 |  |
The Cross of Christ.
Its relation to the Dispensation of the Mystery.
pp. 148-152
We have reviewed the references to the cross of Christ in the Scriptures with the
exception of Paul's prison epistles. We have found that the leading thought in connection
with it is that of shame, self-denial, deepest humiliation and subsequent glory. We call to
mind the words of one of our readers with reference to Heb. 12: 2, which we give before
passing on to the prison epistles. "The word `for' in the expression `for the joy set before
Him', is in the Greek anti. This means, when governing the genitive, `in return for', `for
the sake of', the word in all its usages involving the idea of correspondency to, or
answering to something." In Heb. 12: 16 we find it; Esau for (anti) one morsel of meat
sold his birthright. The suggestion is that there is a distinct correspondence between the
joy and the shame, and that this glory is something different from the glory which Christ
had with the Father "before the world was", it is the added glory of the overcomer.
Turning now to the prison epistles we find that there are five occurrences of the word.
The following structure of the occurrences is repeated with some modifications from
Volume 4: & 5: page 91:--
The Cross in the Prison Epistles.
A | Eph. 2: 16, 17. Reconciliation by the cross. Enmity slain.
B | Phil. 2: 8. The death of the cross. The humiliation.
C | Phil. 3: 18. Enemies of the cross. "Earthly things."
A | Col. 1: 20. Peace by the cross. Enemies reconciled.
B | Col. 2: 14. Freedom by the cross. The triumph.
Members A , A deal with the reconciliation, which we have dealt with at some
length in Volumes 5: and 6: We refer our readers to those articles as it will not be
possible to summarize the subject sufficiently to keep within the limits of this article.
We would draw attention to the dispensational character of this reconciliation as between
(1) Jew and Gentile in the one body, and (2) between the one body and the heavenly
powers. The wider reconciliation of the earlier epistles (Romans and II Corinthians)
rests upon "the death" of Christ. The narrower, elective and fuller reconciliation of the
epistles of the mystery is by virtue of the cross of Christ, and the blood of the cross. The
remaining passages, Phil. 2: 8, 3: 18, and Col. 2: 14 must be considered more is detail.
The structure of the passage where the first occurrence comes in Philippians is eloquent,
and to see it will obviate the necessity of writing much explanation.