Before He rose from the dead, and ascended on high, Christ alone was anointed with the Holy Ghost. After He had died for us, He received it for us; but it could not be for us until He had atoned for sins; but it is important to see that then He received it for us.
As to the Holy Ghost, it was a question discussed between the eastern and western churches whether He proceeded from the Father only, or from the Father and the Son. But the question is simply a theological one, and it is not worth while taking up either side-in one sense, they are both right.
In answer to a question on John 14, as to the Holy Ghost, " He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you," it was remarked that there was one very unhappy thing in our translation of the New Testament—the pains-taking change of words in English to represent the same word in the Greek. The passage quoted is an instance of the evil of this; for its force seems to be that the Holy Ghost was already with them, but would soon be in them; but the true meaning is, " He shall abide with you, and be in _ you," i.e., " He shall not leave you as I do now, but remain with you; and more even than that-He shall be in you." It is really descriptive of what the Holy Ghost would be when He came. He would abide with them, and not leave them.
We have an instance of the same thing in our translators in John 5, as to the word " damnation."
Ver. 13. Those who are said to be sons are further said to be born of the will of God-the will of man and of the flesh having no place.
Ver. 14, &c. In this verse Christ is seen in His own proper revelation, but as the fullness to us. " The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth: and of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace." The other parts of this passage are parentheses. Verse 17 continues what John the Evangelist says. The expression "grace for grace" is cumulative, meaning grace upon grace.
The verse should be, " We beheld His glory, the glory as of an only-begotten from a Father," &c. Here it is the kind of glory that the apostles saw that is mentioned. It was the glory of an only-begotten from His Father-it is the character of the glory which they saw. s They saw Him in sonship-glory, and in only-begotten sonship-glory. This glory is His; in it He is entirely alone. None but Himself can be only-begotten: it is personally His alone. It is not here " the glory which thou halt given me I have given them." In John 17 we get both ends, so to speak, of His glory; for in one sense He takes His glory again as man. But there is an aspect of His glory in which none can partake with Him.
He dwelt among us full of grace and truth, and of. His fullness have we received. I cannot say I am full of grace and truth; I have received of Him. We get the same thing that is in Him, but in a derived way. He is the source and center, and we shall always see something in Him far above us, and which will give the heart delight. The nearer we get to Christ the more shall we see this. There is, however, something more for us than even sharing His glory-we shall be like Him when we see Him as He is. I see then the glory and blessedness in which I am found in Him. What I have is His, and therefore I value and bless Him.
We are partakers of the divine nature, but we are not divinity. There are two Greek words used for the divine nature, θεότης and θειότης. The former really means divinity, and applies to Christ alone; the latter is such as may be used of us-godlike, divine. I could not say that in me dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead (θεὀτης) bodily, it would be blasphemy; but Christ could, because He was 0€07719, I can, however, say I have the divine nature (θεία φύσις) by faith. But this is very different from Godhead. As Son He was divine (θεὀτης). This is seen in the transfiguration where we see the two glorified ones in the same glory as Christ, but directly there is a thought of classing them essentially together, then there is a testimony to His divine nature, and the other two disappear. It is a very important thing to see clearly the difference between the divine nature in us and in Christ; we shall find the word of God very clear and exact on this point. I must have the nature of Christ to understand divine things, and to partake of His glory; but I must distinguish between His nature and His person, for when I get to His person He stands essentially and entirely alone. " We beheld," i.e., they apprehended that Christ was before them as a Son from His Father. This does not so much refer to what the apostles apprehended in His lifetime on earth, when they were dull; but is their apprehension of what they saw as they looked back upon it by the help of the Holy Ghost, and understood what it was they really did see. Before the Holy Ghost came they had not true apprehensions of it. The whole' life of Christ was a moral manifestation of His glory. Even the miracles in John are presented as manifesting His glory, and this glory was the glory of the only-begotten of the Father. The miracles of Christ have a very deep character, there are heaps of things to be noticed of them. There was in them something more than the outward act of power-even divine grace and love to man in his lost and ruined condition. There are also Christ's character and spirit to be seen in them. This is most remarkably seen in His raising the son of the widow of Nain, and still more at the grave of Lazarus..
Ver. 17. We get contrast here. The law was given by Moses: it was not sent-it was given. A person comes. When God did not come, He gave a law. Law is not a revelation of God's character: it is absurd to apply it thus to God. It is not a transcript of God's character, but of the creature's character. How can " Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" apply to God? He has no neighbor. Law expresses the perfection of the creature-not God. If it were fulfilled on earth, we should have a heaven upon earth. Christ even was not simply perfect according to the law, but a great deal more-He loved sinners. Giving oneself up for others is not loving my neighbor as myself merely, but better than myself. I am bound as a creature to love my neighbor as myself; but Christ was not bound to die for sinners. As a Christian I have to act as He acted. What He did went much further than the law. Still He came to do God's will. " Lo I come to do thy will, Ο God." Hence all that will became duty to Him. So with us. We are creatures, and as creatures we owe it to God to do all that His love requires of us. It is quite wrong to be afraid of the word commandments. God has His commandments for His children to keep, so also has Christ. It is not law in the scriptural sense, but still it is commandment. Love is the fulfilling of the law; and therefore if I love I do not want law, but I do want commandment, the expression of God's will. Christ was not a lawgiver, although He gave commandments. Moses was the lawgiver-law came by him. We have to do with obedience, but not with law. I do not call my Father a lawgiver, although He gives me commandments and I obey them. I am subject to Him. So the saints are under subjection to Christ.
Grace and truth came by a person-Jesus Christ. Here we get a perfect contrast. Law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ-by a person. In fact, God Himself came and brought grace and truth. The law is given to me to pre scribe a line of conduct by which I learn what my duty is, and it claims judgment; but Christ comes when law has been broken, and judgment must be condemnation, and He brings with Him grace and truth. Truth is not judgment, although it leads us to judge ourselves. The truth comes about something. So in this case. The devil and man looked very amiable until Christ came and put matters in the right light-brought in the truth. I must not forget this, the truth is about something. Now when the truth comes it is with grace, otherwise it would upset us; and it is an immensely important fact that truth and grace are come. If I have Christ I have everything needed for the knowledge of God, of Satan, of man, and of the state of my own soul, and I have perfect grace with it. The truth itself is not here the question, as that is abstract, still Christ was the truth. Yet the truth is something about another thing. God is not the truth, but the One from whom the truth comes.
(Continued from page 247)
(To be continued.)