“E. le P.”-What authority is there for translating Rom. 4:25,25Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. (Romans 4:25) “Was delivered in consequence of our offenses, and raised again in consequence of our justification”?
A.-None whatever. Some have tried to render the our, in consequence of; ‘others, because of,’ but equally erroneously. This is because of the desire to connect the justification of the believer with the resurrection of Christ, instead of the time when faith operated in his soul. Scripture never separates those things. The first verse of chap. 5 would thus be wrenched off from its true connection: “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God.” &c.
I add the words of another:— “As regards δικαίωσις, διὰ is translated ‘for,’ as giving the sense, but in English. The point is not there, but in δικαιωσις. Διὰ, with an accusative is just ‘on account of;’ but δικαιωσις is not the thing done, but the doing of it, and it is this on which it turns. If it had been ‘on account of our having been justified,’ it would have been διὰ τὸ δικαιωθῆναι ἡμας, and this is not the case till faith comes in.... The Greek rule is, that words derived from the perfect passive are the thing done, doing it, and the doer; κρίμα, the judgment; κρίσις, the judging; κριςὴς, the judge; though all are not always there. We have δικαίωμα, δικαίωσις: I am not aware of δικαίωτης.”
A.- “As to likeness (ὁμοιώματι), the reference is to baptism; but ομ is not merely likeness as comparison. Christ was made in the likeness of man, according to this pattern. It is not the thing itself, but, in the case of Christ’s humanity, clearly not the denial of it. If I have taken my place with Christ, I have taken it with Him as dead, and consequently, if it be His death, it involves, according to the same pattern, resurrection. He takes the reality of the thing, but takes it as expressed and patterned in baptism. In Romans we are not risen with Him in baptism.”
“Q.”-Montreal.-1. Is the thought of a general judgment of all, saved or unsaved, scriptural? 2. Is the believer ever brought into judgment? 3. Who are judged at the Great White Throne?
A.-1. The thought is not in Scripture. The giving up by the Church of the hope of the Lord’s coming for His saints—raising those who had died and changing the living—was followed by the loss of the truth of a first resurrection out of the other dead, of those who are Christ’s at that coming, a general resurrection being accepted. Then came wrong thoughts as to the present state of justification and acceptance in which the believer stood, and assurance of salvation was lost; a judgment to come was looked upon as the time and place to have that settled. This gave wrong thoughts as to the meaning of ordinances which came to be treated as a means to salvation; consequently power by superstition was put into the ecclesiastics, and this continued as a rule till the professing Church sunk into the world. Matt. 25:31,31When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: (Matthew 25:31) &c., is misused to favor the delusion of a general judgment of the dead—not seeing that it is the living, gathered before the Lord on earth—not the dead before the Great White Throne, and the earth and heaven fleeing away from His face who sat thereon.
The believer’s state being settled here, for him there is no judgment. The resurrection out of the other dead, of which Christ was the firstfruits, is that kind of resurrection of which he will partake: its time, character, and the condition of those who partake of it, being the very opposite to the resurrection of the wicked; and the fruit and consequence of their acceptance, as it was of Christ’s, and of God’s seal on the perfection of His person.
He will be manifested before the βὴμα (judgment seat) of Christ 2 Cor. 5:1212For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart. (2 Corinthians 5:12)), and there repass his life; but he is already glorified before he arrives at it, so that it will be too late then to judge him and see if he is fit for heaven. Fancy the apostles being brought out of heaven to be judged, to ascertain if they were fit for the place they have been in for 1800 years, as well as other saints!
The dead in sins are raised for judgment at the Great White Throne. Those of the “first resurrection” have had their kingdom blessings for 1000 years with Christ, before this takes place. (See Rev. 20:4-64And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4‑6).)