 |  |
The theme, however, of this present series is not so much the matter of "prayer", but
the glorious doctrine of the "One Mediator" which is introduced by the Apostle into his
argument; it is most blessedly true, however, and must be remembered continually, that
there would be and could be neither prayer nor ransom whether for ourselves or for all
men, apart from the Mediatorial office of the Son of God.
To this most wondrous theme we devote the succeeding articles of this series.
No.2. "There is one God,
and one Mediator between God and men,
the Man Christ Jesus" (I Tim. 2: 5).
pp. 193 - 196
The unity of the Godhead is a fundamental doctrine of all Scripture, and is in nowise
disturbed or invalidated by the revelation that the selfsame Scriptures teach that both the
Father and Son in their own right have full title to the name "God". The doctrine "there
is one God" is never discussed or enlarged upon in the N.T. Where the theme is
introduced, it is brought in to confirm some argument that is in process of development,
but the doctrine itself is never made a subject of revelation. There are seven such
passages in the epistles, two in the Gospel of Mark, and one all-covering reference in
John. It will clear the way for fuller understanding if these ten references are considered.
Mark 12: 29-32 "Thou hast said the truth; for there is one God; and there is none
other than He". If we turn to the record of this same incident in Matt. 22: 34-46 we
discover the following facts that have a bearing upon the subject of the Lord's teaching.
Both Mark and Matthew give the question put by the lawyer who was "one of the
scribes",
"Master which is the great commandment in the law?" (Matt. 22: 36).
"Which is the first commandment of all?" (Mark 12: 28).
Mark's account includes the words "Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord"
(Mark 12: 29), but this is omitted by Matthew. Both give the command to `love the Lord
with all thy heart', and both add `the second which is like unto it'.
It is evident that the reader envisaged by Matthew has no need to have the great text of
Deut. 6: 4 repeated, but Mark who wrote for the Roman world, was constrained to put
this great protest against idolatry in the forefront. Even so, no comment is made on the
doctrine of "one God" by Mark. In the sequel of Matt. 22: however we read that the
Saviour did not let His tempters depart without a challenge:
"What think ye of Christ, Whose Son is He? They say unto Him the Son of David":
and the challenge that these Pharisees did not dare to meet was: