On the question, How it has happened, since the origin of the
Nicene Creed, that the Old Testament has been understood to
ascribe the Creation, not to the Christ, but to the Father.
Since the New Testament distinctly ascribes the work of creation to the
official Person called the Logos and the Christ, and, in harmony with
the Old, demonstrates his identity with Jehovah, Elohim, and the
Messenger Jehovah, it may justly occasion surprise and deserve inquiry,
how it has happened that the Old Testament has, both by Jews and
Christians, so long and so generally been construed, as in our own and
other modern translations, to ascribe those works, not to Him,
personally or officially, but to the Father, or to the Deity
irrespective of any personal distinctions or official relations.
As preliminary to this inquiry, it may be observed, that the office
which belonged to him in his delegated character was constituted before
the creation of the world. That office included the redemption of his
people, who were chosen in him before the creation. His relation to
them, therefore, did not commence after the fall, nor after the
creation. For his official work includes the work of redemption; and
since those to be redeemed were before the creation chosen in him,
whatever in his mediatorial person, office and character belongs to him
as their Redeemer, must have been constituted prior to the work of
creation. And since the works of creation and providence had, and
continue to have, an intimate connection with the work of redemption,
and are in some things identical with that work, we must conclude that
whatever belongs officially to his person and character was constituted
prior to the creation; and that the covenant transaction, in which the
second person of the Trinity was appointed and undertook to be the
Redeemer, comprised all that appertains to the constitution of his
person and office as Mediator; so that thenceforth he was in a capacity
to act officially in his delegated character as Mediator, as truly and
perfectly as at any subsequent period. The connection and consistency of
the entire plan of creation, providence, and redemption, in its
relations to him in the progress of its execution, require this
conclusion; and hence the particularity and emphasis with which the
apostles, in setting forth his prerogatives as Mediator and Redeemer,
for the conviction of those who saw him only as man, assert that he was
in the beginning--_i. e._, in the delegated official character which
they then ascribed to him; that he was before all things; that by him
all things consist; that in the beginning he laid the foundation of the
earth, created the heavens and the earth, brought into existence all
creatures visible and invisible; that he was in respect to the entire
system the Alpha and Omega, First and Last. Their object required that
all this should be believed of him in the official person and character
in which for the suffering of death he appeared incarnate. _It was in no
respect to their purpose_ to assert of him that _as Divine_, or in his
_Divine nature_, he existed prior to the creation, and exercised
creative power. The whole question was as to the complex, delegated
official person and character of him who visibly appeared, wrought
miracles, and was called Jesus, the Christ. It is with reference to this
that they assert his preëxistence, ascribe to him the works of creation
and providence, and declare him to be the only Mediator between God and
man--the only medium of relations and intercourse between the invisible
Deity and creatures.
This is what the apostate, idolatrous and infidel world, in subserviency
to the great Adversary and his followers, have over opposed. This is the
question to be decided to the full and final conviction of the whole
universe, in the battles described in Rev. xix. and xx.; in the first of
which the Mediator, in the person of Jesus, _clothed with a vesture dipped
in blood_, and called _The Word of God_, appears in his glory, and
vanquishes the Arch-enemy and all his adherents; and in the second, fire
from heaven devours his enemies of the human race, and the Devil that
deceived them is cast into the lake of fire, to be tormented for ever and
ever. Then, every tongue will acknowledge the true character of this
Personage. Then will be solved the mystery concerning the creation of all
things by Jesus Christ, to the intent that unto the principalities and
powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church--_i. e._, by the
redemption of the Church, as comprising substantially all the works of
providence--the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose
which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephes. iii.
The great purpose of the works of creation, providence and redemption
is, to manifest the Divine perfections to intelligent creatures; so to
instruct them in the knowledge of God, and so to display his
righteousness and the nature and evil of sin, that they might discern
the glorious excellency, holiness, loveliness, amiableness and beauty of
the character revealed, and cordially love, obey and enjoy him for ever.
This purpose is from the beginning executed by the Mediator, in the
delegated character in which he appears at its consummation.
