The Christadelphian, December 1910, C.C. Walker

“Questions Concerning the Sacrifice of Christ”

J. B. writes:—“Will you kindly write another article on the sacrifice of Christ, as it seems so bewildering. I would like to ask you to answer a few questions not only for me but for others also: Did God hold Christ responsible for his position; if not, why did he have to offer for himself? And if he did not have to offer for his flesh, what did he have to offer for himself for? Was he a priest on earth? Your last article was very good, for which I, among others, desire to thank you.

Answer (1).—“God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them” (2 Cor. 5:19). “God was manifested in the flesh” (1 Tim. 3:16). “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotton Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). These and similar passages reveal a divine unity between the Father and the Son that makes the question sound incongruous. Of course Christ could not help being a mortal man, since “God (so) sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law” (Gal. 4:4), and therefore God did not “hold him responsible” for this; but only for the obeying of His commandments, and Christ was obedient even unto death. God gave Christ as “the true bread from heaven” (Jno. 6:32), and Christ said of himself, “The bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (Ibid. verse 51). There was no question of responsibility for being flesh; but of responsibility for fulfilling the Father’s will in giving that flesh for sacrifice. And this Jesus did, saying, “As the Father gave me commandment, even so I do” (Jno. 14:31).

(2).—That Christ had to offer for himself is testified in Heb. 7:27, and referred to in another place in this issue. The reason why is revealed, namely, that he might himself be saved by his own blood. See Heb. 13:20; 5:7. Though in character sinless, he inherited the sin-nature from his mother, and therefore needed redemption from death, just as his imperfect brethren do. Christendom has altogether lost sight of this truth and has got lost in Trinitarian speculations. Hence the difficulty that is felt upon this phase of the wisdom of God in Christ.

(3).—Writing about 30 years after the death of Christ, the apostle says: “If he were on earth he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests to offer gifts according to the law” (Heb. 8:4). The old covenant was then decaying and waxing old, and was ready to vanish away (verse 13). The Levitical priesthood is that which was in question. And Christ was of Judah and not of Levi (ch. 7:14). Evidently then he was not a priest on earth of that order. But was he not in some other sense? Yes, for the same writer in the next chapter says that “Christ . . . through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God” (ch. 9:14). Perhaps we get as near as possible to an understanding of this divine matter in the words of Dr. Thomas in Catechesis, thus:—Q.—Who was the High Priestly offerer in the crucifixion? A.—The Eternal Spirit (Heb. 9:14), upon the principle that what one doth by his instruments, he doth himself. Thus Herod, Pilate, the Rulers, Romans and Jews, did whatsoever God’s hand and counsel determined before should be done (Acts 4:27, 28).