Answer: It is chastisement that is spoken of here. It may be to physical death, as in Annanias and Sapphira (Acts 5, or as in 1 Cor. 11:3030For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. (1 Corinthians 11:30)), or in a course of sin. It does not seem to be any particular sin. The Lord gives space for repentance. If unheeded, He may see fit to remove His child in that way; sad indeed! (1 Tim. 1:19, 2019Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: 20Of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. (1 Timothy 1:19‑20)). All unrighteousness is sin, and we are to live in the power of our new life in Christ. In nearness of spirit to the Lord, we will be led to pray for what is for His glory. Chastening is for the children of God (Heb. 12:55And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: (Hebrews 12:5).11).
Answer: This epistle is addressed to the converted Jews to teach them their privileges in living and suffering for Christ and for righteousness’ sake, in contrast with what they were under the Messiah. They are elect children now. Sanctified by the Holy Ghost to the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, and begotten again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Also born again (1:23). They are to walk after His pattern in His steps (2:21-23). He suffered once for sins, they could not do that, He did good and suffered for it, so could they (3:17, 18).
Chapter 4:1 applies Christ’s death to their lives practically. They are to arm themselves with that truth, so to allow the flesh no longer, so that they no longer should live the rest of their time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. This is a simple test to apply to our actions. Are we living to please ourselves, or is it the will of God we are seeking to do?
Verses 3, 4 tell how the Gentiles lived, and that they wondered why the Christians did not do the same, speaking evil of them, but they will have to give account to Him who is ready to judge the quick (living) and the dead.
Verse 6 tells us that it was while they were living that they heard the gospel, and that declares their place when dead. When living, it taught believers to judge the flesh, and to live according to God in the Spirit, otherwise they must be judged according to men in the flesh in a lost eternity. It was the same way in chapter 3:19, 20, with those who were living in Noah’s day; they heard the gospel by the Spirit in him, but they refused it, and because of their refusal they are now in prison, awaiting the judgment of the great white throne (2 Peter 2:99The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: (2 Peter 2:9)).
Answer: No. Sin has made us mortal as to our bodies. God said to Adam in the garden of Eden about the tree of knowledge of good and evil, “In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die” (Gen. 2:1717But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Genesis 2:17)). Adam and his wife ate of it, and death entered their veins at once, and all their children were born sinners with mortal bodies (Rom. 5:1212Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12)). The Lord Jesus, on the contrary, was the seed of the woman. God said to Mary by the angel Gabriel, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore that holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:3535And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35). It is written (2 Cor. 5:2121For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)), “He knew no sin,” and again (1 John 3:55And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. (1 John 3:5)), “In Him is no sin.” Here therefore we have a perfect holy Man, different from every one else, in whom was no sin, no mortality. One who became a man that He might die as a sacrifice for sin not His own. He said, “No man taketh it (his life) from Me, I lay it down Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of My Father” (John 10:17, 1817Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. (John 10:17‑18)).
On the cross He said, “It is finished.” John 19:3030When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (John 19:30). That was His sacrificial work, then He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. This was not the death of one such as we are, who dies because he cannot keep alive; it was the death of One who tasted death by the grace of God (Heb. 2:99But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. (Hebrews 2:9)). And it was “to deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Hebrews 2:14, 1514Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (Hebrews 2:14‑15). In death He annulled the power of Satan. He died for our sins, tasted death for every man. He could not have been a sacrifice for sin, if death had already a claim upon Him. About us, as to our souls, we had to be born again, born from above (John 3); and as to our mortal bodies, they are to be changed, and thus put on immortality. We are already, in our souls, partakers in God’s new creation.
It is worth noticing in Leviticus 2 where the meat offering is typical of the person of the Lord, that in it there was no leaven (the evil of nature); nor honey (the sweetness of nature), and where these are, the offering could not be burned on the altar.
Verses 11, 12. Compare chapter 23:15 to 19, where the church is typified at Pentecost; this is the oblation of first fruits referred to in 2:12.
All this speaks very decidedly of the difference of His human nature and ours. He was real man and is so still, but ever the perfect One. The Lamb without blemish as to His person, and without spot as to His walk. And we may well sing:
Though angels praise the heavenly King,
And Him their Lord adoring own,
We can with exultation sing,
“He wears our nature on the throne.”
Answer: We might look at what John Baptist, and Jesus and His disciples preached:
John called Israel to repentance, confessing their sins, and waiting for the kingdom of the Messiah (Matt. 3:22And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 3:2)).
Jesus and His disciples also preached, “the kingdom is at hand, repent ye and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:1515And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. (Mark 1:15)). In keeping with this, was the prayer He taught His disciples. It was all in view of the kingdom on earth.
When Jesus died and rose again and went to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit down to dwell in His saints on earth. Then salvation was known (Mark 16:15, 1615And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (Mark 16:15‑16); Acts 2:3333Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. (Acts 2:33)). The Holy Ghost was given. Jesus was made Lord and Christ (Acts 2:3636Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:36)). Israel was called to believe on the Lord—they were called to repent and be baptized in His name for the remission of sins, and to receive the Holy Ghost. This was very blessed, they were baptized into one body by the coming of the Comforter (1 Cor. 12:1313For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:13)), but they did not know till Paul taught them the truth of the one body. In Acts 3, Peter calls them to repent of crucifying their Messiah, and said He would come back if they would repent. Those who were saved then, were waiting for the Messiah. The Jews did not repent, but murdered Stephen, sending him after his Master, thus saying, “We will not have this Man to reign over us” (Luke 19:1414But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. (Luke 19:14)). We hear nothing yet of the hope of heaven in all this.
When Saul of Tarsus as converted, he saw the Lord Jesus Christ in glory, and straightway preached Christ in the synagogues that He is the Son of God (Acts 9:2020And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. (Acts 9:20)). The Lord said to Saul (Acts 26:1616But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; (Acts 26:16)), “I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of those things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee.” Paul’s teaching and preaching is therefore from Christ in glory. We may look at some of it as seen in his Epistles:
In Romans we are seen standing where no condemnation can attach to us (8:1). Christ is our righteousness (also in 1 Cor. 1:3030But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (1 Corinthians 1:30); 2 Cor. 5:2121For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)). In Romans 6:66Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (Romans 6:6) our old man is crucified with Him, we are no longer alive in the flesh. We have eternal life in Him (6:23). The Holy Spirit dwells in us, so we have the Spirit of Christ. Christ in us (8:9, 10). We say “Abba Father” (verse 15). In Colossians, our hope is laid up in heaven (1:5). Christ is in us, the hope of glory (verse 27). We are dead, buried, and risen with Christ (2:11, 12; 3:1).
In Ephesians, we are blest with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ (1:3). The Church is His body now (4:4), and in glory forever (1:23; 3:21). In 1 Thessalonians 4:15, 1815For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. (1 Thessalonians 4:15)
18Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:18) He is coming for us Himself. It was given to Paul alone to communicate these truths (Rom. 16:25, 2625Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, 26But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: (Romans 16:25‑26); Eph. 3:2-102If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: 3How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: 7Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. 8Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; 9And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: 10To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, (Ephesians 3:2‑10)). In Philippians our citizenship is in heaven (3:20, 21).
Paul’s gospel cuts us loose entirely from the world.
In 1 Peter 1:44To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, (1 Peter 1:4) he writes of the inheritance as “incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.” Peter had now risen up to see the heavenly blessing. (See also 5:10).