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statements, transcendental philosophy mistaken for Scripture truth, to the confusion of
the believer and the mutilation of truth.
Just as we saw that the inspiration of Scripture is linked with the principle of right
division, so we see that the Deity of Christ is linked with His sacrifice for sin. The three
passages which we have already referred to in answer to the question "Does Scripture
give the title `God' or `Creator' to Christ?" indicate the link that there is between His
Person and His Sacrificial Work.
John 1: -
"God" . . .
"Made all things" . . .
"Made flesh . . . the Lamb of God."
Heb. 1: -
"God" . . .
"Earth and heavens . . . Thine hands" . . .
"Flesh and blood" (Heb. 2: 14, 15).
Col. 1: -
"Image of Invisible God" . . . Created all things" . . .
"The body of His flesh through death".
Confining ourselves for the present to one great aspect of the Sacrifice for sin we look
at the Atonement. The word so translated in the O.T. is the Hebrew kopher, and its
primitive meaning is "to cover". Such words as "A cloud", "A hand", "A spoon",
"A cave", anything over-arching or hollow, are translations of this word or its derivatives.
It means also "a village", obviously a covering or a "roof over one's head", and survives
in the N.T. name Capernaum, "the village of Naum". While atonement means to
"cover", it does not mean "to cover up", for it is written, "He that covereth his sins shall
not prosper" (Prov. 28: 13) even though Psalm 32: 1 speaks of the blessedness of
the man whose sins are "covered". The fact that the law permitted the penalty to be
commuted (Exod. 21: 30, 30: 12, Numb. 35: 31, 32) prepared the way for the
glorious commutation of the cross.
Among the essentials for a scriptural atonement we must instance two particularly:
(1)
The shedding of blood. Lev. 17: 11; Heb. 9: 22.
(2)
The Offering must be "perfect". Lev. 22: 19, 20.
This essential place of the shedding of blood is carried over into New Testament
doctrine. It is the basis of Justification (Rom. 3: 23-26); Sanctification (Heb. 9: 13, 14);
Forgiveness (Col. 1: 14); Presentation (Col. 1: 22); and Cleansing (I John 1: 7, 9).
The passage of Scripture which was read at the meeting brings the Deity of Christ and
His Sacrifice close together:
"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our
Saviour Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all
iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2: 13,
14).
From earliest days, Preachers, Teachers and Students have exercised themselves in the
endeavour to frame some definition of the Atonement that will give it its Scriptural place