I N D E X
The impossibility that is announced in Hebrews 10:4 is made understandable
by a reference to resurrection, which most surely includes redemption:
`For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the
dead' (1 Cor. 15:21).
And so, it was necessary that the Saviour be man, and have a body of flesh
and blood; nothing less would avail.  Nothing less, of a truth, but how much
more than a mere man was demanded by the nature of things.  Redemption is set
forth in the typical teaching of the Old Testament and foremost among these
types, and one that is evidently in view in Ephesians 1:7, as we shall see
presently, is that of `The Lamb'.  The blood of lambs, however, comes under the
same restriction as that of bulls and goats, consequently, another and fuller
type of the Redeemer is set forth in the Old Testament as `The Kinsman-
Redeemer'.  This aspect of redemption will fall better into place when we arrive
at the fourteenth verse, and so with the recognition that, whatever type we may
employ, redemption can only be the work of The Son, let us turn our grateful and
worshipping attention to the passage before us.  Earlier, we have set out the
alternation of the theme of Ephesians 1:7-9 and have suggested that, while
redeeming grace `abounds towards us', the reference to `prudence' belongs not to
redemption, but to the subsequent making known of the mystery of His will.
`In Whom'. Some commentators render these words `by Whom', and apart from
the bearing and demands of the context, either translation may be the true one.
But translators cannot ignore the context without loss and damage.  `In Whom'
must of necessity refer back to `in the Beloved' (6), and is but another link in
a chain made up of the Greek preposition en that binds this section of Ephesians
together.  Let us note the recurrence of this preposition and for the sake of
clearness, let us translate every reference by the one word `in', whether that
translation makes good English or not.  The saints which are in Ephesus ... In
Christ Jesus ... blessed in all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in
Christ, according as He hath chosen us in Him, that we should be without blame
before Him in love, in which He hath made us accepted in the Beloved in Whom we
have redemption.  One of the outstanding testimonies of Paul is of those
doctrines and blessings which come to the believer `in Christ'.
To the Gentile, `in Christ' is set over against `in Adam'; to the Jew, in
addition to being like the rest of mankind in Adam, he had been baptized into
Moses and the term `in Christ' had to do double duty for the Jewish believer.
To canvass the New Testament and to collect and arrange the many referenses to
`in Christ', while being a profitable study, seems too vast an undertaking for
so limited a space, that we give as a specimen only, the references and the
doctrines associated with the term `in Christ' as they are found in the epistle
to the Ephesians.  Even with this limitation to our field of search, we shall be
surprised doubtless with both the number of passages quoted and the riches which
they reveal.  For the present, we will not discriminate between the various
titles of the Lord, but include them all under one head, although, `in Christ'
differs a little from `in Christ Jesus', even as both differ from `in the Lord',
or `in Jesus'.  Here then is a list of some of the occurrences:
The faithful in Christ Jesus (Eph. 1:1).
All spiritual blessings in heavenly places are in Christ (Eph. 1:3).
We are made accepted in the Beloved (Eph. 1:6).
In Whom we have redemption (Eph. 1:7).
All things in heaven and on earth are to be headed up in Christ
(Eph. 1:10).
In Whom we have obtained an inheritance (Eph. 1:11).
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