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No.42.
The Throne Room (1: 19 - 2: 7).
"Quickened together."
pp. 121 - 124
The introduction of the italicized words "hath He quickened' into Eph. 2: 1 may at
first seem harmless enough, but when we arrive at verse five and read "hath quickened us
together with Christ", we perceive that the omission of the words "together with Christ"
is serious--indeed fatal to the understanding of the teaching awaiting us. The
quickening, the raising and the seating, now to be described, find their power and their
glory in the fact that they are "together with Christ", and we must school ourselves so
that we do not slip into speaking of them apart from this great fellowship and gracious
oneness "with Christ".
Suzoopoieo is of rare occurrence, being found only in Eph. 2: 5 and Col. 2: 13. It is
exclusive to the teaching of the Mystery. Elsewhere we read zoopoieo "to quicken, or
make alive" but without the preposition sun "together with". This great doctrine is built
upon the foundation already laid in Paul's earlier ministry, where the word translated
"quicken" is found seven times in the epistles written before Acts 28:, and once after.
Abraham, when he believed the promise recorded in Gen. 15:, did not simply believed
"God", he believed "God that quickeneth the dead" (Rom. 4: 17). This is the faith that
justifies.
This "quickening" is also related to actual and physical resurrection as I Cor. 15: 22,
36 and 45 will show. While literal and future resurrection will be indeed "a making
alive", the believer is able by grace to anticipate that day, for He that raised up Christ
from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His spirit that dwelleth in you
(Rom. 8: 11). This great blessing belongs to gospel grace, the law could neither
provide righteousness nor life (Gal. 3: 21; II Cor. 3: 6). If a number of believers were
asked to complete the series which commences with "crucified with Christ", "dying with
Christ", "buried with Christ", the majority would continue "raised with Christ", omitting
the intervening and present blessing "quickened with Christ". The seven associations of
the believer with his Lord are as follows:
A | The Cross. Crucified with Christ.
B | The Death. Dead with Christ. The past reckoned.
C | The Burial. Buried with Christ.
D | The present experience, quickened with Christ.
C | The Resurrection. Raised with Christ.
B | The Ascension. Seated with Christ. The future anticipation.
A | The Glory. Manifested with Christ.
If now we turn to the passages that supply these "texts" we shall find that in most of
them "life", "living unto God" or "living in the flesh", is in the context. "I am crucified
with Christ" wrote the Apostle to the Galatians, but these words are immediately