THE DEATH OF THE LORD
[p. 44] THE DEATH OF THE LORD
1 Corinthians It has been observed that in the first epistle to the Corinthians the apostle reverts continually to the death of Christ, while in the second epistle, the glory of the Lord seems to be that which is occupying his soul, and is the standpoint from which he speaks. It is quite remarkable how the death of Christ is interwoven in the treatment of each succeeding subject in the first epistle; and it would seem that, in the application of that death to the Christian conscience, a sort of progress is observable; and this it is desired, with the Lord’s help, to bring under notice.
It is evident that there were many things in the state of the Corinthians calling for correction, and these defects are in general dealt with by pointing out their inconsistency with the death of the Lord, which is to the Christian the test of things, whether in himself or in the world. Further, there can be little doubt that the levity with which the death of the Lord was regarded, accounted in some degree for the toleration amongst them of some who denied resurrection. For had they entered into the varied import of Christ’s death, they must have apprehended the necessary consequence (morally) of Christ’s resurrection; and the resurrection of Christ is the pledge of the resurrection of saints, as well as of the judgment of all men.
The apostle begins in reference to the schisms existing at Corinth, and the tendency to attach importance to men and to human wisdom. He recalls the great, and one might almost say, exclusive, subject of his testimony among them — Christ crucified. The great groundwork laid by God had been, that in sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin,
[p. 45] He had condemned sin in the flesh; man’s state as in the flesh — the old man — had in the cross been brought to an end judicially before God. While this is the foundation of grace, it at the same time declares that man is good for nought, whether for wisdom or for righteousness. Hence the folly of glorying in men. The want of apprehension on the part of the Corinthians of the import of the cross of Christ, hindered the apostle unfolding to them the hidden wisdom of God. But the defect had not been in the testimony presented. Many a Christian accepts Christ’s death as the ground of forgiveness, who knows little of its meaning as the judgment of the flesh and the world system with it. Still the testimony presented had left no room, nor given any excuse, for the exaltation of men.
But to pass on to the next reference to the death of Christ, which is found in chapter 5. Here the question is as to the character of the assembly, and so of each member in it. The assembly were the people of God at Corinth, and Christ their passover had been sacrificed for them, and this was to become the test of their state. They could not connect the passover and the old leaven. They must be in suitability to it — must, as a redeemed people, keep the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. This is to characterise us during the complete period of our sojourn here, for we must remember, that the things typified by institutions of periodical recurrence under the law, are to the Christian constant and characteristic. We see thus that, as the cross of Christ was the cutting down of man in his pretensions, so that we should not glory in men, the sacrifice of Christ is the test of character in a redeemed people.
The next distinct allusion to the death of Christ is found at the close of the subject treated in chapters 8 - 10. The question raised was as to the liberty of a Christian to perform an act, or to enter into an association [p. 46] that might be construed by others into an acknowledgement of idols. The apostle, while maintaining Christian liberty, in his conclusion enjoins the most rigid withdrawal from idolatry. He speaks to the saints as to wise men, and presses on their attention that the cup of blessing which they blessed and the bread they broke, was the fellowship of the death of Christ. He does not speak here of the position which a Christian occupies as having been committed to Christ’s death in baptism, but of the habitual participation of that in which Christ’s death is symbolised, and in which act, intelligent appreciation of, and delight in that death, are expressed by each and by all — the fellowship of the saints, as one body in the death of Christ. This made evident the impossibility of fellowship with anything that was an object of worship in Satan’s world, a system which includes many things venerated by men. The Lord who had died would have no part with Satan, nor allow His people to raise any such question between Himself and Satan. We see then that Christ’s death is the true test of objects here that claim the homage of men.
Finally, in chapters 11 to 14 we have the correction of disorder in the assembly as convened, and the first point has reference to the Lord’s supper. Here it is that the Lord’s death is brought in in the most touching way. The commemoration of it, according to the order of this scripture, appears to be the introduction to spiritual exercises and manifestations in the assembly; and lightness in this commemoration is wholly unsuitable. The failing, in eating, to discern the Lord’s body, arising from lack of self-judgment, brought in chastisement. The spring of becoming conduct in the assembly is suitability in spirit to the Lord’s death, and the first occupation there, is remembrance of Him in death, the affections responding to the love manifested in the giving up of His life for us. This is indeed a suitable prelude to the exercise of [p. 47] gifts in love to, and desire for, the edifying of His members here.
To sum up, we have seen that the death of Christ is the test of human pretensions, of character, of associations, and of fitness in the assembly. It forbids the exaltation of man, and the allowance of the old leaven in the saints. It demands rigid separation in the whole body from idolatrous associations in Satan’s world, and calls for self-judgment on the part of all in the assembly as gathered. Saints are to bear the impress of it in every circumstance. In every sphere, and in all its ways the assembly is to be free from conformity to man.
A word is added, in conclusion, on a point already indicated. It must be admitted, that any person having any degree of spiritual apprehension of the reality and meaning of Christ’s death, would be impressed with the necessary sequence of His resurrection. He must be the first to rise from the dead; and once the truth of His resurrection is accepted, there is little difficulty as to the resurrection of the saints. This is the line of argument in 1 Corinthians 15, and we may conclude that lack of conformity in the Corinthians to Christ’s death was the secret of the allowance among them of a denial of resurrection. Saints are established in the faith of the latter, in having in their souls the solemn and practical bearing of the former.