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CHAPTER II. VERSES 11, 12.
"Wherefore remember, that aforetime ye the
Gentiles in the flesh, who are called
Uncircumcision by that which is called
Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that
ye were at that time separate from Christ,
alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and
strangers from the covenants of the promise,
having no hope, and without God in the
world."
There are many things to show the
loving-kindness of God. First, the fact,
that by Himself He hath saved us, and by
Himself through such a method as this.
Secondly, that He hath saved us, as being
what we were. Thirdly, that He hath exalted
us to the place where we are. For all these
things both contain in themselves the greatest
demonstration of His loving-kindness, and they
are the very subjects which Paul is now
agitating in his Epistle. He had been saying,
that when we were dead through our trespasses,
and children of wrath, He saved us; He is now
telling us further, to whom He hath made us
equal. "Wherefore," saith he,
"remember;" because it is usual with us, one
and all, when we are raised from a state of
great meanness to corresponding, or perhaps a
greater, dignity, not so much as even to retain
any recollection of our former condition, being
neurished in this our new glory. On this
account it is that he says, "Wherefore
remember."-"Wherefore." Why,
"wherefore?" Because we have been created
unto good works, and this were sufficient to
induce us to cultivate virtue;
"remember,"-for that remembrance is
sufficient to make us grateful to our
Benefactor,-"that ye were aforetime
Gentiles." Observe how he lowers the superior
advantages of the Jews and admires the
disadvantages of the Gentiles; disadvantage
indeed it was not, but he is arguing with each
respectively from their character and manner of
life.
"Who are called Uncircumcision."
The honor then of the Jews is in names, their
perogative is in the flesh. For uncircumcision
is nothing, and circumcision is nothing.
"By that which is called," saith he,
"Circumcision in the flesh made by hands, that
ye were at that time separate from Christ,
alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and
strangers from the covenants of the promise,
having no hope, and without God in the world.
Ye, saith he, who were thus called by the
Jews. But why when he is about to show that
the benefit bestowed upon them consisted in
this, in having fellowship with Israel, does
he disparage the Israelitish prerogative? He
does not disparage it. In essential points he
enhances it, but only in these points, in which
they had no fellowship, he disparages it. For
further on he says, "Ye are fellow-citizens
of the saints and of the household of God."
Mark, how far he is from disparaging it.
These points, saith he, are indifferent.
Never think, saith he, that because ye happen
not to be circumcised, and are now in
uncircumcision, that there is any difference in
this. No, the real trouble was this, the
being "without Christ," the being "aliens
from the commonwealth of Israel." Whereas
this circumcision is not "the commonwealth."
Again, the being strangers from the covenants
of promise, the having no hope to come, the
being without God in this world, all these were
parts of their condition. He was speaking of
heavenly things; he speaks also of those which
are upon earth; since the Jews had a great
opinion of these. Thus also Christ in
comforting His disciples, after saying,
"Blessed are they that have been persecuted for
righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven," adds the lesser point of
consolation, "for so," saith He,
"persecuted they the prophets which were before
you." (Matt. v: 10-12.) For this,
compared with the greatness of the other, is far
less, yet in regard to the being nigh, and
believing, it is great and sufficient, and has
much force. This then was the sharing in the
commonwealth. His word is not, "separated,"
but "alienated from the commonwealth." His
word is not, "ye took no interest in," but,
"ye had not so much as any part in, and were
strangers." The expressions are most
emphatic, and indicate the separation to be very
wide. Because the Israelites themselves were
without this commonwealth, not however as
aliens, but as indifferent to it, and they fell
from the covenants, not however as strangers,
but as unworthy.
But what were "the covenants of the promise?"
"To thee and to thy seed," saith He, "will
I give this land," (Gen. xvii: 8.) and
whatever else He promised.
"Having no hope." he adds, "and without
God." Though gods indeed they worshipped,
but they were no gods: "for an idol is not any
thing." (1 Cor. x: 19.)
Ver. 13-15. "But now, in Christ
Jesus, ye that once were far off, are made
nigh in the blood of Christ. For He is our
peace, who made both one, and brake down the
middle wall of partition, having abolished in
His flesh the enmity."
