our Lord performed the following human
functions and suffered circumstances common to humanity. First of all He was said to have “wept” (John 11:35; Heb. 5:7). He
“slept” (Mark 4:38) and became “hungry” (Luke 4:2). He was “thirsty” (John
19:28), “ate” and “drank” (Mark 2:16; Luke 5:30). The Scripture tells us He was
“weary” (John 4:6) and was in “agony” (Luke 22:44). He had to “grow” physically
and mentally (Luke 2:40) and had to “learn” the Scriptures (Luke 2:52). He also
had to learn “obedience” (Heb. 5:7). Our Lord also “prayed” (Luke 21:41-42;
Heb. 5:7). He also was “tempted” (Luke 4:2; Heb. 2:18; 4:15) and was a Man of
“sorrows” (Isaiah 53:3). He was “despised” and “forsaken” of men (Isaiah 53:3).
He is also said to have “rejoiced” (Luke 10:21). He “died” physically (John
19:33) and “died” spiritually (Matt. 27:45-46).
Now,
it must be remembered that the Scriptures teach that in His human nature, the
Lord Jesus Christ, the God-Man was subordinate to the
Father. However, in His deity, He is of course as we established in chapter two
co-infinite, co-equal and co-eternal with both the Father and the Spirit.
John’s Testimony
Concerning the Humanity of Christ
The apostle John in
his gospel and first epistle refutes Docetic Gnosticism, which denied the
humanity of Christ.
John 1:14 And the
Word (Jesus Christ) became flesh (a Man), and dwelt among us, and
we beheld His glory, glory as of the only uniquely born One from the Father,
full of grace and truth. (NASB95)
“Word” is
the noun logos, which is used here in John 1:1 and 14 with reference to
the Son of God and is used in this manner in 1 John 1:1. It emphasizes the
deity of Christ. This word designates a distinct personality in the Trinity,
namely the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God. The Word reveals God
to men, thus He is the perfect and complete revelation
of God. He is the perfect manifestation of the Trinity. The Word is the
personal manifestation of deity and the life of the Trinity, which is eternal.
The noun logos, “the Word” expresses Jesus Christ’s relationship
to other members of the Trinity.
“Became” is
the verb ginomai, which
means,
“to enter into a new condition or state, to become something you weren’t
before,” thus the word is used of God the Son, the Word entering
into the human condition through the virgin birth. This entrance into the human race as we noted in chapter three refers to the
“incarnation” of the Son of God.
“Flesh” is
the noun sarx, which refers to the human nature of Jesus Christ, which
is how the word is used in many other passages in the Greek New Testament.
Romans 1:1 Paul, a
slave owned by Christ who is Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the
gospel originating from God, 2 which He promised beforehand through His
prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 concerning His Son, who was born as a
descendant of David with respect to His human nature. (Author’s
translation)
Romans 8:3 For what
the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His
own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He
condemned sin in the flesh. (NASB95)
Ephesians 2:11
Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called
‘Uncircumcision’ by the so-called ‘Circumcision,’ which is performed in the
flesh by human hands – 12 remember that you were at that time separate from
Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the
covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now
in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the
blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one
and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His
flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances,
so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing
peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross,
by it having put to death the enmity. (NASB95)
Colossians 1:19 For
it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and
through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the
blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in
evil deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through
death, in order to present you before Him holy and
blameless and beyond reproach. (NASB95)
1 Timothy 3:16 By
common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in
the flesh, was vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among
the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. (NASB95)
1 Peter 3:18 For
Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He
might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made
alive in the spirit. (NASB95)
1 Peter 4:1
Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also
with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from
sin, 2 so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh
no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. (NASB95)
1 John 4:1 Beloved,
do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from
God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you
know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come
in the flesh is from God; 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not
from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it
is coming, and now it is already in the world. (NASB95)
2 John 7 For many
deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus
Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.
(NASB95)
Therefore, the
apostle John makes it absolutely clear in John 1:14 that the Son of God who is
the eternal Word of the Father became something that He was not before, namely
a human being. He clothed or veiled His deity with a sinless human nature.
The epistle of 1
John was written by the apostle John in the last decade of the first century
and was addressed to believers located in the city of Ephesus, in the Roman
province of Asia, which today, is the western border of Turkey. The purpose of
1 John was to protect believers from Gnostic teaching and to present to them
principles that would help them to restore and maintain fellowship with God and
confirm that they are experiencing fellowship with God.
The Gnostic
teachers had infiltrated Ephesus and the churches around the Roman Empire.
Gnosticism was amalgamation of Greek philosophy and Christianity and denied the
deity of Christ and taught that there was no such thing as a sin nature and
that you do not have to confess your sins after salvation. Its central teaching
was that spirit is entirely good and matter is entirely evil.
Gnosticism denied
Christ’s true humanity in two ways: (a) Some taught that Christ only appeared
to have a body, a view called Docetism, from the Greek dokeo, “to seem,”
and (b) Others taught that the deity of Christ joined the man Jesus at His
baptism and left Him before He died, a view called Cerinthianism, after its
most prominent spokesman, Cerinthus.
This view is the
background of much of 1 John (see 1:1; 2:22; 4:2-3). In contrast to these
Gnostic claims, John demonstrates that he, the other apostles and disciples
were eyewitnesses to the fact that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the incarnate
Son of God or in other words, that He was God in the flesh.
John reveals that
he and the other apostles knew the incarnate Word of life through experience.
They heard Him speak, they saw Him and touched His human body. Thus their testimony concerning the historicity of the
incarnate Word of God refutes the Gnostic heresy.
The first important
theme of 1 John 1:1-4 is that of the eyewitness apostolic testimony concerning
the fact that the Word of God became a human being (cf. 4:14, 5:6-12) and this
testimony appeals to three senses: (1) Hearing (2) Sight (3) Touch.
1 John 1:1-4
mentions the first two stages of the Lord Jesus Christ’s career: (1)
Pre-incarnate: Eternity past as the second person of the Trinity, the Son of
God. (2) Incarnate: Virgin birth through the First Advent to the resurrection.
(3) Glorified Incarnate: Resurrection and on into eternity future. The second
important theme of 1 John 1:1-4 is that the Son of God became a man as a part
of God’s revelation of Himself in Jesus Christ and this revelation concerns the
manifestation of the eternal life of the Father (cf. 4:2, 5:6).
1 John 1:1-4
refutes the Gnostic teaching that stated that Jesus of Nazareth was not really
a human being but a phantom. The Gnostics believed that Christ either
temporarily inhabited a human body but left it before the crucifixion or merely
assumed human appearance. Docetic Gnosticism contended that Christ’s humanity
was a mere appearance or aberration. By denying the unique Person of Christ,
John’s readers would be preventing themselves from having fellowship with God
since eternal life as manifested in the unique Person of Christ is the basis
for fellowship with God since God is eternal life.
1 John 1:1 What was
from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what
we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life – 2
and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the
eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us – 3 what we
have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have
fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His
Son Jesus Christ. (NASB95)
The word “what”
should be translated “who” since the context clearly indicates that John is
writing concerning a person who the apostles saw, heard and touched. The word
in the original Greek text of 1 John 1:1-3 is the relative pronoun hos,
which is employed here five times in the prologue. The context clearly
indicates that each time that the relative pronoun appears in the prologue, it
is referring to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is made clear since John states
that he heard, witnessed with his own eyes, observed and even touched! You
don’t touch a message or an apostolic testimony, but rather you touch a person.
“We have heard”
is the verb akouo, which refers to the act of hearing. The first sense
that John appeals to in the prologue as a witness to the historicity of the
incarnation and resultant hypostatic union is hearing. John is speaking here of
the fact that he heard the incarnate Word of God speak the words of eternal
life. What John and the other witnesses heard confirmed to them that Jesus of
Nazareth was indeed the incarnate Word of God. The content of our Lord’s speech
revealed to John and the other witnesses that He spoke the words of eternal
life (cf. Jn. 6:63, 68; 7:46).
“We have seen
with our eyes” is the verb horao, which refers to physical sight and
in context, it refers to the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ was seen by
witnesses who could testify to the fact that He was indeed the incarnate Word
of Life. To witness means to be formerly present when something was happening.
It has the added idea of having observed with sufficient care to be able to
give an account as evidence. John, the other apostles and other disciples of
the Lord Jesus Christ were present during His First Advent and in particular
during His three and a half year ministry. They
observed with sufficient care as to be able to give an account as evidence.
The apostles and
disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ were witnesses to the many demonstrations
that the Lord presented, which testified to the fact that He was indeed God in
the flesh. So the verb horao refers to seeing
in the sense of being a witness to the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is
undiminished deity and true humanity in one Person forever. To witness
something is to see or know by personal presence and perception, or it can mean
to be present at (an occurrence) as a formal witness, spectator, and bystander.
It refers here to the fact that John and the other witnesses were personally
present during the First Advent of Christ. They personally saw Him demonstrate
that He was the God-Man. This was demonstrated by His miracles and particularly
by His physical death, which demonstrated that He was in fact human.
Horao refers here to the
fact that John and the other apostles and disciples of our Lord were
eyewitnesses to the hypostatic union. John is saying here that he and the
others saw with their own eyes that the Lord Jesus Christ was the God-Man; they were witnesses to this fact, which He
demonstrated through His miracles and His physical death, which demonstrated
that He was in fact human. They also saw Him after His resurrection, which was
further incontrovertible evidence that He was in fact the incarnate Son of God
(Romans 1:4).
“We have looked
at” is the verb theaomai, which means, “to observe” in the sense
that it implies paying strict attention to what one sees or perceives. It is
continuative in action. To observe is to mark or be attentive to something seen
and heard. It refers to observing something carefully. This word conveys the
idea of intense scrutiny.
Therefore, theaomai
here in 1 John 1:1 means that John, the other apostles and disciples of the
Lord Jesus Christ observed or scrutinized carefully
the fact that He was the incarnate Word of God in whom there was eternal life.
They paid strict attention to what they saw during His First Advent and in
particular during His three and a half year ministry,
which included His miracles, death, resurrection and ascension. They marked or
were attentive to what they saw Him do and what they heard Him say during His
First Advent. They observed carefully all that the Lord Jesus Christ said and
did during His First Advent and in particular during His three
and a half year ministry. These witnesses were spectators, to the First
Advent of Christ since they were continually observing carefully all that the
Lord Jesus Christ said and did, which demonstrated that He was God incarnate.
“Touched” is
the verb pselaphao, which is used in relation to the eyewitness
apostolic testimony concerning the historicity of the incarnation, which
produced the hypostatic union. By using this word here, John is refuting the
Cerinthian and Docetic Gnostic teaching that denied the historicity of the
incarnation and resulting hypostatic union of the eternal Word of life, the
Lord Jesus Christ.
John is saying here
that he, the other apostles and disciples touched the physical human body of
the eternal Word of God, thus confirming the incarnation and hypostatic union
of the eternal Word of God and refuting Cerinthian and Docetic Gnostic teaching
that stated that the Lord wasn’t a human being. By denying the historicity of
the incarnation and hypostatic union of the eternal Word of life, they were
denying that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ or Messiah. In contrast to these
Gnostic claims, John demonstrates that he, the other apostles and disciples
knew the humanity of Christ in hypostatic union or in other words, they knew
the incarnate Word of life through experience. They heard Him speak, they saw
Him and touched His human body, thus their testimony concerning the historicity
of the incarnate Word of God refutes the Gnostic heresy.
As was the case in
John 1:1 and 14, “the Word” is the noun logos, which is used here
in 1 John 1:1 with reference to the Son of God and is used in this manner in
John 1:1. It does not emphasize the doctrine or teaching of Christ but rather
His deity. The expression “the Word of life” is one of the many titles
for the eternal Son of God. It refers to the deity of Christ. Therefore, 1 John
1:1 clearly indicates that the eternal Word of God, i.e. the Son of God became
a human being and John, the other apostles and disciples were eyewitnesses to
this fact of history.
“Life” is
the noun zoe, which denotes the Son of God’s attribute of eternal life.
This word functions grammatically, as a genitive of apposition or epexegetical
genitive where the substantive in the genitive case refers to the same thing as
the substantive to which it is related. The genitive of apposition typically
states a specific example that is a part of the larger category named by the
head noun. It is frequently used when the head noun is ambiguous or
metaphorical. Here the articular genitive form of the noun zoe, “of
life” stands in apposition to another articular genitive noun logos,
“the Word.” The latter is ambiguous and needs clarifying and can also be
considered metaphorical as well whereas the former states a specific example
that is part of the larger category named by the head noun logos. Therefore,
instead of translating the genitive expression tou logou tes zoes, “the
Word of life,” we can translate it “the Word who is the life (of God).”
This is not an
objective genitive meaning “the word about life” since the context is
discussing a Person here, namely the Word of God, i.e. the Son of God who
became a human being. This is not an attributive genitive meaning “the living
Word” although this does have parallel expressions in the Gospel of John such
as “the bread of life” (i.e. living bread). But this is not the case since the
context indicates that John is emphasizing both the nouns zoe and logos
since he employs an articular construction with each and in the very next
parenthetical clause in verse 2 he uses the articular
construction of zoe without logos. It makes more sense that this
genitive is epexegetical indicating that it is simply defining the noun logos
meaning “the Word who is the life (of God).” Here in 1 John 1:1, John is
emphasizing the eyewitness apostolic testimony concerning the historicity of
the incarnation and resultant hypostatic union.
Remember, the
Cerinthian and Docetic Gnostic teaching prompted the prologue and which
teaching denied the humanity of the eternal Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.
John states that he heard, witnessed with his own eyes, observed, even touched
the human body of the incarnate Word of God. Furthermore, this Jesus of
Nazareth who we claim is the incarnate Word of God manifested the life of God,
which is eternal. The claims by these eyewitnesses that Jesus of Nazareth was
the incarnate Son of God were substantiated by the fact that He manifested the
life of God in both His words and actions.
Paul’s Teaching
Concerning The Humanity Of Christ
Romans 1:3-4
In
Romans 1:3-4, Paul identifies to his readers the subject of the epistle, who is
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans
1:1 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an
apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which He promised beforehand
through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son, who was born
of a descendant of David according to the flesh. (NASB95)
The
phrase “His (God’s) Son” emphasizes the deity of our Lord.
“Who
was born” is the verb ginomai, which means, “to enter into a new
condition or state, to become something you weren’t before,” thus the word is
used of God the Son entering into the human condition
through the virgin birth.
The
phrase “a descendant of David according to the flesh” emphasizes the
human nature of Jesus Christ, which descended from King David. Together, this
phrase and “His Son” express the uniqueness of Jesus Christ as the God-Man, which theologians define as the “hypostatic union”
of Jesus Christ, which we will note in the next chapter.
“According
to” is the preposition kata, which in context denotes the
relationship between the human nature of Christ to His unique Person and means,
“with respect to.”
Therefore, the
expression “a descendant of David according to the flesh” could be
translated “a descendant of David with respect to his human nature.”
Jesus
Christ Himself echoes this statement by Paul.
Revelation 22:16 “I
am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” (NASB95)
This
is why He is identified in the Gospels as the “the Son of David” (Matt.
1:1; 20:30; Mark 10:47-48; Luke 1:32; 2 Tim. 2:8; Rev. 3:7; 5:5; 22:16), which
is a royal title referring to the fact that He is the Ruler of Israel (Matt.
1:1; 20:30; Mark 10:47-48; Luke 1:32; 2 Tim. 2:8; Rev. 3:7; 5:5; 22:16).
The
expression “a descendant of David according to the flesh” also is a
reference to the “Davidic” covenant, which deals with the dynasty that will
rule the nation of Israel. It refers to God’s promise to David that a
descendant of his would sit on his throne forever, which will be literally
fulfilled by Jesus Christ during His millennial reign. (See 2 Samuel 7:16;
Psalm 89:34-37).
“Christ”
is proper name Christos, which is a technical word designating the
humanity of our Lord as the promised Savior for all mankind and signifies that
He is unique as the incarnate Son of God and totally and completely guided and
empowered by the Spirit as the Servant of the Father.
“Jesus”
is the proper noun Iesou, which is the Greek spelling of the Hebrew word
Jehoshua meaning, “Jehovah saves,” and refers to the perfect human nature of
our Lord.
“Lord”
is the noun kurios, which indicates the following: (1) Jesus of
Nazareth’s equality with the Father and the Spirit. (2) His joint-rulership
with the Father over the entire cosmos. (3) His highest
ranking position as Chief Administrator in the divine government. (4)
His absolute sovereign authority as Ruler over all creation and every creature.
(5) His strategic victory over Satan and the kingdom of darkness in the angelic
conflict.
In His
deity, Jesus Christ is “Lord” (See Luke 20:42), however in His human nature He
received this title as a result of His obedience to
the Father’s will, which called for Him to suffer spiritual death on the cross
as a substitute for every member of the human race-past, present and future
(See Philippians 2:5-11).
Romans 8:3
The
apostle Paul’s teaching in Romans 8:3 supports the doctrine of the humanity of
Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:3 For what
the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His
own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He
condemned sin in the flesh. (NASB95)
“In
the likeness of” is composed of the preposition en, “in” and
the dative neuter singular form of the noun homoioma, “the likeness
of.”
Homoioma is “what is made
similar, copy, like-shaped, likeness, image.” The stress lies on correspondence
and similarity with the reference to the concrete, individual form.
The
word appears six times in the Greek New Testament (Rom. 1:23; 5:14; 6:5; 8:3;
Phil. 2:7; Rev. 9:7). The noun is used to indicate something that is similar,
though not necessarily identical, with something else, but resembles in some
important way that with which it is compared.
In
context, the word in Romans 8:3 is used of Jesus Christ’s humanity, which was
similar to the rest of the human race but not identical since He was first of
all, God and also He did not have a sin nature and was
sinless because He did not have a human father that passed the sin nature down.
Therefore, the noun homoioma indicates that Jesus Christ did not have a
sin nature and implies He did not have a human father since the sin nature is
passed down through sex.
Paul’s
thought here is that the Son of God clothed or veiled His deity with a sinless
human nature. The noun homoioma maintains the sinless or impeccability
of Jesus Christ in the sense that in His human nature Jesus Christ was similar
but not identical in essence to the rest of humanity in that He was not only
God but also did not possess a sin nature and was therefore sinless.
In
Romans 8:3, the noun homoioma functions as the object of the preposition
en, which functions as a marker of a state or condition indicating that
the Son of God was in the state or condition of
being in the likeness of sinful humanity.
“In
the flesh” is composed of the preposition en, “in” and the
articular dative feminine singular form of the noun sarx, “the flesh.”
As was the case in John 1:14 and Romans 1:3 and Romans 8:3, the noun sarx,
“flesh” refers to the human nature of Jesus Christ.
The preposition en
functions as a marker of means or the instrument employed by the Father to execute the judgment against the sin nature. The
noun sarx is a “dative instrumental of means” indicating that the physical
death of the human nature of Jesus Christ was the “means by which” the Father
executed the sin nature. This indicates that the “physical death” of the
impeccable human nature of Jesus Christ in hypostatic union was the “means by
which” God executed the sin nature whereas His
spiritual death dealt with the issue of personal sins.
In
Romans 8:3, the apostle Paul is referring to the physical death of Jesus
Christ, which the Christian was identified with through the baptism of the
Spirit, which in turn delivers them or sets them free from the tyranny of the
sin nature and real spiritual death.
In
Romans 8:3, the articular construction of the noun sarx functions as a
“possessive pronoun” meaning “His” and denotes that this human nature “belongs
to” Jesus Christ. This is further evidence that Jesus Christ has a human nature
as well as a divine nature.
Philippians 2:7-8
The
apostle Paul in Philippians 2:7-8 teaches that Jesus Christ is not only the Son
of God but also a human being as well.
Philippians 2:6
who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a
thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
(NASB95)
“Being
made” is the verb ginomai, which refers to the virgin birth when God
the Son entered into a new condition, namely that of a
human being. This word is used of acquiring or experiencing a new state, i.e.,
a human nature through physical birth. The verb means here to become something
that you weren’t before. It means to acquire and experience an existence that
you did not possess or experience before.
“In the likeness
of men” is composed of the preposition en, “in” and the
locative singular neuter noun homoioma, “likeness,” and the
masculine plural genitive anthropos, “men.”
The preposition en
is used here to denote a state of being or condition which God the Son entered into at the virgin birth.
We saw the noun homoioma
in Romans 8:3 where it was used in the same way as here in Philippians 2:7. It
is used of Jesus Christ’s humanity, which was similar to the rest of the human
race but not identical since He was first of all, God and also He did not have
a sin nature and was sinless because He did not have a human father that passed
the sin nature down. Therefore, the noun homoioma indicates that Jesus
Christ did not have a sin nature and implies He did not have a human father
since the sin nature is passed down by the male through sex.
Again Paul’s thought here in Philippians 2:7 as it was in Romans 8:3 is that
the Son of God clothed or veiled His deity with a sinless human nature. The
noun homoioma maintains the sinlessness or impeccability of Jesus Christ
in the sense that in His human nature Jesus Christ was similar but not
identical in essence to the rest of humanity in that He was not only God but
also did not possess a sin nature and was therefore sinless. We will note in
detail the impeccability of our Lord in chapter six.
Philippians 2:8
Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to
the point of death, even death on a cross. (NASB95)
“In
appearance” is the noun schema, which is used of Christ comprising
everything in His human nature which strikes the senses, the figure, bearing,
discourse, actions, manner of life, etc. The word refers to the appearance of
His human nature. It signifies here His whole outward presentation to other
men.
Trench writes, “Schema
is His character, manner of life, dress, foot, posture, speech, and actions. In
these there was no difference between Jesus and other men.”[26]
Vincent states that
schema in our passage refers to “that which is purely outward and
appeals to the senses. The form of a servant is concerned with the fact that
the manifestation as a servant corresponded with the real fact that Christ came
as the servant of mankind. In the phrase in the likeness of men the
thought is still linked with that of His essential nature which rendered
possible a likeness to men, but not an absolute identity with men. In being
found in fashion as a man the thought is confined to the outward guise as it
appealed to the sense of mankind. Likeness states that the fact of real
resemblance to men in mode of existence: fashion defines the outward mode
and form. As a man. Not being found a man: not what He was recognized to
be, but as a man, keeping up the idea of semblance expressed in likeness.”[27]
So schema
refers to the humanity of Christ that is to say His outward appearance, His
behavior and conduct in the eyes of men, that
which appealed to the senses of mankind.
“Man”
is the noun anthropos and denotes that the eternal Son of God was a
human being.
The statement “He
humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a
cross” is a further indication that Jesus Christ was a human being since
deity can not die, only humanity can.
In 1
Timothy 3:16, Paul teaches that it was a common belief throughout the churches
in the first century that the Son of God became a human being.
1
Timothy 3:16 By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who
was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.
(NASB95)
The
statement “He who was revealed in the flesh” teaches that the Son of God
was manifested in a human being, Jesus Christ. The phrase “was vindicated in
the Spirit” denotes that Jesus Christ was proven to be the Son of God by
the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit through His miracles and of course
resurrection.
The Hypostatic
Union
The Scriptural
evidence is overwhelming that Jesus of Nazareth who is the Christ is both God
and man forever. The two distinct natures, which as to their attributes differ
significantly, were brought together into personal union, which will continue
forever.
In theology or
specifically Christology (the study of Christ), the term “hypostatic union” is
used by theologians to describe the teaching of the Scriptures that Jesus
Christ is undiminished deity and true sinless humanity in one person forever.
The word
“hypostatic” is a Bible Word meaning that it is derived from the original
language of Scripture (Heb. 1:3).
Hebrews 1:3 And He
is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.
When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the
Majesty on high. (NASB95)
“Nature” is
the noun hupostasis, which was a word that belonged to the realm of
science and medicine, and has a variety of meanings in
classical Greek and means “essence,” “nature” or “substance.”
Webster’s Ninth New
Collegiate Dictionary defines essence, “the properties or attributes by means
of which something can be placed in its proper class or identified as being
what it is.” The word essence refers the “nature of something.”
The doctrine of the
hypostatic union teaches that our Lord’s divine nature and His
human nature were united forever.
Webster’s
Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary defines the word union as, “an act or instance
of uniting or joining two or more things into one.” To unite is to put together
two things to form a single unit.
Jesus Christ unites
in Himself, the essence or nature of God and the essence or nature of man. This
union forms a new hupostasis, or “essence,” the hypostatic union, the God-Man.
If we were to make the hypostatic union a mathematical equation, it would look
like this: The nature of God + the nature of man = the hypostatic union.
The hypostatic
union is the complete unique person of Christ. Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ
is the unique theanthropic person of the universe as Lewis Sperry Chafer
declared (Systemic Theology, volume 3, chapter 2, The Person of the Savior).
He is different
from the other members of the Trinity in that He is true humanity. He is
different from the rest of humanity in that He is God and sinless. This makes
our Lord the unique theanthropic person of the universe. There is no one like
Him in the universe and there will never be someone like Him ever again.
Now,
it must be remembered that the Scriptures teach that in His human nature, the
Lord Jesus Christ, the God-Man was subordinate to the
Father. However, in His deity, He is of course co-infinite, co-equal and
co-eternal with both the Father and the Spirit.
The New Testament
emphatically teaches that in His person, Jesus of Nazareth who is the Christ
was both God and man, which we established in chapters two and four
respectively (John 1:14; Rom. 1:1-4; 8:3; 9:1-5; Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 1:19-22; 1
Tim. 3:16; Heb. 2:14; 1 John 1:1-4; 4:1-3; 2 John 7). Many of these passages
such as Romans 1:3-4, 8:3, Philippians 2:6-11, John 1:14 and 1 John 1:1-3 make
it clear that the eternal Son of God clothed and veiled His deity with a
sinless human nature and became a human being.
The
act of incarnation was not temporary but rather permanent according to the
testimony of the Scriptures. His human body is now glorified in that it is a
resurrected body, thus His human nature continues forever.
Matthew
26:64, Mark 14:62 and Luke 22:69-70 make clear that Christ’s humanity will
continue forever. The appearances of Christ after His resurrection also provide
further evidence that His humanity will continue forever (Matthew 28:9; Luke
24:30-31, 39-43; John 20:17, 22, 27-28; Acts 1:1-11; 7:56).
1 John 2:1 teaches
that He now sits at the right hand of the Father as the believer’s Advocate
interceding for the believer when Satan accuses the believer (Compare Zechariah
3:1-7; Revelation 12:10). This is further evidence of the continuance of
Christ’s humanity.
Furthermore,
passages dealing with the rapture of the church in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 and
Philippians 3:20-21 make clear the continuance of Jesus Christ’s humanity. The
many passages that deal with His Second Advent to terminate Daniel’s seventieth
week make this clear as well (Zechariah 12; 14:1-9; Romans 11:25-27; 2
Thessalonians 1:7-10; 2:8; 2 Peter 3:3-4; Jude 14-15; Revelation 1:7-8;
2:25-28; 16:15; 19:11-21).
The Relationship
Between Christ’s Divine and Human Nature
The term
“hypostatic union” means that deity and true humanity are combined in one
personality, forever and that personality is Jesus Christ. He did not have two
personalities because He had two natures. Because He is a man does not make our
Lord less than God. Nor, does His being God prevent
Him from being truly a man. The integrity of the attributes of His divine
nature, were not corrupted or compromised by the fact that His
divine nature was united permanently with a human nature. Nor were the
integrity of the attributes of His human nature corrupted or compromised by the
fact that He was God.
His two natures,
though united, retain their separate identities. There was no mixture of His
divine nature with that of His human nature. His divine attributes are always
united to His divine nature. His human attributes are always united to His
human nature. Deity remains deity and humanity remains
humanity. The infinite cannot become finite and the immutable cannot be
changed. No attribute of deity was altered when our Lord became a man through
the incarnation. The same holds true when He died on the cross. To take away a
single attribute from His divine nature would destroy His deity. To take away
from His perfect human nature a single attribute would destroy His humanity.
Walvoord writes,
“Though Christ sometimes operated in the sphere of His humanity and in other
cases in the sphere of His deity, in all cases what He did and what He was
could be attributed to His one person. Even though it is evident that there
were two natures in Christ, He is never considered a dual personality. The
normal pronouns such as I, You and He are used of Him frequently.”[28]
The
two natures of Christ are not only united without affecting the attributes of
the two natures but they are also combined in one
person. As Charles Hodge writes, “The Son of God did not unite Himself with a
human person but with a human nature.”
The
hypostatic union is “eternal,” which means “no beginning, and no end.” Christ
as eternal God will never cease to be a member of the human
race (Heb. 13:8). Our Lord in His deity always existed.
The
attributes of His divine nature are never attributed to the attributes of His
human nature. However, the attributes of both natures are properly attributed
to his person. Thus, there seems to be a contradiction. Our Lord could be weak
and yet omnipotent. He increased in knowledge yet He
was omniscient. He was finite yet infinite. These qualities of course are
traced to their respective natures.
Walvoord commenting
on the relationship between the two natures of our Lord, writes, “One of the
difficult aspects of the relationship of the two natures of Christ is that,
while the attributes of one nature are never attributed to the other, the
attributes of both natures are properly attributed to His person. Thus Christ at the same moment has seemingly contradictory
qualities. He can be weak and omnipotent, increasing in knowledge and
omniscient, finite and infinite. These qualities can, of course, be traced to
their corresponding nature but, as presented in
Scripture, a variety of treatment can be observed. At least these seven
classifications of this aspect of the truth can be observed in what is called
the communion of attributes: (1) Some attributes are true of His whole person
such as the titles Redeemer, Prophet, Priest and King. As Redeemer, Christ is
both Man and God, both natures being essential to this function. It is
therefore an attribute or characteristic true of His whole person. (2) Some attributes
are true only of Deity, but the whole person is the subject. In some cases the person of Christ is related to an attribute
peculiar to the divine nature. For instance, Christ said: ‘Before Abraham was,
I am’ (John 8:58) - The whole person is the subject, but the attribute of
eternity applies only to the divine nature. It is possible, however, to say of
the person of the incarnate Christ that His person is eternal even though
humanity was added in time. (3) Some attributes are true only of humanity, but
the whole person is the subject. In contrast to John 8:58, in some cases
attributes true only of His humanity are mentioned but the whole person is in
view. On the cross Christ said: ‘I thirst’ (John 19:28). The statement can be
attributed only to the human nature, but the whole person is involved. This
type of reference disappears after His resurrection and ascension and the
resulting freedom from the limitations of His earthly life. (4) The person may
be described according to divine nature but the predicate of the human nature.
A seeming contradiction is sometimes found when the person of Christ is
described according to His divine nature, but that which is predicated is an
attribute of the human nature. An illustration is afforded in the revelation of
Christ in glory in Revelation 1:12.18 where the deity of Christ is in evidence.
Yet Christ is revealed as the One who ‘was dead’ (v. 18), an attribute possible
only for the humanity of Christ. (5) The person may be described according to
human nature but the predicate of the divine nature. In John 6:62 (ASV) the
significant statement occurs: ‘What then if ye should behold the Son of man ascending where he was before?’ The title ‘Son of
man’ describes Christ according to His human nature, but the predicate of ascending up where He was before could have reference only
to the divine nature. (6) The person may be described according to the divine
nature, but the predicate of both natures. According to John 5:25-27, Christ as
the Son of God spoke to those who were spiritually dead, and those who heard
lived. As the Son of man, however, Christ is said to execute judgment in the
future. Hence, Christ is described as the Son of God, but the predicate of
speaking can be attributed to both natures as demonstrated by the fact that the
human nature is specifically mentioned as in view in the future judgment. (7)
The person may be described according to human nature but the predicate of both
natures. According to John 5:27 mentioned above, Christ will judge the world as
One possessing both human and divine natures. Another example is found in
Matthew 27:46 where Christ said: ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’
Christ was speaking from the viewpoint of His human nature in His prophetic
cry, addressing His Father as His God, but the pronoun ‘me’ seems to refer to
both natures or His whole person. Christ was being
judicially forsaken because He was bearing the sin of the world. It was not
simply the divine nature forsaking the human nature as some have held.”[29]
The
Lord Jesus Christ was always aware of His deity and humanity. He was always
aware in Himself with respect to His deity and He grew in self-consciousness
with respect to His humanity. There was no point in the life of our Lord when
He suddenly became aware that He was the Son of God. His divine
self-consciousness was always fully operative when He was an infant in the arms
of Mary and this was the case as a mature adult.
However, it is clear from the Scriptures that His human nature developed. There
was a corresponding development of His human self-consciousness as His human
nature developed. Therefore, our Lord had a divine and human
self-consciousness. However, there was never any conflict between the two.
Sometimes He spoke and acted from His divine self-consciousness and other times
from His human self-consciousness. The Gospels make clear that Jesus Christ’s
divine consciousness was expressed in both His words and actions.
Our Lord was
conscious that not only was He the Son of God but also a King and that He was
the fulfillment of the Old Testament Messianic promises and key to the
fulfillment of the promises contained in the four unconditional covenants to
Israel (Abrahamic (Gen. 12:1-3; 13:16; 22:15-18; 26:4; 28:14; 35:11; Ex.
6:2-8); Palestinian (Gen. 13:15; Ex. 6:4, 8; Num. 34:1-12; Deut. 30:1-9; Jer.
