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simply, though this as applied to Christ in His humanity is part of it, but the Name which gathered up all that Christ was found to be by believers, Son, Sovereign and Creator, the Lord of the Old Covenant, as is shewn in the remainder of the chapter. Comp. Phil. 2:9 (Eph. 1:21).

For the position of diaforwvteron compare Heb. 11:25 (3:14). keklhr. ] The perfect lays stress upon the present possession of the ‘name’ which was ‘inherited’ by the ascended Christ. That which had been proposed in the eternal counsel (v. 2 e[qhken ) was realised when the work of redemption was completed (John 19:30 tetevlestai ). The possession of the ‘name’—His own eternally—was, in our human mode of speech, consequent on the Incarnation, and the permanent issue of it.

In looking back over the view of the Lord's Person and Work given in Heb. 1:1-4 we notice

1. The threefold aspect in which it is regarded. ( a ) The Eternal Being of the Son ( w[n, fevrwn ). ( b ) The temporal work of the Incarnate Son ( kaqarismo;n poihsavmeno", kreivttwn genovmeno" ).

( g ) The work of the Exalted Christ in its historical foundation and in its abiding issues ( ejkavqisen, keklhronovmhken ).

2. The unity of Christ's Person. The continuity of the Person of the Son throughout is distinctly affirmed. He is One before the work of creation and after the work of redemption. Traits which we regard as characteristic severally of His divine and of His human nature are referred to the same Person. This unity is clearly marked:
God spake in His Son ,
Whom He appointed heir of all things , through Whom He made the world ,
Who being...and bearing...
having made purification...
sat down
,
having become ...

Even during His dwelling on earth, under the limitations of manhood, the activity of His divine Being ( fevrwn ta; pavnta ) was not interrupted; and His redemptive work must be referred to the fulness of His One Person.

3. The unity of Christ's work. The Creation, Redemption, Consummation of all things are indissolubly connected. The heirship of Christ is placed side by side with His creative work. The exaltation of humanity in Him is in no way dependent on the Fall. The Fall made Redemption necessary, and altered the mode in which the divine counsel of love, the consummation of creation, was fulfilled, but it did not alter the counsel itself.

A mysterious question has been raised whether the terms ‘Son’ and ‘Father’ are used of the absolute relations of the divine Persons apart from all reference to the Incarnation. In regard to this it may be observed that Scripture tells us very little of God apart from His relation to man and the world. At the same time the description of God as essentially ‘love’ helps us to see that the terms ‘Father’ and ‘Son’ are peculiarly fitted to describe, though under a figure, an essential relation between the Persons of the Godhead.


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