His office, accordingly, placed him as the medium of all relations and
communications between the invisible Deity and creatures; and his
official undertaking comprised the works of creation, providence, and
redemption; the manifestation of the Divine perfections; the vindication
of the Divine prerogatives, laws, and government; the redemption of lost
men; the union, confirmation and blessedness of all holy creatures under
him as King, and the subjection and punishment of Satan, the fallen
angels and wicked men.
From the nature of intelligent creatures, and their relations to one
another and to material objects, the execution of this undertaking
required a course of external and visible facts connected both with his
and their agency. They were to be instructed both in respect to
themselves and to him; and as the visibility of their persons and acts
was necessary to their instruction concerning one another, the
visibility of his person and acts was necessary on the same account.
It is evident that the Mediator has, officially, relations to the holy
angels, not only as their Creator, but in other respects. They are
required to worship him in that character, _i. e._, in the character in
which he came into the world. Heb. i. 6. They are employed in executing
the measures of his mediatorial administration. Heb. i. 14. They
attended his person on the occasion of his advent, his temptation, his
sufferings and resurrection, and join his people in their songs and
praises, in view of his final triumph and exaltation.
As Mediator, he is invested with all power in heaven and earth. All
judgment is committed to him in that capacity, "because he is the Son of
man," the official Person; and we must conclude that his official work
comprises all Divine operations relating to creatures.
In the phraseology both of the Old and New Testaments, where God is
represented as acting or speaking, the expression in most cases is such as
would occur were there no distinction of persons in the Godhead, unless we
understand, wherever the text does not in terms or in the nature of the
subject indicate another reference, that the appellations, Elohim,
Jehovah, Messenger Jehovah, &c., are employed to designate the Mediator,
personally and officially. But so understood, he stands forth the external
representative, the visible image, the outward manifestation, the official
agent, the messenger of the Father, and as such reveals Him; and by the
mission and coöperation of the Holy Spirit in the work of redemption, that
Divine Person is made known. The entire scheme respecting the creation and
government of creatures being in the counsels of eternity assigned to the
second Person, as the official agent and messenger delegated and sent of
the Father, it appertained to him to make known to creatures all that they
are to know of the being and perfections of the One God and the
distinction of persons in the Godhead.
Accordingly the Deity, without any special indication of personal or
official relations, is often referred to under the terms Jehovah and
Elohim, where the object required only a distinction of divine from
creature attributes or agency. In this way, in one class of passages,
God is said to do the same things which in another class are expressly
ascribed to the Messenger Jehovah, the Christ, the Word.
But where a reference is made to any thing in the economy of redemption,
or any thing involving official acts or relations, official titles are
introduced, or a phraseology is employed, by which the intended meaning
is expressed. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are clearly
distinguished, or their personality, relations and agency are indicated
by the nature of the things recorded, or by the connections in which
they occur.
It is in this view that we understand all those passages in which the
divine names and the official titles of the Mediator are interchangeably
applied to the same Person. In all such cases the things affirmed are in
other passages affirmed of the Messiah, under titles which exclusively
belong to him. He is in this manner announced in the Old Testament as
Jehovah, the Elohe of Abraham, the Creator, &c. The patriarchs and
prophets knew God, as manifested in him in his delegated, official,
personal character. That they were enlightened in respect to the
invisible Deity absolutely considered, and in respect to the distinction
of Persons, is no more to be doubted than that they were enlightened as
to the great Revealer. The sublime conceptions proper to this subject
were undoubtedly so imparted, received, and cherished as to render the
doctrine of mediation and of the delegated personal character of the
Mediator an intelligible and practical doctrine. This may be inferred,
not only from all that is recorded concerning the religion of the
patriarchs, the sacrifices, prayers, types and symbols connected with
their worship, but also from the theory of the earliest idolatry, which
was a rival system, and was based upon the idea of mediation between a
supreme invisible Deity and creatures, and consisted in regarding as
mediators created intelligences, supposed to reside in the planetary
orbs, and in images or idols as their representatives. It is obvious,
indeed, from the nature of the case, that where any notion of mediation
and a Mediator prevailed, and was indicated in the rites and
institutions of worship, there, and, above all, under a system of
revealed religion and acceptable worship, an apprehension more or less
distinct, enlarged and just of the invisible Deity, of the concealed as
well as of the revealed God, must have been entertained.
