The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 91

dinnihls," Bl'nirel on Heb. i. 3), which man, to a pel'BOn. lb! ordine.ry use in the LXX, th1',ugh i;in, fulls short of. ( as e.leo Heb. ix. 5) is to designe.te the lid of Vers. 24-26.-lleing jutifted freely by the IIJ'k (i.e. the mercy-seat), the noun l,rl0,µ11 his graoe throqh the redemption that (whioh is added Exod. xxv. 17: xxxvii. 6) is in ChriBt J"e11111: whom God ■et forth heing supposed to be always understood, t,:, be a propitiation through faith in hia though the usunl designation is simply ,,-l, blood. A11r11100µ,P01 llgree& with ,..d,,.,-,s in i>..u'"""ip1011. Henco most commentntors, in- ver. 23. • Repente sic panditur eoena am10- oluding the Greek Fathers generally, under- nior" (Bengel). Aa,pO<J.11 and ..-ij ab-roii x&- stood O..ucrr{ip1011 in this sense here, Ohrist ,,,.,., are opposed to the impossible theory being regarded tu! the nntitype of the meroy- or justification by lato. Aud, as a1l Binned, seat, es being the medium of atonement and eo all are so justified potentially, the re- approach to God. The me.in objection to demption being for all; er. espe,cie.lly eh. v. 18. this view is that it involves an awkward Bnt pot,ent,ial justification only is implied; confusion of metaphors, it being difficult to for the condition for appropriation is further regard him who was at once the Viotim intimated by 611'. ,,-71s ,rl,rr,a,s following. whose blood was offered, and the High Priest The means whereby it becomes objeclivel:g who offered his own blood, at the mercy. possible is '· the redemption that is in Christ seat, Bll being also the Mercy-seat itself: J ~ " Here, Bll throughout St. Paul's (Thus, however, Theodoret explains : "The Epistles, and in the New Testament gene- mercy-seat of old was itself bloodless, being ra.J..ly, the doctrine of CJUJflffllent being re- without life, but it received the sprinkling quired for man's justification is undoubtedly of the blood of the sacrifice. But the Lord taught, Christ being viewed es not only Christ and God is at once Mercy-seat, High manifesting God's right.eousness in his life, Priest, and Lamb.") The difficulty is end reconciliRg believers through his in- avoided if we take the word here in the fi uence on themselves, but es effecting such sense of propitiatmy offering, which ip. itself reconciliation by an atoning sacrifice. The it will bear, a noun, such as 6uµa., being sup- word itself (lrro>,..i,.,.pr,,,rr.s) here used may posed to be understood (cf. 4 Mace. xvii. 22: indeed sometimes d.mote deli:r1era.n«J only Josephus, •Ant.,' xvi. o. 7: Dio Chrys., •Orat.,' (cf. eh. tiii. 23; Luke xri. 28; Eph. i. 14; :x:i. 1). Whatever its exact meaning, it evi- h-. 30 ; Heb. xi. 85) ; but certe.inly, when dently denotes a true fulfilment in Obrist of used of the redemption of man by Christ, it the atonement for Bin undoubtedly signified implies C1lnnernem by the payment of a by the type; as does further '" 'l"'f aln-au f"aMOm (Mrrpo,, or izrr!A.wpo11); cl. Eph. i 7: 11!µ,a,,-i, which fellows. For a distinct enun- I Cor. vi 20 ; Gal. iii. 13 ; l Tim. ii. 6 ; ciation of the significance of blood under Rev. v. 9 ; Matt. xx. 28; the ra.nsom pa.id the ancient ritual, as reserved for and ex- being said to be himael.j, or (as in Matt. XL pressing atonement, see especial] y Lev. xvii. 28) hu Uje; T~w ,j,vx11v alrroii >,..wpo11 ab,.,.I ll. The meaning of the whole se.criftcial ..-01,..JJ;,11. It does not follow that e.11 con- ritual is there expressed es being that the ceptions of schools of theology es to 1wu, the life of man being forfeit to Divine justice, atonement wBB efficacious for its pmpose are blood, representing life, must be offered correct ar adequate. It must, from the very instead of his life for atonement, Hence, nature of the subject, remain t.o us a mystery. in pursuance of this idea, the frequent Ii may be enough for us to believe that references in the New Testament to the whatever need the human conscience has physical bk,od-Blu!dding of Obrist (cf, Heb. ever felt of trlonement for sin, whatever ix. 22, "Without shedding of blood there human want WBB expressed by world-wide is no remission"). It ill not, however, rita of sacrifice, what.ever especially WBll implied that the material blood· of Obrist, Bignifu,d by the blood required for at.one- shed on the cross, in itself cleanses the ment in the Mosaic ritne.l,-&11 this is soul from ain, but only that it signifies tD met and fnlfilled for us in Christ's offer- us the fulfilment in him of ths type of ail ing of himself, and that in him and through atoning sacrifice. A.a to the construotion him we may now " come boldly to the of ver. 25, it is a question whether /11 .,.. throne of.~," having need of no other. 11ln-oii 11'{µ.a.,., is to oe taken in connection Ilpol8ero in ver. 25 ("set (ortb," Authorized with 3,~ ,,-ijs ,r[u.,-,..,s, meaning "through Venion), may bear here ita mOBt usual faith in hill blood" (an unusual expression, cl.e.esical llell8e of e:r,hibiiing to ffllD (" ante though grammatically correct, cf. Eph. omnie.m oculos posauit," Bengel); ,.e. in the i. 15), or with 1".11u,,-1,p1011. The emphatio hiJ!torical manifestation of the Redeemer. It position of 11ln-oii, such es e.fparoutly may, however, mean •• decreed." or "pur- to Biguify "1n his own blood,' favours posed" (cf. eh. i 13; Eph. L 9). The ward the le.tt.er connection (cf. Heb. tx. 12-215, i.>.surrfipw" aeems best taken u a neuter where the 011:'ering of Christ ill distinguished adjE,01;ive med sublllantively, there being no from those of the Law in being 3,~ ,,-ou l3lo11 iD81ie.noc of. it.I applice.tiou iD t.he UIAIIC1iline alp,wro,, not '" "r/J-WT, li.MoTplr,). TbUB tlie cu. m. 1-81.] THE EPIBTLE OF PA Ut TO THE ROMANS. 86