the old things, the former things that obtained during the Acts, pass away at

the breaking down of the middle wall.  And once again another phase of

reconciliation follows (Eph. 2:16).  So also is it in Revelation 21:5,

'Behold I make all things new'.  This is preceded by the words, 'no more

death', 'for the former things are passed away'.  Nothing merits the title

'new' in the sight of God that does not conform to this essential

consequence.  Old things must pass away.  Creation is no mere reformation; a

re -form -ation, is but a reshuffle of old things, bearing new names, but

retaining old evils.

'Behold, all things are become new' (2 Cor. 5:17).

The language of the apostle is more decisive or explicit than this

translation of the A.V.

Idou 'Behold', gegone 'there has come into being',

kaina 'new things', ta panta 'the all things'.

'Behold' should not be ignored.  It is the sign that something of

extraordinary importance is being considered as, 'Behold, now is the accepted

time'; 'Behold, I come quickly'.  The verb, ginomai, 'to become', of which

gegone is the perfect tense, is used in John 1:3 of creation where it is

translated 'made'.  An important echo of this word is found in the succeeding

passage to 2 Corinthians 5:17 where we read, 'He hath made Him to be sin for

us' (2 Cor. 5:21) again linking the new creation with Reconciliation and

Ta panta, 'the all things', ends verse 17 and is repeated at the

opening of verse 18.  And these 'all things', i.e. the all things of the new

creation, not all things universally, 'these all things' are of God.  Ta

panta means 'all these things', i.e. the things under discussion, and is

never used of all things in general.  (See All and All Things1).  We have

used the words, 'a new creation' where the A.V. uses the words, 'a new

creature', and we would translate Galatians 6:15 in the same way.  No

essential difference is intended, but as the word 'creature' has a wider

connotation than 'creation', it is not so good a rendering.  'Creature' can

mean the lower order of being, animal, not human, 'In killing creatures vile,

as cats and dogs' (Shakespeare).  It can be an epithet of mingled pity and

contempt.  'The creature may do well enough' (Cowper), and such expressions

as 'creature comforts' and 'the creature' indicate a dependant, or one who

owes his rise or fortune to another.

Let us remember that we belong to a new creation, and let us pray for

grace to 'walk according to this rule' (Gal. 6:16).

Cross.  The death of Christ covers all who have died in Adam; the blood of

Christ was shed, either to confirm or cleanse in relation to a covenant, to

effect a redemption and make forgiveness possible, but the cross of Christ

has other connotations.  It is a fact that calls for careful attention that

the first references to a cross in the New Testament  are made by the Lord to

His disciples, before He told them that He Himself was to be put to death by

crucifixion.  This indicates that the cross had some definite association,

and it will be well for us to allow the Lord's own lesson to take its place

before we attempt to discover the deeper meaning of the cross of Christ.