For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
On the interesting subject of Christ's suffering for sins, when he made his soul an offering for sin, and in which he acted, as the substitute and sponsor for his people, our souls may well dwell forever. It is a subject to be begun in this life, but never to be finished to all eternity. The Holy Ghost in this scripture, hath very blessedly explained somewhat of the manner of Christ's offering, when he saith, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. I say somewhat of the manner: but our furthest researches, in the present unripe state of our spiritual apprehensions, can go but a very little way. I shall venture to offer my views of his difficult passage to the Reader. But I only propose them as mine, not to decide, but to enquire. Here, as in all other places of this Poor Man's Commentary, where there is supposed to be any obscurity, and the enlightened children of God, see through different mediums; I simply offer my views, but I leave the Reader, under the Holy Ghost's teaching, to form his own.
And first. Christ is here said, to be put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. Very little doubt can arise from these words, but that by the flesh is meant, Christ's human nature. And it should seem as plain, that as Christ alone is here spoken of, by the Spirit is meant, his divine nature; that is, his Godhead. And in confirmation, it should be observed, that Christ himself declared this before his death; when he said to the Jews, destroy this temple, meaning the temple of his body; and I will raise it up in three days, John 2:19. And the Holy Ghost, by Paul, taught the Church of the Romans, that Christ was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Romans 1:4. Had Christ not been a quickening Spirit, and had not his own power and Godhead gone forth, in this act of raising himself from the dead, his resurrection would not have declared him to have been the Son of God with power. We perfectly well understand that as the offering up of Christ was through the eternal Spirit, and all the persons of the Godhead were engaged in their several office-characters, in that high transaction; so we as perfectly understand, that all the Persons of the Godhead concurred, and co-operated, in the glorious act of Christ's resurrection. See 1 Corinthians 6:14; John 11:25; 1 Timothy 3:16. But in this beautiful scripture now before us, there can be but little doubt, that it is Christ personally considered who is spoken of; being put to death in the flesh, that is, his human nature, and quickened by the Spirit, that is, his divine. It is Christ only that is here spoken of.
Secondly. The subject meets us very blessedly again, in another view. The Son of God, having taken into union with himself, that holy portion of our nature, Hebrews 2:16, which contained in it the seed of holiness, for every individual member of his mystical body, constituting the Church; and having offered himself an offering for sin by his death on the cross, he not only raised himself from the dead, by his own quickening power, but, at the same time, raised and exalted this holy portion of our nature, his own personal body, to the possession of all divine perfections. By virtue of his eternal power and Godhead, he communicated to this human nature he had assumed into union with his divine, a glory surpassing all creation. The scripture expresseth it in those unequalled words; For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, Colossians 2:9. So that in this mysterious union of Person, God and Man. Christ hath all the attributes of eternity, independency, sovereignty, and glory. For so it is written: As the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also; because he is the Son of man, that is God-Man Mediator. Not as the Son of God only; for, as such, nothing could be given him; because he possessed in himself, from all eternity, in common with the Father and the Holy Ghost, all divine perfections. But it is as God-Man Mediator, whereby he hath all power given him in heaven, and in earth. See John 5:26-27 and Commentary.
Thirdly. From the two foregoing statements, we next arise to a third, growing out of the former; in the blessedness of which Christ's whole body, the Church, is included; namely, that by virtue of this union of Christ's human nature with his divine, Jesus, by his quickening Spirit, communicates to all his members in his mystical body, all things that pertain to life and godliness, 2 Peter 1:3. For here lies the blessedness of the Church's union with her Lord Jesus, in his twofold nature, not only possesseth this personal glory, which is peculiarly his own, and incapable of being possessed by any other, or communicated to any other; but, as Head of his body the Church, he hath a power to communicate all communicable grace, here, and glory above, to the several members which constitute his mystical body. He hath, (as he said himself), power over all flesh, to give eternal life, to as many as the Father hath given him, John 17:1. And it is this, which makes Jesus so peculiarly endeared, and blessed to his people. Hence, as a quickening Spirit, Christ is said to raise our bodies, spiritual bodies, which by creation are natural bodies; and sown as such, when they return to the earth. So that, what was sown in dishonor, shall be raised in glory. For as in the first Adam of the earth, we have borne the image of the earthy; so in the second man, which is the Lord from heaven, and the last Adam so called, and who was made a quickening Spirit, we shall bear the image of the heavenly, 1 Corinthians 15:42-49. And this beautiful scripture, which gives so clear an illustration of the doctrine, is yet further explained, by another part of the sacred writings, where the Holy Ghost by the same Apostle, in allusion to Christ as a quickening Spirit, saith, He shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working, whereby he is able, even to subdue all things unto himself, Philippians 3:21
Reader! pause, if but for the moment, to remark, what a world of holy joy and comfort ariseth out of this one view of Christ, as a quickening Spirit. How often doth the child of God feel, and groan under the workings of sin! And how sweet sometimes the prospect of the grave is, where sleeping in Jesus, we shall lay down all the sorrows and distresses, arising from these workings of sin; yea, and all sin together! But here is a prospect of blessedness, even going beyond that. While we look to Jesus as a quickening Spirit, we look through the grave, and beyond it, dying in union with his Person, we become the blessed dead, concerning whom John heard a voice from heaven, declaring them blessed, because they die in the Lord, Revelation 14:13. And here Jesus, beheld as a quickening Spirit, secures their blessed resurrection, because, they who die in the Lord shall arise and live in the Lord, Hence, both living and dying, they are the Lord's. And the Holy Ghost gives his gracious testimony to the same, as well as marks the vast change, which shall then take place. He shall change our vile body, and fashion it like unto his glorious body. Jesus, who quickened his own body, will quicken yours. It went down to the grave a natural body. It shall come up a spiritual body. It was sown in corruption; it shall be raised in glory. It doth not yet appear, saith John, what we shall be, but we know, that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, 1 John 3:2. Like him! Reader! do not overlook this. Those vile bodies of ours, which by reason of sin, are so unlike him now, shall be like him then. And though we know not now, what we shall be, Jesus both knows now, as he will know then; and loves us now, as he will love us then. Oh! that every truly regenerated child of God would have this always in remembrance! What, though the body of sin and death distress you daily, yea, will continue to distress you, with its weaknesses, corruptions, and sins, to the last hour; yet when Jesus calls your spirit home, and leads your body down to the house appointed for all living, it shall then distress no more. How many of the Lord's exercised ones is Jesus daily, hourly, calling home, whose bodies called forth the groan but just before Jesus called home the spirit? Oh! for grace and faith, to be always in lively exercise, under the full assurance, that how unlike soever our bodies are to Jesus at death, we shall be like him in our resurrection. Amidst all that is unlovely, and unloving in our bodies now, they are still the property, and must always be the care of the all lovely, and all loving Jesus. His, is to preserve them through life, to watch over them in death, to quicken them at the great rising day, and to present, both body, soul, and spirit, to himself, Father, and Spirit, faultless before the presence of his glory, with exceeding joy, Jude 1:24. Let every child of God, in the prospect of this unquestionable truth, cry out, with him of old, and say: As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness, Psalms 17:15.