III. Conception of the later NT books.— 1. Hebrews.— The very purpose of this letter is to forestall apostasy by showing Christ's superiority to all others, including Moses and Aaron, the pro- phets, and all the angels. The first chapter is equal in strength and fulness to the great passages in Col. and Philippians. He is God's Son, the express image of His Person, the effulgence of His glory ; Maker of the world ; God's last and perfect Spokes- man. The angels worship Him. The Father
Himself addresses Him as God, who made all things, and outlives all things ; whose throne stands for ever, whose sceptre is righteousness, and to whom all enemies shall become subject. In subsequent chapters He is represented as Captain (apx^jTos, Author and Leader, 2'") of our salvation ; eternal High Priest made higher than the heavens, a Son perfected for evermore (7^'"-'), who by the sacrifice of Himself obtains for us eternal redemption (9^-), and secures us in an eternal covenant (8'-^* 9^^ 13^") ; the Author and Perfecter of our faith (12^) ; and the great Shepherd of His sheep (13^"). He is the One who speaks from heaven, rejection of whom is doom (12^^). He is our supreme goal. Others change and pass away ; He abides the same yester- day, to-day, and for ever (13*) ; and to Him belongs the glory iror ever and ever (13^').
2. First Peter. — Many of the terms with which we have become so familiar are here. He is the Lord Jesus Christ (P). We must sanctify Him as Lord in our hearts (3^''). He is seated at God's right hand, angels and principalities being made subject to Him (3'^^). As Saviour He bears our sin (2-^), redeems us with His blood (P^), is the Chief Shepiierd, tiie Bislio]^ of Souls (5^ 2^^), and mediates all God's gifts to man (2^ 411). He is the Chief Corner-stone (2^) ; Sonship unique is implied in P, His place in a Trinity in 1-, pre-existence in 1" (cf. ' manifested ' in 1^") ; His identity with Jehovah in 2^^ (where an OT declaration about Jehovah is referred to Him). In keeping with this is the contrast between His ' blood ' and ' corruptible things' in P^'- (cf. Ac 20^8).
3. Second Peter is equally emphatic about His lordship (1-- "• ^^), and more explicit about His Sonship {\") and Deity (\\ cf. v." 22° 32- ^^ ; for the order of words is the same, and the presumption is tliat in each case but one person is referred to — Jesus Christ is God and Saviour as Avell as Lord and Saviour). The day of the Lord, ushered in by His coming, marks the time of His full triumph and glory (ch. 3), and His Kingdom is eternal (1").
4. Jude has in common with 2 Peter the use of tlie full title and of the term SecrTrdnjs (v.'*, 2 P 2^ cf. 2 Ti 2-^) — a term expressive of special absolute- ness of authority, and made the stronger here by the fxovov. This Epistle has in common Avith 1 Peter what looks like a knowledge of His place in a Trinity (v.^»f-).
5. St. John's Writings. — In Acts, St. John was linked with St. Peter, and it is instructive to note how emphatically he harks back in his Epistles to that which they had from the beginning {e.g. I l^^-, 11^'-). He seems anxious to guard against any change from that early conception of Christ which is summed up in his Gospel in the confession of Thomas and in his own declaration (20'^^- ^^).
The Prologue of St. John's Gospel restates it in the light of all the currents of thought that he has been meeting with in the intervening years. It stands, in its lofty conception of Christ, beside Col 1, Ph 2, and He 1, and forms the great thesis which the historic testimony marshalled in the Gospel was meant to establish. That testimony has been already referred to. All its strands are bound together here, — Creator, Light, Life, Revealer of God, Saviour of Men, — and all are grounded in His Godhead. What ' the Son ' on the lips of Jesus involves and what the Evangelist expresses by 'the only-begotten Son' (3^''), is here (v.'*) expressed by ' only-begotten God,' which after all is the only adequate explanation of the phenomena, hoAvever incomprehensible to us it may be in itself. For He was in the beginning ; He was face to face witii God; He was God. The last statement guards again.st any form of Unitarianism (Belos would admit that), while in tiie use of ^eos it provides for the Trini- tarian conception which 6 debs might be understood
PKE-KX1STE^'CE
PKK-EXISTEXCE
to exclude, and fits in Avith the pre\ious rpds top deov, which implies two Persons in face to face fellowship. Being God, He creates the Universe and becomes incarnate, and so reveals God. Of this fact John the Baptist had some glimpse (1^°). It is here as:!iigned as the reason for his sense of inferiority. •
bt. John's Epistles assume all this, as the open- ing verses show, and are intended to point out that a life of righteousness, truth, and love is neces- sarilj' involved in that fellowship with God which faith in Christ etiects. The liar is the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ (1 Jn 2-); he who believes that is born of God (5M- He who denies the Son hath not the Father, and will deny both Father and Son. Such is antichrist (2--^). Jesus Christ is the true God (5*'). This is final truth, l>e3ond which none can go and have God (2 Jn 9).