FROM A READING 2 CORINTHIANS
FROM A READING 2 CORINTHIANS
The new covenant is brought in in 2 Corinthians because the Judaisers wanted to build up law (the old) on Paul’s foundation; old and new covenants cannot go together.
Christ will be a Priest for ever — we shall want Him as such in glory — He will ever be the Sustainer of all. We shall never cease to be creatures and shall never be self-supporting. Moses, though not called of God a priest, did priestly acts and had access at all times, which Aaron had not.
We need the spirit of Scripture, the letter kills. The Lord is that Spirit. Scripture was never really understood until Luke 24:27. Christ is the spirit of all Scripture; there is a consistency thus in Scripture; “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy”, Revelation 19: 10. There is the full assurance of understanding, not merely the acceptance of divine testimony — not dogmatic.
Two ideas run through Scripture with regard to man, viz., (1) what God would convey to man — coming to dwell with him, etc.; (2) where God would bring man to, viz., to His own habitation. This is illustrated in Israel brought out of Egypt, the sanctuary in their midst — and Canaan, to which God brought them. Also in the day of reconciliation (Leviticus 16) the blood brought inside — and the goat of departure.
The new covenant is connected with the one,
[p. 329] reconciliation with the other. The new covenant ministry is how God presents Himself to us, to man, down here; reconciliation is that I am brought to God’s house. The first covenant, i.e., the law, presents God as an exactor demanding of man what is righteously due. Thus the law made effective in the soul — God’s penalty, death (see Romans 7:9). The new covenant is the contrary — it is based on the work of the cross and God comes out as a testator disposing of property down here — death gives force to a will; Hebrews 9:15-17. We get the good of what Christ has done — the property — peace with God, grace, etc. (Romans 5) through our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ disposes of all God’s property for the blessing of man — in the place where He is, and where the transgressions were committed. It is not man brought into a new place (that is reconciliation), “The tabernacle of God is with men”, Revelation 21.
The other thought is God having man in His own place. Ephesians 2 gives God’s motives — “rich in mercy”, “great love”, “exceeding riches of his grace”, and He has brought us into heavenly places. This is not a covenant, a disposal of property here — to satisfy us, but it is He satisfying Himself; reconciliation is connected with this.
New covenant is connected with the removal of transgressions — sins not remembered. The parable of the good Samaritan illustrates it; I get relief, power and am cared for here; the parable of the prodigal illustrates reconciliation. Both are things true to us in the present; there will be no elder brother in heaven.
New covenant — He was delivered for our offences, etc. Reconciliation is that sin having been removed from before God, all distance is now done away, God’s judgment of death is annulled. 2 Corinthians 5:21 is the basis, verse 19 is the attitude of God when Christ was here on His behalf. For the moment He was overlooking all that Israel had done, breaking the law,
[p. 330] persecuting prophets, etc. Now, reconciliation having been effected, the word of reconciliation is committed to Paul. It is a great mistake to think of reconciliation as a change of feelings in us — it is that sin having been put away, distance is removed. This is what the prodigal finds in verse 20 on his return. The father kisses him — a great way off from the house; this was not a change of feelings in him — nor of place — for it was outside the house. The father proved to his surprise that there was no distance with him. This is not forgiveness — receiving him as a servant and feeding him would have been forgiveness.
There is a purpose in reconciliation, viz., that we may be brought into God’s own house and made happy there. The moment of the prodigal’s entrance is not marked in the parable — he went in as soon as he was ready — when Christ was put on him. He could not enter the house as a reformed or converted prodigal and in a kind of artificial acceptance; he enters in a new character, in order to be at home there. We enter in the life of Christ, “In the body of his flesh through death”, “a new and living way”. One first apprehends that Christ lives, then one begins to live, “Because I live ye shall live also” (John 6, the living bread, etc.). Our apprehension of Christ as the living One who is the disposer of all that God has for man, is the measure of our living — practically. He who was delivered for our offences — is risen — is Lord — the living administrator — Mediator.
The robe is ministered to us — you drop your antecedents; no ‘converted burglar’ ever enters, but Christ. You enter by the new and living way in the life of Christ — on a new footing having dropped self.
Now you glory in God and the Father delights in the prodigal — fruit of Christ’s work and of the Father’s calling. They began to be merry. Without this you can know nothing of worship.
Bermondsey.