32:36-44; Ezek. 36:21-38); Davidic (2 Sam. 7:8-17; Ps. 89:20-37); New (Jer.
31:31-34; cf. Heb. 8:8-12; 10:15-17). Jesus Christ was also conscious of being
omnipotent and that He was the promised Savior of the world.
The Relationship
Between Christ’s Two Natures To His Will
The
question arises that since Christ had a divine and human nature, did each
nature have a corresponding “will”? In order to answer
this question, we must define “will.” If we speak of “will” in terms of a
desire, then it is clear that there would be
conflicting desires in the divine and human natures of Christ. However, if by
will we mean volition then we know that one person can have only one will. As
we noted earlier from Charles Hodge, “The Son of God did not unite Himself with
a human person but with a human nature.”
The mark of
personhood whether of an angel, a man or God Himself is that of volition.
Volition does not help to compose the divine nature or human nature or the
nature of angels since it is not unique to the nature of God, the nature of man
or the nature angels for that matter. God has a volition
and men and angels do. Therefore, when we speak of our Lord having a human
nature, or that He has human attributes, we are not including volition since it
is not unique to the divine nature, or human nature or angelic nature for that
matter rather it is the mark of personhood. Therefore, our Lord had only one
volition but yet clothed His divine nature with human
attributes that do not include volition since again volition does not help to
compose the divine nature, human nature or angelic nature but rather helps to
constitute personhood. Thus, when the Son of God became a man, He did not
attach Himself to another human being or add a human will since He was already
a person but rather He clothed His divine nature with
the attributes of a human being.
We also must not
confuse God’s volition with His attribute of sovereignty though they are
obviously related to each other. The term “sovereignty” connotes a situation in
which a person, from his innate dignity, exercises supreme power, with no areas
of his province outside his jurisdiction. As applied to God, the term
“sovereignty” indicates His complete power over all of creation, so that He
exercises His volition or will absolutely, without any necessary conditioning
by a finite will (volition) or wills (volitions). Therefore, God exercises His
volition absolutely without any necessary conditioning by the volition of His
creatures whether men or angels, which constitutes His sovereignty over them.
Therefore,
Jesus Christ did not have two volitions but rather one, namely, the volition
that is related to His divine nature. When the Son of God clothed His divine
nature with a human nature, this did not include a human volition since the
implication of that would be that the Son of God attached Himself to another
person.
Our Lord praying in
the Garden of Gethsemane demonstrates the exercise of His sovereign will in
relation to His human nature’s desire to not lose fellowship with the Father by
experiencing a substitutionary spiritual death.
Luke 22:39 And He
came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives; and the
disciples also followed Him. 40 When He arrived at the place, He said to them,
“Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41 And He withdrew from them
about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and began to
pray, 42 saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not
My will, but Yours be done.” Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him,
strengthening Him. (NASB95)
The “cup”
that our Lord refers to in His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane refers to not
only His physical sufferings but also His substitutionary spiritual death,
which is recorded in Matthew 27:46.
Matthew
27:46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “ELI,
ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?’ that is, ‘MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?”
(NASB95)
“Spiritual
death” means that our Lord in His perfect human nature “lost fellowship with
God the Father” during those last three hours on the Cross. His spiritual death
was “unique” in that He suffered spiritual death as a “sinless” human being
whereas every member of the human race suffers
spiritual death the moment they are born into the world.
Our
Lord’s spiritual death was “voluntary” in that our Lord in His impeccable
humanity “chose” to lose fellowship with His Father during those last three
hours of darkness upon the Cross because He loved the entire world.
In our
Lord’s deity, His fellowship with the Father and the Spirit was “never” broken
at any time. However in His perfect human nature He
suffered temporarily loss of fellowship with the Father so that all of sinful
mankind might not be separated forever from God. The person of the Son of God
was able to experience spiritual and physical death as well as being
resurrected through His sinless human nature.
In His
human nature, our Lord’s desire was to avoid losing fellowship with His Father.
It was natural for the sinless human nature of Christ to desire to avoid this
as it was in keeping with His divine nature’s desire to avoid being judged for
sin. However, the will or more accurately the desire of the Father was that
Christ would die both a substitutionary spiritual and physical death on the
cross in order to provide salvation for all men and
this our Lord did willingly. This desire of the Father was not hindered or
prevented from being fulfilled by the function of the volition of men or
angels.
The Results of the
Hypostatic Union
The
union of Christ’s divine and human natures are related to His acts as an
incarnate person. Though His divine nature was
immutable, His human nature could suffer and learn through experience so that
as a result the person of Christ with two natures came into new experiences.
The Son of God came into a new experience of suffering by becoming a human
being.
The
voluntary substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths of Christ on the cross
were based on the hypostatic union. The act of Christ redeeming sinners through
His substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross was an act of
His whole person in that these deaths originated from both natures and not
merely to the human nature alone or divine nature. As a human being Christ
could die spiritually and physically but only as God could these deaths have
infinite value, sufficient to redeem sinners. Thus the
substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths of Christ have eternal and
infinite value because they were experienced and suffered by the divine-human
person. They have value because of who He is as a person, the Son of God.
Our
Lord’s great high priesthood is also based upon the hypostatic union. In order to be our great high priest, He had to be both God
and man. As a man, he could act as human priest and as God this priesthood
could be forever after the order of Melchizedek. Thus
He could be the mediator between God and man because of His hypostatic union.
As a man, his priesthood could sympathize with the human experience (Hebrews
4:15) but as God, He was assured of always being heard by the Father.
Our Lord’s office
as a prophet was based as well on having two natures since it was God’s purpose
to reveal Himself through a man, which required God becoming a human being
(John 1:18).
His office as King
depends on both the divine and human natures since the Davidic covenant, which
promised that a descendant of David’s would sit on his throne forever could not
be fulfilled unless God become a human being.
Impeccability of
Christ
Impeccability
versus Peccability
The Scriptures
clearly teach that Jesus Christ never committed an act of sin and neither did
He possess a sin nature.
John 8:46a “Which
one of you convicts Me of sin?” (NASB95)
2 Corinthians 5:21
“He (Christ) who never knew sin experientially (Christ was impeccable),
on behalf of us (as our Substitute), was made (the representative of) sin in
order that we might become the very righteousness of God in Him. (Author’s
translation)
Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot
sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all
things as we are, yet without sin. (NASB95)
Hebrew 7:26 For it
was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled,
separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens. (NASB95)
1 Peter 1:19 But
with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of
Christ. (NASB95)
1 Peter 2:22 Who
committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth. (NASB95)
1 John 3:5 And you
know that He appeared in order to take sins; and in
Him there is no sin. (NASB95)
Most orthodox
theologians agree that Jesus Christ never committed an act of sin. Walvoord
writes, “This seems to be a natural corollary to His deity and an absolute
prerequisite to His work of substitution on the cross. Any affirmation of moral
failure on the part of Christ requires a doctrine of His person which would
deny in some sense His absolute deity” (The Person and Work of Christ Part VII,
The Impeccability of Christ).
There has been
debate regarding whether the sinlessness of Christ was the same as that of Adam
before the fall or whether it possessed a unique character because of His
divine nature. Could the Son of God be tempted as Adam was tempted and could He
have sinned as Adam sinned? Was there any potential of Him sinning once? Most
theologians who are orthodox agree that Christ could be tempted because of the
presence of a human nature, but there is great division as to whether being
tempted He could have sinned or was there the potential of Him ever sinning.
The term used to
describe the teaching that there was a potential that Christ could sin is
called “peccability.” The term used to designate that there was never any
potential of Christ sinning is called the “impeccability” of Christ.
Both positions are in agreement that Christ did not sin. Both contend that
Jesus Christ is infinite and eternal God (John 1:1-2; John 8:58; 10:30a; Col.
2:9a; Rev. 1:8). They both agree that in His Deity, Jesus Christ always
occupied a place of equality and fellowship with God the Father and God the
Holy Spirit. They both agree that as God, He is equal with the Father (John
10:30, 37-38; 14:9; 17:5, 24-25).
Both views are in agreement that He has the same divine essence as God
the Father and God the Holy Spirit. They agree that our Lord possesses all the
attributes of deity: (1) Sovereignty (Matt. 28:18a; Col. 2:10b). (2) Perfect
righteousness (John 8:46a; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 7:26; 1 Pet. 2:22; 1 John 2:21b).
(3) Justice (John 8:16a; 2 Tim. 4:8; Ps. 9:8; Deut. 32:4; Rev. 15:3b). (4) Love
(John 13:34; Rom. 5:8; Eph. 3:19; 1 John 4:9-10). (5) Eternal life (1 Tim.
1:17; 1 John 5:11). (6) Omniscience (Luke 11:17; John 2:24-25; John 6:64). (7)
Omnipresence (Matt. 18:20; Prov. 15:3) (8) Omnipotence (1 Cor. 1:23-24; Rev.
1:8). (9) Immutability (Heb. 13:8). (10) Veracity (John 1:14; 14:6a).
Both views are in agreement that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Creator
and Sustainer of the universe (Col. 1:16-17), that He has authority to forgive
sins (Matt. 9:6). They agree that the Lord Jesus Christ has the power to raise
the dead (John 5:21; 6:40) and that all judgment belongs to Him (John 5:22),
and that He receives worship from both men and angels (Ps. 99:5; Phil. 2:10;
Rev. 5:13-14).
Both views agree
that the Lord Jesus Christ has a human body like ours but without a sin nature
(John 1:14; Heb. 10:5; 1 John 1:1; 1 John 4:2-3), that He has a human soul
(Matt. 26:38a; Isa. 53:11a) and a human spirit (Luke 23:46; John 13:21; 19:30).
In
regards to our Lord’s humanity, both the peccable and impeccable view are in
agreement that our Lord was totally free from sin, which means He was perfect
or flawless. They both agree that Christ remained free from all three
categories of sin in the human race: (1) Old sin
nature (2) Adam’s original sin (3) Personal sins.
These two views are in agreement that because of the virgin birth our Lord
did not have an old sin nature like every human being born in Adam. They agree
that He did not have an old sin nature because He did not have a human father
(Luke 1:35). The peccability view and the impeccability view both agree that
the Lord Jesus Christ was found to be without sin in His humanity (John 8:46a;
2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 7:26; 1 Pet. 2:22; 1 John 3:5). They agree that in His
humanity that our Lord was tempted in all things as sinful humanity (Heb.
4:15). They agree that in His humanity, He was tempted to act and live
independently from God the Father’s plan for His life (Luke 4:1-4; Matt.
16:21-23) and that He was tempted not to go to the cross (Luke 22:39-44).
Therefore, both
views are in agreement that our Lord did not sin, but
the peccability view contends that He could have sinned. They say that there
was a potential of Him sinning. While on the other hand, the impeccability view
contends that our Lord could never have sinned meaning there was absolutely no
potential of Him ever sinning once because He is the Son of God.
The impeccability
position has been challenged. Can an impeccable person be tempted in any proper
sense? Since Christ had a human nature that was subject to temptation, does
this mean that He could have sinned? The point of view of those who believe
that Christ could have sinned is expressed by Charles Hodge, he writes, “This
sinlessness of our Lord, however, does not amount to absolute impeccability. It
was not a non potest peccare. If He was a true man, He must have
been capable of sinning. That He did not sin under the greatest provocations;
that when He was reviled He blessed; when He suffered
He threatened not; that He was dumb as a sheep before its shearers, is held up
to us as an example. Temptation implies the possibility of sin. If from the
constitution of his person it was impossible for Christ to sin, then his
temptation was unreal and without effect and He cannot sympathize with his
people.” (Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, II, 457)
John Walvoord makes
the following comment in response to Hodge, he writes, “The problem that Hodge
raises is very real, and, judging by our own experience, temptation is always
associated with peccability. Hodge, however, assumes certain points in his
argument which are subject to question. In order to
solve the problem as to whether Christ is peccable, it is necessary, first of
all, to examine the character of temptation itself to ascertain whether
peccability is inevitably involved in any real temptation and, second, to
determine the unique factor in Christ, i.e., that He had two natures, one a
divine nature and the other a sinless human nature. It is generally agreed by
those who hold that Christ did not commit sin that He had no sin nature.
Whatever temptation could come to Him, then, would be from without and not from
within. Whatever may have been the natural impulses of a sinless nature which
might have led to sin if not held in control, there was no sin nature to
suggest sin from within and form a favorable basis for temptation. It must be
admitted by Hodge, who denies impeccability, that in any case the temptation of
Christ is different than that of sinful men. Not only is there agreement on the
fact that Christ had no sin nature, but it is also agreed on the other hand,
that as to His person He was tempted. This is plainly stated in Hebrews: ‘For
we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet
without sin’ (4:15 ). It is also clear that this
temptation came to Christ in virtue of the fact that He possessed a human
nature, as James states: ‘Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of
God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempteth no man’ (1:13 ). On the one hand, Christ was tempted in all points
except through that of a sin nature, and on the other hand His divine nature
could not be tempted because God cannot be tempted. While His
human nature is temptable, His divine nature is not temptable. On these points
all can agree. The question is, then, can such a person as Christ is,
possessing both human and divine natures, be tempted if He is impeccable? The
answer must be in the affirmative. The question is simply, is it possible to
attempt the impossible? To this all would agree. It is possible for a rowboat
to attack a battleship, even though it is conceivably impossible for the
rowboat to conquer the battleship. The idea that temptability implies
susceptibility is unsound. While the temptation may be real, there may be infinite
power to resist that temptation and if this power is infinite, the person is
impeccable. It will be observed that the same temptation which would be easily
resisted by one of sound character may be embraced by one of weak character.
The temptation of a drunken debauch would have little chance of causing one to
fall who had developed an abhorrence of drink, while a habitual drunkard would
be easily led astray. The temptation might be the same in both cases, but the
ones tempted would have contrasting powers of resistance. It is thus
demonstrated that there is no essential relation between temptability and
peccability. Hodge’s viewpoint that temptation must be unreal if the person
tempted is impeccable is, therefore, not accurate. Temptability depends upon a
constitutional susceptibility to sin, whereas impeccability depends upon
omnipotent will not to sin.”[30]
Shedd writes: “It
is objected to the doctrine of Christ’s impeccability that it is inconsistent
with his temptability. A person who cannot sin, it is said, cannot be tempted
to sin. This is not correct; any more than it would be correct to say that
because an army cannot be conquered, it cannot be attacked. Temptability
depends upon the constitutional susceptibility, while impeccability depends
upon the will. So far as his natural susceptibility, both physical and mental,
was concerned, Jesus Christ was open to all forms of human temptation excepting
those that spring out of lust, or corruption of nature. But his peccability, or
the possibility of being overcome by those temptations, would depend upon the
amount of voluntary resistance which he was able to bring to bear against them.
Those temptations were very strong, but if the self-determination of his holy
will was stronger than they, then they could not induce him to sin, and he
would be impeccable. And yet plainly he would be temptable.”[31]
The doctrine of the
impeccability of Christ acknowledges the reality of the temptations of Christ due to the fact that our Lord had a human nature which was
temptable. Our Lord might have sinned if His human
nature had not been sustained by His divine person, nature and sovereign will.
Adam sinned because
he was not sustained by divine power, nor did he have a divine nature to
sustain him of course. However, there is absolutely no possibility or potential
that Christ could have sinned since He was infinite and eternal God, having a
divine nature and also having a sinless human nature
as well.
Attributes Of
Christ’s Deity Support Impeccability View
The concept of
peccability in the person of Christ is refuted by the attributes of
immutability and omnipotence. For example, the immutability of Christ (Hebrews
13:8) supports the impeccability of Christ in the sense that since Christ was
infinite and eternal God in eternity past, it is absolutely
essential that this divine attribute as well His others be preserved
unchanged eternally. Therefore, our Lord must be impeccable since He is
immutable. It is ridiculous to think that God could sin in eternity past, thus,
it was impossible for God to sin in the person of Christ incarnate. The nature
of His person forbids susceptibility to sin. To say that He could have sinned,
you would have to separate the deity of Christ from His humanity.
Also, the
omnipotence of Christ makes it impossible for Him to sin. We must remember that
peccability always implies weakness on the part of the one tempted in the sense
that He is weak to the extent that He can sin. However, with our Lord, this was
impossible. It is true that if the human nature of Christ was left to itself,
He would have been both peccable and temptable, but since His human nature was
permanently united to an omnipotent divine nature, this made our Lord
impeccable. The infinite quality of our Lord’s omnipotence makes it clear that
Christ is impeccable.
There Was Nothing In Christ’s Divine Or Human Nature That Would Be Attracted
To The Temptations of Satan To Sin
The
debate surrounding peccability and impeccability is easily resolved by an
accurate understanding from the Scriptures of the Person of Christ and the
nature of His testings. As we have noted in chapter two, the Bible teaches that
Jesus Christ is infinite and eternal God (John 1:1-2; John 8:58; 10:30a; Col.
2:9a; Rev. 1:8). In His Deity, He always occupied a place of equality and
fellowship with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus Christ
as God was equal with the Father (John 10:30, 37-38; 14:9; 17:5, 24-25).
Therefore, as to His divine nature, there is no inherent propensity for Him to
sin. In other words, there is nothing in the divine nature of Christ that could
incite Him to sin. No temptation of Satan would be attractive to Him since His
divine nature would be repulsed by anything that contradicted or rejected the
will of the Father.
James
1:13a When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be
tempted by evil. (NASB95)
As we
noted, our Lord is a human being. The Word of God teaches that He had a human
body and now has resurrected human body. The difference between Jesus Christ
and the human race is that He did not have a sin
nature resident in the genetic structure of His human body (John 1:14; Heb.
10:5; 1 John 1:1; 1 John 4:2-3). Unlike the human race,
Christ did not have a sin nature and thus did not have an inherent propensity
to sin like we do!
Therefore, since
Jesus Christ is fully human, yet without a sin nature, as to His human nature,
there was no inherent propensity to sin just as there was no inherent
propensity to sin in His divine nature. In other words, there was nothing in
His human nature that would incite Him to sin because He did not have a sin
nature. Thus, if there was nothing in both His divine
and human natures that could incite Him to sin or tempt Him to sin, then, there
could have been no possibility whatsoever, that Christ could have sinned. There
was nothing in His divine nature that would be attracted to the temptations of
the devil and likewise there was nothing in His human nature that would be
attracted to those temptations since He did not have a sin nature.
The
temptations that the Lord’s human nature had undergone were from without.
However, those temptations unlike the first Adam did not incite in Him anything
that could cause Him to sin since there was nothing in both His
divine and human natures that would be enticed to sin or attracted to the
temptations of the devil. Jesus Christ could always bring to bear His divine
omnipotence that is inherent in His deity to withstand any temptations.
There
are some in Christianity who argue that God would be unfair to Satan in his
appeal trial if there was no possibility for Christ to sin. However, this view
is based upon a misunderstanding of God’s holiness, His justice and
righteousness.
Matthew
25:41 teaches that God sentenced Satan to the Lake of Fire for his rebellion.
God would have been fair if He executed that sentence. However, in His grace,
He did not as evidenced by the fact that Satan is the
god of the world according to 2 Corinthians 4:4 and that he deceives the entire
world according to 1 John 5:19 and Revelation 12:10.
To say
that God would have been unfair to Satan if there was no possibility for Christ
to sin fails to recognize that God would have been fair to execute Satan’s
sentence immediately. The fact that God did not execute the sentence
immediately indicates that God was operating in grace towards Satan. To say
that in order to be fair to Satan that there had to be
a possibility that Christ could sin is to call into question God’s justice and
righteousness, His integrity since God did not have to prove His fairness to
His creatures since He would have been fair in the first place to execute
Satan’s sentence immediately.
What
God was doing for Satan and the angels was demonstrating His grace and love
towards them by not executing their sentence immediately. Therefore, the
argument that it would have been unfair to Satan if there was no possibility of
Christ sinning is a faulty argument that in fact attacks God’s integrity and
character.
Also,
the fact that Christ did die on the Cross for sinners in obedience to the
Father’s will demonstrated the righteousness of God itself and that God is
integrity (Romans 3:21-26; 5:6-8)! To say that God demonstrated His integrity
through the potential of Christ sinning is without Scriptural basis. However,
the fact that Christ dying on the Cross for sinners demonstrated God’s justice
and righteousness does have wealth of Scripture to support it.
Condescension or
Kenosis of Christ?
I’ve chosen this
title because we will discuss a controversial passage, namely Philippians 2:7,
which depending on your own your interpretation of the verb kenoo, which
appears in this passage, affects how we view the incarnate Son of God. Some
interpret this verb as indicating that our Lord emptied Himself of His divine
attributes, while others state He voluntary denied Himself of His divine
attributes as a human being. These represent the liberal and conservative views
of what we call in theology the “kenosis” of Christ. However, others contend
that this verb is simply presenting to us the condescension of our Lord. The
latter is the view of this writer.
One of the most
controversial subjects concerning the person of our Lord is the “kenosis” of
Christ. “Kenotic” theology is a theology that focuses on the person of Christ
in terms of some form of self-limitation by the preexistent Son in his becoming
man.”[32]
The
origins of “kenotic” theology began in Germany with a German Lutheran
theologian named Gottfried Thomasius (1802-75). The major concern that brought
about this theology was to find a way of understanding the person of Christ
that allowed his full humanity to be adequately expressed (ibid, page 651). In
other words, how do we explain the full humanity of Christ since the Gospels
portray our Lord as a real human being with human limitations such as hunger
and thirst? Secondly, another concern of the kenotic theologians was to affirm
that God truly was in Christ. In other words, how do we explain that God was
truly in Christ and maintain His being one person when the gospels teach that
He had to learn yet at the same time, as God, He was omniscient? Is He not two
persons? Thirdly, kenotic theology sought to address a specific concern, namely
that, if Jesus of Nazareth was both omniscient God and limited man, then did He
not have two centers of consciousness?
Consequently,
all of these concerns led to kenotic theologies in
various forms. “All forms of classical orthodoxy either explicitly reject or
reject in principle kenotic theology. This is because God must be affirmed to
be changeless; any concept of the incarnation that would imply change would
mean that God would cease to be God.”[33]
Rodney Decker, the
Assistant Professor of New Testament at Baptist Bible Seminary in Clarks
Summit, Pennsylvania lists the various forms of kenotic theology, he writes:
“Less conservative views: (1) Christ had a human soul, to which the Logos
imparted his divinity, little-by-little until he became completely divine. (=
gradual incarnation, Dorner, who was an opponent of the Kenotic theologians)
(2) Laid aside his deity which was then restored at the ascension (Gess and
Beecher, cf. summary in Hodge, ST, 2:435 f). Takes morphe as = divine
nature &/or essence. This is also referred to as “incarnation by divine
suicide.” (3) ‘Abandoned certain prerogatives of the divine mode of existence
in order to assume the human,’ e.g., omniscience; morphe is defined as God’s
‘permanent characteristics’ (Gore, The Incarnation of Son/God, 170f). Others
explain that he surrendered the external, physical attributes of omniscience,
though retaining the attributes of love and truth (A. M. Fairbairn, The Place
of Christ…, 475–78). This was also held by Thomasius (Hodge, ST, 2:434),
Delitzsch, and H. Crosby. (4) He lived a double life from two,
non-communicating life centers. As God, he continued his trinitarian and
providential existence, and as man he was united with a human nature. He did
not know consciously anything of his divine, Trinitarian existence (Martensen;
cf. Berkhouwer [?], 328). (5) He disguised his deity and attributes, not by
giving them up, but by limiting them to a time-form appropriate to a human mode
of existence (eternal form > temporal form). His attributes could only be
expressed in relation to the (human) time and space that his human form could
experience (Ebrard; cf. A. B. Bruce, Humiliation of Christ, 152ff).
More conservative
views: (1) ‘Old Orthodoxy’ (Strong’s desig., ST, 704) He gave up the use of the
attributes (cf. Carson, FD&FPJ, 35). (2) He acted as if he did not possess
divine attributes (Anselm). (3) He gave up the independent exercise of the divine
attributes (Strong, ST, 703). (a) He did not give up the attributes nor their
use. (b) He only exercised the divine attributes as directed by the Holy Spirit
for the purpose of his Messianic/Redemptive mission. morphe = ‘that
independent exercise of powers and prerogatives of Deity which constitutes his
‘equality with God’ (Strong, ST, 706). (4) He limited himself to the voluntary
non-use of the attributes (Walvoord, JCL, 143–44, although he also uses the
phrase ‘independent exercise of attributes’ in his summary!). (5) D. A. Carson
(FD&FPJ, 37) modifies: ‘abandoned some substantial measure of independence
in the use of his divine prerogatives.’”[34]
As noted earlier,
the passage of Scripture that this subject revolves around is Philippians 2:7.
Philippians 2:7 but
emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant,
and being made in the likeness of men. (NASB95)
“Emptied” is
the third person singular aorist active indicative form of the verb kenoo.
Kenotic theology spawned from this verb in Philippians 2:7. In this passage,
this verb is employed with the reflexive pronoun heautou, “Himself.”
The
verb’s usage goes back to the fifth century B.C. during the Age of Pericles of
Athens. The word was used by the Herodotus, Thucydides, Hippocrates, Plato,
Aeschylus, Josephus and Philo.
Liddell and Scott
list the following meanings of the word in classical literature: (1) “To empty”
(2) “To be emptied, to be made or left empty” (3) “To desert a place” (4) “To
empty be depletion, to evacuate” (5) “To make away with” (6) “To expend” (7) “To
waste away, shrivel” (8) “To make empty (metaphorically), to make void or of no
effect.”
Albrecht
Oepke list the following meanings of the word in his research: (1) “To make
empty” (2) “To deprive of content or possession,” mostly with a genitive of
object more rarely of person, or absolute. (3) “To empty” (medically) (4) “To
be desolate” (passive) (5) “To nullify, destroy” (6) “To come to nothing”
(passive).[35]
Louw and Nida list
the following meanings for the verb (Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament
Based on Semantic Domains, volume 2): (1) To take away the power or
significance of something – ‘to cause to lose power, to cause to be emptied of
power, to make powerless’ (page 683). (2) To completely remove or eliminate
elements of high status or rank by eliminating all privileges or prerogatives
associated with such status or rank – ‘to empty oneself, to divest oneself of
position’ (page 740).
A
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian
Literature-Third Edition lists the following meanings for the word: (1) to make
empty, to empty (a) of desertion by an earthly spirit (b) divestiture of
position and prestige: of Christ who gave up the appearance of his divinity and
took on the form of a slave (2) to cause to be without result of effect,
destroy, render void, or of no effect (Page 539).
There
are only two instances of kenoo in the Septuagint (Greek translation of
the Hebrew Bible) (Jer. 14:2; 15:9). The Hebrew equivalent in each case is the
pulal of `amal, “to waste away, languish.” The word appears fives times
in the Greek New Testament (Rom. 4:14; 1 Cor. 1:17; 9:15; 2 Cor. 9:3; Phil.
2:7). It is found exclusively in the Pauline corpus.
The New Testament
uses the verb kenoo in a literal and metaphorical sense. In Philippians
2:7, the literal sense of “emptied himself” appears in the RSV, NSRV,
NET Bible and the NASB. However, the metaphorical sense of “made himself
nothing” appears in the NIV and ESV. The KJV and NKJV interpret a
metaphorical sense for the verb by rendering it “made himself of no
reputation.”
The literal
translation is incorrect and inaccurate since our Lord did not empty Himself of
anything during His incarnation since He was still God according to Philippians
2:6.
Philippians 2:6
who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a
thing to be grasped. (NASB95)
“In the form of
God” is the prepositional phrase en morphe theou, which
refers to the fact that Jesus Christ has a divine essence or nature. The
expression to einai isa theo, “equality with God” also
affirms the deity of our Lord and explicitly teaches that Jesus Christ is God,
equal to the Father and the Spirit. This expression should be translated
“existing equally in essence with God.” Therefore, we can see that the
expressions “form of God” and “equality with God” affirm
the deity of Jesus Christ.
Now, the
translation “emptied himself” in Philippians 2:7 is not only inaccurate because
our Lord did not empty Himself of anything but also because it conveys the idea
that our Lord emptied Himself of His divine attributes or deity. This view is
totally false since to say that Christ emptied Himself of His divine attributes
is to say that He ceased to be God.
Philippians 2:7 but
emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant,
and being made in the likeness of men. (NASB95)
Also,
notice that the text of Philippians 2:7 says absolutely nothing about His
divine attributes. Thus, to say that the verb kenoo refers to the fact
that Jesus voluntarily denied Himself the use of His divine attributes or
restricted their use as Walvoord states, is in error. Nor,
does the text say that our Lord abandoned some substantial measure of
independence in the use of his divine prerogatives as Carson contends. The
reason both views are incorrect is that the text does not say anything about
His attributes. Therefore, the translation to “deny Himself” would be
incorrect.
The
context tells us that the metaphorical sense of kenoo is being used by
Paul in Philippians 2:7 and not the literal sense. There are two participial
clauses that follow this verb that make clear that the verb should be rendered
“He made himself nothing” or “of no reputation.”
The first
participle clause is morphe doulou labon, which is translated by the
NASB “taking the form of a bond-servant” and “taking
the very nature of a servant” by the NIV and “by taking on the form of a
slave” by the NET Bible. The second is en homoiomati anthropon genomenos,
which is rendered by the NASB “being made in the likeness of men” and “being
made in human likeness” by the NIV and “by looking like other men”
by the NET Bible.
The
participle form of the verbs lambano, “taking” and ginomai,
“being made” are what we call in Greek grammar a “participle of means”
meaning that they indicate the means by which the
action of a finite verb is accomplished. These two words are defining the verb kenoo,
which is vague and begs to be defined. Therefore, these two participial clauses
that are formed by these two verbs are presenting to the reader “the means by
which” the Son of God “made Himself nothing” or of “no reputation.” Thus, the
NET Bible captures the idea of the participles better than the other
translations. So Paul is teaching us that God the Son
made Himself of nothing or inconsequential or of no significance or we could
say of no reputation by “by having assumed the essence of a slave by being born
in the likeness of men.” (Author’s translation)
So we can see that in
actuality the verb kenoo in Philippians 2:7 is not referring to our
Lord’s divine attributes but rather it is pointing to His human nature. The
statements “taking the form of a bond-servant”
and “being made in the likeness of men” are obvious references to our
Lord’s human nature. Both are connected to the verb kenoo since the verb
lambano, “taking” and ginomai, “being made” are
participle of means meaning that they are indicating the means which the action
of the verb kenoo is accomplished! This means that our Lord made Himself
nothing or of no reputation by becoming a servant and being made in the
likeness of men, though He had no sin nature like other men.
Our
Lord made Himself nothing in the sense that through His human nature and
servanthood, He veiled from the rest of sinful humanity, His divine nature.
This in turn resulted in the removal from the view of the rest of sinful
humanity, all the elements of His high status and rank as the Son of God. Through
His human nature and servanthood, He eliminated from the view of the rest of
sinful humanity all the privileges and prerogatives associated with His status
or rank as the Son of God. He was still exercising His attributes during His
incarnation but not in the presence or full view of the human
race except when it was according to the Father’s will to do so such as
in His transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-3).
Matthew 17:1 Six
days later Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and
led them privately up a high mountain. 2 And he was transfigured before them.
His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. (NET Bible)
Therefore, we can
see that the Lord Jesus Christ did not empty Himself of anything. He certainly
did not empty Himself of His divine attributes since the text of Philippians
2:6-8 does not say this. In fact, as we noted earlier, the text says nothing
about His divine attributes. However, the text does say that God the Son made
Himself nothing or of no consequence or of no reputation in the eyes of men by
assuming the essence of a slave and by becoming a human being.
In this condition,
He did not (not could not) manifest His divine nature. It was veiled. He still
possessed this divine nature even though He clothed this divine nature with a
human nature. He did not cease to be God as a human being. His human nature and
servanthood served as a temporary veil for His divine nature.
God the Son humbled
Himself by assuming the nature of a slave and a slave’s existence revolves
around serving others. God the Son humbled Himself by being born in the
likeness of humanity. The Lord Jesus Christ did not assert His superiority over
members of the human race in order to benefit Himself
but rather chose not to assert His superiority over members of the human race
in order to serve them.
Humility is
choosing not to assert an easily demonstrated superiority over others.
Arrogance seeks to assert an easily demonstrated superiority over others. Paul
uses this text in Philippians 2:6-8 to impress upon the Philippian church to be
humble and serve each other just as their Lord humbled Himself by becoming a
human being and making Himself of no consequence to serve sinful mankind by
dying for their sins.
Therefore, the verb
kenoo in Philippians 2:7 presents to us the “condescension” of our Lord.
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (11th Edition) defines the
term “voluntary descent from one’s rank or dignity in relations with an
inferior.” If we paraphrase this definition and apply it to this verb kenoo
in Philippians 2:7, we can see that this verb depicts the condescension of our
Lord in that He voluntarily descended from His rank and dignity as sovereign
God by making Himself nothing or of no reputation or consequence in the eyes of
the human race by becoming a human being and a servant at that in order to die
for the sins of the world.
