A Whole Christ for the Whole World Christ Defined, the Implications Set Forth and the Obligation . that Devolves Upon All Christians
By DR. A. C. DIXON, Baltimore
glory as of th e only begotten of the F ath e r, full of grace and tru th .” We cannot understand all this, bu t we can see it. In the second text is a definition of the Scriptures. “All Scripture is God- breathed and profitable.” Beyond ques tion th is is the rig h t translation. In “all Scripture” is the breath, which is the life, of God. I t does not say th a t all w riters of Scripture are God- breathed, though “ the Holy Spirit did speak by the mouth of David,” and “ holy men of old spake as they were moved by th e Holy Spirit.” Scripture is not w riter, but w riting. In the w riting is the life of God. This w riting refers to the Old Testament, and, by fair inference, to the New. Every Scripture in these Scriptures has in it the life of God. Our th ird text defines the field of Christian activity. “All th e world,” This, of course, means all the ea rth to its remotest parts, bu t immensely more. Into all th e cosmos, the present order of things a t home and abroad. W hat th is present order needs is th e Gospel. “The field is th e world,” near as well as distant. W hether th e present order be civilization, as in America and England; or savagery, as in C entral Africa, the universal need is ju s t the same. “P reach the Gospel to every creatu re,” civilized, semi-civilized and savage. Implications The first implication is th a t Christ stands alone as th e Saviour of th e world. In him alone “ dwells all th e fullness of th e Godhead bodily.” He is the solitary mountain peak rising far above the hills of humanity. He is the solitary sun in the heavens which eclipses all other
“In h im d w e lle th a ll th e fu lln e ss o f th e G od h ead h o d ily .” Col. 2:9. “A ll S c rip tu re is G o d -b re a th e d an d p ro fita b le .” 2 T im . 2:16. "Go ye in to a ll th e w o rld a n d p re a c h th e Gospel to every creatu re.” M ark 16:15. of these Scriptures come ree trip lets of tru th : (1)
T riplet of Definitions; (2) A _ip let of Implications, and
(3) A T riplet of Obligations. Definitions
. We have a definition of Christ as one. in whom “ dwells all th e fullness of the Godhead bodily.” God has all wisdom, and in Christ dwells the fullness of omniscience. God has all power, and in Christ dwells the fullness o f ‘omnipo tence. God is all-holy, and in Christ dwells, the fullness of holiness. I do not understand how omnipresence can be present, nor how the infinite and eternal can subm it to th e lim itations of the finite and temporal. But I see it in Christ as “ God manifest in the flesh.” I stood th e other day out in the open and looked up at th e broad expanse of sky and cloud and out upon th e wide stretches of space in all directions to th e horizon. Then I went into a little building called a “Camera Obscura,” and th e broad expanse and the wide stretches I saw in moving picture upon a table th ree feet square. I may not under stand how so much can he compressed into so little, h u t I can see and enjoy it. In Christ is all of God and all of man, except sin; th e fullness of deity and the fullness of humanity. I do not comprehend it, h u t I see it and rejoice. “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory, the
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