Chap. 2 V. 11, 12. Wherefore Remember, That Ye Being In Time Past Gentiles In The Flesh, Who Are Called Uncircumcision B
HOMILY V
CHAP. 2 V. 11, 12. WHEREFORE REMEMBER, THAT YE BEING IN TIME PAST GENTILES IN THE FLESH, WHO ARE CALLED UNCIRCUMCISION BY THAT WHICH IS CALLED THE CIRCUMCISION IN THE FLESH MADE BY HANDS. THAT AT THAT TIME YE WERE WITHOUT CHRIST, BEING ALIENS FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OF ISRAEL, AND STRANGERS FROM THE COVENANTS OF PROMISE, HAVING NO HOPE, AND WITHOUT GOD IN THE WORLD.
There are many things to shew the loving-kindness of God towards us men. First, the fact, that by Himself He hath saved us, and by Himself through such a method as this. Secondly, that He hath saved us, considering what we were. Thirdly, that He hath exalted us to the place where we are. For all these things both contain in themselves the greatest demonstration of His loving-kindness, and they are the very subjects which Paul is now agitating in his Epistle. He had been saying, that when we were dead in trespasses and sins, He saved us; He is now telling us further, to whom He hath made us equal. Wherefore, saith he, remember, because it is usual with us, one and all, when we are raised from a state of great meanness to corresponding, or perhaps a greater, dignity, not so much as even to retain any recollection of our former condition, as though we had been brought up in this our new glory. On this account it is he says, Wherefore remember.—Wherefore. Why, “wherefore?” Because we have been created unto good works, and this were sufficient to induce us to cultivate and practise virtue; remember,—for that remembrance is sufficient to make us grateful to our Benefactor,—that ye were in time past Gentiles. Observe how he lowers the superior advantages of the Jews and enhances the inferiority of the Gentiles; inferiority indeed it was not, but he is arguing with each respectively from their character and manner of life.
Who are called the uncircumcision.
The honour then of the Jews is in names, their prerogative is in the flesh. For the uncircumcision is nothing, and the circumcision is nothing.
By that which is called, saith he, the circumcision made with hands in the flesh, that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.
Ye, saith he, who were thus called by the Jews. But why then is it that now he is about to shew that the benefit bestowed upon them consisted in this, in their having fellowship with Israel, he, on the other hand, not only does not disparage the Israelitish prerogative, but rather enhances it by these particulars? In essential points he enhances it, but in these points, in which they had no fellowship, he disparages it. For he goes on to say, Ye are fellow-citizens, and of the household of God. Mark, how far he is from disparaging it. These other points, saith he, are indifferent. Never think, saith he, that because ye happen not to be circumcised, and are now in uncircumcision, that there is any difference in this. No, the hardship was this, the being without Christ, the being aliens from the commonwealth, that is, the conversation of Israel. Whereas this circumcision is not conversation. Again, the being strangers from the covenants of promise, the having no hope to come, the being without God in this world, all these were parts of their condition. He was speaking of heavenly things, he speaks also of those which are upon earth; since the Jews had a great opinion of these. Thus also Christ in comforting His disciples, after saying, Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, adds the lesser point of consolation, for so, saith He, persecuted they the prophets that were before you. For this, compared with the greatness of the other, is far less, yet in regard to the being nigh, and believing, it is ample and sufficient, and has considerable force. This then was the having conversation. His word is not, “separated,” but “alienated from the commonwealth.” His word is not, “ye took no interest in,” but, “ye had not so much as any part in, and were strangers.” The expressions are most emphatic, and indicate the separation to be very wide. Because the Israelites themselves were without this conversation, not however as aliens, but as indifferent to it, and they fell from the covenants, not however as strangers.
But what were the covenants of the promise? To thee and to thy seed, saith He, will I give this land, and whatever else He promised.
Having no hope, he adds, and without God. Though gods indeed they worshipped, but they were no gods: for an idol is not any thing.
Ver. 13–15. But now, in Christ Jesus, ye, who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, the enmity in His flesh.
