I. CORINTHIANS 15, 28. 335

the Theanthropos will deliver up this administrative kingdom, and God again be all in all. Such is the representation of Scripture, and such seems to be the simple meaning of this passage. When our Lord ascended up on high all power in heaven and earth was given to him. It was given to him then, and therefore not possessed before. He is to retain this dele- gated power in his character of Mediator, God-man, until his enemies are put under his feet. Then he, the God-man, is to deliver it up. And God as God will reign supreme. The phrase here used, to. iravTa (or Trdvra) iv Trao-tv, all in all, de- pends (as is the case with all similar formulas), for its precise meaning on the connection. If words be taken by themselves, and made to mean any thing which their signification will ad- mit, without regard to the context or to the analogy of Scrip- ture, then the authority of the word of God is effectually sub- verted. No book, human or divine, can be interpreted on a principle so unreasonable. Some, however, regardless of this universally admitted rule of interpretation, say that these words teach that the whole universe is to be merged in God — he is to become all in all — he will be all, and all will be God. Others limit the last all to intelligent creatures, and the sense in which God is all is restricted to his gracious influence ; so that while the continued personal existence of rational crea- tures is provided for, it is assumed that God is to reign supreme in all intelligent beings. All sin and evil will thus be banished from the whole universe. This interpretation is, in the first place, perfectly arbitrary. If the meaning of the words is to be pressed beyond the limits assigned by the con- text and the analogy of Scripture, why limit ev Tracn to intel- ligent creatures, and to. irai/ra to mere gracious control ? The passage teaches pantheism, if it teaches universalism. Second- ly, this interpretation is contrary to the context. Paul is speaking simply of the continuance of the mediatorial dominion of Christ over the universe. That dominion was given to him for a specific purpose ; when that purpose is accompUshed, he will give it up, and God, instead of reigning through Christ, will be recognized as the immediate sovereign of the universe ; his co-equal, co-eternal Son, clothed in our nature, being, as the everlasting head of the redeemed, officially subordinate to him. In other words, the whole question, so to speak, is whose hands are to hold the reins of universal dominion. They are now in the hands of Christ ; hereafter they are to be in the hands of God as such. The passage does not teach us