The Spiritual and
Physical Deaths of Jesus Christ
The
Lord Jesus Christ, through His human nature, suffered a spiritual and physical
death on the cross, as a substitute for each and every
member of the human race-past, present and future. These substitutionary deaths
dealt with several problems for fallen humanity. They provided deliverance from
eternal condemnation, condemnation from the Law, spiritual death, the sin
nature, personal sins, slavery to Satan and his cosmic system. This deliverance
is appropriated through alone in Jesus Christ alone. However, the emphasis in
this article will be upon the relationship between the spiritual death of
Christ and the spiritual death of the human race as
well as personal sins. Also, we will discuss the relationship between the
physical death of Christ in relation to the sin nature. Through the function of
human volition, the sin nature produces personal sin, mental, verbal and overt
acts of sin. Spiritual death is the direct result of Adam’s original sin in the
Garden of Eden. His progeny, namely the human race are
now sinners by nature because of his disobedience. His sin not only plunged him
into spiritual death but also his progeny which results in physical death and
ultimately eternal condemnation. Therefore, in order to
solve these problems of the human race, our Lord had to suffer these deaths as
a substitute for sinful humanity.
The
Human Race is Enslaved to Sin
The
Bible teaches that each and every member of the human
race is a sinner by nature as well as by practice.
Ecclesiastes
7:20 There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never
sins. (NASB95)
Galatians
3:22 But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so
that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be
given to those who believe. (NASB95)
The
Bible teaches that every person born into the world without exception received
the imputation of Adam’s original sin in the Garden of Eden and the nature of
Adam. This nature is always disobedient to God and making them all physically
alive but spiritually dead, having no capacity whatsoever to have a
relationship with God.
The first man,
Adam, brought sin and death into the human race
resulting in a curse whereas the “Last Adam,” Jesus Christ, brought life and
blessing to the human race and so therefore, the entire human race boils down
to these two men.
1
Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made
alive. (NASB95)
Romans 5:12
Therefore, based on this (principle), just as, through one man, the sin nature entered into the human race so that spiritual death entered
through this sin nature. Thus, in this manner, spiritual death spread to each and every member of the human race without exception
because each and every member of the human race sinned (the moment Adam
sinned). 13 For you see, prior to the giving of the Law, personal sin was
habitually taking place among the individual members of the
human race however personal sin is never, as an eternal spiritual truth,
charged to one’s account while the Law does not exist. 14 Yet, in spite of this, spiritual death reigned as king from the
fall of Adam to the giving of the Law to Moses, specifically, over those who
had not sinned according to the same exact transgression committed by Adam, who
is, as an eternal spiritual truth, an illustration of the One destined to come.
15 However, on the other hand, absolutely not like
this transgression is, as an eternal spiritual truth, also, in the same way,
the gracious act. For if and let us assume that it is true for the sake of
argument that by means of this transgression committed by the one, the entire
human race died. Of course, we know this is true. How much more then has the grace
originating from God and the gracious gift on the basis of
grace, which is specifically, on the basis of the obedience of the one Man, who
is Jesus, who is the Christ been generously and graciously offered to the
entire human race. 16 In fact, the condemnation through the one who sinned is absolutely not, as an eternal spiritual truth, like the gift
itself. On the one hand the verdict arose from one transgression resulting in
condemnation while on the other hand, the gracious act arose from innumerable
transgressions resulting in justification. 17 For if, and
let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that by means of the
transgression committed by the one, spiritual death reigned as king through
this one. Of course, we know this is true. Then, how much more those who do
receive His transcendent grace, specifically, the gracious gift, which is His
righteousness, will, as a certainty, reign as kings by means of life through
the One, who is Jesus, who is the Christ. 18 Therefore, as previously stated,
just as through the one who committed the transgression resulted in
condemnation affecting each and every member of the
human race without exception in the same way also through the One who committed
the righteous act resulted in the basis for the offer of justification, which
produces (eternal) life, affecting each and every member of the human race
without exception. 19 For you see, just as through the one man’s disobedience,
the entire human race has been rendered sinners in the same way also through
the One’s obedience, many will, as a certainty, be rendered righteous. 20 Now,
the Law was an addendum in order that the transgression might increase but
where personal sin increased, grace infinitely abounded. 21 In order that just
as, the sin nature reigned as king in the realm of spiritual death in the same
way, also grace would reign as king through righteousness resulting in eternal
life through Jesus, who is the Christ, who is our Lord. (Author’s translation)
Because
of the imputation of Adam’s original sin to the genetically formed old sin
nature, every member of the human race is born
physically alive but spiritually dead. Adam’s original sin plus Adam’s sin
nature equals “spiritual death,” which means that every member of the human race is separated from God and has absolutely no
capacity to have a relationship with God who is holy. This is what we call in
theology “real spiritual death” meaning that Adam’s original sin is imputed to
the genetically formed old sin nature, thus, the need for everyone to become
born-again by believing on the Lord Jesus. The Lord taught in John 8:34 that the human race is enslaved to sin and that only He could set
them free.
John
8:34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin
is the slave of sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son
does remain forever. 35 So if the Son makes you free,
you will be free indeed.” (NASB95)
The
book of Genesis and the book of Romans both teach that the sin nature entered the human race through Adam’s original sin in the Garden of
Eden when he disobeyed the divine prohibition to not eat from the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil. The apostle Paul in Romans 5:12-21 gives us an
extensive treatment of the origins of the sin nature and its consequences and
how God has dealt with it.
Romans
5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into
the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all
sinned. (NASB95)
The prepositional
phrase “through one man” is composed of the preposition dia, “through”
and the genitive masculine singular form of the cardinal number heis, “one,”
which is followed by the genitive masculine singular form of the noun anthropos,
“man.”
This
prepositional phrase parallels the prepositional phrase that appears at the end
of Romans 5:11, “through whom we have now received this reconciliation.”
The
noun anthropos signifies a member of the human race
without reference to sex or racial background and is equivalent to “a person.”
The
cardinal number heis functions as an adjective modifying the noun anthropos,
thus the word is describing a particular human being.
The
genitive expression henos anthropou, “one man” is an obvious
reference to the first man, Adam, as indicated in that Paul states in Romans
5:12 that sin entered the world through this one man,
which Genesis 3:1-14 identifies as Adam.
The
preposition dia is used with the genitive form of these two words as a
marker of personal intermediate agency. This indicates that the first man,
Adam, was the personal intermediate agency by whom the first act of sin entered
the world. Although, Adam’s wife actually committed
the first sin, Adam is mentioned here since he was in authority over his wife
and thus responsible for his wife.
“Sin”
is the articular nominative feminine singular form of the noun hamartia,
which refers to the sin nature that through the function of human volition
produces personal sins.
The
noun hamartia is not in the plural but rather in the singular and is
articular indicating the sin nature is in view rather than personal sins. In
other words, the word in the singular emphasizes sin as an entity and not sins
in general. The noun refers to the inherent propensity in mankind to commit
acts of mental, verbal and overt acts of sin.
In
fact, the sin nature is being personified as indicated by the fact that Paul
teaches that sin “reigns” (5:20; cf. 6:13-14), it can be “obeyed”
(6:16-17), it pays wages (6:23), it seizes opportunities (7:8, 11), it “deceives”
and “kills” (7:11, 13).
“Personification”
is the ascribing of human characteristics or actions to inanimate objects or
ideas or to animals. Paul is ascribing the human actions of reigning, obeying,
paying wages, seizing opportunities, deceiving and killing to the sin nature.
In
Romans 3:9 and 20, the noun hamartia is also used with reference to the
sin nature.
Romans
3:9 What shall we conclude then? Are we (Christians) as an eternal spiritual
truth, superior? By no means, absolutely not! Since,
we have already previously indicted both Jew and Greek, with the result that each and every one is under the power of the sin nature.
(Author’s translation)
Romans
3:20 Because each and every member of sinful humanity
will never be justified in His judgment by means of actions produced by
obedience to the Law for through the Law there does come about an awareness of
the sin nature. (Author’s translation)
Now,
Romans 1:18-3:20 teaches that the each and every
member of the human race without exception, both Jew and Gentile are sinners by
practice. In Romans 5:12-21, Paul teaches that they are also sinners by nature due to the fact that they are under both the “federal” and
“seminal” headship of Adam.
Romans
5:12-21 and other passages of Scripture teach that every person born into the
world without exception received the imputation of Adam’s original sin in the
Garden of Eden and the nature of Adam. This nature of Adam is always
disobedient to God and making them all physically alive but spiritually dead,
having no capacity whatsoever to have a relationship with God.
Romans
8:8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (NASB95)
The
first man, Adam, brought sin and death into the human race
resulting in a curse whereas the “Last Adam,” Jesus Christ, brought life and
blessing to the human race and so therefore, the entire human boils down to
these two men.
1
Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made
alive. (NASB95)
1
Corinthians 15:45 So also it is written, “The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING
SOUL.” The last Adam {became} a life-giving spirit. (NASB95)
Romans
5:12 teaches that because of the imputation of Adam’s original sin to the
genetically formed old sin nature, every member of the human
race is born physically alive but spiritually dead. This is why David
writes that he was brought forth in iniquity and sin his mother conceived him.
Psalm
51:1 Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to
the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me
thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my
transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against You, You
only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are
justified when You speak and blameless when You judge. 5 Behold, I was brought
forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. (NASB95)
Adam’s
original sin plus Adam’s sin nature equals “spiritual death,” which means that
every member of the human race is separated from God
and has absolutely no capacity to have a relationship with God who is holy.
Therefore,
in Romans 5:12, the noun hamartia is in the singular referring to the
old Adamic sin nature.
Romans
5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into
the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all
sinned. (NASB95)
“Entered”
is the third person singular aorist active indicative form of the verb eiserchomai,
which is used in relation to the sin nature and means, “to enter” indicating
that the sin nature “entered” into the human race
through Adam’s act of disobedience. The fact that the sin nature is said to
have “entered” the human race implies that sin was in
existence prior to Adam’s act of disobedience. Of course, Satan is the first of
God’s creatures to sin against Him (Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:12-18).
“Into
the world” is composed of the preposition eis, “into” and the
articular accusative masculine singular form of the noun kosmos, “the
world.”
In
Romans 5:12, the noun kosmos refers to the inhabitants of the earth
arranged in tribes and nations or peoples or in other words, the
human race (Acts 17:26; John 3:16; 1 Cor. 4:9; 1 John 2:2; 2 Pet. 2:5).
Therefore, Paul is saying that the sin nature entered the
human race through the personal intermediate agency of Adam.
Genesis 3
Genesis
3 records the account of Adam’s original sin in the Garden of Eden when he
disobeyed the Lord’s prohibition to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil. Consequently, he entered into “real
spiritual death” and acquired a sin nature, which resided in the genetic
structure of his physical body. This sin nature he passed down to his progeny
through sex.
The introduction of
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil appears in Genesis 2:9.
Genesis
2:9 Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing
to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the
midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
(NASB95)
The “tree
of the knowledge of good and evil” was the only tree in the garden that had
a prohibition attached to it in order that God would test the obedience of Adam and the Woman and Satan could have an opportunity to
prove God unjust for sentencing him to the lake of fire for his disobedience.
If Adam and the Woman ate the fruit from the “tree of life” it would continue
to perpetuate their life of their physical bodies. If Adam and the Woman ate
the fruit from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” they would separate
themselves from God, which is called spiritual death. Not only did God tell
Adam to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil but He told him
why, which is that he would die spiritually meaning he would be separated from
God for his disobedience.
Genesis
2:16-17 records the Lord issuing this prohibition to Adam.
Genesis
2:16 The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you
may eat freely 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall
not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” (NASB95)
The
fact that the Lord told Adam why he cannot eat from the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil demonstrates God’s love and concern for Adam and that He had
his best interests in mind.
“You
may eat freely”: (1) Qal infinitive absolute complement form of the verb `akhal
(pronounced: aw-kal) (2) second person masculine singular qal imperfect form of
the verb `akhal.
The
infinitive absolute stands before the finite verb of the same root in Genesis
2:16 in order to intensify the certainty or force of
the verbal idea, thus indicating that the Lord commanded Adam that he could eat
from “absolutely” any tree in the garden.
The
tree of the knowledge of good and evil was a literal tree. There was nothing
inherently evil about the tree since the Lord created it but rather it was Adam
and the Woman’s attitude towards the Lord’s prohibition attached to the tree,
which was evil. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was the only tree in
the garden that had a prohibition attached to it, which indicates that the Lord
wanted to test the obedience of Adam.
The
fact that the tree was named the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil”
indicates that evil was already in God’s creation and that there was a rival
kingdom in God’s creation, namely, Satan. Evil is independence from God as a result of disobedience to His commands.
“Good”
refers to obedience to God’s will whereas “evil” refers to that which is
disobedience to God’s will and is independent of Him. According to Genesis
3:22, as a result of disobeying the Lord and eating
from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Adam and his wife, like God,
were able to “distinguish” between that which is according to God’s will and
that which was not.
Genesis
3:22a Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us,
knowing good and evil.” (NASB95)
Therefore,
if Adam and his wife never ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
they would have never experienced evil and the distinction between what is
according to God’s will and what is not. By eating from the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, Adam and his wife and their children were brought
into bondage to Satan and his kingdom whereas if they obeyed the Lord and did
not eat from this tree, they would have been free in the truest sense meaning
they would be free to serve God exclusively. Eating from the tree of life would
not have given Adam eternal life, which is the very life of God but rather
would have perpetuated the life of his physical body since the soul is created
to live forever and according to Genesis 3:22, eating from this tree results in
living forever.
Genesis
3:22b “and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of
life, and eat, and live forever.” (NASB95)
Eternal
life is received as a gift of God’s grace through faith alone in Christ alone
(Jn. 3:16-18; Eph. 2:8-9). Therefore, eating from the tree of life would not
give Adam eternal life.
According
to Revelation 22, the tree of life will be present in the New Jerusalem
providing believers greater capacity to enjoy the blessings of the eternal
state in their resurrection bodies. Adam and his wife never did eat from the
tree of life since their physical bodies experienced decay after disobeying the
Lord and did not live forever. But, it appears that
Adam and his wife were totally occupied with the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil because it was the only tree in the garden with a prohibition attached
to it.
Genesis
2:17 “but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat,
for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” (NASB95)
“You
will surely die”: (1) Qal infinitive absolute complement form of the verb muth
(pronounced: mooth) (2) second person masculine singular qal imperfect form of
the verb muth.
The
infinitive absolute stands before the finite verb of the same root in Genesis
2:17 in order to intensify the certainty or force of
the verbal idea, thus indicating that the Lord warned Adam that if he disobeyed
the command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he
would “surely” die spiritually. So to the English
speaking person this construction literally means, “dying, you shall die” but
to the Hebrew mind, it simply means, “you shall surely die.”
When
the Lord said to Adam that he would “surely die” if he ate from the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil, the Lord meant that he would enter into
“real spiritual death,” which is separation from God and does “not” mean he
would die physically since Adam lived to be 930 years old according to Genesis
5:5. Not only did God tell Adam to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil but also He told him why, which is that he would die spiritually
meaning he would be separated from God for his disobedience. The fact that the
Lord told Adam why he cannot eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil demonstrates God’s love and concern for Adam and that He had his best
interests in mind.
In
Genesis 3:1, Moses records that Satan indwelt a snake in
order to disguise himself so that he might deceive Eve in the garden of
Eden.
Genesis
3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of
the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has
God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’”? 2 The woman said to
the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat 3 but from
the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the
garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will
die.’” 4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5 For God knows
that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like
God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for
food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to
make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her
husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them
were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves
together and made themselves loin coverings. (NASB95)
“Serpent”
is the noun nachash, which refers to a literal snake.
According
to Genesis 3:14, this snake had legs but after the Fall of Adam, the Lord
cursed this snake saying it would go on its belly and will eat dust all the
days of its life, thus implying that it was not created to go about on its
belly and therefore had legs.
Genesis
3:14 The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are
you more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; On your belly
you will go, and dust you will eat all the days of your life.” (NASB95)
According
to 2 Corinthians 11:3 and Revelation 20:2, Satan indwelt this serpent and
through this serpent disguised himself to deceive Eve.
2
Corinthians 11:3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his
craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of
devotion to Christ. (NASB95)
Revelation
20:2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and
Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. (NASB95)
Satan
indwelt this literal snake in order to disguise
himself and deceive Eve.
2
Corinthians 11:15 Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. (NASB95)
“The
eyes of both of them were opened” means that Adam and his wife had a
knowledge of sin and evil through personal experience and did not make them
like God as Satan claimed it would but rather produced guilt in their souls.
They
became a aware of their guilt and had nothing to hide
their guilt so they attempted to hide themselves from God and cover their
genitalia with loin coverings sewed from fig leaves.
The
loin coverings not only were a manifestation of their alienation from God but
also from each other. The sewing of fig leaves together in
order to make loin coverings for themselves to cover and ease their
guilt was an act of self-righteous arrogance since only God can solve the
problem of guilt through the forgiveness of sins, which is available through
Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Instead of seeking out God and confessing
their guilt, they attempted to conceal their guilt from both God and themselves (1 John 1:8-10).
It is
interesting that the only tree that our Lord cursed was the fig tree recorded
in Matthew 21:18-19 and He did this not only to teach
that Israel had rejected Him as Messiah but to relate God’s attitude towards
the self-righteous actions of Adam and his wife.
Adam’s
sin in the garden brought a curse not only on the entire human race of which he
is the “federal” head but it also brought a curse on
the earth itself.
Romans
8:20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of
Him who subjected it, in hope. (NASB95)
Genesis
3:8 They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in
the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from
the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. (NASB95)
Adam
and his wife hid in fear since according to Genesis 2:17, the Lord had warned
Adam that if he disobeyed His command to not eat from the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil, then he would surely die.
When
the Lord said to Adam that he would “surely die” if he ate from the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, the Lord meant that he would enter
into “real spiritual death,” which is separation from God. When the Lord
says you shall surely die He does “not” mean he would
die physically since Adam lived to be 930 years old according to Genesis 5:5.
The
fact that Adam and his wife died spiritually and lost fellowship with the Lord
is illustrated in Genesis 3:6-8. The fact that Adam and his wife hid themselves
from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden demonstrates
that sin not only results in loss of fellowship with the Lord but also guilt
and fear. Adam and his wife’s actions after disobeying the Lord are an implicit
admission of guilt.
Genesis
3:9 Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?”
(NASB95)
The
Lord knew that Adam and his wife had disobeyed Him since He is omniscient
meaning He knows perfectly, eternally and simultaneously all that is knowable,
both the actual and the possible and thus has all knowledge of every event in
human and angel history. The Lord asked Adam where He was because He wanted
Adam to confess his guilt and to make Adam aware of his need for forgiveness
and a Savior.
The
fact that the Lord asked Adam where he was even though He knew what Adam had
done and could have thrown him into the lake of fire demonstrates that the Lord
is manifesting His love and mercy and grace. God permitted Adam to rebel and
disobey Him, like He did with Satan in order that He might manifest His great
grace and love for both men and angels. Notice that the Lord initiated a
reconciliation by seeking out Adam and his wife and not vice versa, which is a
demonstration of God’s love.
The
Lord not only sought out the first two sinners in the human race
but He seeks out the entire human race without exception and distinction since
He desires all men to be saved (John 3:16-18; 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9).
Genesis
3:10 He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because
I was naked; so I hid myself.” (NASB95)
Adam,
like all sinners, is fearful being in the presence of God since he stands
guilty and condemned before an infinitely holy God. Adam, like all sinners, is
estranged from God and seeks to avoid contact with Him. This is the natural
result of spiritual death.
Genesis
3:11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the
tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” (NASB95)
The
divine interrogation continues in order to bring Adam
to an admission of guilt so that he might be restored to fellowship. The Lord’s
first question is designed to draw attention to the fact that something must
have happened to make Adam aware of his nakedness and that he must have done
something to make him aware of his nakedness.
As
soon as Adam’s thoughts have been led to see that this admission is inevitable,
the Lord’s next question is a direct one designed to drive Adam to still a more
inescapable admission of his guilt. The Lord’s is convicting Adam of his guilt
in order that he might see his need of a Savior and forgiveness.
Genesis
3:12 The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the
tree, and I ate.” (NASB95)
Adam’s
fallen state due to his sin and disobedience further manifests itself in his
making excuses and blaming the Lord for giving him his wife. By blaming the
Lord for giving him his wife, Adam is accusing the Lord of tempting him to sin,
which is impossible since God cannot be tempted by evil because He is holy (cf.
James 1:13-15).
By
blaming the Lord for giving him his wife, Adam is not taking responsibility for
his actions. Adam cannot justify his sin by blaming the Lord for giving him his
wife since Adam made the decision to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil. He could have said no to his wife but instead he went along with her
in her sin.
Once
Adam recognized his wife as a great blessing but now, after disobeying the
Lord, he considers her a curse. Adam’s excuse is so lame that the Lord doesn’t
even dignified it with a response.
Genesis
3:13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the
woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” (NASB95)
Just
like Adam, his wife failed to take responsibility for her actions and instead
blamed the serpent for deceiving her. Just like Adam, his wife could have
rejected eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil but instead she
chose to disobey. Unlike Adam though, his wife did not attempt to deny that she
had sinned but in fact admitted her guilt to the Lord.
The
Lord does not question the devil who used the serpent to disguise himself since
according to Matthew 25:41, the devil has already been convicted of his
rebellion. Furthermore, the Lord does not question Satan since this temptation
of Adam and his wife was a part of his appeal trial where Satan was attempting
to justify his rebellion and independence from God. In his appeal trial, Satan
is attempting to demonstrate that God does not love His creatures and that he
is justified in living independently of God and that disobedience to God is a
viable and justified alternative to being obedient to God.
By
getting Adam and his wife to sin against God, then Satan would have witnesses
that support his argument. Satan does not believe that God loves His creatures
since God sentenced him to the lake of fire forever for his rebellion and by
getting Adam and his wife to sin against God, Satan presumptuously and
erroneously believes that he will have demonstrated this to be the case. But, Satan’s plan has backfired on him since the fall of
Adam and his wife provided God an opportunity to demonstrate a side of Himself
that would never be revealed if Satan and Adam had never sinned, namely, His
love, which is able to love His enemies and do good to those who are unworthy
and undeserving.
Genesis
3:14 The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are
you more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; On your belly
you will go, and dust you will eat all the days of your life.” (NASB95)
The
fact that the Lord pronounced a curse on the serpent does not indicate direct
culpability on its part since it is not a moral rational creature that can make
decisions but rather this curse was a perpetual reminder to the
human race of the instrument of its fall and of the final destruction of
Satan himself.
Genesis
3:15 “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed
and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the
heel.” (NASB95)
The
seed of the serpent does not refer to unregenerate humanity (unbelievers) since
the phrase “your seed” is used in contrast to the phrase “her seed,”
which refers to one individual, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, the
phrase “your seed” refers to one individual, namely, the Antichrist who
will be the ruler of a ten-nation confederacy constituting a Revived Roman
Empire, during Daniel’s Seventieth week, which is also called by theologians as
the “Tribulation Period.”
“Her
Seed” refers to the Lord Jesus Christ who is the “Last Adam” (1 Cor.
15:45) and if so, then, “your seed” refers to a single individual as
well.
“He
(Jesus Christ) shall bruise you (Satan) on the head” is the first prophecy
concerning the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ would defeat Satan at the cross
by being obedient to the Father’s will with His death on the cross.
The
prophecy of Genesis 3:15 is the “seed plot” of the Virgin Birth and Incarnation
of the Son of God (Isa. 7:14; Mt. 1:23; John 1:14; 1 Tim. 3:16) as well as the
“seed plot” of the Redemption and Salvation of mankind as well as the defeat of
Satan, which is developed in further detail in the rest of the Bible (Gal.
3:13; Eph. 1:7; Col. 2:14; Heb. 2:14-15; 1 Jn. 3:8).
“You
(Satan) shall bruise Him (Christ) on the heel” is a symbolic or figurative
reference to the Lord’s suffering and death on the cross, which the Father used
as the instrument to destroy the works of the devil.
What
Satan did to the Lord at the cross was only temporary and did not defeat the
Lord but what the Lord did to Satan at the cross was to achieve total and
complete victory over Satan since His death on the cross redeemed mankind and
demonstrated the love of God for all men. Our Lord’s death refutes Satan’s
argument that God does not love His creatures.
Genesis
3:16 To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth, in
pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you.” (NASB95)
God’s
judgment on Eve was to increase her pain in childbearing and that her desire or
impulse would be toward her husband and he would rule
over her, not as a tyrant but in the same sense as the sun rules the day (Gen.
1:16). This, of course, was not God’s original intention but now in Christ the
negative aspects of this are removed and the husband and wife are restored to a
healthy partnership where the husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the
church (Eph. 5:22-33) and the wife is to obey and respect her husband as to the
Lord. Because, Eve chose to disobey God and did not
eat from the tree of life resulting in immortality, she would now have to bear
children, which in one sense was a curse but in another sense opened the door
to redemptive history.
Genesis
3:17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded
you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you;
In toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.” (NASB95)
“Cursed
is the ground” means the basic material of the physical creation and the
elements themselves, the “dust of the earth,” out of which all things
had been formed and produced were brought under the bondage of decay and
disintegration.
Genesis
3:18 “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the
plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face you will eat bread, till you
return to the ground, because from it you were taken; For you are dust, and to
dust you shall return.”
“By
the sweat of your face you will eat bread” means that Adam would have to
perform hard labor in order to get the earth to
produce food for him.
Work
was originally designed by the Lord to be a blessing for man but after the
Fall, it became a curse (Gen. 3:17-19) but this curse
is lifted in Christ.
“Till
you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; For you are dust and
to dust you shall return” refers to the eventual death of Adam’s biological
life meaning his physical body. This curse on Adam also included the entire
human race, both male and female, of which Adam is the “federal” head of the
old creation and is removed through faith in Christ who is the “federal” head
of the “new” creation.
The
fall of Adam not only affected his fellowship with God but also it effected his
environment and his physical body! The physical body of human beings eventually
ceases to function and decompose into the dust of ground because they are
inherently sinful. They are inherently sinful because of the curse the Lord put
on Adam and his posterity.
The
sin nature resides in the genetic structure of the human body according to
Romans 6:6.
Romans
6:6 This we are very familiar with through instruction, namely, that our old
man was crucified with Him in order that the sinful body would be deprived of
its power with the result that we are no longer in a perpetual state of being
slaves to the sin nature. (Author’s translation)
Physical
death is the result of possessing a sin nature since it resides in the human
body. Spiritual death entered the human race through
the sin nature.
Romans
5:12a, Therefore, based on this (principle), just as, through one man, the sin
nature entered into the human race so that spiritual
death entered through this sin nature. (Author’s translation)
Spiritual
death is the result of possessing a sin nature and is perpetuated by the sinner
through committing personal acts of sin. It means that the sinner has no
capacity whatsoever to experience or establish a relationship with a holy God
since he has absolutely no merit with a holy God. Spiritual death spread to the
entire human race because of the imputation of Adam’s sin according to Romans
5:12b and 15a.
So the Lord put a
curse upon man’s body and on his entire environment. This would not only force
him to recognize the seriousness of his sin as well as his helplessness to
deliver himself and his dominion from eventual destruction but also it would
force him to recognize that Satan’s tempting promises had been nothing but
lies. This curse on the First Adam will ultimately be lifted when the Last
Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ returns with church, the sons of God, at His Second
Advent to deliver Israel from Antichrist and the Tribulational armies in order to establish His millennial reign (Rom. 8:18-22).
Spiritual Death
Entered the Human Race Through the Sin Nature
Romans
5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into
the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all
sinned. (NASB95)
“And
death through sin” presents the result of the sin nature entering
into the human race through Adam’s disobedience.
“Death”
is the articular nominative masculine singular form of the noun thanatos,
which refers to “real spiritual death” and is the result of the imputation of
Adam’s sin to our genetically formed old sin nature at the
moment of physical birth (Gen. 2:17; Prov. 14:12; Ezek. 18:20; Rom.
5:12; 6:23; 1 Cor. 15:22; Eph. 2:1, 5). Therefore, in Romans 5:12 is presenting
a progression-Adam’s original sin plus Adam’s sin nature equals “spiritual
death.” “Spiritual death” means that every member of the human
race is separated from God and has absolutely no capacity to have a
relationship with God who is holy.
There
are five major consequences for “Spiritual death”: (1) Slavery to the sin
nature and the devil and his cosmic system. (2) Physical death (Genesis 5:5).
(3) Imprisonment in Torments after physical death prior to the Great White
Throne Judgment (Luke 16:19-31). (4) Eternal condemnation in the Lake of Fire
(Revelation 20:11-15). (5) Unique voluntary substitutionary spiritual and
physical deaths of Christ (Matt. 27:45-46; Mark 15:34; Phlp. 2:8; Heb. 2:9,
14).
Spiritual
death in the human race resulted in the Father sending
His Son to die spiritually and physically on the cross as a substitute for
members of the human race in order to deliver them from spiritual death and the
sin nature. The problem of “real spiritual death” is resolved when God gives
life to those members of the human race who exercise
faith alone in Christ alone (John 3:16-18).
“Through
sin” is composed of the preposition dia, “through” and the
articular genitive feminine singular form of the noun hamartia, “sin.”
As was
the case earlier in Romans 5:12, the noun hamartia is in the singular
referring to the old Adamic sin nature. The preposition dia is used with
the genitive form of the noun hamartia as a marker of personal
intermediate agency and does not indicate means or instrumentality since the
sin nature is being personified by the apostle Paul. This indicates that the
sin nature is the personal intermediate agency through which spiritual death
entered the human race.
Imputation of
Adam’s Original Sin to the Entire Human Race
Not
only does Romans 5:12 teach that the sin nature entered into
the human race through Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden and spiritual death
through the sin nature but also this passage teaches that spiritual death
spread to each and every person in the human race because of the imputation of
Adam’s sin to each and every member of the human race.
Romans
5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into
the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all
sinned. (NASB95)
“And
so death spread to all men, because all sinned”
presents the result of spiritual death entering the human race through the sin
nature. Adam’s original sin in the Garden of Eden resulted in the sin nature,
which in turn “resulted in” spiritual death.
“So”
is the adverb of manner houtos, which is drawing a comparison with the
preceding statement and the one to follow.
In the
preceding statement Paul taught that through Adam, the sin nature entered into the human race and consequently spiritual death
entered through the sin nature. In the statement to follow, he teaches
spiritual death spread to each and every human being
without exception or distinction. Therefore, houtos draws a comparison
between the manner in which spiritual death entered
the human race and the manner in which spiritual death spread to the entire
human race.
The manner in which spiritual death entered the human race and
the manner in which spiritual death spread throughout the entire human race is
one and the same, namely, through Adam’s act of disobedience in the Garden of
Eden.
The
emphatic position of the prepositional phrase di’ henos anthropou, “through
one man” clearly indicates this to be the case. The fact that Paul is
emphasizing that Adam’s act of disobedience was the manner in
which spiritual death entered into the human race and spread to the
entire human race is clearly indicated by the context.
We have to remember that in Romans 5:12-21 Paul is making a
comparison between the consequences of Adam’s act of disobedience and the
results of Christ’s act of obedience to demonstrate to his readers the destiny
of each member of the human race is tied up with these two.
Romans
5:15b For if by the transgression of the one the many
died. (NASB95)
Romans
5:16a The gift is not like that which came through the
one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression
resulting in condemnation. (NASB95)
Romans
5:17a For if by the transgression of the one, death
reigned through the one. (NASB95)
Romans
5:18a So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all
men. (NASB95)
Romans
5:19a For as through the one man's disobedience the
many were made sinners. (NASB95)
So we can see that Adam’s act of disobedience that brought condemnation to
his posterity in comparison with Christ’s act of obedience that resulted in
justification of life to all men underlines the entire discussion in Romans
5:12-21. Therefore, the adverb of manner houtos is comparing the manner in which the sin nature and spiritual death entered
the human race with the manner in which spiritual death spread to the entire
human race.
Adam’s
act of disobedience was the manner in which both the
sin nature and spiritual death entered the human race and also spread to each
and every member of the human race without exception or distinction.
Romans
5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into
the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all
sinned.
“Death”
is the articular nominative masculine singular form of the noun thanatos,
which refers once again to real spiritual death.
Although,
in Romans 5:12, thanatos is used of spiritual death, we must be aware of
the fact that spiritual death also resulted in three other categories of death:
(1) Physical death is the separation of the human soul (and in the case of the
believer, the human spirit also) from the body (Matt. 8:22; Rom. 8:38-39; 2
Cor. 5:1-8; Phil. 1:20-21; 2:27, 30). (2) Second death is the perpetuation of
spiritual death into eternity or eternal separation from God and it is the
final judgment of the unbelievers in the human race
and fallen angels whereby they are cast in the Lake of Fire (Matt. 25:41; Heb.
9:27; Rev. 20:12-15). (3) Unique voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of
the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross (Matt.
27:45-46; Mark 15:34; Phlp. 2:8; Heb. 2:9, 14).
Christ’s
spiritual and physical deaths on the cross were needed to resolve the first
three categories of death since physical death and the second death are the
result of spiritual death.
“Spread”
is the third person singular aorist active indicative form of the verb dierchomai,
which is a compound word composed of the preposition dia, “through” and
the verb erchomai, “to go,” thus the word literally means, “to go
through, to pass throughout.”
In
Romans 5:12, the verb dierchomai denotes that spiritual death “spread
throughout” the entire human race. As many commentators believe, the word has a
distributive force to it meaning that spiritual death spread to each and every member of the human race. This is correct
since the adjective pas is obviously used in a “distributive” sense
modifying the noun anthropos, “person.” Therefore, the verb along with
these two words indicates that through Adam’s act of disobedience, spiritual
death “spread to each and every person” in the human race.
In the
same way, a deadly contagious virus can spread completely throughout an entire
population so spiritual death spread throughout the entire human race.
Spiritual death infected the entire human race because each person receives a
sin nature that is received through imputation at the moment
of physical birth and is passed down through sex. This sin nature is the result
of Adam’s original sin in the Garden of Eden and manifests itself through the
function of human volition.
This
verb dierchomai speaks of the imputation of Adam’s sin in the Garden of
Eden that every member of the human race receives at
the moment of physical birth.
Imputation
is the function of the justice of God in crediting something to someone for
cursing or for blessing.
There
are two categories of imputations: (1) “Real”: crediting to a person something
which belongs to him. (2) “Judicial”: crediting to a person something which
does not belong to him.
Real
Imputations: (1) Imputation of human life at the moment
of physical birth (Genesis 2:7). (2) Imputation of Adam's original sin in the
Garden of Eden at physical birth (Romans 5:12-19). (3) Imputation of eternal
life to the sinner when he exercises faith in Jesus Christ as his or her Savior
(John 3).
Judicial
Imputations: (1) Imputation of sins to impeccable human nature of Jesus Christ
on the Cross (2 Corinthians 5:21). (2) Imputation of divine righteousness to
the sinner through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 4:3; Genesis 15:6).
The
first judicial imputation, the imputation of personal sins to Christ, made
possible the second judicial imputation, the imputation of divine
righteousness.
These
two judicial imputations produce an exchange: (1) The sinner’s sins go to
Christ (2) The righteousness of God goes to the sinner.
At the moment of physical birth, every member of the human race
becomes a sinner because he has received the imputation of Adam’s sin in the
garden. The imputation of divine righteousness at the moment
of spiritual birth is made possible by the imputation of Adam’s sin in the
garden at the moment of physical birth (Romans 5:12-19).
The
imputation of Adam’s sin at physical birth results in every person having the
nature of Adam, which resides in the genetic structure of the physical body and
can never please God but is selfish and self-centered and always disobedient to
God. This imputation means that every person born into the world is born
physically alive but spiritually dead, yet qualified
for the imputation of divine righteousness through faith alone in Christ alone.
The
imputation of Adam’s sin in the Garden also resulted in the imputation of the
sins of the world to Christ on the Cross.
The
reason why God imputed Adam’s sin in the garden to every member of the human race at physical birth is given in two passages of
Scripture:
Galatians
3:22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by
faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. (NASB95)
Romans
11:32 Therefore, God the Father has confined the entire human race to unbelief
in order that He may extend the offer of grace to the entire human race.
(NASB95)
Therefore, through
a comparison these two passages, we can see that God’s purpose in imputing
Adam’s sin to the entire human race was so that He might show grace to the human race by making the promise of justification by
faith in His Son Jesus Christ and the blessings that result from it.
Romans
5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into
the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all
sinned.
“To
all men” is composed of the preposition eis, “to” and the
accusative masculine plural form of the adjective pas, “all,”
which is modifying the accusative masculine plural form of the noun anthropos,
“men.”
The
noun anthropos denotes a “person, human being” and is used in a generic
sense for the human race. It is modified by the
distributive use of the adjective pas referring to “each and every”
member of the human race without exception, both Jew
and Gentile. Therefore, Paul is saying that spiritual death resulting in
physical death spread to “each and every person in the human race without
exception and without distinction.”
The
preposition eis is employed with the verb dierchomai, “spread”
as a marker of extension indicating the extent to which spiritual death spread
among members of the human race.
The
fact that the statement houtos eis pantas anthropous ho thanatos dielthen,
“in this manner (through Adam’s sin), spiritual death spread to each and
every member of the human race without exception” refers to the imputation
of Adam’s sin to each member of the human race at the
moment of physical birth is clearly indicated by the context.
The Entire Human
Race Is Under The Headship of Adam
Romans
5:12 also teaches us that the result of God imputing Adam’s original sin to the
entire human race was that the entire human race was under the headship of
Adam.
Romans
5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into
the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all
sinned. (NASB95)
“Because”
is composed of the preposition epi and the dative neuter singular form
of the relative pronoun relative pronoun hos.
The
expression eph’ ho has been said by some as being the most mistranslated
expression in the Greek New Testament. It has been translated “in whom” by
Augustine and others.
For
this to be the correct rendering of the expression, its antecedent would have
to be the expression henos anthropou, “one man” a
reference to Adam, which appeared earlier in the verse. If this is the case,
then this would mean that “in Adam all sinned.” However, grammatically and
syntactically this does not make sense since the distance between the
expression henos anthropou, “one man” and the prepositional
phrase eph’ ho is too great for this to be correct.
Also,
the relative pronoun hos is neuter in gender
and not masculine, which it would need to be if it were referring to Adam.
Furthermore, Paul would have used a simpler or more obvious construction, which
would be en ho.
The
fact that eph’ ho does not mean “in whom” is further substantiated in
that this expression is usually used as a conjunction. In fact, it is used as a
conjunction in Philippians 3:12 and 2 Corinthians 5:4 and in the papyri.
As a
conjunction, this expression has been rendered “from which it follows, with the
result that, inasmuch as,” or “because.” The last rendering is the most popular
among modern Bible scholars.
Many
modern exegetes contend that the prepositional phrase eph’ ho is not
looking back at any antecedent but rather is functioning as a causal
conjunction meaning that it is introducing a statement that gives the reason
why spiritual death spread to each and every member of
the human race. This would mean that spiritual death resulting in physical
death is universal for the precise reason that committing acts of personal sin
is universal. This would emphasize that personal sin is the result of this sin
nature. We are not responsible for what Adam had done but for what we have
done.
Wallace
says that this interpretation finds support in the papyri and in the rest of
the Pauline corpus (cf. 2 Cor. 5:4; Phlp. 3:12).[36]
However, this interpretation emphasizes the human race
committing sin. The context does not support this interpretation since Paul is
comparing the results of Adam’s disobedience with that of Christ’s act of
obedience. He is emphasizing Adam’s actions and not his posterity!
Mounce
offers another interpretation saying that the prepositional phrase ep’ ho
functions not as a causal conjunction but rather has a consecutive sense, he
writes,
”the primary cause of our sinful nature would be the sin of Adam; the result of
that sin would be the history of sinning on the part of all who enter the human
race and in fact, sin of their own accord.”[37]
Moo
commenting on this view, writes, “Death, then, is due immediately to the
sinning of each individual but ultimately to the sin of Adam; for it was Adam's
sin that corrupted human nature and made individual sinning an inevitability.”[38]
Though
this is true theologically, it is not the correct interpretation. The aorist
tense of the verb hamartano is speaking of a particular point of time in
the past, which the context indicates is Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden.
Interpreting
eph’ ho as introducing a result clause emphasizes the personal acts of
sin by each member of the human race. However, the
context clearly indicates that Paul’s is comparing the results of Adam’s
disobedience with the results of Christ’s obedience and thus emphasizing Adam’s
actions and not his posterity. Therefore, not only does it make more sense
grammatically and syntactically that eph’ ho should be taken as a causal
conjunction but also the context supports this interpretation. This
interpretation emphasizes that God considered the entire human race as sinning
the moment Adam committed his act of sin in the Garden of Eden.
We
will translate eph’ ho, “because.”
“All
sinned” is composed of the nominative masculine plural form of the
adjective pas, “all” and the third person plural aorist active
indicative form of the verb hamartano, “sinned.”
The
adjective pas is again used in a distributive sense referring to “each
and every” member of the human race without exception,
both Jew and Gentile.
The
verb hamartano is used intransitively (without a direct object) and
refers to any mental, verbal or overt act of sin that is contrary to the will
and law of God.
The
distributive of pas along with this constative aorist tense of the verb hamartano
indicates that Paul is teaching that each and every
member of the human race sinned the moment Adam sinned. In other words, Adam is
both the “federal” and “seminal” head of the human race,
we thus became sinners by nature, the moment Adam sinned.
The
verb hamartano means, “to miss the mark,” and which mark is the absolute
perfection of God’s character, which is His holiness. Each
and every member of the human race has missed the mark of the absolute
perfection of God’s character, i.e. His holiness that was perfectly manifested
by the Lord Jesus Christ during His First Advent.
The
aorist tense of the verb hamartano is a “constative” aorist describing
in summary fashion that the entire human race without exception or distinction
sinned the exact moment Adam disobeyed the Lord’s prohibition to not eat from
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and which disobedience involved his
posterity.
Some
like Calvin contend that in the verb hamartano is referring to the
personal sins of each person in the human race.
However, the verb hamartano, “sinned” is in the aorist tense and
not the present tense.
The
present tense could emphasize a habitual or continuous or repetitive action.
The aorist tense emphasizes that this action of sinning took place at a
particular point in time in the past. The context clearly indicates that the
aorist tense of the verb is referring to Adam’s act of disobedience in the
Garden of Eden.
Some
maintain that all sinned in the sense that the human race follows the example
of Adam in sinning but our sin is our own. Again, the
aorist tense of hamartano refutes this interpretation since the verb
would be in the present or imperfect tense if Paul was writing about the
continued, habitual or repeated acts of sin committed by members of the human race. The aorist tense does not say we were
imitating Adam.
Also,
again, the statements 5:15b, 16a, 17a, 18a and 19a do not mean that the human race is following Adam’s example. Paul’s emphasis
in Romans 5:12-21 is to compare the results of Adam’s disobedience with
Christ’s act of obedience. This means that in the same way that we are declared
justified by God and reconciled to God through one man’s act of obedience, the God-Man, Jesus Christ so also we were condemned by God
through man’s act of disobedience, Adam’s. This does not imply that Paul is
teaching that each person is not responsible for his own actions since this is
not his emphasis. He is concerned with what Adam did and the consequences of
his actions in the Garden of Eden.
Therefore,
the aorist tense of the verb hamartano along with the distributive use
of the adjective pas and Paul’s statements in Romans 5:15b, 16a, 17a,
18a and 19a indicate clearly that the entire human race was condemned by God
the moment Adam sinned. This interpretation emphasizes that Adam’s sin brought
condemnation upon Adam’s posterity and the only way to be delivered from this
condemnation is through One Man, Jesus Christ.
So when Paul says that “all sinned” he is referring to the fact
that the moment Adam sinned, he not only died spiritually and then eventually
physically but also his posterity did the same. Therefore, in Romans 5:12, Paul
is saying that because of Adam’s act of disobedience each and
every member of the human race possesses a sin nature, which through the
function of human volition produces mental, verbal and overt acts of sin
resulting in spiritual death and eventually, physical death and the second
death for those who reject Jesus Christ as Savior.
Romans
5:12 Therefore, based on this (principle), just as, through one man, the sin
nature entered into the human race so that spiritual
death entered through this sin nature. Thus, in this manner, spiritual death
spread to each and every member of the human race
without exception because each and every member of the human race sinned (the
moment Adam sinned). (Author’s translation)
Paul
is teaching in Romans 5:12 that each and every member
of the human race-past, present and future, are sinners by nature since they
are under both the “federal” and “seminal” headships of Adam. The entire human
race was condemned before they ever committed an act of sin because of Adam’s
sin. Again, God condemned the human race through one
man so that He could save the human race through one man. So
in Romans 5:12-21, Paul presents Adam and Christ as “federal heads” of two
groups of people.
Dr.
Thomas L. Constable commenting on the headship of Adam and Christ, writes, “The
apostle viewed Adam and Christ as federal heads of two groups of people. A
federal head is a person who acts as the representative of many others and
whose actions result in consequences that the individuals he represents
inevitably experience. Examples of federal heads include a king, a president, a
member of congress, and a parent, among others. In this section Paul was not
looking primarily at what individual sinners have done, which had been his
interest previously. Rather he looked at what Adam did in the Fall and what
Jesus Christ did at the Cross and the consequences of their actions for
humanity. Adam's act resulted in his descendants sinning and dying. We inherit
Adam's nature that was sinful, and this accounts for the fact that we all sin.
We are sinners not only because we commit acts of sin but also because Adam's
sin corrupted the human race and made punishment
inevitable for his descendants as well as for himself. However, Christ's act of
dying made all who trust in Him righteous apart from their own works.”[39]
Bible
Knowledge Commentary writes, “The federal headship view considers Adam, the
first man, as the representative of the human race
that generated from him. As the representative of all humans, Adam’s act of sin
was considered by God to be the act of all people and
his penalty of death was judicially made the penalty of everybody.”[40]
There
is also the “seminal” or “natural” headship view.
Bible
Knowledge Commentary writes, “The natural headship view, on the other hand,
recognizes that the entire human race was seminally and physically in Adam, the
first man. As a result God considered all people as
participating in the act of sin which Adam committed and as receiving the
penalty he received. Even adherents of the federal headship view must admit
that Adam is the natural head of the human race
physically; the issue is the relationship spiritually. Biblical evidence
supports the natural headship of Adam. When presenting the superiority of
Melchizedek’s priesthood to Aaron’s, the author of Hebrews argued that Levi,
the head of the priestly tribe, ‘who collects the 10th, paid the 10th through
Abraham, because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of
his ancestor’” (Heb. 7:9-10).[41]
Both
the “federal” and “natural” or “seminal” headship views are present in Romans
5:12-21. In Romans 5:12, the expression “because all sinned” emphasizes
that Adam is the “federal” head of the human race in that he is the
representative of the human race that generated from him so that God considered
his act of sin to be the act of all people and his
penalty of death was judicially made the penalty of everybody. The constative
aorist tense of the verb hamartano along with the distributive use of
the adjective pas and Paul’s statements in Romans 5:15b, 16a, 17a, 18a
and 19a, which we noted earlier, support this interpretation. The expression “because
all sinned” also emphasizes that Adam is also the “seminal” or “natural”
head of the human race in that the entire human race
was seminally and physically in Adam so that God considered the entire human
race as participating in the sin Adam committed and receiving the penalty he
received.
Paul’s
statement in Romans 5:12 that “through one man the sin nature entered the
human race so that spiritual death entered through the sin nature” supports
this view as well since the sin nature has been passed down through the male in
copulation.
Total Depravity of
the Entire Human Race
Romans
5:12 Therefore, based on this (principle), just as, through one man, the sin
nature entered into the human race so that spiritual
death entered through this sin nature. Thus, in this manner, spiritual death
spread to each and every member of the human race
without exception because each and every member of the human race sinned (the
moment Adam sinned). (Author’s translation)
In Romans 5:12,
Paul is teaching his readers of the “total depravity” of mankind. “Total
depravity” means not only that the corruption has extended
has extended to all aspects of man’s nature, to his entire being as well
but also that because of that corruption mankind has no merit with God. The
implications of depravity are critical in relation to salvation in that man has
no ability whatsoever to save himself or justify himself before a holy God.
The
Lord labeled His disciples evil in Matthew 7:11 because of their depraved
nature. Romans 1:28 and Ephesians 4:18 teach that the mind of mankind is
affected and Hebrews 9:14 says that the conscience is unclean. The heart is
deceitful according to Jeremiah 17:9 and by nature mankind is under the
righteous indignation of God, i.e. His wrath according to Ephesian 2:3 and
Romans 1:18. Depravity affects the soul (Mark 7:20-23), thus defiling man’s
thought process, which manifests itself in sinful words and actions.
The
concept of total depravity does not mean that mankind cannot perform actions
that are good or helpful to others or in God’s sight. What it does mean is that
man can perform no action that could gain him merit with God. Total depravity
means that man has absolutely no merit with God since he does not measure up to
God’s perfect standards. It also means that man’s conscience has been affected
by the Fall of Adam so that it cannot be a safe and reliable guide. Nor, does total depravity mean that people will indulge in
every form of sin or any sin to the greatest extent possible. The fact that the
entire human race is totally depraved is manifested through the practice of sin
among both Jew and Gentiles. In Romans 1:18-32, Paul demonstrates that the
Gentiles are unrighteous and totally depraved by virtue of their sinful conduct
and failure to worship God in light of God’s
self-revelation in creation as well as their failure to obey the moral law
inherent within them. In Romans 2:1-29, he demonstrates that the Jews are
unrighteous and totally depraved as well as manifested in their failure to obey
perfectly the written Law of God and committing the same sins that the Gentiles
committed. In Romans 3:9-20, Paul summarizes his statements in Romans 1:18-2:29
and teaches the totally depravity and universal unrighteousness of mankind,
both Jew and Gentile. There are other passages of Scriptures that
address the issue of man’s total depravity (cf. Job 14:1-4; 15:14-16; Jeremiah
17:9; Matthew 15:19-20).
Location of the Sin
Nature
As we
noted briefly, Genesis 3 and Romans 6:6 teach us that the sin nature resides in
the genetic structure of the human body.
Romans
6:6 Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our
body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to
sin. (NASB95)
“Our
body of sin” is composed of the articular nominative neuter singular form
of the noun soma, “our body” and the articular genitive feminine
singular form of the noun hamartia, “of sin.”
The
noun soma is a reference to the human body. The noun hamartia is
not in the plural but rather in the singular and is articular indicating the
sin nature is in view rather than personal sins. In other words, the word in
the singular emphasizes sin as an entity and not sins in general. The noun
refers to the inherent propensity in mankind to commit mental, verbal and overt
acts of sin.
The
articular construction also emphasizes that Paul is speaking of sin as an
entity emphasizing the underlying root cause of personal sins or the principle
of sin.
The
noun soma is modified by the articular genitive form of the noun hamartia,
“sin,” which functions as an “attributive genitive” meaning that it
specifies an attribute or an innate quality of the head noun, which is soma,
“body.” This type of genitive expresses quality like an adjective but
with more sharpness and distinctness. Thus, it emphasizes the “sinfulness” of
the human body or in other words, that it is “inherently sinful” because it is
corrupted by the sin nature, which resides in its genetic structure. This would
agree with what we see in our own bodies, which deteriorate with age and
eventually cease to function and decompose. This is further indication that the
sin nature resides in the genetic structure of the physical body.
The
fact that the sin nature resides in the genetic structure of the physical body
is why the justified sinner needs a resurrection body to replace his sinful
body. This is one of the reasons why Christ had to die physically and rise from
the dead in a resurrection body because the sin nature resides in the human
body. Therefore, the human body is inherently sinful, which is the result of
the curse that the Lord put on Adam and his posterity (See Genesis 3:18-19).
Douglas
Moo and others disagree with this interpretation. Commenting on the usage of
the words soma and hamartia in Romans 6:6, Douglas Moo writes,
“The ‘body’ to which Paul refers is naturally often understood to refer to the
physical body. If so, the qualification ‘of sin’ would not mean that the body
is inherently sinful (a Greek notion rejected by the Bible) but that the body
is particularly susceptible to and easily dominated by, sin…There is little
evidence that Paul conceived of the physical body as the source or reigning
seat of sin. However, we should not go so far as to say simply that ‘body of
sin’ means ‘man in his fallenness.’ Paul chooses soma to connote the
person as the instrument of contact with the world, a choice especially
appropriate in a context that speaks of crucifixion. It is that ‘aspect’ of the
person which ‘acts’ in the world and which can be directed by something else:
either by that person’s new, ‘higher nature’ or by ‘sin.’ Here, then, Paul
wants to say that our capacities to interact with the world around have been
rescued from the domination of sin.”[42]
Some
like Dodd define soma in Romans 6:6 as “the self as the organization of
the sinful impulses inherent in the flesh.”
Murray,
Lloyd Jones and others contend that it means that the body is dominated by sin.
The body is sin’s body; it belongs to sin; sin has made it its own.[43]
Mounce
contends that the expression to soma tes hamartias, “the body of sin”
refers “not to the physical body as inherently sinful but to the whole person
under the control of sin.”[44]
J.R.W.
Stott interprets as “our fallen, self-centered nature.”[45]
Morris
contends that the expression “body of sin” in Romans 6:6 refers to the
human body, which so easily responds to sinful impulses.
As we
can see from Moo’s statement, in order for him to come
to his interpretation of this expression “body of sin” he must interpret
soma, “body” as being “the person as the instrument of contact
with the world.” If he doesn’t then as he even noted, then this expression
means that the body is inherently sinful.
The
problem with Moo’s interpretation is that soma is never used this way by
the apostle in all of his writings. In the writings of
the Paul, the noun soma refers to the following: (1) The human body
whether the body of mortals or Christ’s human body (Romans 1:24; 4:19; 6:6, 12;
7:24; 8:10, 11, 13, 24; 12:1; 1 Corinthians 5:3; 6:13, 15, 18, 19, 20; 7:4, 34;
9:27; 12:14, 15, 16, 17, 18; 13:3; 15:35, 40, 44; 2 Corinthians 4:10; 5:6, 8,
10; 12:2; Galatians 6:17; Ephesians 5:28; Philippians 3:21; Colossians 2:11,
23; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 10:5, 10, 22) (2) Figuratively for the body
of Christ (Romans 12:4, 5; 1 Corinthians 10:16, 17; 12:12, 13, 20, 22, 23, 24,
25, 27; Ephesians 1:23; 2:16; 4:4, 12, 16; 5:23, 30; Colossians 1:22, 24; 2:17,
19; 3:15; Hebrews 13:3 (3) Figuratively for the Person of Christ in
the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:24, 27, 29) (4) Resurrection body of the
believer (1 Corinthians 15:37, 38, 44) (5) Moon, stars and planets (1
Corinthians 15:40). (6) Bodies of animals (Hebrews 13:11).
Furthermore,
up to this point in the book of Romans, soma has always been used with
reference to the human body by Paul with no reference whatsoever that it
denotes the person as the instrument of contact with the world.
Romans
1:24 Therefore, God gave them over in the lust of their hearts to impurity,
namely, they degraded their bodies between themselves. (NASB95)
Romans
4:19 In fact, without becoming weak with respect to his faith, after careful
consideration and observation he was thoroughly aware of his own physical body
as now being sexually impotent while already being approximately a hundred
years of age as well as the impotence of Sarah’s womb. (Author’s translation)
Also,
the noun soma is used in Romans 6:12, 7:4, 24, 8:10, 11, 13 and 23 and
in every instance it refers to the human body and not
the person as the instrument of contact with the world.
Romans
6:12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its
lusts. (NASB95)
Romans
7:24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?
(NASB95)
Notice
that Paul calls the human body, the “body of this death” meaning that
the sin nature is the reason why human beings are born spiritually dead and
eventually die physically.
Romans
8:10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the
spirit is alive because of righteousness. (NASB95)
Notice
again, Paul says that the “body is dead” because of the sin nature. Paul could
not be more explicit.
Romans
8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He
who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies
through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Paul
not only teaches that the sin nature resides in the genetic structure of the
human body but also the Holy Spirit indwells the believer’s body and will raise
the believer’s body at the resurrection.
Romans
8:13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the
Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (NASB95)
Romans
8:23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having
the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves,
waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. (NASB95)
Although
an excellent and able expositor of the Scriptures, Moo’s exegesis in this particular instance is strained to say the least. It seems
that maybe there were some preconceived notions as to what the body of sin is,
rather than letting the text speaks for itself. The body is inherently sinful.
As we
noted earlier, the fact that the sin nature resides in the human body is
further indicated in that Jesus Christ’s human body was not the result of the
sexual union between Mary and Joseph but rather the result of the Holy Spirit
impregnating Mary (Luke 1:35; cf. Hebrews 10:5-7). He could not have a human
body that was the result of human copulation because the sin nature is passed
down in this manner and resides in the body. This is significant in that it
makes clear that Jesus Christ did not have the principle of the sin nature
residing in Him since the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary. He did not have a human
father who could pass down the sin nature in sex. This makes clear that our
Lord was not under the headship of Adam like the rest of the
human race.
Every
member of the human race is under the headship of Adam
due to physical birth. However, Jesus Christ did not have a sin nature because
He did not receive a human body as a result of human
copulation.
Now,
because He did not have a human father and that His
human body did not have a sin nature residing in it, it is then clear that the
rest of the human race are sinners due to the fact that they possess a sin
nature that resides in their physical bodies since it is passed down through
copulation. The human body of Adam became corrupted as a
result of his disobedience, which he passed down to his posterity. Also,
in Romans 6:6, the noun hamartia could also be interpreted as a
“genitive of production,” which takes place when the genitive substantive
“produces” the noun to which it stands related. Therefore, we could translate
the expression to soma tes hamartias, “the body, which produces sin.”
Either way you slice it, the text makes clear that the sin nature is resident
in the physical body, thus making the human body inherently sinful.
Genesis
3:18-19 teaches that the fall of Adam not only affected his fellowship with God
but also it effected his environment and his physical body! The physical body
of human beings eventually ceases to function and decompose into the dust of
ground because it is inherently sinful. They are inherently sinful because of
the curse the Lord put on Adam and his posterity. Therefore, in Romans 6:6, the
noun soma is obviously a reference to the human body.
In
Romans 6:6, commenting on the meaning of the noun soma in Romans 6:6,
Thayer writes, “Since the body is the instrument of the soul (2 Corinthians
5:10) and its members the instruments of righteousness or of iniquity (Romans
6:13, 19), soma tes hamartias, the body is subject to, the thrall of,
sin.”[46]
Bauer,
Gingrich and Danker say that soma in Romans 6:6 refers to man’s mortal
body “because it is subject to sin and death.”[47]
Therefore, we can
see that every member of the human is born into this world, physically alive
yet spiritually dead and in need of justification. Thus, the status of
spiritual death was passed down to Adam’s posterity since spiritual death
entered the human race through the sin nature.
So, spiritual death
is the status of possessing a sin nature due to the imputation of Adam’s
original sin in the Garden of Eden. Physical death is passed down to the entire
human race through the sin nature. Adam died spiritually first (Genesis 3:6-8)
and then physically (Genesis 5:5). This pattern holds true for his posterity, the human race.
Now, personal sin
is the result of obeying the desires of the sin nature. It is a manifestation
that one has a sin nature. The penalty for committing personal sin is spiritual
death. This is what Adam and Eve suffered the moment they ate from the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil.
Spiritual death is
the result of possessing a sin nature and committing personal sin perpetuates
this status. Physical death is the result of possessing a sin nature that
resides in the genetic structure of the human body. Spiritual death is the
product of the sin nature and personal sin perpetuates this status of spiritual
death. The human race is under the status of real
spiritual death because of the sin nature, which was passed down from Adam.
Therefore, spiritual death is the consequence of not only possessing a sin
nature but also obeying its desires and committing personal sin.
Spiritual reigned
over the entire human race because of Adam’s transgression.
Romans 5:17a For if, and let us assume that it is true for the sake of
argument that by means of the transgression committed by the one, spiritual
death reigned as king through this one. Of course, we know this is true.
(Author’s translation)
The entire human
race was condemned because of Adam’s transgression.
Romans 5:18a
Therefore, as previously stated, just as through the one who committed the
transgression resulted in condemnation affecting each and
every member of the human race without exception. (Author’s translation)
Eternal
condemnation, the second death (Revelation 20:11-15) is the ultimate
consequence of possessing a sin nature, committing personal sin, being
spiritually dead. Therefore, the problems of the sin nature, spiritual, death,
physical death, personal sins and eternal condemnation are all interconnected.
Jesus Christ’s
spiritual and physical deaths dealt with all of these. Instead, of the human race suffering the consequences of possessing a
sin nature and obeying its desires and committing personal sin, Jesus Christ
died spiritually in their place as their Substitute. Thus, His spiritual death
negates one of the effects of Adam’s sin, which is spiritual death that is the
result of possessing a sin nature and committing sin.
Our Lord had to die
physically to solve the problem of the sin nature since the sin nature resides
in the body of every human being. Our Lord’s resurrection body replaces the
sinful body of Adam. The believer will receive a resurrection body like Christ in order to replace his physical body that possesses the sin
nature, the Adamic body. Christ also died physically in order
to deprive the indwelling sin nature its power over the justified
sinner. He was raised from the dead to permanently eradicate the indwelling sin
nature in the human race and that eradication of the
sin nature from the human race will take place with the creation of the new
heavens and new earth.
The sinner who is
declared justified through faith in Christ is identified with Christ in His
spiritual death in order to solve the sinner’s problem
of real spiritual death. Therefore, God the Father viewed His Son’s spiritual
death as negating spiritual death in the human race
(see Romans 6:3). Christ’s spiritual death also addressed and solved the
problem of personal sins, which perpetuates the status of spiritual death. The
Father viewed His physical death as negating the sin nature. The sinner is
identified with Christ in His physical death in order to
solve the sinner’s problem with the old sin nature (cf. Romans 6:4-7).
Therefore, Christ’s spiritual and physical death resolved the human race’s
problem with the sin nature, personal sins, spiritual and physical death and
eternal condemnation.
The first Adam
sinned and then, he died spiritually while simultaneously acquiring a sin
nature and then he died physically (Genesis 5:5) and this sin nature is passed
down to his posterity at physical birth. The last Adam obeyed the Father, died spiritually as a Substitute for Adam and his
posterity, and then died physically to break the power of the sin nature. Then,
the last Adam was raised from physical death and received a resurrection body,
which would be passed down to His spiritual posterity, namely, those who trust
in Him as Savior.
Substitutionary
Spiritual Death of Jesus Christ
Our Lord’s
spiritual death is recorded in Matthew 27:46.
Matthew 27:45 Now
from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. 46
About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “ELI, ELI, LAMA
SABACHTHANI?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” (NASB95)
When the Lord Jesus
Christ cried out “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? He was
experiencing spiritual death meaning that in His human nature he was separated
from His Father.
In John 19:30, the
Lord triumphantly said “It is finished” while He was still alive and
which statement refers to the payment of our sins.
John 19:30
Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!’ And
He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” (NASB95)
Therefore, it was
His spiritual death that was the payment for our sins and not His physical
death since the consequences of the human race
possessing a sin nature and committing personal sins is spiritual death. In His
sinless human nature, our Lord suffered the loss of fellowship with the Father
during those last three hours of darkness on the Cross so that we might never
suffer the second death in the eternal lake of fire, which is eternal loss of
fellowship with God. Therefore, God the Father considers Christ’s spiritual
death to be the believer’s since this death dealt with the believer’s problem
of real spiritual death.
Every person that
is born into the world is physically alive yet spiritually dead and possesses a
sin nature as a result of God imputing Adam’s sin in
the Garden of Eden to his posterity, i.e. the human race. This sin nature and
spiritual death manifest itself in the life of a human being through the
function of the volition in obeying the desires of the sin nature.
The fact that our
Lord’s spiritual death was the payment for our sins and not His literal blood
is illustrated in Isaiah 53.
Isaiah 53:10 But
the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render
Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His
days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. 11 As a
result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His
knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear
their iniquities. (NASB95)
“Anguish of His
soul” refers to the intense suffering of our Lord’s human soul as a result of being separated from the Father on the Cross
and experiencing spiritual death as a perfect sinless human being. This
suffering no angel or man will ever be able to identify with since no angel or
man has kept themselves experientially sinless.
Notice that Isaiah
says that the anguish of the Son’s soul while experiencing spiritual death “satisfied”
the Father, which refers to propitiation. This passage further substantiates
that it was the Lord Jesus Christ’s spiritual death that propitiated the Father
and not His literal blood.
The greatest
suffering the humanity of Christ endured on the cross was “not” the physical
and mental torture of the cross but rather when He experienced separation from
His Father during those last three hours on the Cross as a
result of receiving the imputation of the sins of the entire world by
the justice of God the Father.
The physical
suffering that our Lord endured through the scourging and beatings at the hands
of the Jews and Romans as well as the crucifixion itself were in fact part of
His bearing the judgment for our sins.
Remember, the
unbeliever will suffer eternity in the Lake of Fire in a resurrection body
according to Daniel 12:1, Romans 2:7, Revelation 20:11-15 and many other
passages. This suffering is not only spiritual death but also physical
suffering. Thus, since our Lord died spiritually so that no human being will be
separated from God for all of eternity in the Lake of Fire so Christ suffered
the physical torture so that no human being will suffer physically forever in
the Lake of Fire.
Our Lord’s loss of
fellowship with His Father in His humanity during those last three hours in
darkness on the Cross was infinitely more painful to our Lord than the physical
suffering He had endured and was enduring. Our Lord’s loss of fellowship with His
Father in His humanity during those last three hours in darkness on the Cross
was valued infinitely more by the Father than the shedding of His literal blood
or His physical suffering.
This is not to say
that the Father did not value the physical suffering of His Son, or His literal
blood, which was sinless, He did, but literal blood though sinless cannot
resolve man’s problem of separation from God under real spiritual death. A
sinless human being suffering the loss of fellowship with the Father was the
penalty that had to be paid in order to redeem human
souls from the curse of Adam sin of disobedience and real spiritual death.
Our Lord died
spiritually and was separated from His Father during those last three hours on
the Cross so that we might never be separated from God for all of eternity due
to sin.
During the last
three hours on the cross, God the Father imputed every sin in human
history-past, present and future to the impeccable humanity of Christ in
hypostatic union. Consequently, Christ voluntarily suffered the penalty for
this imputation as our Substitute, which was spiritual death (2 Cor. 5:21; Gal.
3:13).
This spiritual
death served as the propitiation for these sins, the reconciliation of the
world to God, the redemption of the entire human race out of the slave market
of sin and the basis for the forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation.
Imputation is the function of the justice of God in crediting something to
someone for cursing or for blessing.
There are two
categories of imputations: (1) Real: “crediting to a person something which
belongs to him” (2) Judicial: “crediting to a person something which does not
belong to him.” A real imputation has a target or a home whereas as a judicial
imputation has no target or home, and emphasizes the Source, the justice of
God. To complete a judicial imputation divine justice must immediately
pronounce a verdict, cursing or blessing. Judicial Imputations: (1) Imputation
of human sin to Christ (2) Imputation of divine righteousness to sinful mankind
through faith in Christ.
Sin is any thought,
word or action that is contrary to the will and holy character of God and is
thus disobedience to the commands and prohibitions of God. Therefore, during
the last three hours on the cross, God the Father imputed every sin in human
history-past, present and future to the impeccable humanity of Christ in
hypostatic union.
During the last
three hours on the Cross, God the Father credited to the impeccable humanity of
Christ something, which did not belong to Him, namely the sins of the entire
world-past, present and future! When the sins of mankind were imputed to the
impeccable humanity of Christ, the justice of God took action
and pronounced a guilty verdict. Therefore, when Christ was receiving the
imputation of the sins of the world, God was not projecting into the soul of
the human nature of Christ the sins of the world, nor does imputation put Him
into contact with sin. This imputation made the Lord a curse for us and set Him
up to receive the penalty for our sins, which is spiritual death, i.e.
separation from God.
When Christ cried “My
God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” He was suffering the “consequences”
for our sins, which was separation from the Father and was “not” coming into contact with our sins, nor was He becoming
literal sin.
Christ could not
experience or come into contact with sin unless He
Himself chose to sin. You cannot experience or come into
contact with sin unless one chooses to sin. Therefore, there is no way
possible that the Lord could come into contact with
our sins or experience them. Furthermore, the imputation of every sin in
history to Christ does “not” mean that Christ became literal sin, which is a
heretical statement. If the Lord did become literal sin
then He would no longer be qualified to be our perfect Substitute. Therefore,
Jesus Christ died spiritually meaning that in His human nature, He was
separated from His Father in the sense that He lost fellowship with His Father
during those last three hours on the Cross. He suffered this spiritual death so
that no member of the human race should have to. Thus,
the believer is identified with our Lord’s spiritual death since this death
spared the believer from the second death in the eternal lake of fire.
The Substitutionary
Physical Death of Jesus Christ
The physical death
of our Lord is recorded in the Gospels (Matthew 27:47-50; Mark 15:22-40; Luke
23:33-49; John 19:16-30). The Lord Jesus Christ did “not” die from suffocation
or exhaustion, nor did He bleed to death, or die of a broken heart but rather He
died unlike any person in history, namely by His own volition. Remember what
our Lord said in John 10:18.
If He had bled to
death, He would have fainted. The Lord Jesus Christ was in total control of His
faculties and was totally and completely alert throughout all His suffering on
the cross. Our Lord’s voluntary physical death was another indication to those
observing Him at the Cross that He was indeed the Son of God. He died like no
other man in history, namely, of His own choosing. This is why the centurion
stated that our Lord was the Son of God.
Matthew 27:50 And
Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded
up His spirit. (NASB95)
“Yielded up”
is the aorist active indicative form of the verb aphiemi, “to dismiss,
to release, to let go.”
The aorist tense of
the verb is a culminative aorist, which views an event from its existing
results, the Lord Jesus Christ's physical death. The active voice expresses the
fact that the Lord Jesus died of His own volition since the active voice
indicates that the subject produces the action of the verb.
The Lord is the
only human being in history to dismiss His own spirit from His body. Every
human being that dies physically as a result of a
sovereign decision of God but here the Lord chooses to die physically.
Our Lord’s
voluntary physical death was another indication to those observing Him at the
Cross that He was indeed the Son of God. He died like no other man in history,
namely, of His own choosing. Our Lord’s burial is recorded in John 19:38-42.
The perfect sinless
humanity of Christ was born trichotomous: (1) Body (2) Soul (3) Spirit.
Therefore, our Lord’s physical death was unique because it was a trichotomous
separation: (1) His physical body went to the grave (Luke 23:50-53). (2) His
human spirit went to heaven (Luke 23:46; John 19:30). (3) His human soul went
into Paradise a compartment of Hades (Luke 23:43; Acts 2:27; 2:31; Eph. 4:9).
The Lord was
brought back from the dead by three categories of divine omnipotence: (1)
Omnipotence of God the Father sent back our Lord’s human spirit to the body in
the grave (Acts 2:24; Rom. 6:4; Eph. 1:20; Col. 2:12; 1 Thess. 1:10; 1 Pet.
1:21). (2) Omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit sent back our Lord’s human soul
to the body in the grave (Rom. 1:4; 8:11; 1 Pet. 3:18). (3) Omnipotence of God
the Son raised His physical body from the grave (John 2:20-23; 6:39-40, 54
10:17-18).
The Lord Jesus
Christ died physically in order to deal with the
problem of the sin nature in the human race, which is located in the physical
body of a person as a result of God imputing Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden
to every person at the moment of physical birth. Therefore, the Christian’s
problem with his indwelling Adamic sin nature is resolved when he is identified
with Christ in His physical death through the baptism of the Holy Spirit the
moment they were declared justified through faith in Jesus Christ as their
Savior (Romans 6:1-10).
The Finished Work
of Jesus Christ
Redemption
One of the results
of our Lord’s substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross is
that He redeemed the entire human race out from the slave market of sin.
“Redemption” refers to that aspect of Christ’s finished work on the Cross-that
“purchased” all of humanity out of the slave market of sin. It is appropriated
through the non-meritorious decision to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation.
Redemption is one of the three major doctrines of Soteriology: (1) Redemption:
inward (2) Reconciliation: manward (3) Propitiation: Godward.
The doctrine of
redemption refers to the fact that Jesus Christ’s spiritual and physical deaths
on the cross were a substitutionary ransom for the benefit of each and every member of the human race. These unique
substitutionary deaths redeemed the entire human race out from the slave market
of sin in which each and every member of the human
race was born physically alive but spiritually dead.
There are many
references in the New Testament to the Lord Jesus Christ “purchasing” the
entire human race out of the slave market of sin by means of His voluntary,
substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the Cross.
Mark 10:45 “For
even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as
a ransom for many.” (ESV)
Matthew 20:28 “even
as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as
a ransom for many.” (ESV)
Acts 20:28 Pay
careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit
has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained
with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will
come in among you, not sparing the flock. (ESV)
Romans 3:24 being
justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in
Christ Jesus. (NASB95)
1 Corinthians 1:30
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and
righteousness and sanctification, and redemption. (NASB95)
1 Corinthians 6:20
for you were bought with a price. So glorify
God in your body. (ESV)
1 Corinthians 7:23 You
were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. (ESV)
Galatians 3:13
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for
us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that
in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we
might receive the promised Spirit through faith. (ESV)
Galatians 4:4 But
when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born
under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we
might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the
Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (ESV)
Ephesians 1:7 In
whom (the Beloved) we have the redemption through His blood (Christ’s
substitutionary spiritual death), the forgiveness of sins according to the
riches of His grace. (NASB95)
Colossians 1:13 For
He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and
transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption,
the forgiveness of sins. (NASB95)
1 Timothy 2:1 First
of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings,
be made on behalf of all men, 2 for kings and all who are in
authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and
dignity. 3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who
desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For
there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ
Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at
the proper time. (NASB95)
Titus 2:11 For the grace of
God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12
instructing
us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously
and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the
blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ
Jesus, 14 who gave Himself for us to
redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for
His own possession, zealous for good deeds. (NASB95)
Hebrews 9:11 But
when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered
through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12 and not through
the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy
place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the
blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have
been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14 how much more will the
blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish
to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 For
this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has
taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed
under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of
the eternal inheritance. (NASB95)
1
Peter 1:17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to
each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on
earth, 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like
silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers 19
but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of
Christ. (NASB95)
2 Peter 2:1 But
false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false
teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even
denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift
destruction. (ESV)
Revelation 5:9 And
they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open
its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for
God from every tribe and language and people and nation. (ESV)
Revelation 14:1
Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000
who had his name and his Father’s name written on
their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters
and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of
harpists playing on their harps, 3 and they were singing a new song before the
throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could
learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 It
is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It
is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed
from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, 5 and in their mouth no lie
was found, for they are blameless. (ESV)
Vocabulary
Greek New
Testament: (1) Antilutron (noun), “the substitution of money for a slave
or prisoner, the payment for the slave or prisoner in order to set free”; (2) Apolutrosis
(noun), “buying back a slave thus making him free by payment of a ransom, the
act of release or state of being resulting in release or redemption” (Luke
21:28; Rom. 3:24; 8:23; 1 Cor. 1:30; Eph. 1:7; 1:14; 4:30; Col. 1:14; Heb.
9:15; 11:35); (3) Lutrotes (noun), “redeemer” (Hapax legomenon: used
only in Acts 7:35 of Moses); (4) Lutrosis (noun), “ransoming,
releasing, redemption, deliverance” (Luke 1:68; 2:38; Heb. 9:12);
(5) Lutron (noun), “ransom price paid in order to free a slave, price of
release, ransom, money for the manumission of slaves” (The suffix -tron
denotes the instrument or means by which the action of the verb is
accomplished, the means of releasing, or the payment”) (Matthew
20:28 and Mark 10:45); (6) Lutroo (verb), “to release for a
ransom, to redeem, to liberate, to deliver, the actual deliverance,
the setting at liberty” (Luke 24:21; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 1:18); (7) Agorazo
(verb), Related to the noun agora, “marketplace,” “to buy in the
marketplace, to redeem, to buy, to acquire by paying a ransom
price,” (Used 5 times w/reference to the doctrine of redemption); (8) Exagorazo
(verb), “to buy out from the marketplace, “to purchase slaves from a slave
market, to release by paying a ransom price” (Emphasizes the price paid) (Col.
4:5; Eph. 5:16; Gal. 3:13; 4:5);
Hebrew Old
Testament: (1) Padhah (verb), “to ransom, to rescue, to
deliver, redemption by payment of a ransom, to achieve the transfer of
ownership from one to another through payment of a price or an equivalent
substitute”; (2) Ga`al (verb), “to redeem, to rescue,
to avenge, to ransom, do the part of a kinsman, to do the part of a
kinsman and thus to redeem his kin from difficulty or danger”
Documentation: Ps. 49:15; 77:15a; 78:35; Isa. 43:14; 44:24; 49:7; 54:5,
8; 60:16; Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45; Rom. 3:24; 8:23;1 Cor. 6:20; 7:23; 1
Cor. 1:30; Gal. 3:13; Eph. 1:7, 14; 4:30; Col. 1:13-14; 1 Tim. 2:6; Titus 2:14;
Heb. 2:14-15; Heb. 9:15; 1 Pet. 1:19. (3) Kopher (noun), “ransom price,
a substitute.”
The Redeemer
The Lord Jesus
Christ is the Redeemer of the entire human race. He is mankind’s
Kinsman-Redeemer. The Lord is the Redeemer of Israel (Ps. 78:35; Isa. 43:14;
44:24; 49:7; 54:5, 8; 60:16). He is redeemer of the Church (1 Cor. 1:30; Gal.
3:13; Eph. 1:7, 14; Col. 1:14; Titus 2:14).
A Kinsman-Redeemer
must be related to the one who is being redeemed and must be able to afford the
ransom price and thus fulfill its righteous demands. Our Lord fulfilled this in
His incarnation by becoming true humanity. As our Kinsman-Redeemer, our Lord
had to be like us. The second Person of the Trinity became a man (John 1:14; 1
Tim. 3:16; Heb. 2:14; 1 John 1:1). The Lord Jesus Christ is the one and only
Redeemer of mankind and the only sacrifice that God will accept (Matt. 20:28;
Mark 10:45; 1 Tim. 2:6). He is the only one qualified to be mankind’s Redeemer due to the fact that He is impeccable (1 Pet. 1:19).
The doctrine of the
Kinsman-Redeemer originates in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word in the Old
Testament for Redeemer is goel. Kinsman redemption was of persons,
estates, and inheritance (Lev. 25:25, 48; Gal. 4:5; Eph. 1:7, 11, 14). The Lord
Jesus Christ is a type of Kinsman-Redeemer in that He became like one of
us-human. He was able to afford and pay the ransom price
which was His substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths, and was also
willing to pay the ransom price. Christ as the Kinsman-Redeemer fulfills the
type of being willing to redeem. The Kinsman-Redeemer type states that the
Redeemer: (1) Must be a kinsman or related by blood (Lev. 25:48-49; Ruth
3:12-13; Heb. 2:14-15) (2) Must be able to pay the redemption price (Ruth
4:4-6; cf. Jer. 50:34; John 10:11, 18) (3) Must be able to pay the
righteous demands (Lev. 25:27; Gal. 3:13; 1 Pet. 1:18-19) (4) Must be “willing”
to pay the redemption price (John 10:18).
Romans 3:24
Romans
3:24 teaches that justification is a gift of God’s grace and is made possible
by the work of redemption that Jesus Christ accomplished with His voluntary,
substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross.
Romans 3:24 being
justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ
Jesus. (NASB95)
“Through
the redemption” is composed of the preposition dia), “through”
and the articular genitive feminine singular form of the noun apolutrosis,
“the redemption.”
The
noun apolutrosis, which means, “to buy back a slave thus making him free
by payment of a ransom, the act of release or state of being resulting in
release or redemption” (Luke 21:28; Rom. 3:24; 8:23; 1 Cor. 1:30; Eph. 1:7;
1:14; 4:30; Col. 1:14; Heb. 9:15; 11:35).
The
noun apolutrosis is a compound word composed of the preposition apo,
which intensifies the meaning of the verb lutrosis, “redemption.”
Moulton
lists the following definitions for the word: (1) To dismiss for a ransom paid,
redemption, a deliverance procured by the payment of a ransom (2)
Metonymically, the author of redemption, 1 Corinthians 1:30 (3) Deliverance,
simply, the idea of a ransom being excluded, Luke 21:28; Hebrews 11:35.[48]
The
New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon defines the word, “A releasing effected by
payment of ransom; redemption, deliverance, liberation procured by the payment
of a ransom.”[49]
Greek-English
Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains, “to release or set
free, with the implied analogy to the process of freeing a slave.”[50]
Originally,
the word denoted “the buying back of a slave or captive thus making him free by
payment of a ransom.”[51]
Commenting
on the noun apolutrosis, Vine writes, “a strengthened form of No. 1,
lit., ‘a releasing, for (i. e., on payment of) a ransom.’ It is used of (a)
‘deliverance’ from physical torture, Heb 11:35, (b) the deliverance of the
people of God at the coming of Christ with His glorified saints, ‘in a cloud
with power and great glory,’ Luke 21:28, a ‘redemption’ to be accomplished at
the ‘outshining of His Parousia,’ 2 Thess 2:8, i. e., at His second
advent; (c) forgiveness and justification, ‘redemption’ as the result of
expiation, deliverance from the guilt of sins, Rom 3:24, ‘through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus’; Eph 1:7, defined as ‘the forgiveness of
our trespasses,’ RV; so Col 1:14, ‘the forgiveness of our sins,’ indicating
both the liberation from the guilt and doom of sin and the introduction into a
life of liberty, ‘newness of life’ Rom 6:4; Heb 9:15, ‘for the redemption of
the transgressions that were under the first covenant,’ RV, here ‘redemption
of’ is equivalent to ‘redemption from,’ the genitive case being used of the
object from which the ‘redemption’ is effected, not from the consequence of the
transgressions, but from the transgressions themselves; (d the deliverance of
the believer from the presence and power of sin, and of his body from bondage
to corruption, at the coming (the Parousia in its inception) of the Lord
Jesus, Rom 8:23; 1 Cor 1:30; Eph 1:4; 4:30.[52]
Commenting
on this word, Barclay writes, “In every case the conception (of) the delivering
of a man from a situation from which he was powerless to liberate himself or
from a penalty which he himself could never have paid. He goes on to relate
that the Roman philosopher Seneca who tutored and advised Nero was "full
of this kind of feeling of helpless frustration. Men, he said, were
overwhelmingly conscious of their inefficiency in necessary things. He said of
himself that he was a homo non tolerabilis, a man not to be tolerated.
Men, he said with a kind of despair, love their vices and hate them at the same
time. What men need, he cried, is a hand let down to lift them up. The highest
thinkers in the pagan world knew that they were in the grip of something from
which they were helpless to deliver themselves. They needed liberation. It was
just that liberation which Jesus Christ brought. It is still true that he can
liberate men from helpless slavery to the things which attract and disgust them
at one and the same time.”[53]
The
word was used was used in secular Greek as a technical term for money paid to
buy back and set free prisoners of war or to emancipate, to liberate a person
from subjection or domination, to free from restraint, control, or the power of
another) slaves from their masters.
Apolutrosis appears ten times
in the Greek New Testament where its usage can be divided into three
categories: (1) Soteriological: The study of salvation (Romans 3:24, 1
Corinthians 1:30, Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 1:14, and Hebrews 9:15) (2)
Eschatological: The study of future things (Luke 21:28; Romans 8:23; Ephesians
1:14; 4:30). (3) Release of a prisoner (Hebrews 11:35-36).
So in Romans 3:24, Paul employs the word in a soteriological sense.
In
Romans 3:24, the preposition dia, “through” is employed with the
genitive form of the noun apolutrosis, “redemption” as a marker
of the means by which makes another event possible.
Therefore, it indicates that redemption is the means which makes possible the
justification of the sinner who exercises faith in Jesus Christ.
The
noun apolutrosis functions as a “genitive of means” indicating the
“instrumentality” or “means” by which God declares a sinner justified.
Therefore, as a “genitive of means” the noun apolutrosis indicates that
the redemption is “the means, which makes possible for God to declare the
sinner justified.
Where
the instrumental of means charis, “grace” answers the question as
to “why” or on “what basis” God can declare the sinner justified, the genitive
of means apolutrosis, “redemption” answers the question as to
“how” God can justify the sinner.
Where
the instrumental of means charis, “grace” indicates that God’s
grace is the “basis” in which He can declare the sinner justified, the genitive
of means apolutrosis, “redemption” indicates the “means” by which
He can do so. This is not a “genitive of agency” even though apolutrosis
is the object of the preposition dia, which ordinarily indicates
“intermediate agency” with the genitive case. The reason for this is that the
noun apolutrosis does not signify a personal agent by whom the action in
view is accomplished.
The
definite article preceding the noun apolutrosis is “kataphoric” meaning
that it is pointing to something in the text that immediately follows. The
“kataphoric” article before the noun apolutrosis is anticipatory and is
followed by a phrase that qualifies for the reader who accomplished this
redemption for the sinner so that he might be declared justified by God.
Romans
3:24, “being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is
in Christ Jesus.”
“Which
is” is the genitive feminine singular form of the definite article ho,
which functions as a “substantiver” meaning it nominalizes (i.e. converts to a
noun) the prepositional phrase en Christo Iesou, “in Christ Jesus”
and thus we can translate it with the noun phrase “which is.”
“In
Christ Jesus” is composed of the preposition en, “in” and the
dative masculine singular form of the proper name Christos, “Christ,”
which is followed by the dative masculine singular form of the proper name Iesous,
“Jesus.”
The
proper name Christos is a technical word designating the humanity of our
Lord as the promised Savior for all mankind who is unique as the incarnate Son
of God and totally and completely guided and empowered by the Spirit as the
Servant of the Father.
The
word denotes the Messiahship of Jesus of Nazareth,
thus He is the Deliverer of the human race in 3 areas through His death,
resurrection, ascension and session: (1) Satan (2) Cosmic System (3) Old Sin
Nature.
The
word Christos also signifies the uniqueness of Jesus of Nazareth who is
the God-Man and signifies His 3-fold office: (1)
Prophet (2) Priest (3) King.
The
Lord’s Messiahship has a 4-fold significance: (1) Separation unto God. (2)
Authorization from God. (3) Divine enablement. (4) The coming Deliverer.
Christos signifies that
Jesus of Nazareth served God the Father exclusively and this was manifested by
His execution of the Father’s salvation plan which was accomplished by His
voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross. The word signifies that
Jesus of Nazareth has been given authority by God the Father to forgive sins,
give eternal life, and authority over all creation and every creature as a result of His execution of the Father’s salvation plan.
It signifies that Jesus of Nazareth was perpetually guided and empowered by God
the Holy Spirit during His first Advent.
Lastly,
Christos signifies that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised deliverer of the human race from the bondage of Satan, his cosmic system
and the old Adamic sin nature.
This
word contains the figure of “metonymy of the cause” where the Person of Jesus
Christ is put for His substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross, which
redeemed mankind out of the slave market of sin.
The
preposition en is a marker of means indicating that the Lord Jesus
Christ and His substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross was the
“instrument” or “means” that God the Father employed to redeem mankind out of
the slave market of sin. Therefore, the proper name Christos functions
as a “dative instrumental of means” indicating that substitutionary spiritual
death of Jesus Christ on the Cross was the “instrument” or “the means” that God
the Father used to redeem mankind out of the slave market of sin. Thus, we will
translate the preposition en, “by means of” and the proper name Christos,
“spiritual death of Christ.”
“Jesus”
is the dative masculine singular form of the proper name Iesous, which
refers to the impeccable human nature of the Lord Jesus Christ. This word
functions as a “dative of simple apposition” meaning that it stands next a noun
in the same case and clarifies who is mentioned. Therefore, the proper name Iesous,
“Jesus” stands in apposition to the proper noun Christos, “Christ”
and clarifies for the reader that Jesus is the Christ.
Since
there were many in the first century who claimed to the be the Messiah, the
Christ, Paul clarifies for us who He is, namely, Jesus of Nazareth.
Christos, “Christ”
precedes Iesous, “Jesus” emphasizing that redemption was
accomplished by the Lord Jesus functioning in His role as the Savior of all men
as denoted by the former.
The
impeccable human nature of the incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ accomplished
the work of redeeming mankind out of the slave market of sin since deity can
never die a spiritual death, only a human being can. The spiritual death of the
impeccable human nature of Jesus Christ redeemed the entire human race out of
the slave market of sin in which they were born physically alive but
spiritually dead and yet qualified for God’s grace, which is for the
undeserving.
1 Timothy 2:6
1 Timothy 2:1 First
of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings,
be made on behalf of all men, 2 for kings and all who are in
authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and
dignity. 3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who
desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For
there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ
Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the
proper time. (NASB95)
“Who gave
Himself as a ransom for all” is composed of the articular nominative
masculine singular aorist active participle form of the verb didomi (δίδωμι) (thee-though-me),
“given” and the dative third person masculine singular form of the
reflexive pronoun heautou (ἑαυτοῦ), “Himself”
and the accusative neuter singular form of the noun antilutron (ἀντίλυτρον), “as a ransom”
and the preposition huper (ὑπέρ), “on behalf of” and
the genitive masculine plural form of the adjective pas (πᾶς), “of all.”
The verb didomi
means “to give” in the sense of dedicating oneself for a specific purpose of
canceling a debt on someone’s behalf. Here it is used of the Lord Jesus Christ
dedicating Himself to the specific purpose of canceling the sin debt of the
entire human race.
The aorist tense of
the verb is a “constative” aorist describing in summary fashion the period of time when Jesus Christ was on the cross and
suffered both a spiritual and physical death. The former cancelled the debt of
mankind with respect to personal sins whereas the latter cancelled the debt of
mankind with respect to the sin nature, which resides in the genetic structure
of mankind (cf. Genesis 3:19; Romans 6:6). The active voice of the verb
indicates that the Lord Jesus Christ as the subject performed the action of
giving Himself for the specific purpose of canceling the sin debt of the entire
human race. The verb functions as a substantive participle as indicated by the
definite article preceding it, which functions as a substantiver meaning that
it converts the participle into a substantive. Therefore, this can be reflected
by translating the article with a relative pronoun “who.” The word also
functions as a nominative subject. We will translate the verb didomi, “who
gave.”
The reflexive
pronoun heautou refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is used to highlight
the participation of the subject, in the verbal action, as indirect object. Its
force is frequently to indicate that the subject is also the object of the
action of the verb or in other words, it reflects back
on the subject. Therefore, the reflexive personal pronoun heautou means
“Himself” and emphasizes the action of Jesus Christ giving Himself in the sense
of dedicating Himself for the specific purpose of solving the human race’s
problem of the sin nature and personal sins. The word denotes that the Lord
dedicated Himself to the Father’s will in order to
provide the offer of salvation for the entire human race. It also indicates
that the Lord dedicated Himself to deliver the human race
from the sin nature, personal sins, spiritual and physical death, condemnation
from the Law, Satan and his cosmic system and eternal condemnation.
The word emphasizes
the voluntary nature of Christ’s spiritual and physical deaths on the cross.
Our Lord’s spiritual and physical deaths on the cross were “voluntary” in that
He “chose” to suffer these deaths in order to solve
the human race’s problem with sin. He also chose to suffer in
order to accomplish the Father’s will and provide salvation for the
entire human race. These deaths were also self-sacrificial in nature in that
the Lord was willing to deny self in order to serve the Father
and the human race and come to the aid of the human race to deal with their sin
problem.
The noun antilutron
is a rare compound word that is composed of the preposition anti,
“instead, in place of” and the noun lutron, “ransom,” thus the word
literally means “substitute-ransom” as Morris rightly concludes (Leon Morris,
The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross, pages 11-64).
Commenting on the
word group associated with this word, Leon Morris writes, “The idea of
redemption is usually conveyed in the New Testament by using lutron (ransom)
and its associated word group, sometimes also by words connected with purchase
like agorazo or peripoieo. We examine these word groups in order.
Lutron and its derivatives go back ultimately to the verb luo which
means basically ‘to loose, loosen’, and was used of
such processes as unbinding clothes, armour, etc. By a natural extension of use
the verb was applied to living beings, as in the unyoking of horses, and then with regard to men, when it signified the loosing of the
bonds of the prisoner so that he became free. Quite often it was used in
contexts where a ransom was supplied as the condition of release, and in this
way came to signify ‘to release on receipt of a ransom’. Liddell and Scott cite
passages showing this use from Homer onwards. It is from this use of the verb
that the noun lutron is derived. The suffix —tron denotes basically the
means whereby an action is performed, being in common use for names of
implements (e.g. arotron, ‘a plough’). Debrunner thinks of a second
stage when the suffix denoted locality (qeatron, ‘a theatre’), and of a
third stage later still when payment was the meaning (qreptra, ‘payment
for rearing’). It is under this last head that lutron, a comparatively
late word, is to be classed, and it denotes accordingly ‘payment for loosing’,
i.e. ransom price. From this noun a new word group developed. luo
conveyed no necessary significance of ransoming, being merely a general term
for loosing, but when the verb lutruo was developed from lutron
it was in order that there might be a word which conveyed in its essence, and
not fortuitously as an inference from the context, the idea of release by
payment of ransom. The active signified ‘to hold to ransom, to release on
receipt of ransom’, while the middle gave the idea’ to redeem by payment of
ransom’. From this, again, other words evolved like lutrosis, and
compounds like apolutroo, which in turn gave rise to derivatives. All
these words go back ultimately to lutron, and in all there is to be
discerned the fundamental idea of a process involving release by payment of a
ransom price, which process seems implied in the use of the word group
throughout the whole range of profane Greek. It is only in biblical Greek that
there is any question of another significance to be attached to the words, and
the importance of the unwavering usage of profane authors must not be
overlooked. The non-biblical use leaves us in no doubt as to what the words
signified in themselves, in their essential meaning.”[54]
The word antilutron
does not appear in classical Greek or the Septuagint and only once in the Greek
New Testament, namely here in 1 Timothy 2:6. However, the combination of the anti
and lutron does appear in other literature.[55]
It also occurs in Mark 10:45 and Matthew 20:28. The combination of anti
and lutron in these two passage describes Christ’s spiritual and
physical deaths as a substitutionary ransom on behalf of the entire human race.
Louw and Nida
define the word “the means or instrument by which release or deliverance is
made possible—‘means of release, ransom.’”[56]
Analytical Lexicon
of the Greek New Testament defines the word “literally, as a price paid or
means used to set someone free from captivity or bondage ransom; figuratively,
of Christ’s atonement for sin price of redemption, means of deliverance (1T
2.6).”[57]
Again, commenting
on antilutron, Leon Morris writes, “This word occurs but once in the New
Testament and its only known occurrences outside the Scripture are later. In
meaning it does not seem to differ greatly from the simple lutron, but the
preposition emphasizes the thought of substitution; it is a ‘substitute—ransom’
that is signified. Such a term well suits the context, for we read of Christ
‘who gave himself on behalf of all’ (1 Tim. ii. 6). The thought clearly
resembles that of Mk. x. 45’, i.e. that Jesus has died in the stead of those
who deserved death. If the thought of substitution is there, we find it here to
an even greater degree in view of the addition of the preposition which
emphasizes substitution. The position then appears to be that the words
associated with lutron consistently express the ransom idea. They remind us of
a conception that has disappeared, at least in large measure, from the modern
scene, but which appealed to the early Christians as of value in illustrating
one aspect of a vast and complex subject. Viewed from this aspect the atonement
looked to them like a process of ransoming. Christians were men who had been
under sentence of death (Rom. vi. 23), they had been enslaved to sin (Jn. viii.
34; Rom. vi. 17, vii. 14); but now they were ransomed from the death sentence
(free ‘from the law of death’, Rom. viii. 2, and cf. 1 Cor. xv. 54f.; I Jn.
iii. 14; 2 Tim. i. 10, etc.). Processes which were familiar to them from their
ordinary daily life gave a vivid picture of what had been happening in the
spiritual realm when the Saviour gave His life for them. Deissmann brings out
the force of the redemption terminology for an ordinary man of the first
century thus: ‘A Christian slave of Corinth going up the path to the
Acrocorinthus about Eastertide, when St. Paul’s letter arrived, would see
towards the north west the snowy peak of Parnassus rising clearer and clearer
before him, and everyone knew that within the circuit of that commanding summit
lay the shrines at which Apollo or Serapis or Asclepius the Healer bought
slaves with a price, for freedom. Then in the evening assembly was read the
letter lately received from Ephesus, and straightway the new Healer was present
in spirit with His worshippers, giving them freedom from another slavery,
redeeming with a price the bondmen of sin and the law—and that price no pious
fiction, first received by Him out of the hard earned denarii of the slave, but
paid by Himself with the redemption money of His daily new self-sacrifice,
rousing up for freedom those who languished in slavery’. There is no need to
water down the language of the biblical writers, to reduce their colourful
metaphors to a uniform drab— They did not intend ransom to be taken as a full
and sufficient statement of what the atonement was and did, but as far as it
goes it gives a picture of one aspect of that great work. It is a metaphor
which involves the payment of a price which is plainly stated in several places
and understood in others to be the death of Christ. From the very nature of the
imagery being used this involves a substitutionary idea; instead of our death
there is His, instead of our slavery there is His blood, and all our verbal
juggling cannot remove this from the New Testament.”[58]
Mounce commenting
on antilutron in 1 Timothy 2:6, writes that the word “can carry the idea
of payment and of freedom and freedom can have a variety of backgrounds, such
as freedom from slavery or the OT idea of a forfeited life. In both 1 Timothy
2:6 and Titus 2:14 the price of the ransom is emphasized: Christ gave Himself.
This complements the essential message of the paragraph: because Christ’s death
for all people was so costly, to exclude people from the offer of salvation is
especially horrendous. But the idea of ransom must include both payment and
freedom, because freedom can only be gained by a price (e.g. 1 Cor. 6:19-20;
7:22-23), and the result of paying the price is freedom (e.g. Gal. 4:3-5).”[59]
In 1 Timothy 2:6,
the noun antilutron means “substitute-ransom” and like Mark 10:45 and
Matthew 20:28, it describes Jesus Christ’s spiritual and physical deaths on the
cross as a substitutionary ransom for the benefit of each and
every member of the human race. These unique substitutionary deaths
redeemed the entire human race out from the slave market of sin in which they
were born physically alive but spiritually dead.
Redemption results
in the forgiveness of sins (Isa. 44:22; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; Heb. 9:12-15). It
is the basis of justification (Rom. 3:24). It delivers from the curse of the
Law (Gal. 3:13; 4:4-6). Redemption is the basis for sanctification (Eph. 5:25-27).
It is the basis for the eternal inheritance of believer (Heb. 9:15). Redemption
is the basis for the strategic victory of Christ in the angelic conflict (Col.
2:14-15; Heb. 2:14-15). Redemption of the soul in salvation leads to redemption
of the body in resurrection (Eph. 1:14). Redemption is the ultimate status of
regenerated human beings forever (Rom. 8:23; Eph. 4:30).
Reconciliation
Another thing that
our Lord’s spiritual and physical deaths on the cross accomplished is that they
reconciled sinners to a holy God. Reconciliation is God’s peace treaty with the
entire human race. Reconciliation removes the Barrier, which separates God from
man (Eph. 2:14-16).