Is this then the great privilege, it may be said, that we are admitted into the conversation of the Jews? What art thou saying? He hath gathered together into one all things that are in heaven, and that are in earth, and now dost thou tell us about Israelites? Yes, he would say. Those higher privileges we must apprehend by faith; these, by actual experience. But now, saith he, in Christ Jesus, ye who were some time far off, are made nigh. For the far off, and the nigh, are matters of will and choice.
For He is our peace, Who hath made both one.
What is this, both one? He does not mean this, that He hath raised us to that high dignity of theirs, but that He hath raised both us and them to a yet higher. Only that the blessing to us is greater, because to these it had been promised, and they were nearer than we; to us it had not been promised, and we were farther off than they. Therefore it is that he says, And that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy. The promise indeed He gave to the Israelites, but they were unworthy; to us He gave no promise, nay, we were even strangers, we had nothing in common with them; yet hath He made us one, not by attaching us to them, but by knitting both them and us together into one. I will give you an illustration. Let us suppose there to be two statues, the one of silver, the other of lead, and then that both shall be melted down, and that the two shall come out gold. Behold, thus hath He made the two one. Or put the case again in another way. Let the two be, one a slave, the other an adopted son: and let both worship Him, the one as a disinherited child, the other as a fugitive, and one who never knew a father. Then let both be made heirs, both trueborn sons. Behold, they are exalted to one and the same dignity, the two are become one, the one coming from a longer, the other from a nearer distance, and becoming more noble than he was before he fell.
Having broken down, he proceeds, the middle wall of partition.
What the middle wall of partition is, he interprets by saying, the enmity that was in His flesh. Having abolished the law of commandments contained in ordinances. Some indeed affirm that the law is the middle wall, and that for this reason the word “law” was employed, because it did not allow the Jews to hold intercourse with the Greeks. To me, however, this does not seem to be the meaning, but rather that he calls the enmity in the flesh, a middle wall, in that it is a common barrier, cutting us off alike from God. As the Prophet says, Do not your iniquities separate between you and Me, and with reason, for that enmity which He had both against Jews and Gentiles was, as it were, a middle wall. And this, whilst the law existed, was not only not abolished, but rather was strengthened; for the law, saith the Apostle, worketh wrath. Just in the same way then as when he says in that passage, the law worketh wrath, he does not ascribe the whole of this effect to the law itself, but it is further implied, that it is because we have transgressed it; so also in this place he calls it a middle wall, because through being disobeyed it wrought enmity. The law was a hedge or wall, but this it was made for the sake of security, and for this reason was called a hedge, to the intent that it might form an inclosure. For listen again to the Prophet, where he says, I made a hedge about it. And again, Thou hast broken down her hedge, so that all they which go by pluck off her grapes. Here therefore it means security and protection: and so again, I will break down the hedge thereof, and it shall be trodden down. And again, He gave them the law for a defence. And again, The Lord that executeth mercy and judgment, made known His statutes unto Israel. It became, however, a middle wall, no longer establishing them in security, but cutting them off from God. Such then is the middle wall of partition formed out of the hedge or fence of protection. And to explain what this is, he subjoins, the enmity in His flesh.
Having abolished the law of commandments.
How so? In that He confirmed it, and dissolved the enmity therein. Nor in this way only hath He dissolved it, but also by keeping it. But what then, if we are released from the former transgression, and yet are again compelled to keep it? Then were the case the same over again, whereas He hath destroyed the very law itself. For he says, Having abolished the law of commandments by doctrines. Oh! amazing loving-kindness! He gave us a law that we should keep it, and when we kept it not, and ought to have been punished, He even abrogated the law itself. As if a man, who, having committed a child to a schoolmaster, if he should turn out disobedient, should set him at liberty even from the schoolmaster, and take him away. How great loving-kindness were this! What is meant by,
Having abolished by doctrines?
