Not so the later commentators, who for the most part find here a doxology addressed to God, ' God Avho is over all be blessed for evermore.' Evidence of a grammatical or linguistic character is evenly balanced in favour of tiie tAvo renderings ; but in favour of the latter there is the strong general reason that on the other interpretation Ave should have a phrase Avhich Avould inevitably infringe St. Paul's monotheism and challenge the monotheism of his readers. And, revicAving the Avhole of his utter- ances regarding Christ, the total impression is that of a monotheistic conviction consistently resisting the impulse to do this very thing — to call Jesus God. On the other hand, nothing, not even the Cross, could liave offered a greater stumbling-block to the people Avhom St. Paul Avas seeking to in- fluence than the proclamation of a second God. And the entire absence from the NT of any indica- tion of opposition to such teaching, or of necessity to explain teaching Avhich Avould be so distasteful, points conclusively in the same direction.
(/3) This conclusion is borne out by the second general consideration, viz. the frequent and em- phatic references in St. Paul to the subordination of the Son. In 1 Co 3--'- Ave have the striking climax, ' All things are yours, for ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's ' ; cf . 1 Co 1 1* ' the head of every man is Christ ; the head of the Avoman is the man ; and the head of Christ is God.' The very name of 'Son' implies a measure of subordination, and even the supreme Exaltation of the Son Avhen every tongue shall ' confess that Jesus Christ is Lord ' (Ph 2") is • to the glory of God the Father.' The same idea underlies the representation of Christ as the organ of God's revelation, of creation, of reconciliation.
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And it is brought out with ahnost startling force in 1 Co 15-^ ' When all things shall have been sub- jected unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subjected to him that did subject all things unto him, that God may be all in all.'
Whether St. Paul was ever conscious of the prob- lem which his Christology thus presents, it is im- possible to say. He held with equal conviction and emphasis two propositions which seem contradic- tory : ' There is one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all, and in you all,' and ' Christ is God for me ' ; and perhaj^s they find their synthesis in that saying which is at once the simplest and the profoundest account of the whole matter : ' God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself (2 Co 5^^).
i. The First Epistle of Peter.— This Ejnstle opens with a phrase ('the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,' P ; cf. 2 Co P, Eph P) which puts its Christology on the same plane with what was central in the Christology of St. Paul, but at the same time common to the primitive community (see Hort's notes ad loc). But its predominantly practical character does not offer the opportunity for develojnng the Christological conception in de- tail. There is no reference to Christ as Son of God (except indirectly in the plirase quoted above), as Son of Man, or as Spirit. The word ' Christ ' is frequently used as a proper name, sometimes in combination with ' Jesus,' sometimes by itself. The starting-point of Christian ' hope' and of Christian experience is the Resurrection of Christ (P) ; but that experience is described in terms of re-bu"th, recalling the language of the Fourth Gospel (cf. 1 P P-22 with Jn 33 !'-• 13). The goal of Christian hope is 'the revelation of Jesus Christ' (1 P P- '^ -t'3 ; cf. 1^ 5')- In the interval the supreme religi- ous duty of Christians is to ' sanctify in their hearts Christ as Lord ' (3'^ RV). St. Peter is here quoting (and adapting) the language of Is 8''- ^^ in the LXX \ersion, which concludes with Kvpiov avrbv ayiaaaTe. Whatever be the precise way in which his words should be rendered, the significant thing is that he substitutes the word Xpttrroj' for the aiVii/ by which the projihet meant Jahweh. He demands for Christ tlie same reverence, submission, and dependence as the prophet claimed for God, and he makes the rendering of these the central thing in religion. In 2^ we find a similar application to Christ of the language of Ps 34".
Christ ' is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven (cf. Ac 3'-^), angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him ' (3^-). For ■ God has raised him from the dead, and given him glory' (1-1 ; cf. Ac 3'^ eSo^acrec tov iratda avrov and Is 52^3 LXX 0 irals fiov Bo^acrdrjcreTai a(p68pa). This glorified Christ is the ' chief shepherd ' (5*), the ' shepherd and overseer of your souls ' (2'-^), by a figure which, though familiar in the OT {e.g. Ps 23, Zee 13", Is 40'i) and also in the Gospels {e.g. Mt 9^^, Jn 10) and in the Epistle to the Hebrews (13 »), is never applied to Christ by St. Paul. It is possible that St. Peter also represents Him as ' ready to judge the quick and the dead ' (4^), though in 1" it is God who is the Judge.