called out from the world. Sometimes it means the whole number of God's people, as when it is said, Christ loved the church and gave himself for it, Eph. 5, 25. Sometimes it means the people of God as a class, as when Paul said, he per- secuted the church of God, Gal. 1, 13. Sometimes it means the professing Christians of any one place, as when mention is made of the church in Jerusalem, Antioch, or Corinth. Any number, however small, of professing Christians collectively considered may be called a church. Hence we hear of the church in the house of Philemon, and in the house of Aquila and Priscilla, Rom. 16, 5. It is called the church of God^ be- cause it belongs to him. He selects and calls its members, and, according to Acts, 20, 28, it is his, because he has bought it with his blood.
To them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus. This is ex planatory of the preceding clauses, and teaches us the nature of the church. It consists of the sanctified. The word (dyta^w) translated to sanctify^ means to cleanse. And as sin is present- ed under the twofold aspect of guilt and pollution, to sanctify, or to cleanse from sin, may mean either to expiate guilt by an atonement, or to renew by the Holy Ghost. It is used for expiation by sacrifice in Heb. 2, 11. 10, 14. 13, 12, and else- where. The word also means to render sacred by consecrat- ing any person or thing to the service of God. In the present case all these ideas may be united. The church consists of those whose guilt is expiated, who are inwardly holy, and who are consecrated to God as his peculiar people.
In Christ Jesus^ that is, in virtue of union with him. It is only in him that we are partakers of these inestimable bless- ings. It is because we are in him as our head and representa- tive, that we are justified by his righteousness; and it is be- cause we are in him as a branch is in the vine, that we are purified by his Spirit.
Called (to he) saints^ that is, by the effectual call of the Holy Spirit constituted saints. "The called" always mean the effectually called as distinguished from the merely exter- nally invited. Saints. The original word (aytos) sometimes signifies sacred^ set apart to a holy use. In this sense the temple, the altar, the priests, the prophets, and the whole theocratic people, are called holy. In the New Testament the word is commonly expressive of inward purity, or consecra- tion of the soul to God. Believers are saints in both senses of the word ; they are inwardly renewed, and outwardly con-