Nevertheless, concerning this subject much was reserved to be taught by
the Mediator in his incarnate state, when the distinction of Persons in
the Godhead and their official designations could be rendered plain by
his visible personal acts, his verbal explanations, and the agency and
gifts ascribed to the Holy Spirit. This was in accordance with the
progress and analogy of revelation in other respects. Besides, we may
well believe that there was originally, and during the Mosaic period,
extreme difficulty in instructing men on those high themes concerning
the invisible and spiritual, as may be inferred from the rooted and
lasting propensity of the Israelites to visible symbols and material
images, and from the limited prevalence of the clearer inculcations of
the gospel down to the present day. Men did not and do not like to
retain God in their knowledge.
Hence the language of our Saviour in teaching the Divine unity and
spirituality, and the distinction, offices and relations of the Persons
of the Godhead. He taught that God is a Spirit, invisible, infinite,
eternal, unchangeable; of himself, that he came out from God; came forth
from the invisible to the visible world; that he should withdraw from
the visible to the invisible, so as not to be seen; that he should
afterwards visibly reäppear; that God the Father sent him; that the
power which he exercised in his miracles was a divine attribute, and
proved his divinity; that those who witnessed his miracles, witnessed
the exercise of the power of the invisible Deity, which was the power of
the Father who had sent him, as well as his own; and therefore they saw
the Father in the same works in which they saw him; for in respect to
their nature as divine, He and the Father were one.
But even his disciples did not at first understand his meaning. "Philip
saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus
saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not
known _me_, Philip? He that hath seen _me_ hath seen the Father." That
is, I act officially, exercising the power of the Deity, which is
delegated to me by the Father. He who sees in my works a demonstration
of my personality and divinity, sees at the same time in those works the
only outward and visible demonstration that can be made to men of the
personality and divinity of the Father. The power which I exercise is
possessed by me in common with the Father, though personally and
officially exercised by me. That power is a divine attribute, and in
respect to it as an attribute, I and the Father are one.
To confirm this instruction, he promises to do for his disciples what
they should ask of the Father in his name; and informs them that he
should leave them, as to his visible presence, and go the Father, and
that he would manifest himself to them by the official personal agency
of the Holy Spirit, whom the Father would send in his name, to dwell
with them, be in them, show them the things which respected himself,
teach them all things, and bring all things to their remembrance. John
xiv.
Continuing to instruct them on this subject, in the two next chapters,
he says, "When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into
all truth. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall
show it unto you. At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not
that I will pray the Father for you; for the Father himself loveth you,
because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. I
came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave
the world and go to the Father. A little while, and ye shall not see me;
and again a little while, and ye shall see me." Such was his mode of
teaching the distinction of Persons in the Godhead--the doctrine of the
Trinity.
The apostles were slow to learn these truths concerning the divine
Persons respectively, and their offices and relations. They expected in
the Messiah a temporal deliverer, who should assume the government of
their nation, and continue personally and visibly among them. In certain
respects they appear not to have understood his character till after his
ascension, nor till after the Spirit had enlightened and convinced them
that the Christ who had been crucified was indeed the Lord of glory,
Jehovah, the Elohe of Abraham, in whom Abraham and David believed unto
justification. Being at length fully satisfied of this, they testified
it to the Jews on the day of Pentecost, and subsequently, with
overwhelming effect; for the people being also convinced and cut to the
heart, cried, Men and brethren, what shall we do? In their testimony to
this end they declared to the Jews that Jesus whom they had crucified
was both the Lord (Jehovah) and the Christ; and quoted David as saying
concerning him, "I foresaw Jehovah always before me."
Subsequently the apostles, more fully instructed in "the mystery of
_God_, and of the _Father_, and of _the Christ_," Col. ii., more clearly
distinguished the Persons of the Trinity in all that concerned their
relations to the work of redemption; though, conformably to the Hebrew
usage, they often, as the context shows, designated the Mediator under
the name of _God_, while they also by that name referred to the Father
and to the one invisible Deity. Thus, speaking of the Christ, Paul says,
"Who is over all, God blessed for ever." Rom. ix. 5. Again: "There is
one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." 1
Tim. ii. 5. And, treating of the economy of grace, and the gifts
bestowed on the Church by the Redeemer, he says: "There is one Spirit,
one Lord, one God and Father of all." Eph. iv. 4-6. See also the
doxologies, and the formulas of grace and peace introductory to the
Epistles.
