One God and One Mediator -- The Ransom for All.

The Universalist Herald - August 5, 1859

In Paul's 1st Epistle to Timothy, 2d chapter, 5th verse, he says "there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time." This is the doctrine which Paul was ordained to preach and which he exhorted Timothy to be faithful in proclaiming to the people.  There are three points worthy of notice in this scripture citation.

First - "There is one God," and we think we are authorized to add "there is none other but he."  He is called the "God and Father of the spirits of all flesh" -- Heb. 12:9; Matt. 6:9.  Malachi 2:6 asks the question, implying an affirmative answer, "Have we not all one Father? Hath not one God created us?"  Jesus says in Matt. 23:9 "one is our Father, which is in heaven."  And Paul says, Eph. 4:6 "There is one God and Father of all."  There are many other passages of this nature but we have not room to cite them here, which prove conclusively that there is a God, and but one, who is the friend and Father of all men.

The second truth taught by Paul is that there is ONE MEDIATOR.

Lexicographers define the word Mediator to signify a middle person, one who stands and acts between two.  Suidas explains it to mean a peace maker, one who brings about a state of reconciliation between parties who had previously been at variance.  A mediator is often necessary where only one of the parties is wrong.  This was the case with the mediator which Jesus Christ came to effect.  Man was unreconciled to his Maker, and hence Christ came to reconcile us to the Father.  The Apostle confirms this view of the subject when he says (2 Cor. 5:16) "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses uto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead BE YE RECONCILED UNTO GOD."  We desire the reader to notice that men need to be reconciled to God, not God to us -- "be YE reconciled unto God."  Jesus was appointed to communicate the mind of God to men that we might have the strongest evidence that he is our Father and Friend, and that He desires, designs, and purposes to reconcile all things unto himself.  Hence we read, Col 1:19, "For it pleased the Father that in him (Christ) should all fulness dwell, 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 in heaven."

This was the original apostolic view of this subject, and if the Apostles were right, then the whole system of popular theology must be wrong, for it is predicted on the supposition that God is the enemy of man, and that he sent Christ to reconcile himself to us!  How unreasonable and unscriptural!  Nothing is more plain to our mind than that all wrath, cruelty, sin, error, and unreconciliation are on the part of man, and we therefore believe the scripture doctrine before cited, that "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself."

The third truth taught, by the text is that Christ gave himself a RANSOM FOR ALL.

"A ransom for all" -- let the reader understand this:

"For all, for all my Lord was crucified
For all my Saviour died,"

Thus sings the poet, and Paul confirms the song -- See 1st Cor. xv, "As in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive."  But will those whom Christ ransomed -- those for whom he shed his most precious blood -- those for whom he died, and who are now roaming amid the "wiles of sin," will their sorrows ever end and their sighing be done away?  Let Isaiah answer, and when he speaks let me give hear:  See Chap xxxv:10, "The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away."

Let him that readeth try to understand.

J.S.
Richmond, Va.