The peace offering
in the Old Testament depicts reconciliation (Lev. 3; 7:11-38; 8:15). The peace
offering emphasizes the Person of Christ. The peace offering sets forth God as propitiated and the sinner reconciled. The Author of the
Peace Treaty is God the Father (2 Cor. 5:18a; Eph. 1:3-7; 2:14-16). Man was the
enemy of God (Rom. 5:6-10; Eph. 2:1-5). God the Father is the Initiator of the
peace treaty with man. Man is totally helpless to make peace with God (Rom.
3:10, 23; 8:5-8; Eph. 2:1). The Lord Jesus Christ is the Mediator of the Peace
Treaty (2 Cor. 5:18b; 1 Tim. 2:5). The Lord is the peacemaker (Eph. 2:14).
This peace treaty
took place inside the Person of Christ, the God-Man (2
Cor. 5:19a; Eph. 2:14-16; Col. 1:22; 1 Pet. 2:24). God offers the entire world
a full pardon of their sin through faith in Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:19b; Acts
13:38; Eph. 1:7; 4:32b; Col. 1:14; 2:13; 1 John 2:12). Every believer in the
Church Age has been an ambassador for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20a).
The terms of the
Peace Treaty is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
(Acts 16:31; John 3:16, 36). Reconciliation is totally the work of God. It is
God’s peace treaty with the entire human race or the removal of the Barrier,
which separated God from man and is a result of the finished work of Christ on
the Cross (2 Cor. 5:18; Eph. 2:14-16; Col. 1:20-21).
Vocabulary
Hebrews
Terms: (1) Shalom (noun), “Peace, prosperity, health, safety,
completeness, soundness, wholeness, harmony, fulfillment, the unimpaired
relationship with others and fulfillment in one’s undertakings.” (2) Shelem
(noun), “Peace offering, sacrifice for alliance or friendship.” (3) Shalam
(denominative verb), “To be in covenant of peace.” (4) Shalem (verb),
“To be complete, sound, perfect, whole, full, completion and fulfillment-of
entering into a state of wholeness and unity, a restored relationship.”
Greek
Terms: (1) Eirene (noun), “Peace as the antithesis to war, the state of
law and order which results in the blessings of prosperity for the people,
peaceful conduct of men toward each other, a peaceful mental attitude.” (2) Katallasso
(verb), “To change or give away, to exchange one thing for another, to
change a person from enmity to friendship.” (3) Katallage (noun), “the
restoration of the original understanding between people after hostilities,
reconciliation.” (3) Apokatallasso (verb), “to reconcile enemies, to
restore a broken relationship to its former peaceful state, to reconcile by
transferring from the original human status of real spiritual death to the
status of eternal salvation.”
Documentation
Romans
5:10 For if, while we were enemies (spiritual death), we were reconciled
to God by the (spiritual) death of His Son, much more now being reconciled, we
shall be delivered by His life. (NASB95)
2
Corinthians 5:18 Now all these things (New Creation) originate from the
God (the Father), the One who reconciled us to Himself through the
intermediate agency of Christ and gave to us for our benefit the ministry of
this reconciliation (our Royal Ambassadorship), 19 specifically, that God the
Father was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not charging their
personal sins to their account and has deposited in us (the right lobes of
born-again believers) the doctrine of this reconciliation (the
Gospel). 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since the God (the
Father) is urgently appealing through us: We beg you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God. 21 He (Christ) who never knew sin
experientially (Christ was impeccable), on behalf of us (as our Substitute),
was made (the representative of) sin in order that we might become the very
righteousness of God in Him. (Author’s translation)
Ephesians
2:14 For He Himself is our peace, Who (the Lord Jesus Christ) made both
one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His
physical body the enmity, the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that
in Himself (the Lord Jesus Christ) He might make the two (Jews and Gentiles)
into one new man, establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile them
both in one body to God through the cross, by it (the Cross) having put to
death the enmity (the Mosaic Law). (NASB95)
Colossians
1:20 And through Him (the Lord Jesus Christ) to reconcile all things to
Himself (God the Father), having made peace through the blood (substitutionary
spiritual death of Christ) of His cross, through Him, whether things on earth
or things in heaven. 21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in
mind, in evil deeds, 22 yet He (Lord Jesus Christ) has now reconciled you in
His human body through death (spiritual death), in order to
present you before Him (God the Father) holy (spiritual life after salvation)
and blameless (in a resurrection body) and beyond reproach. (NASB95)
Peace Offering
There were five
Levitical offerings authorized by the Mosaic Law (Lev. 1-6): (1) The Burnt
offering taught propitiation with emphasis on the work of Christ (Lev. 1) (2)
The Gift offering taught propitiation but this
bloodless offering portrayed the perfect Person of Jesus Christ (Lev. 2). (3)
The Peace offering called for the shedding of blood and taught the doctrine of
reconciliation (Lev. 3). (4) The Sin offering taught the doctrine
of Rebound for unknown sins. (5) The Trespass offering taught Rebound of known
sins.
The Peace offering
emphasizes the Person of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ: (1) “is our
peace” (Eph. 2:14). (2) “Made peace” (Col. 1:20). (3) “Preached
peace” (Eph. 2:17). (4) “Prince of peace” (Isa. 9:6). The peace
offering is found in Leviticus 3. The Hebrew word for “peace offering”
is shelem, or zebah shelamim, “sacrifice of peace.” The
Peace offering always followed the other offerings.
Categories of Peace
offerings: (1) Thank offering (zebah hattoda, “sacrifice of
thanksgiving,” Lev. 7:12; 22:29) (2) Votive offering (zebah neder,
“sacrifice of a vow,” Num. 6:2; 15:3, 8) (3) Freewill offering (zebah
nedaba, Lev. 7:16; 22:18, 21).
Peace offerings
took place on: (1) Public occasions (2) Private occasions. Public: (1)
Customary on festive inauguration (Ex. 24:5; 2 Sam. 6:17-18; 1 Kings 8:63) (2)
Election of kings (1 Sam.11: 15) (3) Joyous occasions (Deut. 27:7; Josh. 8:31)
(4) Prescribed for the feast of Pentecost (Lev. 23:19) (5) Festivals were
observed with them (Num. 10:10; 2 Chron. 30:22). Solomon arranged 3 times a
year a sacrificial festival of burnt and peace offerings (1 Kings 9:25).
Private: (1) Result of free impulse or fulfillment of a vow (Lev. 7:16; 22:21;
Num. 15:8) (2) Recognition of a special favor from Jehovah (Lev. 7:12;
22:29) (3) Regularly employed at the expiration of a Nazirite vow (Num. 6:14).
The peace offering
had two sources: (1) “Of the herd” (Lev. 3:1-5) (2) “From the
flock” (Lev. 3:6-17). Types of animals were offered: (1) Bull (Lev.
3:1-5) (2) Lamb (Lev. 3:6-11) (3) Goat (Lev. 3:12-16).
Qualification for
the animals: (1) Must be unblemished which speaks of the impeccability of the
Person of Christ. (2) The animal could be either male or female which
represents the offerer and what he or she sees in Christ.
The fire in the
peace offering represents the total commitment of Christ to God the Father’s
plan and His human testings and sufferings. The peace
offering placed on top of the burnt offering represents the fact that the
Person and Work of our Lord go together (Lev. 3:5). The sinner can come to God
and have communion and fellowship with Him on the basis of
the Person and Work of Christ. The peace offering sets forth God as propitiated and the sinner reconciled.
Bull (Lev. 3:1-5):
(1) Sets forth the servant side of our Lord (Mark 10:45). (2) Domesticated
animal used to “bear” burdens and to plow fields. (3) Represented
transportation and commerce in the ancient world.
Our Lord served man
by paying the ransom price, which delivered all of humanity from the slave
market of sin. He served all of mankind by propitiating God the Father’s
justice at the Cross with His substitutionary spiritual death. Our Lord served
God by doing His will. God the Father’s will was for His Son to die on the
Cross as a propitiation for our sins.
Lamb (Lev. 3:6-11):
(1) represents Christ in His complete identification with man in life and
death. (2) Pictured Christ as the qualified sin-bearer or His quality and
ability to take the place of man in bearing the sins of the world.
John 1:29 speaks of
the Lamb’s, i.e., the Lord Jesus Christ, work on the Cross. John 1:36 speaks of
the Person of our Lord. Isaiah 53 portrays our Lord as a Lamb who becomes our
Substitute. Our Substitute is called a lamb in His resurrection (Rev. 5:6). He
is the Lamb in His return at the second Advent (Rev. 6:16-17).
The “entire fat
tail” refers to a special breed of sheep peculiar to Palestine. They were
found in Palestine, Syria, North Africa and Egypt. They often weighed 15 lbs.
or more and consisted of marrow and fat. All the sheep in Palestine were
“broad-tailed.” The broad part of the tail is abnormal projection or outgrowth
of fat from which the true tail hangs down. This is the rump or tailbone, which
passes over into the vertebrae of the tail. This was the Lord’s portion.
Goat (Lev.
3:12-16): (1) represents the complete identification of Christ as adequate to
take away the sins of the world. (2) Represents that aspect of Christ’s work,
which propitiated God the Father.
In Lev. 16:10, the
scapegoat was sent into the wilderness on the Day of Atonement and represented
that aspect of Christ’s work, which puts away our sins (John 1:29). The Lord
Jesus Christ is the propitiation for our sins. God no longer remembers our sins
(Psa. 103:12).
The Ritual for the
Peace Offering (shelem): (1) Offerer led the animal to the altar and
laid his hand upon its head and killed it. (2) The priest caught the blood and
sprinkled it upon the altar. (3) The fat of the intestines was taken from the
animal and burned upon the altar on top of the burnt offering (Lev. 3:3-5,
9-11, 14-16; 9:18-20). (4) The breast and right shoulder were separated from
each other. (5) The shoulder was laid aside for the priest. (6) The breast was
waved, i.e., symbolically presented to the Lord, from whom the priests received
it for their use. (7) The priest’s part may be eaten by him, either boiled or
roasted in some clean place (Lev. 7:30-34; 10:13-14). (8) All the flesh of
public peace offering belonged to the priests (Lev. 23:20). (9) The rest of the
flesh belonged to the offerer and was to be shared with his family and guests.
(10) Whatever remained after 3 days was burned.
The Law of the
Peace Offering (Lev. 7:11-38): (1) Freewill offering for the purpose of
thanksgiving (Lev. 7:11-12; cf. Heb. 13:15) (2) Unleavened cakes and wafers
speak of the impeccability of Christ, or the lack of evil or sin in His life.
(3) The unleavened cakes mixed with oil speak of the presence of the Holy
Spirit in our Lord’s life and ministry. (4) The leavened cakes speak of the
evil and sin still present in the offerer. (5) The leavened cakes were elevated
toward heaven, which speaks of occupation with the Person of Christ.
Lev. 7:15-18: (1)
Offering was to be eaten that same day without delay in order
to teach the importance of staying close to Christ for peace of
conscience and for power over temptation. (2) The sacrifice was to be burned on
third day in order to guard against the desecration of
the sacrificial meal, which was holy. (3) Flesh putrefies on the third day if
it is not preserved artificially. Communion and fellowship with God’s people was cut off if any flesh was eaten on the third day. The
offerer’s sacrifice would not be accepted by God if the flesh was eaten on the
third day.
Lev. 7:19-21: (1)
Speaks of the importance of confession of sin for there is no fellowship and
communion without confession of sin. (2) Fellowship and communion was cut off if the offer came in contact with anything
unclean which speaks of residence in the Cosmic System of Satan.
Lev. 7:23-27: (1)
The fat of animals that were not commanded to be sacrifice was unacceptable and
could not be eaten because it was unclean. (2) The fat of animals that had been
torn to pieces by other animals was an unacceptable or unclean sacrifice and
defiled the eater, but could be used for the common
purposes of ordinary life. (3) Fellowship and communion was
cut off if the individual offered any of these animals as a sacrifice to God.
(4) Fellowship and communion was cut off if the fat
portions of the ox, sheep or goat were eaten by the offerer because they were
gifts set apart for God. (5) The fat portions of the ox, sheep and goat were
considered the best portions of the animal and therefore, belonged to God since
He only demands the best. (6) Fellowship and communion with God was cut off if the offerer ate any blood. (7) The soul life
of the animal was in the blood and was sanctified as the medium of atonement
for the soul of man (Lev. 17:10-16). (8) The blood of the animal represented
the spiritual death of our Lord on the Cross.
Lev. 7:29-34: (1)
the offerer of his own free will was to bring a peace offering. (2) This
represents the acceptance of the terms of God’s peace treaty, i.e.,
reconciliation. (3) The breast of the animal belonged to the high priest
(Aaron) and his sons. (4) The breast spoke of Christ’s love for us (Rom. 5:8;
Gal. 2:20).
The peace offering
was performed with the breast-piece, which was called the wave-breast (Lev.
7:34; 10:45; Num. 6:20; Ex. 29:27). The “waving” of the breast was a private
thank offering. The priest placed his own hands underneath and moved the hands
of the offerer backwards and forwards in a horizontal direction. The movement
forwards in the direction of the altar indicated the presentation of the
sacrifice or the symbolic transfer of it to God. The movement backwards meant
the reception of it back again as a present, which God handed over to His
servants the priests. The right thigh belonged to the priest. The right thigh
spoke of the power of Christ to save us and keep us saved forever,
Christ is our eternal security (John 10:27-30). The right thigh was used as a
heave offering. It was called the heave offering because it was “lifted” or
“heaved off” from the sacrificial animal as a gift of honor for the officiating
priest.
The heave offering
enabled the priests to take part as God’s representatives in the sacrificial
meal. The heave offering was not waved like the breast-piece. The wave and
heave offerings were gifts to Jehovah and could only be used by the priest and
their children (Lev. 22:10; Num. 18:19).
God’s Peace Treaty
with Man
A peace treaty is
when two enemies agree to stop fighting against each other. We are no longer
enemies of God because of the Work of our Lord on the Cross.
2
Corinthians 5:18 Now all these things (New Creation) originate from the
God (the Father), the One who reconciled us to Himself through the
intermediate agency of Christ and gave to us for our benefit the ministry of
this reconciliation (our Royal Ambassadorship), 19 specifically, that God the
Father was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not charging their
personal sins to their account and has deposited in us (the right lobes of
born-again believers) the doctrine of this reconciliation (the
Gospel). 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since the God (the
Father) is urgently appealing through us: We beg you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God. 21 He (Christ) who never knew sin
experientially (Christ was impeccable), on behalf of us (as our Substitute),
was made (the representative of) sin in order that we might become the very
righteousness of God in Him. (Author’s translation)
Outline of the
Peace Treaty (2 Cor. 5:18-21): (1) Author of the Peace Treaty: 2
Corinthians 5:18a, “Now all these things (New
creation) originate from the God (the Father), the One who reconciled us to
Himself.” (2) Mediator of the Peace Treaty: 2 Corinthians
5:18b, “through the intermediate agency of Christ” (3) Gift for the
Pardoned: 2 Corinthians 5:18c, “and gave to us for our benefit
the ministry of this reconciliation (our Royal Ambassadorship)” (4)
Initiator of the Peace Treaty: 2 Corinthians 5:19a,
“Specifically, that God the Father was reconciling the world to Himself” (5)
Location of the Peace Treaty: 2 Corinthians 5:19a, “in Christ”
(6) Full Pardon for the Enemy: 2 Corinthians 5:19b, “not
imputing their personal sins to their account” (7) Acceptance of the Terms
of Peace: 2 Corinthians 5:19c, “and has deposited in us (the
hearts of born-again believers) the doctrine of this reconciliation (the
Gospel).” (8) Ambassadors of Peace: 2 Corinthians 5:20a, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ” (9) God’s
Appeal for Peace: 2 Corinthians 5:20b, “Since the God (the Father) is
urgently appealing through us: We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to
God.” (10) Work of the Mediator: 2 Corinthians 5:21a, “He (Christ)
who never knew sin experientially (Christ was impeccable), on behalf of us (as
our Substitute), was made (the representative of) sin.” (11) Purpose of
the Peace Treaty: 2 Corinthians 5:21b, “in order that we might become
the very righteousness of God in Him.”
Propitiation
Propitiation is the
Godward side of salvation whereby the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death
of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union satisfied the
righteous demands of a holy God that the sins of the entire world -past,
present and future be judged.
Vocabulary
Old Testament
Terms: (1) Kaphar (verb), “To cover sin, to make atonement for sin, to
propitiate, to make reconciliation, to atone by offering a substitute” It
should be distinguished from the kaphar used in Genesis 6:14 where it
means, “to smear with pitch.” It was used primarily in connection with the
removal of sin or defilement. It denoted the priestly ritual of sprinkling the
sacrificial blood of the animal. It was used 49 times in the book of Leviticus
alone and denoted the act of propitiating God through the animal blood
sacrifice. The act symbolized innocent life given for guilty life. It was used
primarily in the Piel stem, which denotes the intensification of the action of
the verb, i.e., the intensity of Christ’s spiritual death. The Greek equivalent
is the verb hilaskomai.
(2) Kippur
(noun) (singular), Kippurim (in the plural), “Atonement.” It was derived
from kaphar as used in the Piel stem. It was used in the name of the
Jewish holiday Yom Kippur, “Day of Atonement” (Lev. 25:9). Yom Kippur was the
10th day of the seventh month, Tishri. Israel fasted on this day
and it was celebrated by a special sin offering for the whole nation. The high
priest would enter within the inner veil bearing the blood of the sin offering
(Heb. 9:7). A second goat was released as an escape goat to symbolize the total
removal of sin. Kippur denoted God’s act of removing the guilt of Israel’s sin.
The Greek equivalent is the noun hilasmos.
(3) Kapporeth
(noun), “Mercy seat, place of atonement.” It was used 27 times in the OT. It
refers to the golden cover of the sacred chest in the shrine of the Tabernacle
or temple. The mercy seat covered the emblems of Israel’s sin inside the Ark of
the Covenant (Ex. 25:17-22; 37:6-9). 2 Cherubs, representing God’s
righteousness and justice, gazed upon the sacrificial blood sprinkled on the
mercy seat. The blood covering the emblems of sin pictured the ceremonial
satisfaction of God’s righteousness and justice. Christ is our “mercy seat or
place of propitiation” (Rom. 3:25). The Greek equivalent is the noun hilasterion.
Greek New Testament
Terms: (1) Hilaskomai (verb), “To make propitiate for, to make
satisfaction for.” It was used only twice in the NT (Luke 18:13; Heb. 2:17) and
refers to the ACT of propitiation. In classical Greek it means, “to please the
gods, to obtain their favor and goodwill.” The Greeks used the word in a
perverted sense with man as the subject, and the object a deity. The Jews in
the LXX always used the verb with Yahweh as the subject. Yahweh takes the
initiative in being propitious to man, not the other way around. The Greeks
used the word of man trying to gain the favor of the gods. The NT writers
always used the word with God as the subject. It was used of God’s action in
providing the necessary Sacrifice (Christ) who would perform the act of
propitiation or satisfying the justice of God.
(2) Hilasmos
(noun), “Propitiation, propitiatory sacrifice, the means of appeasing, the
atonement, sin offering, one who makes propitiation.” The Greeks used with
reference to the sacrifice (human or animal), which appeased the wrath of the
angered gods and thus repairs the relationship. The Greek usage was not just of
reconciliation but expiating guilt and cleansing men and cultic objects. It was
used twice in the NT (1 John 2:2; 4:10). The word in these 2 passages refers to
Christ Himself who is the propitiatory sacrifice, the sin offering, the atoning
sacrifice. Christ is the sacrifice, He is the One God the Father has provided
to be the propitiatory sacrifice, or the Sacrifice that “satisfied” the
righteousness and justice of God the Father.
(3) Hileos
(adjective), “Propitious, merciful.” The word meant “cheerful,” or “happy” in
classical Greek. Plato used it to mean “cheerful, joyous” (Plato, Laws 1,
649a). Xenophon used it with reference to being “kindly, gracious, benevolent
(Xen. Cyr. 1, 6, 2). It was used mainly to describe rulers or gods. The Greeks
believed that making the gods happy by propitiating them through sacrifice
would result in their benevolence toward men. It was employed in the LXX to
translate the Hebrew word salach, “to forgive.” It was used in the LXX
to describe a sentiment that God Himself possesses (Num.14:19, 20; 2 Chron.
6:25-26), and as a greeting (Gen. 43:23). It occurs 35 times in the LXX
particularly in the phrase hileos einai meaning “to be propitious.” It
appears 2 times in the NT (Matt. 16:22; Heb. 8:12). Matt. 16:22 literally says
“propitious to You, Lord,” or “God be favorable to You, Lord.” Heb. 8:12, “for
I will be propitious to their unrighteousness.”
(4) Hilasterion
(adjective), “Place of propitiation, mercy seat.” In classical Greek, it refers
to “a gift to the gods, which procures atonement.” The LXX uses the word 22
times for the Hebrew kapporet, “mercy seat.” It was used twice in the NT
(Rom. 3:25; Heb. 9:5). Christ is depicted in Rom. 3:25 as our “mercy seat.” It
functions as a technical term for the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant in
both the LXX and NT. The mercy seat was the golden lid of the Ark of the
Covenant. Christ is the literal fulfillment of the hilasterion in the
OT. Christ is the site at which atonement takes place through faith. Christ is
the place of satisfaction.
Documentation
Leviticus
1:4 “And he (sinner) shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering
(picturing the imputation of our sins to Christ), that it may be accepted for
him to make atonement (propitiation) on his behalf. (NASB95)
Romans
3:21 But now, independently of seeking to be justified by obedience to the Law,
the righteousness originating from God is being manifested at the present time
while simultaneously being attested to by the Law and the Prophets. 22 Namely,
the righteousness originating from God through faith in Jesus who is the Christ
for the benefit of each and every person who does
believe for there is, as an eternal spiritual truth, absolutely no distinction.
23 For each and every person has sinned consequently they are always failing to
measure up to the glory originating from God 24 with the result that they
might, as an eternal spiritual truth, be undeservedly justified based upon His
grace by means of the redemption, which is by means of the spiritual death of
Christ who is Jesus 25 whom God the Father offered publicly as a propitiatory
gift through faith by means of His blood in order to demonstrate His
righteousness because of the deliberate and temporary suspension of judgment of
the sins, which have taken place in the past on the basis of the tolerance
originating from the character and nature of God the Father. 26
Correspondingly, in relation to the demonstration of His righteousness during
this present distinct period of history, that He Himself is, as an eternal
spiritual truth, inherently righteous, even while justifying anyone by means of
faith in Jesus. (Author’s translation)
Hebrews
2:17 Therefore, He (the Lord Jesus Christ) had to be made like His brethren
(humanity) in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful High
Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the
people. (NASB95)
1
John 2:2 And He Himself (the Lord Jesus Christ) is the propitiation for our
sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. (NASB95)
1
John 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God (the Father), but that He
loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (NASB95)
Burnt Offering
There were five
Levitical offerings authorized by the Mosaic Law (Lev. 1-6). The Burnt offering
taught propitiation with emphasis on the work of Christ (Lev. 1). The Gift
offering taught propitiation but this bloodless
offering portrayed the perfect Person of Jesus Christ (Lev. 2). The Peace
offering called for the shedding of blood and taught the doctrine of
reconciliation (Lev. 3). The Sin offering taught the doctrine of Rebound for
unknown sins. The Trespass offering taught Rebound of known sins.
The Hebrew word for
“burnt offering” is `ola. The `ola was first presented as
a “gift” (qorban) to Yahweh (Lev. 1:2, 10, 14). Sources from which this
offering could come: (1) “From the herd” (Lev. 1:2-9) (2) “From the
flock” (Lev. 1:10-13) (3) “Of birds” (Lev. 1:14-17). Each type of
animal emphasized some aspect of the doctrine of propitiation. The young bull “from
the herd” pictured Jesus Christ as a servant. The sheep or goat “from
the flock” pictured Christ as the qualified sin-bearer (John 1:29). The birds
depicted Christ as the resurrected God-Man.
The bull had to be
without blemish depicting the impeccability of our Lord’s Person (Lev. 1:3).
The transfer of sins from the sinner to the Sinless was performed symbolically
in the ritual when the offerer’s hand was placed on the bull’s head (Lev. 1:4).
The sins of the man were identified with the animal, which was to be slain on
his behalf.
Leviticus
1:4 “And he (sinner) shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering
(picturing the imputation of our sins to Christ), that it may be accepted for
him to make atonement (propitiation) on his behalf. (NASB95)
“It may be
accepted” is the Hebrew word rasa pronounced rah-tzah, “to be
favorably received,” or “graciously received.” In the Niphal stem which
resembles the Greek middle voice. This means that the subject is acting upon
himself. The Niphal stem here says that the acceptance of the burnt offering is
a picture of God the Father acting upon Himself by providing His Son as the
acceptable Sacrifice for our sins. The Niphal stem here says that God the
Father provides the Sacrifice, which is acceptable to Him. The sacrifice of the
bull represented Christ propitiating God the Father. The Niphal stem says that
God the Father has accepted the work of His Son on the Cross.
“To make
atonement” is the Piel infinitive construct of the verb kaphar, “to
cover sin, to make atonement for sin, to make propitiation.” It speaks of the
act of propitiating God here. The Piel stem intensifies the action of the verb.
It speaks of the intensity of this sacrifice, which is a picture of Christ’s
substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross for us. The infinitive construct
denotes purpose. The purpose of the sacrifice was propitiation. The “soothing
aroma” in verse 9, which takes place after this sacrifice when the bull is
burned, speaks also of propitiation. Yahweh is satisfied with the sacrifice,
which is a picture of Christ’s future work on the Cross.
The offerings from
the flock also taught propitiation. The goat emphasized the sins to be born by
the Messiah on the Cross. The sheep was a picture of our Lord’s perfect,
sinless humanity. In either case, the animal had to be without blemish (Lev.
1:10; 1 Pet. 1:18-19).
Day of Atonement
Israel was
commanded by Yahweh in the Old Testament to observe seven feasts: (1) Passover
(2) Unleavened Bread (3) Firstfruits (4) Pentecost (5) Trumpets (6) Atonement
(7) Tabernacles. Passover was instituted the 14th of April 1441 B.C. (Ex.
12:1-4; Lev. 23:5). Christ is the literal fulfillment of the Passover (1 Cor.
5:7). It spoke of the Cross.
The feast of
Unleavened Bread began on the first day of April and lasted 7 days immediately
after Passover. The 3-day feast portrayed the burial of The Lord Jesus Christ.
Unleavened bread portrayed Christ in Hypostatic Union for Jesus Christ is
called the “Bread of Life.”
The feast of First
fruits occurred on the first Sunday after the Passover. It fell on the third
day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Lev. 23:9-14). This feast portrayed the
resurrection of Christ who is the first fruits.
The feast of
Pentecost was a 1-day feast. It occurred on the first week in June, exactly 50
days after the Passover (Lev. 23:15-21). It marked the summer harvest in which
many crops were available. It was literally fulfilled by Christ who was
crucified on Passover, buried on Unleavened Bread, raised on Firstfruits, sent
God the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.
The feast of
Trumpets represents the Rapture and the termination of the 5th cycle of
discipline to Israel and the regathering of Israel (Lev. 23:23). The trumpet
was a signal for the field workers in Israel to come to the Temple and the Jews
will begin the journey back to the Temple right after the Rapture of the
Church.
The Feast of
Atonement was a day of confession and will represent that the Lord Jesus Christ
is the Messiah. It represents the second Advent. Documentation: Leviticus
23:24-32; Zechariah 12:10; 13:1, 6. The feast of Tabernacles lasted 7 days and
represented the Millennium. The Lord will establish His Tabernacle in Jerusalem
during the millennial reign (Ezek. 37:26-27). The Day of Atonement was a most
solemn of these great Feasts (Lev. 16:26-32). It is derived from the Hebrew Yom
Kippur. The only day in which anyone was ever permitted to enter the Holy of
Holies in the Tabernacle, or in the Temple. Only the high priest was permitted
to enter it, and then only after he had brought an offering on behalf on his
own sins (Lev. 16:13). Sacrificed on the Day of Atonement was a young bull
(Lev. 16:6). It was for the sins of the high priest.
Also, two goats
were sacrificed for the sins of the people (Lev. 16:7-10; 15-16). The high
priest sacrificed the bull on the brass altar as a sin offering for himself
(Lev. 16:11). The blood represented Christ’s spiritual death on the Cross. The
blood was collected in a basin and carried past the huge curtain into the Holy
of Holies. He then sprinkled it on the mercy seat (kapporet). The mercy seat
was the golden lid that fit over the top of the Ark of the Covenant, which
contains the emblems of Israel’s sin. (8) The Ark of the Covenant was overlaid
with gold and stood in the Holy of Holies. The acacia wood of the box spoke of
Christ’s humanity. The gold spoke of His deity. Together these materials
represented Christ in Hypostatic Union or His uniqueness of the God-Man. On
each end of the mercy seat stood the golden figure of a cherub. One represented
God’s righteousness and the other His justice. Righteousness and justice looked
down on sin (the emblems in the Ark) and condemned it. Once a year, the blood
of the young bull was sprinkled on top of the mercy seat. When Righteousness
and Justice looked down, they saw the completed work of Christ covering the
sins of the high priest.
The high priest
sacrificed one of the goats as an offering for the people. The live goat was
sent off into the wilderness after Aaron had laid both of his hands on its head
thus transferring the iniquities of the people to the goat (Lev. 16:20-22). The
“scapegoat” represents that aspect of Christ’s work, which puts away our sins
(John 1:29). The goat that was slain (the Lord's lot) is that aspect of
Christ's death, which satisfies or vindicates the holy and righteousness of God
that is demanded in the law. Aaron took the goats blood and entered
into the Holy of Holies a second time to sprinkle the blood on the mercy
seat. This time the spiritual death of Christ on the cross was dramatized as
covering the sins of all the people. God does not remember our sins for they
were put away and paid for by our Lord’s spiritual death (Psa. 103:12). The
fulfillment of the Old Testament ritual came in the Person of the Lord Jesus
Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ entered the real Holy of Holies and not the
shadow one on earth (Heb. 10:24). Our Lord did not have to offer a sacrifice
for Himself as the Levitical high priest had to for himself for
He was without sin, impeccable (Heb. 8:26-27). Instead, The Lord Jesus Christ
offered Himself up once as a sacrifice to pay for the sins of all mankind (Heb.
8:27; 9:28a). He entered heaven one time and sat down at the right hand of God
the Father (Heb. 10:12). Christ’s has obtained a much greater ministry than
Aaron (Heb. 8:6).
The Aaronic
priesthood was a mere shadow of Christ’s Royal Priesthood (Heb. 8:1-6). The
Tabernacle made on earth, which was made with human hands, was just a picture
of the real one in heaven. The animal blood sacrifices were shadows or copies
of the true sacrifice that was to take place on Calvary when our Lord died
spiritually for our sins (Heb. 9:23-26). Our Lord’s sacrifice on the
Cross-fulfilled completely the Mosaic sacrifices. His spiritual death paid for
or covered our sins permanently, as the blood on the mercy seat covered the
sins of Israel temporarily (Heb. 9:12-14; 10:4). The animal sacrifices in the
OT pictured the future sacrifice of Christ. They were merely shadows of
Christ’s work on the cross (Heb. 10:1).
The phrase in
Romans 3:25, “sins previously committed,” teaches that the sins committed in
the OT were not paid for by the animal sacrifices but with our Lord’s sacrifice
on the Cross at Calvary. The rituals performed in the OT were not the reality.
The reality or the sacrifice that propitiated God was the sacrifice of His Son
on the Cross-, and not the animal sacrifices (Heb. 10:4-10). Ritual without
reality is meaningless. The animal sacrifices were merely teaching aids to
communicate the doctrines of propitiation, redemption and reconciliation to
those who lived in OT dispensations. Christ spiritual death satisfied the
righteousness of God not the animal sacrifices.
Purpose of the
Incarnation
Hebrews 2:17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in
all things (reference to the necessity of the Incarnation), that He might
become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make
propitiation for the sins of the people. (NASB95).”
This passage brings
out that aspect of Christ’s substitutionary spiritual death, which was Godward.
Hebrews 2:17 brings out the purpose of the Incarnation that God might be
gracious towards us on the basis of the propitiatory
act of Christ on the Cross which was His substitutionary spiritual death.
Hebrews 2:17 states that the Lord Jesus Christ performs the act of propitiating
God or satisfying the justice of God the Father. Righteousness demanded that
our sins be judged.
Our Lord received
the imputation of our personal sins and received the judgment for those sins on
the Cross, thus, satisfying the justice of God. This fulfills the principle
that what the righteousness of God demands, the justice of God executes. The
action that satisfied the justice of God the Father was our Lord’s spiritual
death on the Cross. The Incarnation made possible salvation. The Doctrine of
the Incarnation is the period of time (33 1/2 years)
in which the second Person of the Trinity, God the Son, lived on earth in
Hypostatic Union. If God the Son did not become true
humanity then salvation would not be possible. For only humanity can die and
not deity. Therefore, it was imperative that God the Son become a human being
so that He could make the sacrifice that would propitiate the Father’s justice.
