GOD MANIFEST
19
As the context shows, this is in opposition to the Pagan conception of `gods many, and lords many', nevertheless
the passage is truth given by inspiration of God. Yet what are we to understand by this revelation? Are we to
declare that there are two deities, One called `God' Who is the Father; the other called `Lord', Who is the Son? One
`God', `out of Whom' are all things and we `for Him' and the other God, `The Lord', `through Whom' are all things
and we through Him?' If we demure, and say `No there is but one God, the Father' then we must believe from this
passage that, while `God' originates all things and that these find their goal in Him, He has no hand in the purpose of
the ages, yet, when writing Romans 11, we find that to `the Lord' is ascribed not only that all things are `by Him', as
is found in 1 Corinthians 8:6, but `of Him' and `for Him', which is separated by the apostle in 1 Corinthians 8:6
from `The Lord' and exclusively indicated of `God'.
Either Paul is contradicting himself or he intends to indicate deity by both the titles `God the Father' and `The
Lord Jesus Christ'. Again, in Romans we find further confirmation that, to Paul, `God' and `The Lord', even when
referring to the Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh, must be considered as One. First when speaking of the witness of
creation to the deity of the Creator and the inexcusability of idolatry, he speaks of `The Creator, Who is blessed for
ever. Amen' (Rom. 1:25). The words of Bishop Wordsworth on this expression are so well chosen that we quote
them here:
`From this text a strong argument may be derived against:
(1) The Arians, who assert Christ to be a creature, and yet profess to worship Him; and
(2) Against those who pay religious worship to any creature; According to Scripture, no one is to be worshipped
who is not God by nature (Gal. 4:8); no creature but the Creator only (Rom. 1:25). From whence it is
evident that there is no middle between Creator and creature, Creator and creature being opposites; so that a
creature cannot be Creator, nor Creator a creature. Scripture knows nothing of creature-worship, nothing of
inferior, relative or mediate worship distinct from Divine; nothing of two worships of different kinds,- either
before the Gospel or after. The one fundamental rule of worship, from Genesis down to Revelation, is to
worship God alone - The God of Israel, the Jehovah, the Creator, Sustainer, Preserver of all things'.
We feel no argument is necessary to prove that the words in Romans 1:25, `Who is blessed for ever', can refer to
none but God only.
In the same epistle, the same apostle uses the same words when speaking of Christ:
`Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, Who is over all, God blessed for ever'
(Rom. 9:5).
These words should be compared with those of 2 Corinthians 11:31:
`Ho on epi panton Theos eulogetos eis tous aionas, Amen' (Rom. 9:5).
`Ho on eulogetos eis tous aionas' (2 Cor. 11:31).
The former passage speaks of Christ, the latter of the Father. In the former the added words occur, `over all',
words used of the Father in Ephesians 4:6 and translated `above all'. Moreover, every student of the Talmud or of
Israel's religious language, knows that the term `The Blessed One', as Bishop Pearson observes, `of itself elsewhere
signifies the supreme God, and was always used by the Jews to express that one God of Israel'.
Unless we are going to include every reference made by Paul to this great subject to the exclusion of other
fundamental doctrines, we must bring this phase of our study to a conclusion. But before we consider other aspects
of this great revelation, let us summarize what we have found so far:
(1) The title `Lord' in the New Testament (Kurios in the Greek) is the equivalent and translation of the Old
Testament title, Jehovah.
(2) Jehovah is the title assumed by God `unto the age', and is His memorial unto all generations.
(3) Everywhere the title refers to the God of Redemption, Promise and Prophecy.
(4) This title is indubitably and consciously used of the Lord Jesus Christ, both by Paul and other writers of the
New Testament.