With these passages from the Epistles we may compare a few examples taken out of the Fourth Gospel. The Word was ' in the beginning ' and 'became flesh' (Jn P-"). Jesus speaks of Him- self, or the Evangelist speaks of Him, as ' he that Cometh from above, he that cometh from heaven ' (3^1), 'whom thou hast sent' (17^), as 'he that de- scended out of heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven ' (3'^ ; the last four words are omitted by ^< B and some other authorities, and are thought by WH [Appendix, p. 75] to be an early but true gloss). Pre-existence does not in itself imply God- head ; but, on the other hand, if our Lord was not pre-existent, He cannot be God.
(e) Divine attributes ascribed to our Lord. — At the outset of the apostolic period St. Peter speaks of .lesus as the ' Prince' (or 'Author,' dpxvyos) 'of life'; He coidd not be holden of death (Ac 2'^-^). This resembles the sayings of the Fourth Gospel that Jesus has 'life in himself ' (Jn 5^' ; see below, 8), and th.at He has power to lay down His life and to take it again (10'*). Jesus" ' abolished death and brought life and incorruption to light through the gospel' (2 Ti I'O). He is 'the first and the last, and the Living One,' who ' was dead ' but is ' alive for evermore ' and has ' the keys of death and of Hades' (Rev !"'•) ; He is the ' Alpha and Omega' (22'^), a title which had just before been given to the Father (18 216; ggg above, 3 (6)). The Lamb, as well as the Father, is the source of the river (Rev 22^) which is the gift of the Spirit (see Swete, Com. in loc. ; cf. Jn V^'-). Christ, being the Living One, is called ' our life,' the giver of life to us, in Col 3*; cf. 2 Ti po as above, and Jn 6" ('he that eateth me, he also shall live because of me'; see 8). And therefore He is 'in us' (Ro 8'", etc.).
Our Lord is represented as receiving the worship of angels (He 1**), and of the four-and-twenty elders (Rev 5^'-), and of the angels and living creatures
and elders (vv."""). He took part in the creation of the world (Col P", He P- ^ 3^, 1 Co 8«, Ro ips, Jn P). Both He and the Father are called ' the Saviour.' The ascription of this title to the Father is characteristic of the Pastoral Epistles (1 Ti 1^ 2' 4'", Tit P 2'« 3^ ; cf. 2 Ti P) and is also found in Jude25 RV, Lk p7 (cf. Ja 4^^) ; but it is given to our Lord in 2 Ti l'", Tit 1* 3" (in each case just after it had been given to the Father), as it is given in Eph 5^3, Pli 3'", 1 Jn 4'^ 2 P V- " 2-'^ S--^^, Lk 2'^, Jn 4«, Ac 53> 1323 (cf. also Jn 1247, He V^). His human name of Jesus was given Him with that very signification (Mt 1"^'). It was the foundation of the gospel message that ' Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners' (1 Ti P'). It is in the same way that the Father is sometimes said to be the Judge, sometimes our Lord. The Father judges through the Son (Jn 5"^ ; cf. Ja 4^^ with 5*). He that sat on the white horse ' doth judge and make war' (Rev 19^'), though during His earthly ministry our Lord did not judge (Jn 8^^). These two considerations, that Jesus is Saviour and Judge, might not be so conclusive as to His Divinity, if it were not for another office ascribed to Him, that of the One Mediator (1 Ti 2% He is Himself man (v.^), or He could not mediate ; and by parity of reasoning He is Himself God. A mediator must share the nature of both parties to the mediation. A mere man can only supplicate ; God not incar- nate can be merciful ; but God incarnate alone can mediate.
The great attributes of God — love, truth, know- ledge, holiness, righteousness (including justice) — are ascribed to our Lord. His love is spoken of in some of the most pathetic passages of St. Paul : ' the Son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me' (Gal 2-"), 'the love of Christ which passeth knowledge ' (Eph 3^' ; cf. 5^'). The Apoca- lyptist declares tliat ' he loveth us and loosed us from our sins by his blood ' (Rev 1*). It is because of this Divine attribute of love that ' Christ forgave ' sinners (Eph 4*^). His forgiving sins was a great scandal to the Jews (Mk 2^-''-^'^). Well might they ask, from their point of view, ' "Who can forgive sins but one, even God ?' The forgiveness of sins by our Lord ditt'ers in kind, not in degree, from human absolutions pronounced by Christian ministers, who do not profess to be able to read the heart or to perform any but a conditional and ministerial action. — For the attribute of truth see Rev 3^'" ('the Amen ') 6^" 19'^ (in these Jesus is [6] d\T]6iv6s, the ' ideal or absolute truth,' not merely ' vera- cious'), Jn P* (' full of grace and truth ') 14' (' I am the way and the truth and the life'). Our Lord, then, is absolute Truth ; and with this attribute is associated that of knoidedge : ' He knew all men . , . he himself knew what was in man' (Jn 2"^) ; without this He could not be the Judge (see also 1 Co 12*- 30, Col 23).— Most emphatically is our Lord called holy. His is an absolute sanctity (Rev 3^: ' He that is holy, he that is true ') ; not only the holiness of a good man who strives to do God's will, but absolute sinlessness. This attribute is insisted on with some vehemence in 2 Co 5^', He 4'^ -jasf. ^1 holy ' [6(T(oj ; see 3 (/) note], ' separated from sinners'), 1 P P^ 2^2, 1 Jn 3^ ; note also Ro 83 ('in the likeness of sinful flesh'). Sanday-Headlam justly remark (ICC in loc.) that * the flesh of Christ IS " like " ours inasmuch as it is flesh ; " like," and only "like," because it is not sinful.' For this attribute see also Ac 3^* (' the Holy and Righteous One') 42^ Rev 6'**; and, in the Gospels, Mk P*, Jn 6^', etc. Both the demoniacs in a lower sense and the instructed disciples in a higher one call our Lord ' the Holy One of God.' It was announced by Gabriel that from His birth Jesus should be called holy, the Son of God (Lk l^ RV).— Lastly, the attribute of righteousness is ascribed to our