(5) For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; (6) Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. (7) Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.
Every portion in these verses is important, and merits our special attention. When Paul here speaks of One God, in allusion to the unity of his divine nature, and essence, he evidently is speaking of that unity, as manifested to the Church, in the Covenant transactions of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; by way of showing the unity of design, in all the grace shown the Church, from the Holy Three, in One. And hence, having declared this oneness in God, both in his nature, and purposes; the Apostle immediately adds: and one Mediator between God and men; the Man Christ Jesus. I admire the Apostle's manner of expression, on this subject. He first sets down the unity, both of the essence, and of the grace, in relation to Covenant-settlements in the divine nature, as existing in a plurality of Persons: One in nature, and one in design. He then introduceth Him, by whose mediation alone, (for he expressly calls him One Mediator, because, in fact, there could be no other:) the purposes of this Covenant, could only be transacted. And, while the very nature of his Office implied his Godhead; the Apostle no less, took care to express his manhood; and therefore, calls him the Man Christ Jesus. As both the Person of Christ, and the office of Christ, as Mediator, are points of infinite consequence, for the Reader to have a clear apprehension concerning, he will not be displeased, if I consider the subject somewhat more particularly.
The very idea of mediation, carries with it the conviction, that some breach must have existed, between two, or more parties, which, before this quarrel, had been in amity with each other. Such was the case between God and man, when Christ came forth, under this character, of Mediator. When at creation, Adam was first formed, we are told, that God saw everything which he had made, and behold it was very good. Genesis 1:31. Consequently, there was perfect harmony at that time, between God and man. But, when Adam fell by transgression, a deadly breach took place. And Christ, as God and man in one Person, could be the only Mediator, to make it up. How Christ accomplished it, is not in this place so much dwelt upon, for this is fully set forth in other parts of scripture. But the Apostle is here chiefly adverting to his Person, and his office, as Mediator. A few words on each, will serve, under the Lord's teaching, to set the matter in a clear light. The Lord graciously instruct both Writer and Reader.
A Mediator, to bring about a reconciliation between parties so dissimilar, as an holy God, and unholy man; must be supposed, in the very nature of things, to possess abilities of a very peculiar kind, and such as but for the wonderful, and mysterious union, of God and man in one Person, never could have been found. He, that undertook to make up the awful breach, which sin had made, between God and man; must know, what was suitable to the dignity of God to receive; and what corresponded to the nature of man to offer. And, as in the latter instance, it was evident in the first face of things, that man had nothing in himself to offer, but by a substitute, which Christ in his human nature could only accomplish: so in the former, none but God, who knew what sin is, and what became suitable for God to receive, could form any one conception whatever, of the plan, by which peace might be obtained; and, therefore, Christ in his divine nature, could only be competent, both to the knowledge, and to the accomplishment. And such, therefore, is Christ: God and Man in one Person. And, of all subjects upon earth, as connected with our redemption, this is the most blessed, and consolatory. He, that undertook to mediate peace by the blood of his cross: and He alone, by partaking of both natures, God and man, became, what Job so ardently longed to behold, a proper Days-man, as the Patriarch called him, that could lay his hand upon both parties. Job 9:33. He, and He alone, the man God's fellow, as God himself called him, became the only One, competent to the arduous work. Zechariah 13:7. And oh! what grace, love, mercy, tenderness, wisdom, and compassion, are all manifested, in the high undertaking?
In this office of mediation, it behoveth him, who acted in this high character of Mediator, to do justice to God; and yet, to do it in such a way, and manner, as should be not ruinous to man. And this, the Lord Jesus accomplished, in becoming the sinner's Surety; whereby, in his obedience and death, he did more to glorify God, than could have been done by the punishment of man, to all eternity. Hence, his Godhead not only furnished ability, for the performance of both, but stamped upon both an infinite value, which more than recompensed the injury done by man; and procured a redundancy of merit, for the everlasting happiness of man in the favor of God, which an whole eternity can never fully repay. And herein lay the blessedness of Christ, as God-man-Mediator, the only possible One suited to the office. For had Christ not been God, the merit of his obedience could not have satisfied. In this case, there would not have been an Almightiness of power in him, to raise our nature from the ruins of the fall; neither, to have conquered sin and Satan, death and hell, by his personal victories; in the triumphs over which, our salvation was everlastingly concerned. And had Christ not been man, his obedience would not have been the obedience the law required; neither could he have made his soul an offering for sin. But now, by the union of both, in one Person, he hath manifested himself to have been the One, and the only One, all-sufficient, and all-glorious Mediator between God and man; the man Christ Jesus. Hebrews 2:14
Let the Reader next attend to what is said, of his giving himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time. A wonderful expression! Gave himself. Not any costly offering; not gifts of gold, nor all the spices of the East: Not thousands of rams, nor ten thousands of rivers of oil. But himself. The Holy Ghost lays great stress upon this precious word, him and himself: See Ephesians 1:10; Colossians 1:20; Hebrews 1:3 : See Commentary. A ransom for all. Who are meant by all? Not surely all mankind. For in that case, all that is said of his elect Church, would be an unnecessary distinction. Besides, if all mankind are included in this ransom; then all must he everlastingly saved: and the final destruction of the ungodly, which scripture asserts, cannot take place. But the all for whom Christ gave himself a ransom, is explained in the latter part of the verse; those who are testified of in due time: that is, in whom God the Spirit regenerates, and witnesseth to their spirits, that they are the sons of God. Romans 8:14-16. Our Lord himself, when speaking of the subject of his giving himself a ransom, declares that it is for many; which is to the same purport. See Matthew 20:28. And Paul takes up the same subject as his divine Master, through the whole of his preaching, when declaring himself an Apostle for this purpose, to be a teacher of the Gentiles, on those great points in faith and verity.