To wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world
unto
himself
This expresses and explains the subject matter of the
ministration of the Gospel, especially that part of it which
concerns our reconciliation with God; and declares the scheme,
the author, the subjects, the way, and means, and consequence of
it. The phrase, "in Christ", may be either joined with the word
"God", as in our version, "God was in Christ reconciling"; that
is, he was in Christ drawing the scheme, fixing the method of
reconciliation; his thoughts were employed about it, which were
thoughts of peace; he called a council of peace, and entered into
a covenant of peace with Christ, who was appointed and agreed to,
to be the peacemaker. Or with the word "reconciling", thus, God
"was reconciling in Christ"; that is, by Christ; and so it
denotes, as before, actual reconciliation by Christ. God, in
pursuance of his purposes, council, and covenant, sent his Son to
make peace; and laid our sins, and the chastisement of our peace
upon him; this is the punishment of sin, whereby satisfaction was
made for it, and so peace with God: or with the word "world",
thus, "God was reconciling the world in Christ"; by whom are
meant, not all the individuals of mankind, for these are not all
in Christ, nor all reconciled to God, multitudes dying in enmity
to him, nor all interested in the blessing of non-imputation of
sin; whereas each of these is said of the world: but the elect of
God, who are chosen in Christ, whose peace Christ is, whose sins
are not imputed to them, and against whom no charge of any avail
can be laid; and particularly the people of God among the
Gentiles are here designed, who are frequently called "the world"
in Scripture; being the world which God loved, for whose sins
Christ is the propitiation, and of the reconciling of which
mention is particularly made, ( John 3:16 ) ( 1 John 2:2 ) ( Romans 11:12
Romans
11:15 ) . And this sense well agrees with the context, which
signifies, that no man is regarded for his natural descent; it is
no matter whether he is a Jew or a Gentile, provided he is but a
new creature: for Gospel reconciliation, and the ministry of it,
concern one as well as another. Moreover, this reconciliation
must be considered, either as intentional, or actual, or as a
publication of it in the ministry of the word; and taken either
way it cannot be thought to extend to every individual person in
the world: if it is to be understood intentionally, that God
intended the reconciliation of the world to himself by Christ,
and drew the scheme of it in him, his intentions cannot be
frustrated; his counsel shall stand, and he will do all his
pleasure; a scheme so wisely laid by him in his Son, cannot come
to nothing, or only in part be executed; and yet this must be the
case, if it was his design to reconcile every individual of
mankind to himself, since a large number of them are not
reconciled to him: and if the words are to be understood of an
actual reconciliation of the world unto God by Christ, which
sense agrees with the preceding verse, then it is out of all
question, that the word "world" cannot be taken in so large a
sense as to take in every man and woman in the world; since it is
certain that there are many who are not reconciled to God, who
die in their sins, whose peace is not made with him, nor are they
reconciled to the way of salvation by Christ: and should it be
admitted that the ministry of reconciliation is here designed,
which is not an offer of reconciliation to the world, but a
proclamation or declaration of peace and reconciliation made by
the death of Christ; this is not sent to all men; multitudes were
dead before the word of reconciliation was committed to the
apostles; and since, there have been great numbers who have never
so much as heard of it; and even in the times of the apostles it
did not reach to everyone then living: besides, the text does not
speak of what God did by the ministry of his apostles, but of
what he himself had been doing in his Son, and which was
antecedent, and gave rise unto and was the foundation of their
ministry. There was a scheme of reconciliation drawn in the
counsels of God before the world began, and an actual
reconciliation by the death of Christ, which is published in the
Gospel, which these words contain the sum and substance of: and
this reconciliation, as before, is said to be "unto himself"; to
his offended justice, and for the glory of his perfections, and
the reconciling of them together in the affair of salvation:
not imputing their trespasses.
This was what he resolved upon from all eternity, that inasmuch
as Christ was become the surety and substitute of his people, he
would not impute their sins to them, or look for satisfaction for
them from them; but would reckon and place them to the account of
their surety, and expect satisfaction from him; and accordingly
he did, and accordingly he had it. And this will, not to impute
sin to his people, or not to punish for it, which existed in God
from everlasting, is no other than a justification of them; for
to whom the Lord does not impute sin, he imputes righteousness,
and such are properly justified.
And hath committed unto us the word of
reconciliation;
or put it in us, as a rich and valuable treasure; for such the
doctrine of peace and reconciliation, by the blood of Christ, is;
a sacred deposition, committed to the trust of faithful men, to
be dispensed and disposed of for the use and purpose for which it
is given them.