March 03, 2005
PLAINER WORDS …THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST
If we were to follow some of the translations of 1 Timothy 3:16 in which they substitute “He” for “God,” the truth is not diminished one-iota. It still remains that it was God Who was manifested in the flesh. Looking at the NIV, we notice;
“Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory” (1 Tim. 3:16)
The NIV uses the personal pronoun, He, instead of the noun, God, as in the KJV; “God was manifest in the flesh.” Whether it is rendered He or God the meaning doesn’t change—it was God Who appeared in a body, or, it was God Who was manifest in the flesh.
A personal pronoun must refer to a person, or, it must have an antecedent. An example would be:
“Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him” (Acts 17:16-17).
In these two verses, the subject is Paul and what he did while waiting for Silas and Timothy to join him. The three pronouns shown above, in bold-face type and underlined—he, he, and him—all refer to Paul. The same is true when it comes to the One Who was manifest in the flesh—if it reads He—the reference is to God.
“If I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body …” (1 Tim. 1:15-16). NIV
It is crystal clear that He is the Personal pronoun for God in verse 15. So, we can safely say that—great is the mystery of godliness; God was manifest in the flesh. With that having been said, the precious blood of Christ will be considered.
“Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;” (Rom. 3:25).
It should be noted that Dr. E. W. Bullinger pointed out; “In the New Testament, the expression ‘The blood of Christ’ is a figure Metalepsis; because first the ‘blood’ is put (by Synecdoche) for blood-shedding: i.e. the death of Christ, as distinct from His life; and then His death is put for the perfect satisfaction made by it, for all the merits of the atonement effected by it: i.e., it means not merely the actual blood corpuscles, neither does it mean His death as an act, but the merits of the atonement effected by it and associated with it’ (Figures of Speech Used in the Bible, page 610).
Bullinger would have said—“Through faith in His blood;” that is to say, through the merits of the atonement accomplished by it. We will not get into the word, “atonement,” in this study. That’s another issue. But, we all know what is meant by it.
As the title of this article points out, it will simply be said that the Blood of Christ is very precious.
“Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Rom. 5:9)
Paul associates redemption with Christ’s blood.
“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph 1:7).
He also associates it with Gentiles being “made nigh.”
“But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ” (Eph. 2:13).
Our Lord Jesus Christ became obedient unto the death even the death of the cross (Phil. 2:8).
The Apostle Paul repeats what he wrote in Ephesians 1:7.
“In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Col 1:14).
Christ reconciled “all things to Himself” having made peace through the blood of His cross.
“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven” (Col 1:20).
There are many more references to the “blood of Christ;” however, not all of them will be set forth here.
“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied” (2 Pet. 1:2).
Here it is the “sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ,” and then in 1 Peter 1:18, we are told that the saints were not redeemed with corruptible things …“But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot (1 Peter 1:19).
It is the precious blood of Christ.
“The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
Then, it is read in Revelation 1:5; “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.”
The verses pointed out are clear as to Whose Blood was shed:
Through faith in His Blood … Romans 3:25
Justified by His Blood … Romans 5:9
Redemption through His Blood … Ephesians 1:7
Made nigh by the Blood of Christ … Ephesians 2:13
Have redemption, the forgiveness of sins through His Blood … Colossians 1:14
Having made peace through the Blood of His Cross … Colossians 1:20
Sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ … 2 Peter 1:2
Redeemed with the precious Blood of Christ … 2 Peter 1:19
Cleansed from all sin by the Blood of Jesus Christ … 1 John 1:7
Washed us from our sins in His Own Blood … Revelation 1:5
Paul made his farewell address to the elders of the church of Ephesus in Acts 20:18-35. In his speech, he said the following;
“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His Own Blood” (Acts 20:28).
“The church of God (Theos), which He (the Personal pronoun referencing God) hath purchased with His (God’s) Own Blood.” As far as Paul’s reckoning and enlightened understanding is concerned, he did not hesitate in referring to Jesus Christ as God; in fact he was inspired to do so.
God is Spirit, and as such, He has no blood. But when He became flesh, in the Person of Jesus Christ, it could truly be said that His blood was, indeed, God’s Blood.
Tom L. Ballinger