Romans 5:15 says, “If through the offense of the one the many died, much more the grace of God and the gift in grace of the One Man Jesus Christ have abounded to the many.” Here Christ is portrayed as very man. He is called the One Man! He was a man among men. Compare this reference with 9:5, where He is “the Christ, Who is over all, God blessed forever.” Here He is God over all. From these two verses we can see that Christ is both man and God.
It is in Paul’s writings that we find this clear declaration that Christ is man and also God. Peter’s writings do not convey this to us as clearly. Nor does Peter tell us that Christ lives in us. This is why Paul’s ministry is the completing ministry. In this one book of Romans he says strongly that this Christ, the very One whom we have received and are experiencing, is both man and also God blessed forever.
Romans 10:12 tells us, “For there is no difference between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord of all is rich to all who call upon Him.” This Christ is Lord of all. He is over both the Jews and the Gentiles. He is over all. He is rich to all who call on Him.
If you will pray-read all these verses in Romans, you will see how wonderful Christ is. He is the Son of God with the divine nature, but also with the human nature. He is producing many sons of God out of sinners. He is not only God, but also man for our enjoyment. He is over all mankind. He is rich to all who call upon Him. This is the Christ for you to call on and to enjoy! It is Paul who presents this One in such a clear way, thus completing the divine revelation.
First Corinthians is a rich book. It has much to tell us about Christ.
In 1:30 we are told that He is God’s wisdom. “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” This wisdom comprises three items. Christ as God’s wisdom is our righteousness, our sanctification, and our redemption. Righteousness applies to our past, sanctification to our present, and redemption to our future. Christ is our righteousness for us to be justified that we might be reborn, our sanctification that we might be transformed, and our redemption that we might be transfigured. Regeneration transpires in our spirit, transformation in our soul, and transfiguration in our body. He as righteousness is for our spirit to be regenerated; as sanctification, for our soul to be transformed; and as redemption, for our body to be transfigured. Christ is our all-inclusive wisdom!
In referring to the wisdom of God, Paul says, “Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Cor. 2:8). Christ is the Lord of glory! This is a most excellent declaration. In Philippians 3 Paul says he counted all things loss on account of “the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (v. 8). To know Christ in all these items is to have the excellency of the knowledge of Him.
What does it mean to say that Christ is the Lord of glory? This term is beyond our ability to define. To know Him as the Lord of glory is to appreciate His excellency.
“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (3:11). Christ Himself is our foundation. Upon Him alone we stand. We have no other foundation.
“For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us” (5:7). For us to be redeemed, to be saved, and to be rescued from the world, Christ is our Passover. According to Exodus 12:1-13, God passed over the children of Israel because the blood of the Passover lamb had been sprinkled on the lintel and the doorposts of their houses. The children of Israel had been commanded to eat the flesh of the lamb in their houses. In other words, the house was to be their covering as they ate the lamb. As 1 Corinthians 1:30 says, it is of God that we are in Christ Jesus. He, then, is our house, our covering, as we feast upon Him as the Passover. (For a more detailed consideration of the Passover, see Exodus Life-study Messages 23, 24, and 25.)
“And did all drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ” (1 Cor. 10:4). Christ was the spiritual rock that followed God’s people. Today He is the rock that follows us all the way. This rock was smitten at God’s command that life might flow out to meet our need and quench our thirst (see Exo. 17:6). In the Lord’s recovery this is the Christ we enjoy— the One from whom flows the water of life to quench our thirst!
“But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God” (1 Cor. 11:3). Here Christ is spoken of, not as the Head of the Body, but as the head of every man. Christ is the Head!
“For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ” (12:12). He is not only the Head; He is also the Body. The whole Body is Christ. This Body comprises all of us. What this means is that Christ is all of us. How marvelous this is!
“But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruit; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming” (15:23, lit.). Christ is the firstfruit from among the dead. He came forth from death. Since He was the first, He is the firstfruit; those that are His will follow.
“And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a life-giving spirit....The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven” (15:45, 47). The first man was a failure. Adam fell and missed God’s purpose. With Christ, the second Man, there came in a new beginning with a new nature and a new life. He is the second, and also the last. With this last Adam there was no failure.
This last Adam became a life-giving Spirit. If Christ were not the Spirit, how could He be our wisdom? our righteousness? our sanctification? our redemption? our foundation? our Passover? our rock? the Head? the Body? the firstfruit? For Christ to be all this to us, He had to become the life-giving Spirit. It is as the life-giving Spirit that He is real to us in all these different aspects.
Do you see how much you can learn of Christ in 1 Corinthians? Surely without this Epistle of Paul’s the Bible would not be complete. You need to know this Christ. You must aspire, as Paul did, “to know Him” (Phil. 3:10). You must also experience and enjoy Him. Then you must minister to others this Christ whom you enjoy. Go out with Christ and His riches. Be filled with Him. Do not argue with people about doctrines. Preach Christ to them.
I hope you have a new appreciation of 1 Corinthians. Yes, this book does mention divisions, fornication, a law suit, and other evils. But I would rather have you focus your attention on this wonderful Christ Paul presents to us. Only in the completing ministry of Paul is Christ presented in such a rich way.