For he here makes a wide distinction between commandments and doctrines. He either then means faith, calling that a doctrine, (for by faith alone He saveth us,) or he means precept, such as Christ gave, when He said, But I say unto you, that ye are not to be angry at all. That is to say, If thou shalt believe that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. And again, The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thine heart. Say not, Who shall ascend into heaven, or who shall descend into the deep? or, who hath brought Him again from the dead? Instead of a life, He brought in faith. For that He might not save us without a meaning, He both Himself underwent the penalty, and also required of men the faith that is by doctrines.
That He might make in Himself of the twain, one new man.
Observe thou, that it is not that the Gentile is become a Jew, but that both the one and the other are entered into another condition. It was not with a view of merely making this last other than he was, that He abolished the law, but rather, in order to create the two anew. And well does he on all occasions employ the word make or create, and does not say, “might change,” in order to point out the power of what was done, and that even though the creation be visible, yet is it no less (a creation) than that is, and that we ought not henceforward start away from this, more than from natural things.
That He might make (create) the twain in Himself,
That is, by Himself. He gave not this charge to another, but Himself, and by Himself, He melted both the one and the other, and produced one a glorious one, and, what is far greater than the first creation, that one first was Himself. For this is the meaning of in Himself. He Himself first gave the type and example. Laying hold on the one hand of the Jew, and on the other of the Gentile, and Himself being in the midst, He blended them together, made all the estrangement which existed between them to disappear, and fashioned them anew from above by fire and by water; no longer with water and earth, but with water and fire. He became a Jew by circumcision, He became accursed, He became a Gentile without the law, and was over both Gentiles and Jews.
Into one man, saith he, making peace.
Peace for them both towards God, and towards each other. For so long as they continued still Jews and Gentiles, they could not possibly have been reconciled. And had they not been delivered each from his own peculiar condition, how had they ever arrived at another and a higher one? For the Jew is then and not till then united to the Gentile when he becomes a believer. It is like persons being in a house, with two chambers below, and one large and grand one above: they would not be able to see each other, till they had got above.
Making peace, more especially towards God; for this the context shews, for what saith he?
16. That He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the Cross.
He saith, not merely might reconcile, but might reconcile afresh, indicating that heretofore human nature had been easily reconciled, as, e.g. in the case of the saints and before the Law.
In one body, saith he, and that His own, unto God. How is this effected? By Himself, he means, suffering the penalty incurred upon the Cross.
Having slain the enmity thereby.
Nothing can be more direct, nothing more significative, than these expressions. His death, saith the Apostle, hath slain the enmity. He hath wounded and killed it, not by giving charge to another, nor by what He wrought only, but also by what He suffered. He does not say having dissolved, he does say having cancelled, but what is stronger than all, having slain, so that it never should rise again. How then is it that it does rise again? From our exceeding depravity. For as long as we abide in the body of Christ, as long as we are united, it rises not again, but lies dead; or rather that former enmity never rises again at all. But if we breed another, it is no longer because of Him, who hath destroyed and put to death the former one. It is thou, forsooth, that travailest with a fresh one. For the carnal mind, saith he, is enmity against God; if we are in nothing carnally-minded, there will be no fresh enmity produced, but that peace we were speaking of shall remain.
