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can the word "destroy" in its true sense be rightly substituted. The following passages
give some further A.V. renderings of the word:--
"To bring to nought" (I Cor. 1: 28).
"Come to nought" (I Cor. 2: 6).
"Done away"; "Abolished" (II Cor. 3: 7, 11, 13, 14).
"Make of none effect" (Gal. 3: 17).
"Become of no effect" (Gal. 5: 4).
"Then is the offence of the cross ceased" (Gal. 5: 11).
"Who hath abolished death" (II Tim. 1: 10).
"Destroy him that had the power of death" (Heb. 2: 14).
The word speaks of nullifying a covenant, or a promise. Take for instance, the last
two references. Death is not yet "abolished" in an absolute sense; that will only be true
when for the first time it can be said, "There shall be no more death" (Rev. 21: 4). What
is true, however, is that death has been nullified by the resurrection of Christ. Believers
still die, but the sting of death has been extracted; it is now only to fall asleep in Christ
(I Cor. 15: 56). Again, in Heb. 2: 14, Satan has not been destroyed--that is a future
event--but his power has been "nullified"'. He can no longer hold in bondage the child
of God through fear of death, because Christ has died and risen again. So with the body
of sin--it has been annulled, its dominion has been made void, and the believer, though
still possessed of a "mortal" body, is now "free"--and free to serve the new Master.
(To be concluded).
#42.
Sanctification.---Third: a state, freedom
(6: 1-14). (concluded).
pp. 157, 158
We now proceed to the second passage:--
"Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him: knowing
that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over
Him. For the death which He died unto sin, He died once for all; but the life which He
liveth, He liveth unto God" (Rom. 6: 8-10).
Let us observe the phrases, "to sin" and "to God". They are purposely indefinite, so
that the teaching of the apostle shall not be missed.
When the Lord "died to sin" He passed into a state in which sin could have no more to
do with Him, either in its temptation or in its demand for atonement, or by contract with
its odious presence. All this He accomplished and settled "once for all". And, when we
read that He now lives "to God", we understand this simple statement to include the
glorifying of the Father and the Son, the seating at the right hand of the Father, and the