Is this then the great privilege, it may be
said, that we are admitted into the commonwealth
of the Jews? What art thou saying? "He hath
summed up all things that are in heaven, and
that are in earth," and now dost thou tell us
about Israelites? Yes, he would say. Those
higher privileges we must apprehend by faith;
these, by the things themselves. "But now,"
saith he, "in Christ Jesus, ye that once
were far off, are made nigh," in reference to
the commonwealth. For the "far off," and the
"nigh," are matters of will and choice only.
"For He is our peace, Who made both one."
What is this, "both one?" He does not mean
this, that He hath raised us to that high
descent of theirs, but that he hath raised both
us and them to a yet higher. Only that the
blessing to us is greater, because to these it
had been promised, and they were nearer than
we; to us it had not been promised, and we were
farther off than they. Therefore it is that he
says, "And that the Gentiles might glorify
God for His mercy." (Rom. xv: 9.) The
promise indeed He gave to the Israelites, but
they were unworthy; to us He gave no promise,
nay, we were even strangers, we had nothing in
common with them; yet hath He made us one, not
by knitting us to them, but by knitting both
them and us together into one. I will give you
an illustration. Let us suppose there to be two
statues, the one of silver, the other of lead,
and then that both shall be melted down, and
that the two shall come out gold. Behold, thus
hath He made the two one. Or put the case
again in another way. Let the two be, one a
slave, the other an adopted son: and let both
offend Him, the one as a disinherited child,
the other as a fugitive, and one who never knew
a father.
Then let both be made heirs, both trueborn
sons. Behold, they are exalted to one and the
same dignity, the two are become one, the one
coming from a longer, the other from a nearer
distance, and the slave becoming more noble than
he was before he offended.
"And brake down," he proceeds, "the middle
wall of partition."
What the middle wall of partition is, he
interprets by saying, "the enmity having
abolished in His flesh, even the law of
commandments contained in ordinances." Some
indeed affirm that he means the wall of the Jews
against the Greeks, because it did not allow
the Jews to hold intercourse with the Greeks.
To me, however, this does not seem to be the
meaning, but rather that he calls "the enmity
in the flesh," a middle wall, in that it is a
common barrier, cutting us off alike from God.
As the Prophet says, "Your iniquities
separate between you and Me;" (Isa. lix:
2.) for that enmity which He had both against
Jews and Gentiles was, as it were, a middle
wall. And this, whilst the law existed, was
not only not abolished, but rather was
strengthened; "for the law," saith the
Apostle, "worketh wrath." (Rom. iv:
15.) Just in the same way then as when he
says in that passage, "the law worketh
wrath," he does not ascribe the whole of this
effect to the law itself, but it is to be
understood, that it is because we have
transgressed it; so also in this place he calls
it a middle wall, because through being
disobeyed it wrought enmity. The law was a
hedge, but this it was made for the sake of
security, and for this reason was called "a
hedge," to the intent that it might form an
inclosure. For listen again to the Prophet,
where he says, "I made a trench about it."
(Isa. v: 2.) And again, "Thou hast
broken down her fences, so that all they which
pass by the way do pluck her." (Ps. lxxx:
12.) Here therefore it means security and so
again, "I will take away the hedge thereof,
and it shall be trodden down." (Isa. v:
5.) And again, "He gave them the law for a
defence." (Isa. viii: 20.) And again,
"The Lord executeth righteous acts and made
known His ways unto Israel." (Ps. ciii:
6, 7.) It became, however, a middle
wall, no longer establishing them in security,
but cutting them off from God. Such then is
the middle wall of partition formed out of the
hedge. And to explain what this is, he
subjoins, "the enmity in His flesh having
abolished, the law of commandments."
How so? In that He was slain and dissolved
the enmity therein. And not in this way only
but also by keeping it. But what then, if we
are released from the former transgression, and
yet are again compelled to keep it? Then were
the case the same over again, whereas He hath
destroyed the very law itself. For he says,
"Having abolished the law of commandments
contained in ordinances." Oh! amazing
loving-kindness! He gave us a law that we
should keep it, and when we kept it not, and
ought to have been punished, He even abrogated
the law itself. As if a man, who, having
committed a child to a schoolmaster, if he
should turn out disobedient, should set him at
liberty even from the schoolmaster, and take him
away. How great loving-kindness were this!
What is meant by, "Having abolished by
ordinances?"
