irXlipUjllO— the sum nl l lie I >1mi|c ;i l h llm l .■ i. Ill 111',
cf. Col 119 2': Ki.li I ,, .-ulI II.' I- w, „.„-,.-,,■ "...V (.In l'8)-'0neWhois(„„l (mly-benoltcM (WVsU-ott). (b) 'The pre-existent communion not merely coii- •sisted in identity of essence, but was also expressed by fellow.ship in work. The Word was the Agent
in the \\ork of Creation (Jn P- ", cf. also 1 Co 8'^, Col 1"" : His work in sustaining the Universe so created is taught in Col 1", He P). See art. Creator.
Our Lord's realization of His Father's presence (luring His life upon earth was constant. That He Himself laid claim to such fellowship is beyond (■(intention. He did so directly in His words (Mt ll-' = Lk 10=^ Jn 12-"'-"' us-'"" 1628.32)^ empha- sizing especially His unity with the Father (Jn 1030-38 i2« ]47,i., ,,,,,1 ,K.,-epting with approval the title of 'God' (.111 L'l.P- ■-»). He did so even more impressively, if less directly, by assuming His Father's functions in the world (Mk 25' = Mt 9=- = = Lk 5-°- -1 T'"*) and representing Himself as con- trolling Divine forces and originating Divine missions (Mt 11-"", Jn 15=" 20--'="). Moreover, any attempt to explain away that intimate knowledge of God which the Gospels consistently ascribe to Him, is compelled to disregard not merely the pass.ages in wliich His own words and actions dis- tinctly assiiiii,. it. Inil also ii„t a IVw in which, whether Willi n|,|.n.v.il oi- with (lisai,|.i.,val, others
recognize tli.-it lie elai I to p,,ss(.ss it (Jn 5'» Vfi^
13^ 19', cf. also 17'-^). Sr.. Claims (if Chrlst.
But apart altogcthci from Ills s]iccific claim to the enjoyment of this Dixim. fillowship, we have abundant evidence of its ixislcn.i! in His earthly
life itsolf. Thosi'iisiMifc miiiiioii was an integral
l-n ..filial lit.., II isoii,. ,.ni,„s,. WmnrntsinHis
l"i-'iK'l'ly lli^it -■oul.l m.t I limiiial,..! from it.
ACIin-( iiii.'..i.s.. i,,i,s.,fi,it,.|v..uis..M ill, (;o,l would iKit I... 111.. Cliiisi oi till. (;os|.cls. It was this sense of (•ommiiiiioii iliai m..ni.l..il 1 1 is lirst recorded con- cepli..ii ..f .Inly (l,k ■_'", AV oi l!V). The thirty years ol .|iiiii |ii.'|iaiatioii for allircc years' minis- try (Ih.. |.r..|.orlioiis ar.. sii.l,,i„.s( i, ,.' : for other
Ills
His,
niiii;
:Lk
.hmaiksHis li. Ii must so |,ie|,aration loi t amid the < itself. It is present in a special ptism which signalized the begin- istiy ani,mg men (Mk l>»-" = Mt It is His .stay alike before the labours of the day liet^iii (Mk P''), at the very moment of service (Mk V>" dm^Xi^as ei's t6i/ oipavbv ; cf. also 7'''' 8-^, .In (i" IP'), an,l when refreshment of soul is „e,.,l,..l al 111,. ,.|ose of tlie long h.mrs of toil (MUlV^ Ml l-l^', l.k.l"'). Tlie(;os|,els,in,le,",l,niake
ditioii on wliii-li III,. a(c,)iiiplislii,„.nt of certain' work depended (Mk 9-», cf. Jn 5™), and we cannot fail to observe the frequency with whicli both He and His biographers insist that the Divine Presence is with Him in all His words and Morks (Lk 4'''- '», Jn 3*" 5111-21.36 yic.26. ai)_ go constant is the communion, that even the most familiar objects of Nature con- vey to Him suggestions of the Father in heaven (Mt 6*-='). It is noteworthy that retirement for intimate converse with unseen realities is especially recorded as preceding Christ's action or speech at certain great crises in the development of His life- mission (Luke is ,,:,,ti,.i,l:irlv careful to draw atten- tion to this : . .■ :i ' i;' ' ;i'«- -'sf- 22-'i 23^; cf. also Mk 9=, Jn ]_' I ; '(.at intercession for indi-
vidual men lia.l ii 1.1... . Ill this sacred experience (Lk22^i-»=, cf. ■S.V\ Jn IT"-").
Thus constantly, alike at critical junctures and in more normal moments, did the sense of His Father's presence uphold Him. In one mysterious moment, the full meaiiiii'^ of wlii.h baffles human explanation, II is .•..n-i i.niMi.' - ..i ii appears to have wavere.l (.Mk l.'i^) ; v I ,.\. ii il.i . ly of desolation must not he consi,l,.i,..l apail li,i'i,i the certain
352
COMMUNION
COMMUNION
restoration of the communion revealed in the calm confidence of the last word of all (Lk 23^'^). See art. Dereliction.
One further point may be briefly suggested. Our Lord's communion with the Father was not incon- sistent with His endurance of temptation. Nay, it was under the strong impulse of that Spirit whose presence with Him was at once the si^n and the expression of His union with God (see Mk 1'"), that He submitted to the a.ssaults of evil (Mk !'-• ", note ^/fjSdXXei, = Mt 4' = Lk 4'). The protracted testing (^v ireipati/iei/o!, analytical tense, ef. the suggestion of other occasions of temptation in the plur. ev ToTs Treipaaiioh fiov, Lk 22^, ana Jn 12^), suc- cessfully endured, itself became to our Lord tlie means of a fresh assurance and (perhaps we may add) a fuller realization of fellowship with the spii-itual world (Mk 1'^ divK6voup—impi.]. In this respect, as in others also, His life of communion, while in one sense unique (Lk 10--), is seen to be the exemplar of our oanti.
2. Our communion with God. — The reality of the believer's communion with God is plainlj' revealed in the teaching of the Gospels. This communion is presented sometimes in terms of a relationship ■with the Father, sometimes in terms of a relation- ship with the Son, sometimes in terms of a rela- tionship with the Spirit; but all three presentations alike are relevant to our study (1 Jn 2^'', cf. V, Jn J416. 17) » jf our outline is to be at once clear and comprehensive, we must treat the passages con- cerned under two headings. The hrst («) will in- clude those that deal with the state of communion witli Goil into which a man is brought when he becomes the servant of God ; the .second {b) those that relate to the life of conscious communion with God which it is his privilege to live from that time forward. The distinction, as will shortly appear, is by no means an unnecessary one, the second experience being at once more vivid and more profound than the first need necessarily be.