These observations and references may, perhaps, sufficiently show the
occasion there was for the reiterated statements, at the opening of the
New Dispensation, _that no man had seen the Father_, and that he was
declared and made known only by the Son. The Jews, to whom these things
were said, were familiar with the Scriptures which record the visible
appearances of Jehovah, the Elohe of Abraham. The first thing, as has
been observed, that was necessary, on his appearance in human nature,
was to convince those who had seen and heard him that he was the same
personally and officially as He who appeared to and conversed and
covenanted with the patriarchs, and dwelt with the Church in the
wilderness and in the first temple. He was accordingly from the first,
by inspired direction, designated by names of the same import as the
Jehovah and Immanuel of the earlier dispensation; and he himself
appealed to the ancient Scriptures, as testifying of him. The apostles
referred to him as the Jehovah of the Old Testament; and Stephen says,
that Moses "was in the Church in the wilderness, with _The Messenger_
who spoke to him in mount Sinai." Acts vii.
The Shekina, and all visible Divine appearances, having long been
discontinued, the Jews seem not to have expected any recurrence of the
like, or of analogous interpositions. Their religion consisted in a
formal observance of rites and traditions, and a blind reliance on their
being descendants of Abraham; and in the Messiah, whom they desired and
expected, they looked only for a human chieftain, a temporal deliverer
from the Roman yoke. Their notions of the Divine Being, the invisible
Deity, do not appear to have differed essentially from those common to
their descendants ever since. They appear, indeed, to have degenerated
so far from the ancients, as to have retained no ideas of a distinction
of Persons in the Godhead. When they spoke of God as their Father, they
had reference only to the invisible Deity as their Creator. They were
alike destitute of the faith of Abraham and of all correct knowledge of
Jehovah, the promised Seed, the Messenger, the personal Word. The
common people were as sheep without a shepherd, and their teachers as
blind leaders of the blind. "We all, says Trypho, expect a Messiah to be
born, that will be man _of man_." Brown's Justin Martyr, section 49.
Evidences to almost any extent might be easily adduced to show that the
Jews of our Saviour's time had generally, as a people, lost or perverted
by their traditions the knowledge which their ancient predecessors
possessed, were blind to the meaning of their own Scriptures, and were
plunged in gross and inveterate errors.
Their errors soon began to be widely propagated by Judaizing teachers of
Christianity, and by Gentile heretics; and with respect to the teachings
of the Old Testament concerning the Creator, the Messiah, mediation, the
Unity, Trinity, and other subjects, became at an early period
extensively prevalent. The Gnosticism which, under Cerinthus and others,
assailed the Jewish converts in the apostles' days, and was propagated
during that and several succeeding ages, under many leaders, and with
various modifications, was a compound of Oriental philosophy and
Judaizing infidelity. To that, in its original form, succeeded, in the
second century, the modifications of the Asiatic and Egyptian sects, and
the heresies of the Monarchins, or Patripassians; the sects of
Theodotus, Artemon, Hermogenes and others; in the third, the Manichæans,
the Sabellians, and the followers of Paul of Samosata; and in the
fourth, the Arians, Semiarians, Pelagians, and others, which, with an
occasional change of name, have come down to the present day, and
constitute, in relation to the leading doctrines and object of the Holy
Scriptures, one comprehensive heresy, of which the cardinal feature is
a denial or derogation of what belongs to the official Person,
character, and works of the Mediator. In the controversies to which
those heresies gave occasion, owing to the nature of the questions which
were discussed, the character and objects of the parties brought into
conflict, the want of familiarity with the theology of the Hebrew
Scriptures on the part of the orthodox, Gentile controvertists; owing to
these and the like causes, the ascription, common in the patriarchal,
Mosaic, and prophetic history, and in the first period of Christianity,
of all the works of creation and providence to the official mediatorial
Person, was gradually discontinued, and at length wholly dropped, even
by those who believed in his divinity.