(3) Christ's Resurrection is evidential of His Divinity. — St. Paul begins the letter to the Romans with this thought : P- * ' . . . the gospel of God . . .
concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection of the dead.' Here the essence of the gospel, that is, of Chris- tianity, is said to be concerning God's Son. And tlie expression ' God's Son ' is, says Meyer, not by any means to be taken merely as a designation of Messiah ; it is in St. Paul a Son who has pre- existed, and proceeded out of the essence of the Father, like Him in substance (cf. Liddon, Analysis, p. 4). The gospel of God concerning His Son is con- cerned with Sonship in the highest of all senses. It designates neither adoption nor official place, but personal equality.
God's Son, then, is viewed by the Apostle in two aspects, which both represent constituent ele- ments of His nature, — according to the flesh, and according to the spirit of holiness. The former describes His humanity, the latter His higher Self. Regarded in the former aspect. He was born of the dynasty of David ; regarded in the latter, He was declared to be the Son of God. The term trans- lated ' declared to be ' [bpiadivTos) might refer either to an actual appointment or to the declaration of a fact. If our exposition of the title ' Son of God ' be correct, it is the second that is intended here. Jesus is, then, here declared to be the Son of God with power by the Resurrection. A powerful demonstration of His higher Self has been made in the sphere of resurrection (cf. Liddon, Easter Sermons, vi. 94, iv. 58 ; Giflbrd on Romans ; con- trast Du Rose, Gospel ace. to St. Paid, p. 31).
(4) Instrumental in effecting Christ's Exaltation. The Resurrection is in Apostolic theology by no means merely evidential. It is no mere certificate of acceptance. It is not merely an indirect means through which men have become believers, a matter which can be dispensed with so soon as faith is gained, or is unnecessary if faith is obtained some other way. It is also instrumental, and pro- duces its own necessary and indispensable effects. It has primarily its own effect on Christ Himself. Obviously it does not only certify Him to be the Christ. It is instrumental in effecting His Exalta- tion. It is through the Resurrection that Christ ' enters into his glory' (Lk 24^6 ; cf. Ac 2^'\ Ro 6«). St. Paul (Ac IS'*^) applies to the Resurrection the Psalm, ' Thou art my Son, this day (i.e. Easter Day) have I begotten thee.' The primary refer- ence (? to the coronation of Solomon) is here, ac- cordingly, mystically transferred to the Exaltation of Jesus. Not that the Resurrection constituted Him God's Son (which He was throughout), but that it effected the transition into a glorified state. Jesus, as having expired on the cross, would be conceived by the Jews as transferred to the gloom of Hades. Jesus, as risen, was thereby exalted to a condition hitherto unprecedented among the occupants of the other world (cf. Rev P^). As the result of the Resurrection, Jesus ' is at the right hand of God,' ' making intercession for us ' (Ro 8=«).
(5) The Resurrection is also instrutnental in effecting justification. The great passage is Ro 425 < "Who was delivered for oi;r offences, and was raised again for our justification.' The two clauses are by no means identical — an antithesis of phrases without antithesis of meaning — as an attempt to transpose them ought to show. St. Paul could not conceivably have said, ' Who died for our justifica- tion, and rose again for our sins.' There is an intimate connexion between the categories of death and sin, and those of resurrection and justification. Moreover, both Death and Resurrection have their functions to discharge in completing the work of redemption. In the first place, Christ was de- livered over to death as a Sacrifice on account of
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our ofl'ences. Thereby objectively reparation was made in behalf of humanity by its representative, and reconciliation secured. But this, wliile com- plete on the Divine side, leaves the earthward yet to be effected. The reconciliation must be sub- jectively ai)proi)riated by each individual. Ac- cordingly Christ was raised again on account of our justification. Our individual acceptance is said to be due to the Resurrection. This is for two reasons : (a) because we can approi)riate justi- lication only by belief in the saving signilicance of C'iirist's death. And we can attain to this belief only through the fact of the Resurrection (cf. B. Weiss, Bibl. 7'heoL i. 437). But it should be most clearly understood that this is only a partial state- ment of the truth. Our individvial acceptance is also due to the Resurrection ; (h) because it was only l)y His Risen Life that Christ became the new life- principle for mankind. Justice will never be done to this great passage so long as the eft'ect of Christ's Resurrection on our justification is restricted to its being a mere certificate of His acceptance with God (contrast Plleiderer, Pnullnisin, i. 119, and Stevens, Pauline Theol. 25-4 f.).