By Jesus, the historical person known among men by that name is indicated. And, therefore, Paul uses that word and not Christ, which is a term of office. Accursed, i. e. anathe- ma. This word properly means something consecrated to God; and as among the Jews what was thus consecrated could not be redeemed, but, if a living thmg, must be put to death. Lev. 27, 28. 29, hence the word was used to designate any person or thing devoted to destruction ; and then witlj the accessory idea of the divine displeasure, something devot- ed to destruction as accursed. This last is its uniform mean- ing in the New Testament. Rom. 9, 3. Gal. 1, 8. 9. 1 Cor. 16, 22. Hence to say that Jesus is anathema, is to say he was a malefactor, one justly condemned to death. This the Jews said who invoked his blood upon their heads. The affirmative statement is, 7io man can say Jesus is the Lord, hut by the Holy Ghost. The word Kvpio<s, Lord, is that by which the word Jehovah is commonly rendered in the Greek version of the Old Testament. To say Jesus is the Lord, therefore, in the sense of the apostle, is to acknowledge him to be truly God. And as the word Jesus here as before designates the historical person known by that name, who was born of the Virgin Mary, to say that Jesus is Lord, is to acknowledge that that person is God manifest in the flesh. In other words, the confession includes the acknowledgment that he is truly God and truly man. What the apostle says, is that no man can make this acknowledgment but by the Holy Ghost. This of course does not mean that no one can utter these words unless under special divine influence ; but it means that no one can truly believe and openly confess that Jesus is God manifest in the flesh unless he is enlightened by the Spirit of God. This is precisely what our Lord liimself said, when Peter confessed him to be the Son of God. "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven." Matt. 16, 17. The same thing is also said by the apostle John. " Hereby know ye the Spirit of God ; every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of (Jod : and every sj^irit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God," 1 John 4, 2. 3 ; and in v. 15, "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God." To blaspheme Christ, maledicere Christo, Plin. Epist. X. 97, was the form for renouncing Christianity before the Roman tribunals ; and saying, " I believe that Jesus
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