(rf) The Fourth Group (1 Tim., Tit., 2 Tim.).— The Pastoral Epistles, which in the present writer's opinion may be accepted as genuine, do not contain anything essentially new on this theme. In 1 Ti 1" we read that ' Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.' In 2"- we have the famous passage, 'one mediator also between God and men, himself man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for
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all.' Here the humanity of Christ is accented in His mediatorial work, and the word /xetriTTis is applied directly to Jesus. But His atoning death as ' ransom for all,' di/TiXvrpov inrip irivruv, is em- phasized (note both ivrl and itirip, to make plain the substitutionary character of Christ's death ; cf. Xtrrpo;' avrl iroXXii' in Mt 20'-*). In Tit 2'* the voluntar3^ giving of Christ is presented to redeem us and purify for Himself a fieople of His own. The reference is to His death. In Tit "i*"- tlie I'auline teachin<i of salvation by mercy and faith, not by works, appears, ' through Jesus Christ our Saviour.'
3. Epistle of James. — There is nothing in this book specitically on the subject, though the media- torial work of Christ is assumed and implied in several passages. In 1' James terms himself ' a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ ' ; here the word /cupios is to be noted and also the fact that Christ is placed on a level with God in what may jiii-silily be the earliest document in the NT. Still stronger is 2' : ' Hold not the faith in our Lord Jesus, the glory' ; if we accept the interpretation of Mayor and several other commentators, Christ is here the object of faith and so of worship, and r^s 56tJ)s is in descriptive apposition. ' The honourable (Ka.\6v) name which is called upon you ' refers to Christ. There may be a reference to the death of Christ in 5*, though this is not certain ; but the Second Coming is presented in v.'. 'The Judge standeth before the doors ' (v.'). Though the stress in the Epistle is on the ethical side of Christianity, one notes the same doctrinal conception of Christ and His work at the basis of it all. The new birth is mentioned in 1'*"-'.
4. Jude. — There is a positive note in Jude's Epistle, as the writer describes ' Our only Master and Lord {tov p.bvov Scinrbr-qv Kal Kvpiov -qfiwif), Jesus Christ' (v.''). Cf. v.*, 'the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints,' clearly having Jesus as 'only Master and Lord.' See also 'our Lord Jesus Christ' in v." ; ' the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life ' (v.='), where ' eternal life ' is posited in ' the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.' In v.^*"- we are plainly told that we can be set before the presence of God's glory ' through Jesus Christ our Lord.'
5. Epistles of Peter.— The genuineness of these Epistles cannot here be discussed, nor their ' Paul- ine ' features. They certainly give the same view of Christ's mediatorial office as we find in St. Paul's writings. This conception of Christ's sacrificial death meets us in 1 P l", ' sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ' (cf. Ex 24). The new birth comes to pass ' by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead' (1 P P). The readers of the Epistle receive the end of their faith, even the salvation of their souls, 'through Jesus Christ' (I'). 'The sufterings of Christ' were prophesied beforehand by the Spirit of Christ (v."). Redemption is not with gold, ' but with precious blood, as of a Iamb without blemish and without spot, even the blood of Christ' (v.'*). Here the point of view of the Epistle to the Hebrews (chs. 9 and 10) is approached. Christ is the Living Stone through whom the living stones in the spiritual house ' offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God ' ( 1 P 2''), a clear picture of the mediatorial work of Christ (cf. Mt 16'*). In 2^' we are told expressly that ' Christ also suffered for you (lirip v/iwv}, leaving you an example (uttoXi/u- iravui' inroypap.ij.di'), that you should follow his steps,' where the death of Christ is given as an example for us in suftering. But that this is not the sole idea in the atoning death of Christ we need only recall (!'*'■), not to mention the rest of the sentence in 2-'"''', where we read that Jesus ' did no sin ' and ' his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live
unto righteousness ; by whose stripes ye were healed.' There is an evident reference to Is 53, and the substitutionary character of the death of Christ for sins is clear enough. St. Peter's own interpretation of liraOei' inrip iinCiv is thus quite pertinent. Hence it is plain what is meant in 3" : ' Because Christ also died (oTr^Oai-ei', WH, but some MSS (waBev) for {ircpl) sins once for all {d-Trai), the righteous for {uirip) the unrighteous, that he might bring you [or us, v/xas or Tj/ias) unto God.' This significant passage pictures Christ as both Sacrifice and Priest (cf. Hebrews). In 3-' baptism is given a symbolic interpretation ' through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and in v." the mediatorial work of Christ continues, ' who is on the right hand of God, having gone into heaven.' Christ sutl'ered in the flesh (S'S 4'). Through Jesus Christ God is to be glorified in all things (4"). We are to rejoice if we become partakers of Christ's sufferings, only we must be innocent of wrong and suffer as Christians (yisff.) This imitation of Christ in suffering is ennobled by the fact that Jesus has bought us by His own precious blood (cf. I"'- 5'°). St. Peter calls himself a witness of the sufl'erings of Christ and a partaker of the glory to be revealed (5').