For he makes a wide distinction between
"commandments" and "ordinances." He either
then means "faith," calling that an
"ordinance," (for by faith alone He saved
us,) or he means "precept," such as Christ
gave, when He said, "But I say unto you,
that ye are not to be angry at all." (Matt.
v: 22.) That is to say, "If thou shalt
believe that God raised Him from the dead,
thou shalt be saved." (Rom. x: 6-9.)
And again, "The word is nigh thee, in thy
mouth, and in thine heart. Say not, Who
shall ascend into heaven, or who shall descend
into the abyss?" or, who hath "brought. Him
again from the dead?" Instead of a certain
manner of life, He brought in faith. For that
He might not save us to no purpose, He both
Himself underwent the penalty, and also
required of men the faith that is by doctrines.
"That he might create in Himself of the
twain, one new man."
Observe thou, that it is not that the Gentile
is become a Jew, but that both the one and the
other are entered into another condition. It
was not with a view of merely making this last
other than he was, but rather, in order to
create the two anew. And well does he on all
occasions employ the word "create," and does
not say "change," in order to point out the
power of what was done, and that even though the
creation be invisible, yet it is no less a
creation than that is, and that we ought not
henceforward start away from this, as from
natural things.
"That He might in Himself of the twain."
That is, by Himself. He gave not this charge
to another, but Himself, by Himself, melted
both the one and the other, and produced a
glorious one, and one greater than the first
creation; and that one, first, was Himself.
For this is the meaning of "in Himself." He
Himself first gave the type and example.
Laying hold on the one hand of the Jew, and on
the other of the Gentile, and Himself being in
the midst, He blended them together, made all
the estrangement which existed between them to
disappear, and fashioned them anew from above by
fire and by water; no longer with water and
earth, but with water and fire. He became a
Jew by circumcision, He became accursed, He
became a Gentile without the law, and was over
both Gentiles and Jews.
"One new man," saith he, "so making
peace."
Peace for them both towards God, and towards
each other. For so long as they continued still
Jews and Gentiles, they could not have been
reconciled. And had they not been delivered
each from his own peculiar condition, they would
not have arrived at another and a higher one.
For the Jew is then united to the Gentile when
he becomes a believer. It is like persons being
in a house, with two chambers below, and one
large and grand one above: they would not be
able to see each other, till they had got
above.
"Making peace," more especially towards
God; for this the context shows, for what
saith he?
Ver. 16. "And might reconcile them both in
one body unto God through the Cross." He
saith, not merely "might reconcile,"
(katallaxh) but "might reconcile thoroughly"
(apokatallaxh) indicating that heretofore human
nature had been easily reconciled, as, e.g.,
in the case of the saints and before the time of
the Law.
"In one body," saith he, and that His own,
"unto God." How is this effected? By
Himself, he means, suffering the due penalty.
"Through the cross having slain the enmity
thereby."
Nothing can be more decisive, nothing more
expressive than these words. His death, saith
the Apostle, hath "slain" the enmity. He
hath "wounded" and "killed" it, not by
giving charge to another, nor by what He
wrought only, but also by what He suffered.
He does not say "having dissolved," he does
say "having cancelled," but what is stronger
than all, "having slain," so that it never
should rise again. How then is it that it does
rise again? From our exceeding depravity. For
as long as we abide in the body of Christ, as
long as we are united, it rises not again, but
lies dead; or rather that former enmity never
rises again at all. But if we breed another,
it is no longer because of Him, who bath
destroyed and put to death the former one. It
is thou, forsooth, that travailest with a fresh
one. "For the mind of the flesh," saith he,
"is enmity against God;" (Rom. viii:
6.) if we are in nothing carnally-minded,
there will be no fresh enmity produced, but that
"peace" shall remain.
Moral. Think then, how vast an evil is it,
when God hath employed so many methods to
reconcile us, and hath effected it, that we
should again fall back into enmity! This enmity
no fresh Baptism, but hell itself awaits; no
fresh remission, but searching trial. The mind
of the flesh is luxury and indolence, the "mind
of the flesh" is covetousness and all kinds of
sin. Why is it said the mind of the flesh?
While yet the flesh could do nothing without the
soul.
