JANUARY 4TH, 1927

JANUARY 4TH, 1927

Beloved Brother, — As regards Mediatorship I think my remarks which troubled you are quite scriptural, and I am confirmed in this by recent consideration of the matter. When you say — ‘the mediator stands related to God, whereas revelation is connected with the Father’ — you are hardly correct. John 1: 18 connects revelation with God. “No one has seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared Him”. “Declared” has reference to God clearly, although declaration involves the Father of course. What was needed was one who could “lay his hand upon both” — God and men; the “daysman” corresponds with the Mediator although become Man — the Word became flesh — He can lay His hand upon God for personally He is God. You say that the Mediator implies that He took a place lower than angels. Surely as become Man He was in ^[p. 225] this position for the sufferings of death, but His Person is unchanged though descending so low — hence we have the death of His Son — the Son is the Mediator. The smitten One is Jehovah’s fellow. He as equal with God, owned to be God over all — lays His hand on God and on men — the Daysman or Mediator. It is true that revelation or declaration is by the only-begotten Son, but this implies His Manhood, there would not be full revelation otherwise. God is love and hence the position in the bosom. But in drawing near to man to make that love known and effective the Son is the Mediator. See His service to Nicodemus and the woman of Samaria; He is the Mediator as bringing God to both but His remarks to each imply His deity. What I think underlies your difficulty is that you do not make sufficient allowance for what God is in His essential Being. “No one has seen God at any time” — a Divine Person — one who “was God” — must needs take a form or condition in which God is within man’s range, in which He reveals God to men and approaches men in this revelation.

The mediatorial thought (God moving in One, equal with Himself indeed, but in fashion as a Man, to make Himself known and to bring men into intelligible relationship with Him) is present from the outset. Revelation is entirely from the divine side — it is by the Son, but the Mediator is on God’s side and man’s side also. It is “the man Christ Jesus”.

I need not say more for I am sure you will understand my meaning and I believe you will agree as you reconsider this great subject.

Affectionately yours in Christ,

James Taylor.