The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Corinthians — Section 129

on, o. life in the redeeming Christ. Admitting that this passage presents the moral aspects of Ohrist's death and the obligations consequent thereupon as they act on moral sentiment, yet the fundamental idea. of the apostle is that Christ stood in thP, stead of sinners, took their guilt upon himself, and made an offering of his life for their rescue. 'l'o strengthen this doctrine, he says that, though he once knew Christ after the flesh (119 a mere man), he knew him now in e. very different wa.y. We are not to suppose t.hat he had seen him in his earthly life, but merely that he knew of him. St. Paul, after his conversion, had an experimental knowledge of Christ as hie Redeemer through the sacrificial death of the cross; nor was there any room in his heart for moral senti- ment, nor any spiritual force in Christ's teaching and example, nor ground for any trust or hope, till he as "chief of sinners" had realized the righteousness of God in the atoning blood of Calvary, Such a change was a creation. He was "a new creature," and whoever experienced this power of the Lord's death was a new creature. Old things had passed away-the old self in taste and habit, the old unbelief rooted in the fleshly mind, the old worldliness-and all things had become new. No wonder that "all things'' had become "new;" for" all things" pertaining to this change in its cause, agency, instrumentalities, "are of God." Strong language this, which sounds even yet to many as the rhetoric of excited fancy; but not stronger than the blessed reality it represents. Nay; words cannot equal the fact. A man may overstate his own experience of Divine grace; never can he exaggerate the grace itself. "AU things are of God;" and how is this fact manifested? In the method of reconciliation which is God's e.ct through Christ. "Who bath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ." To understand what is implied in reconciliation, we must remember that much more is involved in it than the moral state of a sinner's mind toward God. The enmity of the carnal man has to be subdued, and in this sense he is "a new creature," but the possi- bility. of this creation rests upon an antecedent fact, viz. a changed relation to the violated Law of God. What bas been done for him must take precedence, as to time, of what is done in him. We must know how God as Sovereign stands to us, and by what means the sovereignty co-operates with the fatherhood of God, before we can accept the offered boon of mercy. There must be a reason why God should pardon in advance of a reason why we should seek pardon. A principle of righteousness must be estab- lished as preliminary and essential to the sentiment of Christianity, since it is impossiblti for us by the laws of the mind to apprecia.te the power of any great sentiment unless we have previously felt it as connected with a great principle. "Whom God set forth to be a Propitiation, through faith, by his blood, to show his righteousness, because of the passing over of the sins done aforetime, in the forbearance of God; for the showing, I say, of his righteousness at this present season: that he might himself be just, and the Justifier of him that bath faith in Jesus" (Rom. iii. 25, 26, Revised Version). There is a " ministry of reconciliation" because "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing [ reckoning] their trespasses unto them." ]forgiveness through Christ, the Propitia,tion, is free to all who believe in him. Nor are we left in doubt as to the substance of our belief. It is faith in Christ, God in Christ, the Reconciler, who pardons our sins and makes us new creatures in him. To make this reconciliation known, to demonstrate its infinite excellence as the method of grace, to show its Divine results iu the very men who proclaimed the gospel, Christ had instituted the ministry, and its title was, "ministry of reconciliation." Recall, 0 Corinthians, what I have said iu defence of my apostleship. Recall my sufferings in your behalf. See the reason of it all. Whom are these factious Judaizers fighting? Whom did those beasts at Ephesus try to destroy? Who is this man, troubled on every side, perplexed, persecuted, cast down, dying everywhere, dying always'/ 'J.'his is the character he sustains, the offico he fills-an "ambassador for Christ." Has he manifested himself to your consciences '? Does he look forward to the day of judgment as a day of revelation as well as a day of reward and punishment? Know we not e. man, not even _C~rist, after .the flesh ! Behold your minister, your se1ve.nt, as an" ambassador," comm1ss1oned to of!~r you the terms of reconciliation. "We pray you in Christ's stead [on behalf of Chmt], be yu reconciled to God." Nothing remains to be done but for yoL1 to accept the otforeJ. reconciliation. And he enforces tbis_idea by stating that he w_ho_," died fur all," since "all were dead," had been made "sm for us, who knew no sm: "Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from siuners, and made higher than the hcaveus;" yet he was "made ll, COBINTHIAN8, !i: 130 THE SECOND EPISTLE TO 'l'HE CORIN'l'HIANS. [ou. v. 1-21.