BROOKLYN, N.Y., OCTOBER 1ST, 1920

BROOKLYN, N.Y., OCTOBER 1ST, 1920

Mr. H. F. Nunnerley.

My Dear Brother, — I am glad to have your letter of September 15th. I had already heard of the objection by J. S. Giles to the Notes on page 194 Of July Believer’s Friend, although his actual criticism has not reached me. The statement that the Lord’s ‘burial is part of His vicarious work’ may seem more than should be said at first sight, but if the meaning of the word ‘vicarious’ is fully taken into account, its literal truthfulness cannot, I think, be denied. The general significance of the word is that one acts for, or takes the place of, another or others, and, of course, it is true that the Lord was in the grave for us; to say that He was there in any other sense would be serious indeed. In the passage under consideration at the reading reported (1 Corinthians 15: 1 - 4) the apostle states the glad tidings he had preached to the Corinthians and by which they were saved unless they had believed ^[p. 183] in vain: that Christ died for our sins; that He was buried; and that He was raised. Surely if the burial of Christ is thus formally presented as part of the gospel announcement by the apostle, its significance should be recognised; and if we compare the passages with others which treat of the Lord’s burial, or entrance into the earth, we will see that He was in the grave, having died for others, on their account, not, in any sense, on His own. He was to be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth as a sign — a sign surely of what was due to men, on whose account (He being the sinless One and immune from death) He was there. It was due to God that the One who became a substitute for men to atone for their sins on the cross and to end their sinful histories judicially should be buried for a definite period — three days. The cross witnessed the awful penalty; the burial of Christ is the testimony that those for whom He suffered (believers) have disappeared judicially from God’s sight.

Of course, the actual forsaking by God was while our Lord was alive on the cross, but there could be no atonement without His death, for without shedding of blood there was no remission; hence when He said, “It is finished” He necessarily included (anticipatively) His actual death. Indeed His burial and resurrection, as integrally bound up with the great work of redemption, were included in these precious words. The “corn of wheat” had to fall into the ground and die; the Son of man should be in the heart of the earth; He descended into the lower parts of the earth. The fact is that the cross, the actual death of Christ, and His burial are generally treated as one great event in Scripture, and hence His burial has to be regarded as connected with His vicarious work. Of course, if the word ‘vicarious’ is made to mean that the Lord was enduring the wrath of God while in the grave, I can see how the statement referred to would be regarded as error. It may be that the word is used theologically in this sense, and if so it may be well to insert a note in a number of Believer’s Friend explaining that no such thought was meant to be conveyed. But the import of our Lord’s burial should not be weakened. Perhaps you will let me know what you and others may think as to how the word is used, etc. I will gladly do anything to save the saints from difficulty, providing the truth is not in any way obscured or weakened in their minds.

I have heard that the words ‘the going down refers to what displeases’ have been condemned, but it is quite obvious that if the Lord entered into death vicariously (our burial in baptism is said to be in the likeness of His death), ‘displeases’ referred not to Him (the thought that it could in any sense refer to Him personally is so far from the context that it is distressing that it should be even hinted at) but to those He represented. ‘Buried in His grave we lay ..’.

It will be my privilege to pray for the dear London brethren in connection with these meetings. My wife joins in love in Christ to Mrs. Nunnerley and yourself. Give our love also to Mr. and Mrs. Long.

Affectionately yours in Him,

James Taylor.