* See Sjuiday-lleiullam on Ro \*.
t See the caruful notp on thia pamaf^e In Sandav-IIojulIain, Romam, pp. 233 2.f8. Tliev o/loiit tbia rendcrini; 'with aoiuo •llKht, but only slieht. h.sitillon.'
t ' Tht IjonI it Ihf .V;<in(." ..." It U with this most orlirinal ooaception of the divine essence of Jesus Christ tlikt we must ■nociate the (act of Ills pre-ezUtenc* ' (Sabatier, Tht A iiott It Paul Itr. by I1«U1. r), p. 8S§).
of the person who pa.ssed voluntarily from a stat€ of heavenly bliss to a condition of creaturely servitude and suHering. This process St. Paul speaks of as one of self-emptying (iauriD iKiruaty, 5') ; it was an action by which aTieing, posse.s.sing the attributes of Deity itself, took upon Uiuiseli conditions non-natnral to Deity, while continuing in a real sense to be what He was before. The reward of His self-sacrificing ' obedience ' (5* ; cf. Ro 5'") was exaltation according to an essential law of divine action. In the human nature which He vouchsafed to assume. He was raised to the throne of divine lordship as the object of universal worship. In Col l"-^ St. Paul deals with the cosmic significance of the I. of the Son. As the ' image of the invisible God,' He occupies a position of unique pre-eminence and sovereignty, both over the pliy.sical universe and over the new or moral creation, the Church of redeemed humanity. He is the essential mediator in nature, the ' firstoom of all creation,' i.e. prior to creation, and sovereign over it; in relation to history He is the iniieritor of the Messianic promises (Ps 89); in relation to the Church He is the es.sential mediator in the sphere of grace, the firstborn from the deiid, the fountainhead and princiiile of a new supernatural life. In this majestic statement St. Paul sccnis to unfold a conception essentially identical with that of the prologue to St. John's Gospel.
(3) In Christ 6'o(/ reuert/s Himself; in Him man is able to discern the character and nature of ' the invisible God' (Col I"). The word fiVwi/ in the pas.sage here quoted is found in an earlier Epistle (2 Co 4'). It may be compared both with the Johannine phrase .\i70s, and with the expression in He 1' x"/™'"^/' i"?' iiroordo-fus. The ' Image' of God is at once the adequate expression an<l the esse.ntiHlrevealcrol Deitv (cf. Jn I'^G" 12" 17', Gal l'«. He P, and consider Mt ll-'' = Lk 1U-). In Him the divine Fatherhood is manifested, not as a mere creative relationship in which God stands to man- kind, but as an internal and ultimate mystery of the Godhead (Ro 8", Eph 4«, Jn 14'- » Ki-^)"; in Chri.st the love of God (1 Jn 4°) and His holiness (Jn 17", Rev 4" 10') are alike revealed. But beyond this, the inner mystery of the divine nature is in part unfolded. An essential Father- hood, an essential .Sonship, eternal and intemporal, suksists within the sphere of Deity: a neccss-try relationship of communion and uependence be- tween two divine Persons (Jn l'"*). St. Paul seems to recognize the perfect equality of these divine Persons, especially in such a plintse as that of Ph 2" (if liopipTj 0fou I'Tdpxw") : while in I Co la-^'* he teaches the fundamental relation of dependence in which the Son stands to the Father. Thus the revelation of God 'in a Son '(He P)is the manifesta- tion of the divine ' glory ' in a twofold sense ; the Son manifests at once the moral perfections of the Godlic.i<l, and the internal distinctions of Person subsisting within the divine essence. In Him the whole fulness of Deity has its permanent abode (Col 1"); to faith it can be manifested (2 Co 4») ; by human .souls it can be apprehended as a source of life-giving grace (Jn 1").
(4) All the apostles ngree in attributing a iiniqne significance to the work and death of Christ. In Him the divine puriK)se of 'salvation' was real- ized: deliverance from wrath, and the imparting of eternal life ( 1 Th .'>•■ ").* Jesus Christ stands in relation to human sin not merely as judge, but as 'saviour' anil deliverer (1 Th 1"', Ph 3-" etc.). He gives lliniself a ransom (Xi'Tpoi", 1 Ti "2* ; cf. .Mt 2'*-*, Jn 11" '■'etc.); lie dies 'for our sins' (1 Co IS*; cf. Mt 'Jti^, 1 P -J-" 3""), thus inaugurating a new covenant, the distinctive features of which are remi.s.sion of sins (I Co ll^V, a new right of accea*
* See .Sanday-IIeatllazn's nowtm tf^v^y A.9narw, p. O
464
INCARNATION, THE
IXCARXATION, THE
to God (rre7'»etc., Eph 2"-"), life and immortality (Ro 2', 1 Co 15*-), the jjift of the Holy Spirit ((iiil 3», Kph l'^ He G* ; cf. Ac 2*', 1 Jn 3-*). The ullects of the redemptive work are desorihed under several dill'erent aspects. In Ko and Ual St. I'aul connects his doctrine of justilication with the Person of Christ. He is the justilier of liumanity ; tlirouyh faith in Him the merits of His death are appro- priated by men (Ro 3^'), and they are broujjht into a new relation to God, they are treated as righteous (oixoioi/^voi, Ro 3'-'), ' accepted in the Beloved ' (Eph 1"). The shedding of His blood was, in fact, a sacrifice which had propitiatory value (Uo 3^'-). It was parallel to, while it transcended, the sacrifices of the Levitical law ; they were material in quality, often repeateil, inell'ective in result ; Christ's sacrifice was spiritual, and therefore real ; one only because perfect in moral ([uality, eliectual for the entire removal of sin (He lU'"'*). Under another aspect Christ is the High Priest of liumanity (He 4'''): its perfect representative and adequate intercessor before God ; quick to sym- pathize and powerful to save {ib. 4'° 5- 7^). He appears in the innermost sanctuary of the true tabernacle, there to present Himself in the presence of God on man's behalf (He "-^ ff^'-). Once again, Christ is the second Ad.im, the Head of a new race (Ro 5'-'-, 1 Co IS""). His influence on humanity is parallel to that of the first Adam in the extensive- ness of its range, but transcendent in the bene- ficence and power of its efi'ects (Ro 5"'-'). The result of Adam's sin was death ; the mediatorial work of Christ has its issue in the triumpliant reign of grace in 'eternal life' (Ro 5°' 6^; cf. Jn