He does not say this to the disparagement of the
flesh, any more than when he says the "natural
man," (1 Cor. ii: 14.) he uses that
expression to the disparagement of the soul, for
neither body nor soul in itself, if it receive
not the impulse which is far above, is able to
achieve any thing great or noble. Hence he
calls those acts which the soul performs of
herself, "natural; yukica" and those which
the body performs of itself "carnal." Not
because these are natural, but because,
inasmuch as they receive not that direction from
heaven, they perish. So the eyes are good,
but without light, will commit innumerable
errors; this, however, is the fault of their
weakness, not of nature. Were the errors
natural, then should we never be able to use
them aright at all. For nothing that is natural
is evil. Why then does he call carnal
affections sins? Because whenever the flesh
exalts herself, and gets the mastery over her
charioteer, she produces ten thousand
mischiefs. The virtue of the flesh is, her
subjection to the soul. It is her vice to
govern the soul. As the horse then may be good
and nimble, and yet this is not shown without a
rider; so also the flesh will then show her
goodness, when we cut off her prancings. But
neither again is the rider shown, if He have
not skill.
Nay he himself will do mischief yet more fearful
than that before named. So that on all hands we
must have the Spirit at hand. This being at
hand will impart new strength to the rider; this
will give beauty both to body and soul.
For just as the soul, while dwelling in the
body, makes it beautiful, but when she leaves
it destitute of her own native energy and
departs, like a painter confounding his colors
together, the greatest loathsomeness ensues,
every one of the several parts hastening to
corruption, and dissolution:-so is it also
when the Spirit forsakes the body and the soul,
the loathsomeness which ensues is worse and
greater. Do not then, because the body is
inferior to the soul, revile it, for neither do
I endure to revile the soul because it hath no
strength without the Spirit. If one need say
anything at all, the soul is deserving of the
greater censure than the body; for the body
indeed can do no grevious harm without the soul,
whereas the soul can do much without the body.
Because, we know, when the one is even wasting
away, and has no wantonness, the soul is busily
employed. Even as those sorcerers, magicians,
envious persons, enchanters, especially cause
the body to waste away. But besides this, not
even luxury is the effect of the necessity of the
body, but rather of the inattentiveness of the
soul; for food, not feasting, is the object of
the necessity of the body. For if I have a
mind to put on a strong curb, I stop the
horse; but the body is unable to check the soul
in her evil courses. Wherefore then does he
call it the carnal mind? Because it comes to be
wholly of the flesh, for when she has the
mastery, then she goes wrong, as soon as ever
she has deprived herself of reason, and of the
supremacy of the soul. The virtue therefore of
the body consists in this, in its submission to
the soul, since of itself the flesh is neither
good nor evil. For what could the body ever do
of itself? It is then by its connection that
the body is good, good because of its
subjection, but of itself neither good nor
evil, with capacity, however, both for one and
for the other, and having an equal tendency
either way. The body has a natural desire, not
however of fornication, nor of adultery, but of
pleasure; the body has a desire not of
feasting, but of food; not of drunkenness, but
of drink. For in proof that it is not
drunkenness that is the natural desire of the
body, mark how, whenever you exceed the
measure, when you go beyond the
boundary-lines, it cannot hold out a moment
longer. Up to this point it is of the body,
but all the rest of the excesses, as e.g.,
when she is hurried away into sensualities, when
she becomes stupefied, these are of the soul.
For though the body be good, still it is vastly
inferior to the soul, as lead is less of value
than gold, and yet gold needs lead to solder
it, and just so has the soul need also of the
body. Or in the same way as a noble child
requires a conductor, so again does the soul
stand in need of the body. For, as we speak of
childish things, not to the disparagement of
childhood, but only of those acts which are done
during childhood; so also are we now speaking of
the body.
Yet it is in our power, if we will, no longer
to be in the flesh, no, nor upon the earth,
but in heaven, and in the Spirit. For our
being here or there, is not determined so much
by our position, as by our disposition. Of
many people, at least, who are in some place,
we say they are not there, when we say, "Thou
wast not here. And again Thou art not here."
And why do I say this? We often say, "Thou
art not at (en) thyself, I am not at (en)
myself," and yet what can be more material (a
stronger instance of corporeal locality) than
this, that a man is near to himself? And yet,
notwithstanding, we say that he is not at
himself. Let us then be in ourselves, in
heaven, in the Spirit. Let us abide in the
peace and in the grace of God, that we may be
set at liberty from all the things of the flesh,
and may be able to attain to those good things
which are promised in Jesus Christ our Lord,
with whom to the Father, together with the
Holy Spirit, be glory, and might, and
honor, now and henceforth, and for ever and
ever. Amen.
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