Hebrews 2:17 states
the purpose for the Incarnation, which is “to make propitiation for the sins of
the people” is the NAS translation of the Greek prepositional phrase, eis to
hilaskesthai tas hamartias tou laou. We have a purpose clause
eis to plus the infinitive of hilaskomai. The preposition eis
and the definite article to plus an infinitive is a common Greek idiom
to express a design or purpose. The preposition eis is “temporal” or
refers to a “goal in time.” It introduces a “purpose” and when used in this
manner should be translated, “with a view to, for the purpose of.” The NAS does
not translate this idiom properly. To hilaskesthai is an
articular infinitive or an infinitive with the definite article in front of it.
The articular infinitive is used here to express a purpose. The goal in time or
the purpose of the Incarnation was to propitiate or satisfy the righteous
demands of God the Father. The righteousness of God the Father demanded sin be
judged. Our Lord became true humanity in order that He might receive the
imputation of our sins and be judged for them and thereby satisfies the
righteousness of God.
Hilaskesthai is the present
middle infinitive of the verb hilaskomai, “to make propitiation for.” It
refers to the act of our Lord offering Himself on the Cross to satisfy the
righteous demands of God’s justice. Hilaskomai is etymologically
connected with hilaos and hileos, “friendly, gracious, and hilemi,
“to be gracious.” God is gracious towards us because His justice has been
satisfied by our Lord’s spiritual death, which was the act of propitiation
itself. Grace and mercy can now be extended to us on the
basis of justice satisfied.
Remember, God isn’t
gracious to us because He forgot our sins or swept them under the rug. No, they
were imputed to Christ on the Cross and judged. This means that no one gets
away with sin because Christ was judged for every sin committed by the human race-past,
present and future. God always deals with us with according to His own
Integrity. This means that He deals with us according to Who and What He is and
What He has done, not who and what we are or what we do. Our point of contact
with God is always His Integrity, which is His love. God’s love acts
righteously and justly towards members of the human race.
God is propitiated
according to what He has done (2 Cor. 5:19a). God is gracious towards us
because of what He has done through Christ on the Cross. The Lord Jesus Christ
received the imputation of our sins in order to
propitiate or satisfy the Father’s righteous demands that our sins be judged.
Motivation for
Propitiation
1 John 4:10 In this is self-sacrificial love, not that we
loved God, but that He self-sacrificially loved us and sent His Son to be the
propitiation (hilasmos, “propitiatory sacrifice”) for our
sins. (NASB95)
1 John 4:10 brings
into view God’s love for all of humanity. God’s love cannot save anyone though.
God’s love for the world was the motivation for sending His Son to the Cross as
the propitiatory sacrifice, which took away the sins of the world. Our sins
went to Christ on the cross and His righteousness went to us at
the moment of personal faith in Christ. We become objects of God’s
personal love at salvation because we now possess His righteousness. God loves
His own righteousness. God can give us His righteousness when we believe in
Christ because Christ has satisfied the Father’s righteousness. God is love and
because He is love and self-motivating, He desired to send His Son into the
world in order that He might saved the world through Him (Jn. 3:16-17).
Mercy Seat
Romans 3:25 whom
God the Father offered publicly as a propitiatory gift through faith by means
of His blood in order to demonstrate His righteousness
because of the deliberate and temporary suspension of judgment of the sins,
which have taken place in the past on the basis of the tolerance originating
from the character and nature of God the Father. (Author’s translation)
“As
a propitiation” is the accusative neuter singular form of the adjective hilasterion,
which means, “propitiatory gift.” The adjective hilasterion has the
following cognates: (1) hilaskomai, “propitiate, conciliate, make
gracious, be gracious” (Luke 18:13; Hebrews
2:17) (2) hileos, “gracious, merciful” (Matthew 16:22;
Hebrews 8:12) (3) hilasmos, “propitiatory sacrifice” (1 John 2:2, 4:10)
(4) hilasterion, “that which propitiates, means of propitiation,
mercy-seat, propitiatory gift” (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 9:5).
Hilasterion is related to hilasterios
and belongs to a group of words, which includes the verb hilaskomai, “to
make propitiation for,” and the noun hilasmos, “propitiatory
sacrifice.”
In
classical Greek, “propitiation” refers to the act of appeasing the Greek gods
by a sacrifice and was an effort to, as Wuest writes, “to buy off the anger of
the gods and buy his love.”
Kittel's
Theological Dictionary of the New Testament has this remark, “Hilasmos
includes various cultic acts such as prayers, sacrifices, purifications, dances
and games. These may be repeated annually. Since the deities are the guardians
of order, of law and morality, offences against demand hilasmos
(propitiation) of the deity.”
Of
course, this is not the case with the God of the Bible since His justice must
be satisfied before He can do anything for us.
The
LXX uses the word hilasterion 22 times for the Hebrew kapporeth,
which functions as a technical term for the mercy seat on the Ark of the
Covenant in both the LXX and NT. The mercy seat was the golden lid of the Ark
of the Covenant.
The
Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament commenting on the Hebrew term kapporeth,
state the following, “is not related to mercy and of course was not a seat. The
word is derived from the root “to atone.” The Greek equivalent in the LXX is
usually hilasterion, “place or object of propitiation,” a word which is
applied to Christ in Romans 3:25. The translation ‘mercy seat’ does
not sufficiently express the fact that the lid of the ark was the place where
the blood was sprinkled on the Day of Atonement. ‘Place of atonement’ would
perhaps be more expressive.”[60]
Exodus
25 records God’s instruction to Israel regarding the Ark of the Covenant to
cover it with a mercy seat.
Exodus
25:10 “They shall construct an ark of acacia wood two and a half cubits long,
and one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high. 11 You shall
overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and you shall
make a gold molding around it. 12 You shall cast four gold rings for it and
fasten them on its four feet, and two rings shall be on one side of it and two
rings on the other side of it. 13 You shall make poles of acacia wood and
overlay them with gold. 14 You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides
of the ark, to carry the ark with them. 15 The poles shall remain in the rings
of the ark; they shall not be removed from it. 16 You shall put into the ark
the testimony which I shall give you. 17 You shall make a mercy seat of pure
gold, two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide. 18 You shall
make two cherubim of gold, make them of hammered work at the two ends of the
mercy seat. 19 Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end; you
shall make the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at its two ends. 20
The cherubim shall have their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with
their wings and facing one another; the faces of the cherubim are to be turned
toward the mercy seat. 21 You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and
in the ark you shall put the testimony which I will
give to you. 22 There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from
between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak
to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.”
(NASB95)
The
ark was the most important and sacred object of Israel’s worship. Verses 10-15
provide the reader the instructions for building it. Verse 16 presents
instructions for placing the Ten Commandments in it. In verses 17-21, we have
the instructions for the mercy seat and verse 22 the meeting above it.
“Ark” is the
noun ʾǎrôn (אֲרֹון) (aw-rone´), which was a chest or ornate box containing
sacred artifacts of worship. The ark was the only piece of furniture within the
Holy of Holies. It was called the “Ark of the Covenant” (Hebrew: ‘aron berit,
Num. 10:33), or “Ark of the Testimony” (Hebrew: ‘aron ha`edut, Ex.
25:22), from the law that was kept therein. It was made of acacia wood two and
a half cubits long, one and a half cubits broad, and one and a half cubits high
(external dimensions) and was plated inside and out with pure gold.
Running around each
side was a gold border extending above the top of the Ark, so
as to keep the lid from moving. This lid was called the “mercy seat”
(Ex. 25:20, 22, Hebrew: kapporet, a “covering”), and was the same
size as the Ark itself, and was made of acacia wood covered with gold.
The ark was
transported by means of two gold-covered poles run through two gold rings on
each side, from which they were not to be moved (25:15) unless it might be
necessary to remove them in order to cover the Ark
when the Tabernacle was moved (Num. 4:6). Upon the lid, or mercy seat, or at
the ends of the ark, as in the temple, were placed the cherubim, probably
figures beaten out of gold, as was the lampstand. In shape they were probably
human, with the exception of their wings, though some
authorities think they were of the same complex form as the cherubim mentioned
in Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:5-14). They were no doubt the normal or full height of a
man and are always spoken of as maintaining an upright position (2 Chronicles
3:13). They stood facing each other, looking down upon the mercy seat, with
their wings forward in a brooding attitude (Ex. 25:20; cf. Deut. 32:11). The
golden censer, with which the high priest once a year entered the Most Holy
Place, was doubtless set upon this lid.
The ark contained
the two tables of stone on which Yahweh wrote the Ten Commandments, or rather
those prepared by Moses from the original, broken by him when he heard of
Israel’s idolatry (Ex. 31:18-34:29; Deut. 9:10-10:4); and the copy of the law,
written by Moses (31:26), presumed by some to be the Pentateuch in full, and
thought to be the same as was afterward discovered in the time of Josiah (2
Kings 22:8).
The law must, in
the meanwhile, have been removed, together with all the contents, because in
the days of Solomon the ark contained the two tablets only (1 Kings 8:9). The
ark also contained a golden jar of miraculously preserved manna (Ex. 16:33-34)
and “Aaron’s rod which budded” (Heb. 9:4; cf. Num. 17:10).
The materials,
contents and employment of the ark of the covenant (Ex. 25:10-22) were
significant. In its materials, acacia wood and gold, the ark was a type of the
humanity and deity of Christ. The ark portrays the Lord Jesus Christ in
hypostatic union as the God-Man, in other words,
undiminished deity and true humanity in one person forever.
Acacia wood grew in
the desert and fittingly portrayed Christ’s humanity as a “root out of parched
ground” (Isaiah 53:2). The fact that the Ark was overlaid with pure gold (Ex.
25:11) suggested deity in manifestation.
The employment of
the ark, particularly the mercy seat, typified the divine throne. It was
transformed from a throne of judgment to a throne of grace as far as the sinner
in Israel was concerned by the blood of the atonement that was sprinkled upon
it. The blood sprinkled on the mercy seat on the Day of Atonement typified the
substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths of Jesus Christ on the Cross,
which propitiated the holy demands of the Father.
The cherubim with
outstretched wings guarded the integrity or holiness of the mercy seat. One cherubim typified the righteousness of God and the other
cherubim typified the justice of God. Therefore, the cherubims typified the
integrity of God which cannot compromise with sin but has been perfectly dealt
with and satisfied by the voluntary substitutionary spiritual and physical
deaths of Jesus Christ on the Cross, which was typified itself by the blood of
the animal.
Hannah writes
“Apparently these golden cherubim were to resemble winged angels in
God’s presence (cf. 1 Sam. 4:4; Pss. 80:1; 99:1; Isa. 37:16). Cherubim were
also woven into the curtains that covered the tabernacle itself (Ex. 26:1-6)
and into the curtain between the holy place and the most holy place
(26:31-33).”[61]
The Ark was the
commencement of everything in the tabernacle symbolism. It was placed in the
Holy of Holies, showing that God begins from Himself in His outreach toward man
in revelation (John 1:18; Heb. 1:3). On the other hand, in the human approach
the worship begins from without, moving toward God in the very center of the
holiest place. Man begins at the bronze altar, that is, the cross, where
atonement is made in the light of the fire of God’s judgment.
Hannah writes “The
ark was to be a rectangular chest (23” wide, 39” long, and 23” high, based on
the cubit as 18”) made of acacia wood and overlaid inside and out with … gold.
The chest was to be mounted on four legs and was to have four rings for two gold-covered
poles by which the ark would be carried. In the chest Moses was to place the
two stone tablets, with the Decalogue (or Testimony) written on them (Ex.
25:16, 21), which he was to receive on the mountain (31:18). According to
Hebrews 9:4-5 the ark also contained a jar of manna (cf. Ex 16:33 and see
comments on 2 Chron. 5:10) and Aaron’s rod (see comments on Num. 17:10).”[62]
Stuart writes
“Although it might seem more systematic to begin with a description of the
design of the tabernacle and then to address the particular
furnishings that fit within it, the importance of the ark as the item
that would symbolize God’s presence among his people far outweighs such
considerations, and its design therefore was described first, even before that
of the tabernacle that would house it. The passage reveals the two special
purposes of the gilded chest known as the ark. First, this ornate portable
box/chest would house the ‘Testimony,’ the two tablets of the Ten
Words/Commandments written by God himself, one copy as his and one copy as
Israel’s, stored together as a symbol of their covenant agreement (see also
comments on 24:12; 31:18; 34:1–4, 29). Second, the lid of the ark would serve
as the so-called ‘mercy seat’ (v. 17 nrsv), an elaborate pure gold sculpture
that symbolized a place for God to stand (rather than to sit; see comments on
v. 17) as a contact point for the Lord of Glory and his earthly people and a
location from which to continue to reveal divine truth to the Israelites (v.
22).”[63]
Exodus 25:10 says
that the ark was to measure two and a half cubits by one and a half cubits. The
cubit is the Egyptian royal cubit equal to approximately 20.625 inches and the
common estimate for the cubit is 18 inches. A cubit was the distance from the
tip of a man’s middle finger to the end of his elbow when his hand was held
flat and straight in the plane of his forearm, which is about 18 inches.
Constable writes
“The ark was the throne of Yahweh where He dwelt in a localized way and met
with the Israelites through their high priest. It was the seat of His
sovereignty but also the place where He met with His people (v. 22). This is
why directions for its construction come first. The testimony (Ten
Commandments, vv. 16, 22) lay inside the ark, which was a box. God's dwelling
among His people and His relationship with them thus quite literally rested on
the Ten Commandments. The mercy seat (v. 17) was the ‘lid’ of this box and was
solid gold. It was there that the high priest offered sacrificial blood once a
year to atone for (cover) the sins of the Israelites as a nation. This offering
made propitiation (satisfaction) for their sins for one year (cf. Lev. 16).”[64]
Stuart writes
“Verse 11 emphasizes the importance of having all visible surfaces, inside and
out, gilded. In addition there must be a gold trim
(“molding”) at the edges so that the ark was not merely a plain box but
something more elegant. The exact nature and size of this molding trim is
nowhere specified, but moldings have the effect of “dressing up” stark,
straight structures. The moldings around the ark probably protruded from the
edges, as moldings of boxes typically do, on a plane medial to the planes
formed by the sides meeting to make the edges. Thus
the ark was a small but very elegant (fancy) chest.”[65]
Verse
12 makes clear that the ark was not to touch the ground since it would have
feet. Only the bottom of the feet could touch the ground. The feet had rings
attached to them. One ring protruded to the side from each of the feet. This
was so a gilded acacia wood pole could be run through the rings on each side
(verses 13-14). The ark was lifted by the ends of the poles and thus
transported.
The
special quality of the ark was protected by having the rings in the feet and
not in any other part of the ark. Thus, only the feet would be scratched. The
poles were to remain in the rings of the ark to minimize the possibility of
damage as well as wear and tear to the poles.
The
ark symbolized God’s presence as well as His holiness and in addition His
covenant blessing upon the Israelites who were to respect this symbol, which
portrayed the reality of God’s presence.
The
Shekinah glory appeared in the Tabernacle in Israel (Exodus 33:9-11, 18-23;
40:34-38). Between the cherubim was the Shekinah (Hebrew: shekina,
“residence”), the cloud in which Yahweh appeared above the mercy seat (Ex.
25:22; cf. Lev. 16:2). It was not the cloud of incense (16:13), but the
manifest appearance (pre-incarnate appearance of Christ or theophany of Christ)
of the divine glory. Yahweh manifested His essential presence in this cloud;
therefore, no unclean and sinful man could go before the mercy seat. Not even
the anointed high priest could go before it of his own pleasure or without the
expiatory blood sacrifice or he would be killed by the Lord instantly.
However,
the ark not only had a symbolic value but also a practical value as well in the
sense that it held something extremely important, namely the Ten Commandments.
“Testimony”
is the noun ʿē∙ḏûṯ (עֵדוּת) (ay-dooth´), which is the Decalogue or Ten Commandments
according to Exodus 24:12; 31:18 and Deuteronomy 4:13; 9:9 as well as 1 Kings
8:9. This word identifies the Ten Commandments as the witness or affirmation of
God’s commandments belonging to His covenant with Israel. It also expressed
God’s will and the duty of the Israelites. In other cultures
important documents were put at the feet of the gods in the temples.[66]
“Mercy
seat” is the noun kǎp∙pō∙rěṯ (כַּפֹּרֶת) (kap-po´-reth), which means “covering” and was a lid on
top of the Ark of the Testimony and was the place where sins were forgiven. It
was the same size as the Ark itself, and was made of
acacia wood covered with gold.
Now,
in Romans 3:25, Paul’s use of the adjective hilasterion, “propitiation”
recalls the “gift offering” in Leviticus chapter two and not the “burnt
offering” in Leviticus chapter one. The reason this is the case is that the
word refers to the fact that Jesus Christ is the “propitiatory gift” from the
Father whose spiritual death satisfied the demands of His holiness, which
required that human sin be judged.
There
were five Levitical offerings authorized by the Mosaic Law (Lev. 1-6). The “burnt
offering” taught propitiation with emphasis on the work of Christ (Lev. 1)
whereas the “gift offering” taught propitiation but this bloodless
offering portrayed the perfect Person of Jesus Christ (Lev. 2). The “peace
offering” called for the shedding of blood and taught the doctrine of
reconciliation (Lev. 3). The “sin offering” taught the forgiveness of
unknown sins, which John calls in 1 John 1:9, “all unrighteousness.” The
“trespass offering” taught the confession of known sins (See 1 John 1:9;
Psalm 32:1-5).
Therefore,
hilasterion, “propitiatory sacrifice” corresponds to the gift offering
in Leviticus 2:1-16, which emphasizes the Person of Christ.
The “grain”
offering is really a gift offering since it is mistranslated in the NASB. The
word in the Hebrew is minchah, which is from manach, “to give.” Manach
is used in secular contexts of gifts to superior persons particularly kings and
conveyed the attitude of homage and submission to the king. The spiritual use
of the term derives its meaning from the secular, thus, minchah is a
gift of grain.
The
gift offering viewed propitiation from the aspect of the Perfect Person of
Christ. The minchah communicates the fact that it takes a perfect gift
Jesus Christ, the God-Man to satisfy or propitiate a
perfect Giver (God the Father). The significance of the gift offering is that
it pictured approaching God on the basis of the merits
of the promised Messiah.
In
Romans 3:25, Paul’s use of the adjective hilasterion also recalls the
one of the seven feasts of Israel called “the Day of Atonement.”
Israel
was commanded by the Lord in the Old Testament to observe seven Feasts: (1)
Passover (Leviticus 23:4-5; 1 Corinthians 5:7); (2) Unleavened Bread (Leviticus
23:6-8; 1 Corinthians 5:7-8); (3) First Fruits (Leviticus 23:9-14; 1
Corinthians 15:23); (4) Pentecost (Leviticus 23:15-22; Acts 2:1-4); (5)
Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25; 1 Corinthians 15:52); (6) Day of Atonement
(Leviticus 23:26-32; 1 John 2:2); (7) Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-44; John
7:2).
The
Feast of Atonement was a day of confession and will represent that the Lord
Jesus Christ is the Messiah and represents the Second Advent (Documentation:
Leviticus 23:24-32; Zechariah 12:10; 13:1, 6).
The
Day of Atonement was a most solemn of these great Feasts (Lev. 16:26-32) and is
derived from the Hebrew Yom Kippur. The Day of Atonement was the only
day in which anyone was ever permitted to enter the Holy of Holies in the
Tabernacle, or in the Temple. Only the high priest was permitted to enter it,
and then only after he had brought an offering on behalf on his own sins (Lev.
16:13). Sacrificed on the Day of Atonement was a young bull (Lev. 16:6), which
was for the sins of the high priest.
Also,
two goats were sacrificed for the sins of the people (Lev. 16:7-10; 15-16). The
high priest sacrificed the bull on the brass altar as a sin offering for
himself (Lev. 16:11).
The
blood of the animal represented Christ’s spiritual death on the Cross and was
collected in a basin and carried past the huge curtain into the Holy of Holies
and then sprinkled on the mercy seat (kapporeth). The mercy seat was the
golden lid that fit over the top of the Ark of the Covenant, which contains the
emblems of Israel’s sin.
The
three items in the Ark: (1) A pot of manna that called to mind man’s rejection
of divine provision (2) Aaron’s rod that budded that exhibited rejection of
God’s plan regarding the authority of the Levitical priesthood. (3) Tables of
the Law that were a reminder of Israel’s violations of the Law.
The
Ark of the Covenant was overlaid with gold and stood in the Holy of Holies. The
acacia wood of the box spoke of Christ’s humanity and the gold spoke of His
deity. Together these materials represented Christ in hypostatic union or His
uniqueness as the God-Man.
Now,
on each end of the mercy seat stood the golden figure of a cherub with one
representing God’s righteousness and the other His justice. Righteousness and
justice looked down on sin (the emblems in the Ark) and condemned it. Once a
year, the blood of the young bull was sprinkled on top of the mercy seat. When
righteousness and justice looked down, they saw the completed work of Christ
covering the sins of the high priest.
The
high priest sacrificed one of the goats as an offering for the people. The live
goat was sent off into the wilderness after Aaron had laid both of his hands on
its head thus transferring the iniquities of the people to the goat (Lev.
16:20-22). The “scapegoat” represents that aspect of Christ’s work, which puts
away our sins (John 1:29). The goat that was slain (the Lord's lot) is that
aspect of Christ's death, which satisfies the demands of God’s holiness that
required sin be judged.
Aaron
took the goats blood and entered into the Holy of
Holies a second time to sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat. This time the
spiritual death of Christ on the cross was dramatized as covering the sins of
all the people. God does not remember our sins for they were put away and paid
for by our Lord’s spiritual death (Psa. 103:12).
The
fulfillment of the Old Testament ritual came in the Person of the Lord Jesus
Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ has obtained a much greater ministry than Aaron
(Heb. 8:6) whose priesthood was a mere shadow of Christ’s Royal Priesthood
(Heb. 8:1-6).
Our
Lord did not have to offer a sacrifice for Himself as the Levitical high priest
had to for himself for He was without sin, impeccable
(Heb. 9:26-27). Instead, the Lord Jesus Christ offered Himself up once as a
sacrifice to pay for the sins of all mankind (Heb. 9:27; 9:28a).
The
Tabernacle made on earth, which was made with human hands, was just a picture
of the real one in heaven. The animal blood sacrifices were shadows or copies
of the true sacrifice that was to take place on Calvary when our Lord died
spiritually for our sins (Heb. 9:23-26). Our Lord’s sacrifice on the
Cross-fulfilled completely the Mosaic sacrifices. His spiritual death paid for
or covered our sins permanently, as the blood on the mercy seat covered the
sins of Israel temporarily (Heb. 9:12-14; 10:4).
The
Lord Jesus Christ entered the real Holy of Holies and not the shadow one on
earth (Heb. 10:24). The Lord Jesus Christ entered heaven one time and sat down
at the right hand of God the Father (Heb. 10:12). The animal sacrifices in the
Old Testament pictured the future sacrifice of Christ and were merely shadows
of Christ’s work on the cross (Heb. 10:1).
The
phrase in Romans 3:25, “sins previously committed,” teaches that the
sins committed in the Old Testament were not paid for by the animal sacrifices
but with our Lord’s sacrifice on the Cross at Calvary. The rituals performed in
the Old Testament were not the reality. The reality or the sacrifice that propitiated
God was the sacrifice of His Son on the Cross and not the animal sacrifices
(Heb. 10:4-10). Ritual without reality is meaningless. The animal sacrifices
were merely teaching aids to communicate the doctrines of propitiation,
redemption and reconciliation to those who lived in OT dispensations.
The
adjective hilasterion appears in only two passages in the Greek New
Testament (Romans 3:25 and Hebrews 9:5).
The
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains lists the
following meanings for the word: (1) The means by which sins are forgiven –
‘the means of forgiveness, expiation’ (volume 1, page 504). (2) The location or
place where sins are forgiven – ‘place of forgiveness, place where sins are
forgiven.’[67]
A
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature
defines the word, “that which expiates or propitiates, a means of expiation,
gift to procure expiation; place of propitiation.”[68]
Dr.
Wuest gives this excellent comment, he writes, “The word hilasterion is
used in Leviticus 16:14 (LXX) to refer to the golden cover on the Ark of the
Covenant. In the Ark, below this cover, were the tablets of stone upon
which were written the Ten Commandments which Israel had violated. Before the
Ark stood the High Priest representing the people. When the sacrificial blood
is sprinkled on this cover, it ceases to be a place of judgment and becomes a
place of mercy. The blood comes between the violated law and the violators, the
people. The blood of Jesus satisfies the just requirements of God's holy law
which mankind broke, pays the penalty for man, and thus removes that which had
separated between a holy God and sinful man, sin, its guilt and penalty. This
is a far cry from the pagan idea of propitiation which appeased the anger of
the god and purchased his love. The words, ‘an expiatory satisfaction’ seems to
be the words rather than propitiation to adequately translate hilasterion.
Hilasterion is the place of satisfaction, hilasmos (1 John 2:2;
4:10) that which provides that satisfaction for the broken law. Thus, our
blessed Lord is both the Mercy Seat and the Sacrifice which transforms the
former from a judgment seat to one where mercy is offered a sinner on the basis of justice satisfied.”
Dr. C.
I. Scofield gives following comment on “propitiation” in the Scofield Bible, he
remarks, “Propitiation is translated from the Greek hilasterion, meaning
that which expiates or propitiates, or the gift which procures propitiation.
The word is also used in the New Testament for the place of propitiation, the
‘mercy seat’ (Heb. 9:5), i.e. the lid of the ark (compare frequent similar use
in the Old Testament Septuagint, Ex. 25:18). The lid of the ark was sprinkled
with atoning blood on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:14), representing that the
righteous sentence of the law had been executed, changing a place of judgment
into a place of mercy (Heb. 9:11-15; cp. ‘throne of grace,’ Heb. 4:14-16; place
of communion, Ex. 25:21-22). Another Greek word, hilasmos, is used for
Christ as our propitiation (1 John 2:2; 4:10) and for ‘atonement’ in the Old
Testament (cp. Lev. 25:9, Septuagint). The thought in the Old Testament
sacrifices and in the New Testament fulfillment is that Christ completely
satisfied the just demands of a holy God for judgment on sin by His death on
the cross. God, foreseeing the cross is declared righteous in forgiving sins in
the Old Testament period as well as in justifying sinners under the new
covenant. Propitiation is not placating a vengeful God but, rather, it is
satisfying the righteousness of a holy God, thereby making it possible for Him
to show mercy righteously.’ As you can see the use of hilasterion dwarfs
the pagan use of the word, unfortunately, many people still seem to think and
even some Christians have fallen for the trap that they have
to keep satisfying God with sacrifices. Christ's sacrifice has satisfied
God the Father, and this should free us from the sin and guilt if we have faith
in the Lord Jesus. In the Septuagint, hilasterion translates the Hebrew
word kapporeth, ‘the mercy seat,’ which is the golden lid of the Ark of
the Covenant. In Ezekiel 43:14, 17, 20 hilasterion is used for azarah,
‘border or barrier around the altar.’ The term serves other purposes in the Old
Testament as well, but it mainly refers to the mercy seat of the Ark of the
Covenant. Some theologians argue that Paul is speaking of the sacrifice and not
the mercy seat but if that was the case he would have used the word hilasmos
as the apostle John did in 1 John 2:2 and 4:10. But it is quite clear that the
Holy Spirit specifically guided Paul in using the technical term hilasterion,
‘mercy seat,’ so that we could see that Christ is the site at which atonement
takes place through faith.”
A.T.
Robertson commenting on the usage of hilasterion in Romans 3:25, writes,
“The only other New Testament example of this word is in Heb 9:5 where we have
the ‘cherubim overshadowing the mercy seat’ to hilasterion. In Hebrews
the adjective is used as a substantive or as ‘the propitiatory place.’ But that
idea does not suit here. Deissmann (Bible Studies, pp. 124-35) has produced
examples from inscriptions where it is used as an adjective and as meaning ‘a
votive offering’ or ‘propitiatory gift.’ Hence, he concludes about Rom 3:25:
‘The crucified Christ is the votive gift of the Divine Love for the salvation
of men.’ God gave his Son as the means of propitiation (1 John 2:2). Hilasterion
is an adjective hilasterios from hilaskomai, to make propitiation
(Heb 2:17) and is kin in meaning to hilasmos, propitiation (1 John 2:2;
4:10). There is no longer room for doubting its meaning in Rom 3:25.”[69]
Many
expositors consider hilasterion as functioning in Romans 3:25 as a
substantive rather than as an adjective, thus effecting their interpretation
and translation of the word. Thus, they translate hilasterion, “the
place of propitiation” or “mercy seat” referring to the fact that Jesus Christ
is the “place of propitiation” or the fulfillment of the “mercy seat” in the
Old Testament. They substantiate this interpretation and translation on the
basis that the word is used in the Septuagint to translate kapporeth,
which referred to the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant. However, as
Robertson pointed out, citing Deissmann and even Scofield suggested hilasterion
should be translated as an adjective meaning “propitiatory gift,” or “the gift
which procures propitiation.”
This
indicates then that Jesus Christ is the “propitiatory gift” from the Father
whose spiritual death on the Cross satisfied the demands of God’s holiness,
which required that human sin be judged. Therefore, the noun hilasmos in
1 John 2:2 and 4:10 refers to the “propitiatory sacrifice” of Jesus Christ.
Hilaskomai
in Hebrews 2:17 refers to the act of propitiating the Father through Jesus
Christ’s spiritual death. Whereas hilasterion in Romans 3:25, refers to
the fact that Jesus Christ is the “propitiatory gift” from the Father.
In
Hebrews 9:5, the adjective hilasterion should be translated as a
substantive since it is clearly referring to the mercy seat on the Ark of the
Covenant in Old Testament Israel. However, in Romans 3:25, the adjective should
not be translated as a substantive but rather as an adjective since the verb protithemi
in this same passage means, “to offer publicly,” thus indicating that God the
Father gave His Son as a “propitiatory gift” to sinful mankind.
The
adjective “propitiatory” means “serving or intended to propitiate.” Therefore,
Jesus Christ was a gift from God the Father to sinful mankind whose purpose was
to serve mankind by propitiating the demands of God’s holiness that required
that human sin be judged.
Therefore,
we can conclude in Romans 3:25 that Paul is saying that God the Father offered
His Son Jesus Christ publicly at the Cross of Calvary as a propitiatory gift in
the sense that His spiritual death on the Cross
satisfied the demands of God’s holiness that required that human sin be judged.
The
adjective hilasterion, “propitiatory gift” along with the words hilasmos
and hilaskomai help to form the doctrine of propitiation and recall the
Day of Atonement and the Burnt and Gift Offerings in the Leviticus 1 and 2.
Propitiation
along with redemption and reconciliation form the “Finished Work” of Jesus
Christ on the Cross. “Propitiation” is the Godward side of salvation whereby
the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of
Christ in hypostatic union satisfied the righteous demands of a holy God that
the sins of the entire world-past, present and future be judged.
“Propitiation”
means that our Lord’s spiritual death on the Cross “satisfied” God’s holiness,
which demanded that the sins of the entire human race be judged. Remember Paul
teaches in Romans 1:18-3:20 that God’s wrath or righteous indignation is
against all men due to sin. The wrath or righteous indignation of God needed to
be satisfied and Christ and His spiritual death did just that. Christ’s
spiritual death satisfied God’s righteous indignation against human sin.
The
fact that Jesus Christ’s spiritual death satisfied the demands of God’s
holiness, which required that human sin be judged, permitted God to extend
grace to the human race, enabling Him to offer to the
entire human race the gift of salvation through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.
Once God’s righteous indignation towards human sin had been satisfied by our
Lord’s spiritual death on the Cross, God was free to extend grace to the entire
human race the offer of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
The
fact that Jesus Christ’s spiritual death propitiated the demands of God’s
holiness, which required that sin be judged provided the following: (1) Basis
for the unlimited atonement (1 John 2:2; 1 Tim. 2:5; 2 Pet. 3:9). (2) Basis for
the forgiveness of sins (2 Cor. 5:19; Col. 1:14; Heb. 9:12-15). (3) Basis for
the imputation of divine righteousness (Rom. 3:25-26). (4) Basis for
justification (Rom. 3:28; 2 Cor. 5:21). (5) Basis for reconciliation (2 Cor.
5:18; Eph. 2:14-16; Col. 1:20-21).
Propitiatory
Sacrifice
1 John 2:2 And He
Himself (“Jesus Christ the righteous”) is the propitiatory sacrifice for our (personal)
sins, but in fact, not for ours only, but also for sins of the whole world (unlimited
atonement). (NASB95)
Only a “Righteous”
Person can satisfy the justice of a “Righteous” God. Only a “Righteous” Person
can produce a “righteous” act. The sins of the world are no longer an issue
with God because His righteous demands that our sins be judged have been
satisfied by a “Righteous” Person’s action (propitiatory sacrifice). The
propitiatory sacrifice of Christ resolves the problem of the demands of God’s
righteousness and justice.
Angelic Conflict
Colossians 2:15
When He (God the Father) had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He (God
the Father) made a public display of them (Satan and the fallen angels),
having triumphed over them through Him (Christ). (NASB95)
Jesus Christ was
“publicly displayed” by God the Father as the Sacrifice for our
sins in order to demonstrate His justice (Rom. 3:25).
