THE KING’S BUSINESS
1146
but directly. This is not at all inconsistent with the statement made elsewhere that Christ’s “dominion is an everlasting domin ion, which shall not pass away” (Dan. 17:13, 14) ; for, having given up His medi atorial kingdom to the Father, He will reign with the Father forever and ever (Rev. 3:21; 11:15). Both the Father and the Son shall thqn reign together directly and not mediately (Rev. 22:13). But before Christ gives up His mediatorial kingdom He shall have accomplished the purpose of that kingdom, i.e., “He shall have abol ished all rule and all authority and power.” These words, “rule” “authority” and “power” refer primarily to the “rules” and “authorities” which are openly opposed to God and Christ, i. e., Satan and his hosts (cf. Eph. 6:12; Col. 2:15). The Greek is the same in these passages, but strangely enough is rendered differently in both the Authorized and Revised Versions. But While it refers primarily to them, it is not limited to these “authorities” and “powers” that are in opposition. There will be no authority, good or bad, but God’s. The: dream of the anarchist, a world without rule or rulers, will be realized in a way he little dreams and a. way he would not enjoy, but this will be accomplished through the millennial reign of Christ and His saints. (Rev. 20:4; Ps. 110:1-3, 5, 6; Ps. 2:6-9'; 8:6; Rey. 2:26, 27). The last enemy to be abolished (the word translated “abolished” in the R. V. means “rendered utterly *powerless”) will be “death.” It "is to believers especially that this applies (vs. 55-57), but in a sense it is true of all, both good and bad shall die no more, death will be entirely done away with by the general resurrection (v. 22) ; all shall exist forever in endless blessedness or endless woe. Death and Hades give up the dead who are in them and they are cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14) where they exist in conscious endless torment and where they cannot die. At that time all shall exist for ever in endless blessedness or endless woe.
Friday, December 28. 1 Corinthians 15:27, 28.
At last when God has put all things under subjection under the feet of Christ then the Son Himself under whom God has put all things under subjection shall (even though He is one with God, John 10:30— “equal with God”—Phil. 2:6—and ruling together with Him and to be honored even as the Father is honored—John 5 :23) by “subject” to God the Father, “that God may be all things in all (cf. Col. 3:11; Zech. 14:9). God the Father (i.e., Deity in its source), not Christ the Son (i. e., Deity in its fulfillment) is the ultimate goal toward which all things tend (cf. Heb. 7:25; John 14:6). In verse 29 we meet with one of the most difficult passages in the Epistle, or indeed in the whole New Testament. Many have1been greatly puzzled as to what Paul meant by “being baptized for (literally, in behalf of) the .dead.” The simplest explan ation is that there were some in Corinth who had been baptized for, or in behalf of, those who had died without water bap tism. We have no record in the Bible or in history of such a practice existing at this time, though a similar practice did exist later among some heretical sects (the Corinthians and Marcionites). However, it is probable that there were some in Cor inth at this time who followed this practice, just as the Mormons follow the practice today. It also appears that some of the very ones in Corinth who denied the res urrection practiced this- very custom. Paul appealed to their own practice and asked, “If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for (in behalf of) them?” Paul does not sanction the cus tom, but simply uses their own practice as an argument against themselves. That Paul did not approve of this practice, that living ones be baptized in behalf of those who had died without baptism, is very evident from the way in which he puts the question. He does not say, “Why then are Saturday, December 29. 1 Corinthians 15:29-31.
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter