{h) So far as the pos.iihilittf of receiving is con- cerned the life of salvatidn, is open to all men, since ' the living God ... is the Saviour of all men, speci- ally of them that believe' (1 Ti 4'"), though this must not be pushed to a denial of the correlative NT truth that there are possibilities of rejection and that there is eternal punishment as well as eternal life.
(i) The power of the salvation in some sense extends beyond man so as to affect the universe. 'All things' are eventually to be 'subjected unto' 'the Son' (1 Co 15*); it is the purpose of the Father ' to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth' (Eph 1'"), and that 'in him should all the fulness dwell ; and through him to reconcile all things unto himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross ; through him . . . whether things upon the earth, or things in the heavens' (Col
Jl9. 20j
4. First-century writers outside the NT. — The
documents to be considered are the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, the Epistle of Barnabas, and the Epistle to the Corinthians of St. Clement of Rome. The general features of teaching about salvation expressed in these books are the same as those found in the NT.
(a) The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles contains remarkably little on the subject. The NT doctrine that good works are a necessary part of the life of salvation receives the particular expression, remi- niscent of the deutero-canonical books of the OT (Sir 17"- ^ 29'2- '^ 40-S To 4'"" 128- » H'"- "), that almsgiving affords a ransom for sin : ' Be not thou found holding out thy hands to receive, but draw- ing them in as to giving [cf. Sir 4*']. If thou hast ought passing through thy hands, thou shalt give a ransom for thy sins. Thou shalt not hesitate to give, neither siialt thou murmur when giving ; for thou shalt know who is the good paymaster of thy reward ' (iv. 5-7). The description of the Eucharist as a 'sacrifice' (xiv. 1, 3) may imply that it was regarded by the writer of the Teaching as a means of appropriating the redemption accomplished by Christ.
(6) The Epistle of Barnabas supplies more. Salvation is possessed by Christians in the present time as being a mark of that life which has been bestowed and can be lost (ii. 10). It is also future, since it is hoped for (i. 3) and desired (xvi. 10) and the complete hallowing has yet to come (xv. 7). It is the work of God as being ' He who redeemed ' (xix. 2). It includes deliverance ' from death ' (ib. 2). It could not have been if the Son of God ' had not come in the flesh' (v. 10). The remission of sins and sanctitication needed for it are through the blood of Christ (v. 1) ; His suft'erings were ' for our sake,' and ' He suH'ered in order that His wound might give us life ' (vii. 2) ; 'He ofl'ered the
vessel of his spirit as a sacrifice on behalf of onr sins' (vii. 3), 'His flesh on behalf of the sins of His ' new people ' (vii. 5); 'the cross' has 'grace' (ix. 8). Remission is applied by means of baptism (xi. 1, 8, 11). Salvation is gained through hope on Christ (xii. 3, 7). Sonis may be saved by words spoken by Christians (xix. 10). For the possession of salvation there is need of righteousness and endurance (iv. 9-14, vii. 11, viii. 6, xix. 10); and in a phrase resembling that in the Teaching quoted above it is said, ' thou shalt work with thy hands for a ransom for thy sins' (xix. 10). Through the remission of sins are gained renewal and regenera- tion, re-creation and Divine indwelling: 'Since then He renewed us in the remission of sins. He made us another type so as to have the soul of children, as if He were re-creating us' (vi. 11) ; 'Receiving the remission of sins and hoping on the Name we became new, being created afresh from the begin- ning. Wherefore God really dwells in our habita- tion within us. How? The word of His faith, the calling of His promise, the wisdom of the ordinances, the commandments of the teaching. He Himself prophesying in us, He Himself dwell- ing in us, opening to those who had been in bondage to death the door of the shrine, which is the mouth, giving us repentance leads to the in- corruptible shrine. For he who desires to be saved looks not to the man but to Him who dwells and speaks in him ' (xvi. 8-10).
(c) I'he Epistle of St. Clement of Rome emphasizes strongly the work of our Lord as the Saviour. Christians are described as having been ' called and sanctified by the will of God through our Lord Jesus Christ' (preef); and blessedness is said to be ' upon those who have been chosen by God through Jesus Christ our Lord' (1. 7). Christians have ' taken refuge in ' God's ' mercies through our Lord Jesus Christ '(xx. 11). Those who are saved are ' saved through Jesus Christ ' (Iviii. 2). Jesus Christ is ' the High-priest of our oH'erings, the Guardian and Helper of our weakness,' ' the Way in which we found our salvation' (xxxvi. 1, 2), the ' Gate of the Lord,' through which ' the righteous shall enter' (xlviii. 3; cf. Ps llS''-'"). 'The blood of Christ ' ' is precious to his Father because it was poured out for the sake of our salvation and won for the whole world the grace of repentance' (vii. 4). 'Through the blood of the Lord 'is 're- demption for all those who believe and hope in God ' (xii. 7). His ' blood was given on our behalf ' (xxi. 6). 'Jesus Christ our Lord gave His blood on our behalf by the will of God, and His flesh on behalf of our flesh, and His soul on behalf of our souls ' (xlix. 6). Christians are said to be ' justified by works and not by words' (xxx. 3). Preserving the other side of the NT antithesis, the writer says also : ' We, having been called in Christ Jesus through His will, are justified not through our- selves nor through our wisdom or understanding or piety or works which we wrought in holiness of heart, but through faith, through which the Almighty God justified all men who have been from the beginning' (xxxii. 4). The work of salva- tion includes the body (xxxvii. 5, xxxviii. 1). God is the Saviour of those who are in despair (lix. 3 ; cf. Jth 9"), and of those who are in tribulation (lix. 4). Faithful Christians have 'conflict day and night for all the brotherhood, that the number of the elect may be saved ' (ii. 4).