This wasn't done in a closest nor is it a fairy tale but a historical fact that
Jesus of Nazareth died on a Roman cross two thousand years ago. God's
righteousness has been “publicly displayed” at the cross
before angels and men.
Our Lord defeated
Satan at the Cross and this was seen by the elect and
fallen angels. The Cross was our Lord’s strategic victory over Satan and the
kingdom of darkness. “He made a public display” is the
Greek verb deigmatizo, “to make an example of, to expose, to make
public, to exhibit.” It has a negative connotation of “disgracing someone, of
making public what someone would like to keep secret, or of making an example
of someone.” In eternity past, Satan challenged the Integrity of God (His
justice and righteousness) for sentencing him with the fallen angels to the
Lake of Fire. Satan challenged God’s Integrity by saying that He didn’t love
His creatures. The Cross proved Satan wrong. God does love His creatures even
creatures like us who are totally unworthy but are qualified to be recipients
of His grace.
The Cross proved
that God is the Greatest Lover in the universe since He loves sinners
such as us. God the Father vindicated Himself at the Cross through Christ’s
sacrifice. God the Father made “an example” out of Satan and the fallen angels
through Christ on the Cross. God the Father defeated Satan and the fallen
angels at the Cross through Christ’s propitiatory sacrifice. The Cross proved
that God was righteous for sending Satan and the fallen angels to the Lake of
Fire. The Cross proved that God does not compromise His Integrity but that He
does indeed judge sin. His Integrity says that He has to.
The Cross proved before the whole universe that God has perfect Integrity. It
should not be questioned by angels or men. Especially men, since they are
beneficiaries of His Integrity.
The “unlimited”
atonement doctrine was taught by Paul in 1 Timothy 2:4.
1 Timothy 2:1 Therefore,
based upon my previous statements, I first of all urgently request specific
detailed requests, reverential prayers, intercessory prayers, thanksgivings be
regularly offered up on behalf of each and every member of the human race, 2 on
behalf of kings as well as each and every one of those individuals who are in
authority in order that we may continue to live a peaceful and tranquil life
with absolute godliness as well as dignity. 3 This is, as an eternal spiritual
truth noble as well as pleasingly acceptable in the judgment of God the Father,
our Savior 4 who, as an eternal spiritual truth desires each
and every member of the human race to be saved as well as to enter into
knowing experientially the truth. (Author’s translation)
“Who, as an eternal spiritual truth desires each and every member of the
human raced to be saved” is a relative pronoun clause that is connected to
verse 3, which itself is connected to verse 1. It reveals that the reason why
intercessory prayer for each and every member of the
human race is noble and pleasingly acceptable to the Father is that He desires
each and every member of the human race to be saved.
The expression πάντας ἀνθρώπους, “each and
every member of the human race” in verse 4 is picked up from verse 1 where
it mean the same thing. Thus, as noted in verse 1 Paul
taught that it is the Father’s will that the Ephesians
intercede in prayer for all people or each and every member of the human race.
Now in verse 4 he teaches that the Father wants the Ephesians to do this
because it is His will that each and every member of
the human race be saved and to come to an experiential knowledge of the truth.
This expression refers to “common” or “universal grace.” God the Holy Spirit,
in common or universal grace, makes the Gospel understandable to unbelievers,
so that they may make a decision to either accept or
reject Jesus Christ as Savior.
When Paul says that the Father desires each and every
member of the human race to be saved does not imply that all will be saved
automatically. Rather, he is simply teaching that the Father desires this to be
the case and made it possible by making salvation possible for everyone through
the gospel of His Son Jesus Christ. The offer salvation is made possible to
every member of the human race because the Father’s
Son Jesus Christ died on the cross for each and every member of the human race.
The fact that the sinner has to
make a volitional decision in relation to this offer is clearly taught by Paul
in Romans 3:21-5:1 and many other passages such as Ephesians 2:8-9, Galatians
2:16 and John 3:16-17 just to name a few.
“To be saved” speaks of the act of the Father delivering each and every member of the human race without exception
from personal sin, the sin nature, Satan, his cosmic system, condemnation from
the Law, spiritual and physical death and eternal condemnation through faith in
His Son Jesus Christ.
This statement in 1 Timothy 2:4 teaches the “unlimited” atonement and
refutes those who adhere to a “limited” atonement. The latter is a false
doctrine that is actually an attack instigated by
Satan upon the integrity of God. The “limited” atonement doctrine contends that
Christ died for only the elect or in other words, believers whereas the
“unlimited” atonement contends that Christ died for “all” men, all-inclusive,
without exception and thus “without racial, sexual or social distinction.” This
doctrine states that Jesus Christ died for every sin committed by every single
member of the human race-past, present and future (John 1:29; Rom. 5:6-8; 1
Tim. 4:10; Titus 2:11; 1 John 2:2).
1 Timothy 4:10 In fact, for this express purpose we continue to make it our
habit of working hard. Specifically, we ourselves continue to make it our habit
of making every effort (to experience eternal life) because we possess a
confident expectation of rewards because of the living God, who is, as an
eternal spiritual truth the Savior of each and every
member of the human race without exception, especially of believers. (Author’s
translation)
This verse advances upon or
intensifies and emphasizes Paul’s previous statements in 1 Timothy 4:8-9. It
advances upon these verses in the sense that it demonstrates that both Paul and
Timothy have accepted by faith this promise of eternal life to the extent that
they were working hard and struggling for this promise. So
this statement advances upon and intensifies the statements in 1 Timothy 4:8-9
because Paul is going from stating to his readers that the promise of eternal
life is worthy of their acceptance by faith to his acceptance by faith as
expressed by his efforts on behalf of this promise. Verse 10 is also emphatic
in the sense that it would attract special attention from his readers because
it would serve to motivate them to follow Paul and Timothy’s example.
“For this express purpose”
refers to the promise of godliness which involves experiencing eternal life
during one’s present lifetime and in addition as a certainty experiencing it
throughout all of eternity. It indicates the purpose for which Timothy and Paul
worked hard and struggled. They worked hard and struggled for the promise of
godliness, which is experiencing eternal life now during one’s lifetime as well
as during the future, throughout all of eternity. This prepositional phrase
answers the question as to why Paul and Timothy worked hard and struggled. It
also makes clear that Paul is not talking about him and Timothy working hard or
struggling on behalf of the gospel or communicating it. Rather, it refers to
their intense efforts to live godly lives themselves in the face of opposition
from the sin nature and Satan’s kingdom.
“We continue to make it our
habit of working hard” describes Paul and Timothy’s efforts on behalf of
the promise of experiencing eternal life for the present and the future,
throughout eternity. It refers to Timothy and Paul and not Paul and the
apostles, or Paul and his other co-workers since in 1 Timothy 4:6-16, Paul is
addressing Timothy specifically with regards to his responsibilities.
Interestingly, here in verse 10, is the only place in chapter four where Paul
uses the first person plural form. Paul does this not
only to encourage Timothy but also to identify himself with his young delegate
with a view to offering himself and Timothy as examples for the Ephesians to
follow. This statement implies that Paul and Timothy were already working hard
in the sense of exerting themselves mentally, physically and spiritually in the
face of adversity for the promise of experiencing eternal.
“Specifically, we ourselves
continue to make it our habit of making every effort” is an epexegetical
clause that explains in greater detail the previous statement. It points out
the objective of Paul and Timothy working hard for the promise of experiencing
eternal life. Namely, to accomplish the Father’s will,
which is analogous to winning the race in the Graeco-Roman games. This would
result in the winner receiving a crown and rewards, which the Christian will
receive at the Bema Seat for accomplishing the Father’s
will. The Christian’s crown and rewards are imperishable in contrast to the
crown and rewards gives to the victor in the Graeco-Roman games, which were
perishable.
This epexegetical clause
refers to Paul and Timothy making every effort to experience eternal life which
will accomplish the Father’s will for their lives despite strong opposition
from sin and Satan’s kingdom. It implies that Paul and Timothy were already
engaged in making every effort to experience eternal life, which accomplishes
the Father’s will. It also emphasizes the intense
effort that both exerted mentally, physically and spiritual to execute the Father’s will by growing up to spiritual maturity.
“Because we possess a confident expectation of rewards” is a causal
clause that expresses the reason why Paul and Timothy continued to make it
their habit of making every effort in order to
experience the promise of eternal life. They did so “because” they possess a
confident expectation of blessing because of the living God. In other words,
they confidently expected to receive a crown and rewards for accomplishing the
Father’s will to become like Christ. This is the direct result of accepting by
faith the revelation they received from the living God, i.e. the Father,
through the Spirit and which revelation is found in the gospel. Paul is saying
that “because” they possessed a confident expectation of rewards, they
continued to make every effort to experience eternal life and execute the
Father’s will for their lives, which is to become like Christ. This confident
expectation was also the direct result of accepting by faith the revelation
they received from the Father through the Spirit that they would receive
rewards for doing so. This revelation was given to Paul and the apostles and is
found in their writings that appear in the letters, which are now found in the
New Testament.
The causal clause continues
the athletic metaphor in the sense of describing what takes place when a runner
has won the race in the Graeco-Roman games, namely, they received a crown and
rewards for their victory. It indicates that Paul and Timothy “confidently
expect to receive a crown and rewards” because of the living God, i.e. because
they received revelation from God. It also indicates that they possessed a
confident expectation that they would be rewarded because they had accepted by
faith the Spirit’s revelation from the Father regarding rewards. This
revelation declared that they would be rewarded for making every effort to
experience eternal life in order to execute the
Father’s will to become like Christ despite opposition from the sin nature and
the devil’s kingdom.
“Because of the living God”
teaches that Paul and Timothy possessed a confident expectation of rewards
because of the revelation they received from the Father through the Spirit.
This revelation they accepted by faith as demonstrated by their making every
effort to experience eternal life in order to become
like Christ and execute the Father’s will. So because
of revelation from the Father who gave them eternal life at regeneration, they
possessed this confident expectation. This revelation, as well as the rest of
the revelation that appears in the Word of God, is eternal life since the Word
of God is eternal life.
Therefore, the Father is the
cause of Paul and Timothy’s confident expectation of receiving rewards for
making every effort to experience eternal life so that they grow up to
spiritual maturity and execute His will for their lives, which is to become like
Jesus Christ. He is the cause of their confident expectation in the sense that
He communicated to them through the Spirit that they would be rewarded for
making every effort to experience eternal life in order to
grow up to spiritual maturity and execute His plan for their lives.
“Who is, as an
eternal spiritual truth the Savior of each and every member of the human race
without exception, especially of believers” is a relative pronoun clause
that emphasizes that the Father is the member of the Trinity who initiated
salvation and is its source. He is the Savior or Deliverer of the human race in a seven-fold sense: (1) Deliverer or
Savior from personal sins. (2) Deliverer or Savior from old sin nature (3)
Deliverer or Savior from Satan and his cosmic system. (4) Deliverer or Savior
from spiritual and physical death (5) Deliverer or Savior from eternal
condemnation. (6) Deliverer or Savior from self. (7) Deliverer or Savior from
condemnation from the Law.
This relative pronoun clause
teaches that teaches the “unlimited” atonement and refutes those who adhere to
a “limited” atonement. The latter is a false doctrine that is actually an attack instigated by Satan upon the integrity of
God.
When Paul says that the Father
is the Savior of each and every member of the human
race, this does not imply that all will be saved automatically. Rather, he is
simply teaching that the Father has provided salvation for each
and every member of the human race through His Son Jesus Christ’s death
and resurrection. The offer salvation is made possible to every member of the human race because the Father’s Son Jesus Christ died on
the cross for each and every member of the human race. The fact that the sinner
has to make a volitional decision in relation to this
offer is clearly taught by Paul in Romans 3:21-5:1 and many other passages such
as Ephesians 2:8-9, Galatians 2:16 and John 3:16-17 just to name a few.
This relative pronoun clause
not only refers to the “unlimited” atonement but also refers to “common” or
“universal grace.” God the Holy Spirit, in common or universal grace, makes the
Gospel understandable to unbelievers, so that they may make a
decision to either accept or reject Jesus Christ as Savior.
“Common” or “universal grace” is grace that the entire human race receives when
God the Holy Spirit makes the Gospel message, which is a spiritual language,
understandable to the spiritually dead unbeliever. It is given to everyone in the human race, so that all men may have the same privilege
and opportunity to be saved.
“Especially of believers”
singles out those who have exercised faith in Jesus Christ as Savior in
contrast to the unsaved or do not. It is singling out those who appropriate
salvation provided by the Father through His Son Jesus Christ through faith
alone in Christ alone in contrast to those who don’t appropriate this salvation
through unbelief.
The
expression σωτὴρ πάντων ἀνθρώπων, “the Savior of
each and every member of the human race without exception” teaches that
teaches the “unlimited” atonement and refutes those who adhere to a “limited”
atonement. The latter is a false doctrine that is actually an
attack instigated by Satan upon the integrity of God.
When Paul says that
the Father is the Savior of each and every member of
the human race, this does not imply that all will be saved automatically.
Rather, he is simply teaching that the Father has provided salvation for each and every member of the human race through His Son
Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. The offer salvation is made possible to
every member of the human race because the Father’s
Son Jesus Christ died on the cross for each and every member of the human race.
The fact that the sinner has to make a volitional
decision in relation to this offer is clearly taught by Paul in Romans 3:21-5:1
and many other passages such as Ephesians 2:8-9, Galatians 2:16 and John
3:16-17 just to name a few.
The Bible
emphatically states that God desires for all men to be saved and that Christ
died for all people. The apostle Paul taught the Roman believers that Christ
died for the ungodly, which refers to unbelievers and reconciled us meaning
believers, while we were God’s enemies. Therefore, if Christ reconciled the
believer to God while he was an enemy of God, then Christ died for unbelievers
as well (Romans 5:6-10). Thus, in order for God’s
desire for all men to be saved to ever have any chance of becoming a reality,
He would have to send His Son into the world to die for all men. Therefore,
Christ’s death on the Cross was the propitiation for the sins of both believers
and unbelievers. Of course, all men will not be saved because many will reject
Jesus Christ as Savior.
The “limited”
atonement doctrine contends that Christ died for only the elect or in other
words, believers whereas the “unlimited” atonement contends that Christ died
for “all” men, all-inclusive, without exception and thus “without racial,
sexual or social distinction.”
This doctrine
states that Jesus Christ died for every sin committed by every single member of
the human race-past, present and future (John 1:29; Rom. 5:6-8; 1 Tim. 4:10;
Titus 2:11; 1 John 2:2).
John 1:29 The next
day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes
away the sin of the world!” (NASB95)
John 4:41 Many more
believed because of His word; 42 and they were saying to the woman, “It is no
longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for
ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.”
(NASB95)
Hebrews 2:9 But we
do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely,
Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that
by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. (NASB95)
Titus 2:11 For the
grace of God has appeared (the Lord Jesus Christ), bringing salvation to all
men. (NASB95)
2 Peter 3:9 The
Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient
toward you (unbeliever), not wishing for any to perish but for all to come
to a change of mind about Christ. (NASB95)
2 Corinthians 5:14
For the love of Christ motivates us, having concluded this, that one (Jesus
Christ) died for all men, therefore, all died (as a result of
Adam’s sin). 15 And He (the Lord Jesus Christ) died for all men,
that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died
and rose again on their behalf! (Author’s translation)
2 Corinthians 5:18 Now all these things are from God the Father, the
One who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave to us for our benefit
the ministry of this peace treaty (the Gospel). 19 Specifically that God
the Father was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not charging
their personal sins to their account, and has deposited in us (believers) the
doctrine of this peace treaty (the Gospel). (Author’s translation)
John 3:16 For God
the Father so loved the world that He gave His uniquely virgin born Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish (go to the Lake of Fire), but have eternal life (live with God forever and ever)!
(Author’s translation)
1 Timothy 2:5 For
there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ
Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at
the proper time. (NASB95)
1 Timothy 4:10 For
it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the
living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.
(NASB95)
1 Peter 3:18 For
Christ also died for sins once for all (the entire human race), the just
(the believer) and the unjust (unbeliever), in order that He might bring us to
God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.
(NASB95)
1 John 2:2
Furthermore, He Himself is the propitiation with regards to our sins. In fact,
He Himself is the propitiation not with regards to our sins only in contrast
with the rest of unregenerate humanity, absolutely not,
but also with regards to the entire world, without exception and without
distinction. (Author’s translation)
1 John 4:14 We have
seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the
world. (NASB95)
The “limited”
atonement doctrine contends that Christ died for only the elect or in other
words, believers whereas the “unlimited” atonement contends that Christ died
for “all” people, all-inclusive, without exception and thus “without racial,
sexual or social distinction.”
The Bible
emphatically states that God desires for all men to be saved and that Christ
died for all people. The apostle Paul taught the Roman believers that Christ
died for the ungodly, which refers to unbelievers and reconciled us meaning
believers, while we were God’s enemies. Therefore, if Christ reconciled the
believer to God while he was an enemy of God, then Christ died for unbelievers
as well (Romans 5:6-10). Thus, in order for God’s
desire for all men to be saved to ever have any chance of becoming a reality,
He would have to send His Son into the world to die for all men. Therefore,
Christ’s death on the Cross was the propitiation for the sins of both believers
and unbelievers. Of course, all men will not be saved because many will reject
Jesus Christ as Savior.
Christ had to die
for everyone otherwise if He did not then unregenerate men could accuse God at
the Great White Throne Judgment of wrongdoing by stating that they never were
given a chance since their sins were never atoned for. Thus, the fact that Christ
did die for everyone gives no one an excuse at the Great White Throne Judgment.
They will go to the Lake of Fire forever because they chose to and not because
God wanted them to.
Romans 5:12-21
teaches that God condemned the entire human race the moment Adam sinned. Christ
had to die for everyone otherwise if He did not then unregenerate men could
accuse God at the Great White Throne Judgment of wrongdoing by stating that
they never were given a chance since their sins were never atoned for. Thus,
the fact that Christ did die for everyone gives no one an excuse at the Great
White Throne Judgment. They will go to the Lake of Fire forever because they
chose to and not because God wanted them to.
The problem of
those who adhere to the “limited” atonement doctrine is that not only do they
reject major passages of Scripture, which clearly teach “unlimited” atonement
but also they failed to understand the doctrine of the
imputation of Adam’s sin to every person born into this world.
Romans 5:12-19
clearly indicates that every person in human history received the imputation of
Adam’s sin in the garden, thus making every person who comes into the world
physically but spiritually dead and qualified for grace. Therefore, if God
imputed Adam’s sin in the garden to every person born into this world, it would
be unjust for God not to send His Son into the world to die for all men. This
imputation obligated God to send His Son to the cross for all people.
In Romans 1:16,
Paul teaches that the gospel is the power of God for salvation to “everyone”
who believes.
Romans 1:16 For I
am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to
everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to
the Greek. (NASB95)
Therefore, the
expression “who believes” refers to making the non-meritorious decision
to trust or place one’s complete confidence in the Person of Jesus Christ for
salvation. Then the apostle Paul notes the universal nature of salvation by
faith in Jesus Christ with the phrase “to the Jew first and also to the
Greek.” This phrase demonstrates that God desires all men to be saved and
that Christ died for all men.
The expression “to
the Jew first and also to the Greek” does “not” mean that every Jew must be
evangelized before the gospel can be presented to the Gentiles but rather means
that the Jews were elected by God as noted by Paul in Romans 9-11. Also, this
expression “to the Jew first and also to the Greek” places the Jew on
equal footing with the Gentile with respect to the need for salvation.
In Romans 1:16, the
apostle Paul reveals three principles: (1) The effect of the gospel is
salvation. (2) The extent of the gospel is that it is for all men. (3) The
condition attached to the gospel is faith in Christ.
The entire human
race is born spiritually dead because of Adam’s sin.
Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as through one man [Adam] sin entered into
the world, and spiritual death spread through sin, and so spiritual death spread
to all men, because all sinned when Adam sinned. (Author’s translation)
Therefore, God the
Father sent His Son to the cross for everyone because He made everyone a sinner
at physical birth through the imputation of Adam’s sin.
Now, the fact that
every member of the human race possesses a sin nature
does mean that the entire human race is qualified for grace, which is all that
God is free to do in imparting unmerited blessings to anyone who trusts in
Jesus Christ as his or her Savior.
Galatians 3:22 But
the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in
Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. (NASB95)
Romans 11:32 For
God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all. (NASB95)
Nevertheless,
despite God’s grace in offering everyone salvation, not everyone will be saved
because God, in His perfect integrity, also provided everyone with a free will,
or volition. Therefore, unbelievers must make the decision to believe in Jesus
Christ as their Savior; God cannot make the decision for them.
People go to the
Lake of Fire because they make the decision to go there. God doesn’t want
anyone in the Lake of Fire. He wants them all in heaven. But,
we are not robots. We are human beings with volition to choose—to choose Christ
and be saved or to choose Satan and succumb to the Lake of Fire.
John 3:36 He who
believes in the Son has eternal life, but he who does not obey the Son shall
not see eternal life, but the wrath of God abides on him. (NASB95)
There is only one
way to be saved and that is through faith alone in Christ alone. There is no
other person through whom you can attain salvation. Our ticket to heaven is
through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Peter made this extraordinarily clear
in Acts 4:10-12.
This expression πάντας ἀνθρώπους in verse 4 refers
to “common” or “universal grace.” God the Holy Spirit, in common or universal
grace, makes the Gospel understandable to unbelievers, so that they may make a decision to either accept or reject Jesus Christ as
Savior.
“Common” or “universal grace” is grace that the entire human race receives when
God the Holy Spirit makes the Gospel message, which is a spiritual language,
understandable to the spiritually dead unbeliever. It is given to everyone in the human race, so that all men may have the same privilege
and opportunity to be saved.
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared [the Lord Jesus Christ],
bringing salvation to all men. (NASB95)
The entire human race is born spiritually dead because of Adam’s sin.
Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man [Adam] sin entered
into the world, and spiritual death spread through sin, and so spiritual
death spread to all men, because all sinned when Adam sinned. (Author’s
translation)
Therefore, God the Father sent His Son to the cross for everyone because He
made everyone a sinner at physical birth through the imputation of Adam’s sin.
Now, the fact that every member of the human race
possesses a sin nature does mean that the entire human race is qualified for
grace, which is all that God is free to do in imparting unmerited blessings to
anyone who trusts in Jesus Christ as his or her Savior.
Galatians 3:22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the
promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. (NASB95)
Romans 11:32 For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show
mercy to all. (NASB95)
Nevertheless, despite God’s grace in offering everyone salvation, not everyone
will be saved because God, in His perfect integrity, also provided everyone
with a free will, or volition. Therefore, unbelievers must make the decision to
believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior; God cannot make the decision for them.
People go to the Lake of Fire because they make the decision to go there. God
doesn’t want anyone in the Lake of Fire. He wants them all in heaven. But, we are not robots. We are human beings with volition to
choose—to choose Christ and be saved or to choose Satan and succumb to the Lake
of Fire.
John 3:18 He who believes in Him [the Lord Jesus Christ] is not
judged. He who does not believe has been judged already, because he has
not believed in the name of the uniquely born Son of God. (NASB95)
John 3:36 He who believes in the Son has eternal life, but he who does not
obey the Son shall not see eternal life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
(NASB95)
There is only one way to be saved and that is through faith alone in Christ
alone. There is no other person through whom you can attain salvation. Our
ticket to heaven is through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Peter made this
extraordinarily clear in Acts 4:10-12.
We must also remember that God the Holy Spirit convicts and reveals Jesus
Christ to all men (John 16:8-11). The Holy Spirit, in common grace, bears
witness to the unbeliever that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. God the Holy
Spirit convicts the unbeliever that he is a sinner and needs a Savior. The
Lord, in His Upper Room Discourse, mentioned this principle.
The Holy Spirit, in common grace, takes the Gospel message and makes it
understandable to the unbeliever so that he can either make the non-meritorious
decision to believe in Jesus Christ as Savior or reject Him.
What is the Gospel? 1 Corinthians has the answer.
1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also
received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that
He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the
Scriptures. (NASB95)
We have to possess some information regarding Christ
in order to believe in Him. You can’t believe in someone you have no knowledge
of. Therefore, it is essential that we present the Gospel accurately and
concisely to the unbeliever because the Gospel is the power of God for
salvation.
2 Corinthians 6:1 And working together [with Him] we also urge you not to
receive the grace of God in vain—2 for He says, “AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I
LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU.” Behold, now is “THE
ACCEPTABLE TIME,” behold, now is “THE DAY OF SALVATION.” (NASB95)
The conviction from the Holy Spirit takes place over a lifetime, until the
unbeliever accepts Christ or he dies. There are no
more opportunities after death.
Hebrews 9:27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for
men to die once and after this [comes] judgment. (NASB95)
The Scriptures do not sanction or command believers to pray that God deliver
the unbeliever from eternal condemnation, since God’s justice and righteousness
cannot coerce or make the unbeliever do anything against his will.
Since God cannot save the unbeliever unless the unbeliever makes
a decision to accept Christ as Savior, there is no need for us to pray
He deliver him or her from condemnation. Rather, we should pray that God would
bring in whatever circumstances and people necessary to cause the unbeliever to
have the humility to give the Gospel a hearing. Then, it is up to the person as
to whether or not they make the decision to believe in
Christ in order to be saved.
autor-XXXX, Pr.
(Título em inglês)
(http ://.../.../... .htm, ou nome livro, editora, ano,
página)
(traduzido e adaptado por YYYY, fev.2024)
*************************
Podemos ter mudado citações da Bíblia para usar a LTT (ou ACF ou KJB-1611); suprido conteúdo para alguns versos que só tinham a referência; adicionado algumas explicações entre colchetes "[" "]"; adicionado ênfases por negrito, sublinhado, itálicas. MAIÚSCULAS, cores, realces; removido alguns trechos (não essenciais ao principal tema específico do artigo) substituindo-os por reticências "... ... ..."; e, como sempre, registramos que, ao citar qualquer autor, somente significamos que 1 ou 2 frases dele podem reforçar nossa argumentação principal, não necessariamente concordamos com tudo dele.
Eu não me julgo melhor e não, já agora, decreto "sentença condenatória" contra ninguém por causa de raça, nacionalidade, cor, gênero, comportamentos passados e presentes, status na ordem socioeconômica etc., pois a Bíblia revela que TODOS (a partir de mim mesmo) somos iguais em estar na única e mesma categoria de PECADORES, mas afirma Rm 5:8; 1Tm 2:6; e 1Tm 2:4 "[Deus] deseja TODOS [os] homens ser[em] salvos e, para dentro do pleno- conhecimento d[a] verdade, vir[em]" Somente oramos que cada pessoa seja convertida, creia e receba o Cristo como seu Salvador, Deus e Senhor, e anele ela mesma ir descobrindo na Bíblia e crescentemente fazendo a vontade dEle.
[Se você concordar de coração com que este presente escrito, e achar que ele poderá alertar/ instruir/ edificar, então, por favor, o compartilhe (sem apagar nome do autor, nem links) com todos seus mais achegados amigos crentes (inclusive pastores e professores), e que você tenha certeza de que não desgostarão de receber sua sugestão. Apraza a Deus que cada um que apreciar este escrito o encaminhe a pelo menos 5 crentes que ele saiba que não receberão isso com ódio.]
http://solascriptura-tt.org/ ("Somente a Escritura, o TT:" Guerreando Em Defesa Do Texto Tradicional (TT = T.Receptus_Scrivener + T.Massorético_Chayiim), E Da FÉ (Corpo De Doutrina De Toda A Bíblia)). Biblioteca de muitos milhares de artigos e livros. Pesquise por categoria ou palavras chaves.
Somente use Bíblias:
a) traduzidas do Texto Tradicional (aquele
perfeitamente preservado por Deus, usado por todos os séculos por todos
os fiéis): LTT (Bíblia Literal do Texto
Tradicional, com notas para estudo, na www.bvloja.com.br), ou KJB-1611,
ou ACF;
b) que, para não incorrerem na condenação de Rv 22:18-19, assinalem em itálicas
as palavras acrescentadas pelo tradutor (como implícitas em grego/hebraico, ou
como explicações). Diferencie: palavras de Deus (letras normais) são
infalíveis, e explicações do tradutor (itálicas) são falíveis e v. pode
rejeitar.
[1] Moulton, J. H., & Milligan, G.; 1930; The
vocabulary of the Greek Testament, pages 684-685; London: Hodder and Stoughton
[2] The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon pages 665-666
[3] The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised page 433
[4] A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and
Other Early Christian Literature-Third Edition Pages 1079-1080
[5] The New International Dictionary of New Testament
Theology volume 2, pages 66-67
[6] Theological Dictionary of the New Testament volume 3,
page 68
[7] Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (2000). A
Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature
(3rd ed.) (450-451). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
[8] Adam Clarke, Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the New
Testament (Parsons Technology, Inc., 1999), electronic media.
[9] D. Edmond Hiebert, The Expositor’s Bible
Commentary, New Testament, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein (Zondervan, Grand Rapids,
1976-1992), electronic media.
[10] Jesus: Who Is He? Page 59; Sisters, Ore.: Multnomah
Books, 1996
[11] Mere Christianity, pages 40-41; New York: Macmillan
[12] St. Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians, page 110.
[13] Vincent’s Word Studies of the New Testament, volume
III, page 430.
[14] Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words,
pages 400-401
[15] Word Studies in the Greek New Testament, volume II,
page 63
[16] Annals XV, 44.
[17] Antiquities Book 18, chapter 3.
[18] Mere Christianity, page 41; New York: Macmillan
[19] Knowing the Truth About the Resurrection, pages
116-117
[20] The New Evidence That Demands A
Verdict, page 217
[21] Daniel Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the
Basics-Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament, An Exegetical Syntax of the New
Testament, page 183; Zondervan Publishing House, 1996
[22] Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words
Unabridged Edition, page 463
[23] Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament, volume
III, page 431
[24] Word Studies in the Greek New Testament, volume II,
page 63
[25] Louw and Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New
Testament Based on Semantic Domains, 58.33
[26] Trench Synonyms of the New Testament, page 276
[27] Vincent Word Studies in the New Testament,
volume 3, The Epistles of Paul pages 434-435
[28] Jesus Christ our Lord, page 112
[29] Jesus Christ our Lord, pages 116-118
[30] The Person and Work of Jesus Christ Part VII: The
Impeccability of Christ
[31] William G. T. Shedd, Dogmatic Theology, II, 396
[32] Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Second Edition, Edited by Walter A. Elwell, page 651; Baker Academic; Grand
Rapids, Michigan)
[33] Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Second Edition, Edited by Walter A. Elwell, page 651; Baker Academic; Grand
Rapids, Michigan)
[34] Philippians 2:5-11, The Kenosis, pages 2-3
[35] Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, volume
3, page 661
[36] Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, page 342
[37] The New American Commentary, volume 27, page 142;
Broadman and Holman Publishers
[38] The Epistle to the Romans, page 325
[39] Constable's Expository Notes on the Bible; page 54
[40] New Testament Edition, page 458
[41] New Testament Edition, page 458
[42] The Epistle to the Romans, pages 375-376; William B.
Eerdmans Publishing Company; Grand Rapids, Michigan/Cambridge, U.K.
[43] Cited by Morris, The Epistle to the Romans; page 251;
W. B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press
[44] The New American Commentary, volume 27, Romans, page
151; Broadman and Holman Publishers
[45] Romans [Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1994], page 175
[46] The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon, page 611
[47] A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and
Other Early Christian Literature, page 799
[48] The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised, page 45
[49] Page 65
[50] Volume 2, page 488
[51] Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament
and Other Early Christian Literature, page 96
[52] Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words,
Copyright (c)1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers
[53] Barclay, W: The Daily Study Bible Series, Rev. ed.
Philadelphia: The Westminster Press
[54] Apostolic Preaching of the Cross, pages 11-13
[55] Josephus, Antiquities 14.7.1
[56] Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on
Semantic Domains, 37.130
[57] Page 59
[58] Apostolic Preaching of the Cross
[59] Mounce, William D., The Word Biblical Commentary,
volume 46, Pastoral Epistles, page 90; Thomas Nelson, 2000
[60] Harris, R. L., Harris, R. L., Archer, G. L., &
Waltke, B. K. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament Moody Press
[61] Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas
Theological Seminary. (1983-). The Bible knowledge commentary
: An exposition of the scriptures (Ex 25:17–22). Wheaton, IL: Victor
Books.
[62] Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas
Theological Seminary. (1983-). The Bible knowledge commentary
: An exposition of the scriptures (Ex 25:10–16). Wheaton, IL: Victor
Books.
[63] Stuart, D. K. (2007). Vol. 2: Exodus
(electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (567).
Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[64] Notes on Exodus, 2003 Edition, Dr. Thomas Constable;
page 131; Published by Sonic Light; www.soniclight.com/
[65] Stuart, D. K. (2007). Vol. 2: Exodus
(electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (568).
Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[66] Biblical Studies Press. (2006; 2006). The NET
Bible First Edition Notes (Ex 25:12–16). Biblical Studies Press
[67] volume 1, page 504
[68] page 375
[69] Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft & Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament. Copyright (c) 1985 by Broadman Press