MORAL. Think then, how vast an evil is it, when God hath employed so many methods to reconcile us, and hath effected it, that we should again fall back into enmity! This enmity no fresh Baptism, but hell itself awaits; no fresh remission, but searching trial. The carnal mind is luxury and indulgence, the carnal mind is covetousness and all kinds of sin. Why is it said the carnal mind, the mind of the flesh? Whereas the flesh could do nothing without the soul. He does not say this to the disparagement of the flesh, any more than when he says the natural man, he uses that expression to the disparagement of the soul, but he means, that neither body nor soul in themselves, if they receive not the impulse which is from above, are able to achieve any thing great or noble. Hence he calls those acts which the soul performs of herself, “natural;” and those which the body performs of itself, “carnal.” Not because these are natural, but because, inasmuch as they receive not that direction from heaven, they perish. So the eyes, we know, may be good, but without light, will commit innumerable errors; this, however, is the fault of their weakness, not of nature. Were the errors natural, then should we never be able to use them aright at all. Nothing which is evil is natural. What then are carnal affections? They are sins. For whenever the flesh exalts herself, and gets the mastery over her charioteer, she produces ten thousand mischiefs. The virtue of the flesh is, her subjection to the soul. It is her vice to govern the soul. Just in the same way then, as a horse may be good and nimble, and yet this is not shewn without a rider; so also the flesh will then shew her goodness, when we curtail her prancings. But neither again is the rider shewn, if he have not skill. Nay he himself without skill will do mischief yet more fearful than that before named. So that on all hands we must have the Spirit at hand to guide us, that Spirit standing to guide will impart new strength to the rider; that Spirit will give beauty both to body and soul. For just as, while the soul dwells in the body, she gives it its beauty, but when she leaves it destitute of her own native energy and departs, like a painter confounding his colours together, the greatest loathsomeness ensues, every one of the several parts hastening to corruption, and falling back into the elements of which it is composed:—so is it also when the Spirit forsakes the body and the soul, the loathsomeness which ensues is greater and more desperate. Do not then, because the body is inferior to the soul, do not therefore revile it, for neither do I endure to revile the soul because it hath no strength without the Spirit. If one need say any thing at all, the soul is deserving of greater censure than the body; for the body indeed can do no grievous harm without the soul, whereas the soul can do much without the body. Because, we know, when the one is even wasting away, and has no wantonness, the other is busily employed. As, e.g. those sorcerers (we hear of), magicians, envious persons, enchanters, most especially emaciate the body. But besides this, not even luxury is the effect of the craving of the body, but rather of inattentiveness of the soul; for food, not feasting, is the object of the craving of the body. For if I have a mind to put on a strong curb, I stop the horse; whereas the body, on the other hand, is unable to check the soul in her evil courses. Wherefore then does he call it the carnal mind? Because it is wholly of the flesh, for when she has the mastery, then she goes wrong, as soon as ever she has deprived herself of reason, and of the supremacy of the soul. The virtue therefore of the body consists in this, in its submission to the soul, since of itself the flesh is neither good nor evil. For what could the body ever do of itself? It is then by its connection that the body is good, good because of its subjection, but of itself neither good nor evil, with capacity both for the one and for the other, and having an equal tendency either way. The body has a natural desire, not however of fornication, nor of adultery, but simply of pleasure; the body has a desire not of feasting, but of food; of drink, not of drunkenness. For in proof that it is not drunkenness that is the natural desire of the body, mark how, whenever you exceed the measure, when you surmount the boundary-lines of the body, it cannot hold out a moment longer. Because all the rest of the excesses, as e.g. when she is hurried away into sensualities, when she becomes stupified, these are not of the body, but of the soul. For suppose the body to be even good, still it is vastly inferior to the soul. In the same way then as lead is of less value than gold, and yet gold needs of lead to solder it, just so has the soul need also of the body. Or in the same way as a noble child requires a conductor, so again does the soul stand in need of the body. And you must not be surprised that I have adduced such examples as these: for, as we speak of childish things, not to the disparagement of childhood, but only of those acts which are done childishly; so also are we now speaking of the body.
Yet it is in our power, if we will, no longer to be in the flesh, no, nor upon the earth, but in heaven, and in the Spirit. For our being here or there, is not determined so much by our position and place, as by our temper and disposition. Of many people, at least, who are in some particular place, we say they are any where but there, when we say, Thou art absent. And why do I say this? We often say, Thou art not thyself, I am not myself, and yet what can be more material (a stronger instance of corporal locality) than this, near as a man is to himself? And yet, notwithstanding, we say that he is not in himself. Let us then be in ourselves, in heaven, in the Spirit. Let us abide in the peace and in the grace of God, that we may be set at liberty from all the things of the flesh, and may be able to attain to those good things which are promised in Jesus Christ our Lord, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, and might, and honour, now and henceforth, and for ever and ever. Amen.