The Excellency of Christ

by Jonathan Edwards

Edited by R.P. Woitowitz Sr.

There do meet in the person of Christ such really diverse excellencies, which otherwise would have been thought utterly incompatible in the same subject; such as are conjoined in no other person whatever, either divine, human, or angelical; and such as neither men nor angels would ever have imagined could have met together in the same person, had it not been seen in the person of Christ. I would give some instances.

In the person of Christ do meet together infinite glory and lowest humility. Infinite glory, and the virtue of humility, meet in no other person but Christ. They meet in no created person; for no created person has infinite glory, and they meet in no other divine person but Christ. For though the divine nature be infinitely abhorrent to pride, yet humility is not properly predicable of God the Father, and the Holy Ghost, that exist only in the divine nature; because it is a proper excellency only of a created nature; for it consists radically in a sense of a comparative lowness and littleness before God, or the great distance between God and the subject of this virtue; but it would be a contradiction to suppose any such thing in God. But in Jesus Christ, who is both God and man, those two diverse excellencies are sweetly united. He is a person infinitely exalted in glory and dignity. (Philippians 2:6) "Being in the form of God, he thought it not robbery to be equal with God." There is equal honor due to him with the Father. (John 5:23) "That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father." God himself says to him, "thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever," (Hebrews. 1:8) And there is the same supreme respect and divine worship paid to him by the angels of heaven, as to God the Father, (Hebrews 1:6) "Let all the angels of God worship him." But however he is thus above all, yet he is lowest of all in humility. There never was so great an instance of this virtue among either men or angels, as Jesus. None ever was so sensible of the distance between God and him, or had a heart so lowly before God, as the man Christ Jesus. (Matthew. 11:29) What a wonderful spirit of humility appeared in him, when he was here upon earth, in all his behavior! In his contentment in his mean outward condition, contentedly living in the family of Joseph the carpenter, and Mary his mother, for thirty years together, and afterwards choosing outward meanness, poverty, and contempt, rather than earthly greatness; in his washing his disciples' feet, and in all his speeches and deportment towards them; in his cheerfully sustaining the form of a servant through his whole life, and submitting to such immense humiliation at death!

In the person of Christ do meet together infinite majesty and transcendent meekness. These again are two qualifications that meet together in no other person but Christ. Meekness, properly so called, is a virtue proper only to the creature: we scarcely ever find meekness mentioned as a divine attribute in Scripture; at least not in the New Testament; for thereby seems to be signified, a calmness and quietness of spirit, arising from humility in mutable beings that are naturally liable to be put into a ruffle by the assaults of a tempestuous and injurious world. But Christ, being both God and man, hath both infinite majesty and superlative meekness. Christ was a person of infinite majesty. It is he that is spoken of, Psalm 45:3; "Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty." It is he that is mighty, that rideth on the heavens, and his excellency on the sky. It is he that is terrible out of his holy places; who is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea: before whom a fire goeth, and burneth up his enemies round about; at whose presence the earth quakes, and the hills melt; who sitteth on the circle of the earth, and all the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers, who rebukes the sea, and maketh it dry and drieth up the rivers, whose eyes are as a flame of fire, from whose presence, and from the glory of whose power, the wicked shall be punished with everlasting destruction; who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, who hath heaven for his throne, and the earth for his footstool, and is the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and of whose dominion there is no end.

And yet he was the most marvellous instance of meekness, and humble quietness of spirit, that ever was; agreeable to the prophecies of him, (Matthew 21:4) "All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass." And, agreeable to what Christ declares of himself, (Matthew 11:29) "I am meek and lowly in heart." And agreeable to what was manifest in his behavior: for there never was such an instance seen on earth, of a meek behavior, under injuries and reproaches, and towards enemies; who, when he was reviled, reviled not again. He had a wonderful spirit of forgiveness, was ready to forgive his worst enemies, and prayed for them with fervent and effectual prayers. With what meekness did he appear in the ring of soldiers that were contemning and mocking him; he was silent, and opened not his mouth, but went as a lamb to the slaughter. Thus is Christ a Lion in majesty and a Lamb in meekness.

There meet in the person of Christ the deepest reverence towards God and equality with God. Christ, when on earth, appeared full of holy reverence towards the Father. He paid the most reverential worship to him, praying to him with postures of reverence. Thus we read of his "kneeling down and praying," (Luke 22:4). This became Christ, as one who had taken on him the human nature, but at the same time he existed in the divine nature; whereby his person was in all respects equal to the person of the Father. God the Father hath no attribute or perfection that the Son hath not, in equal degree, and equal glory. These things meet in no other person but Jesus Christ. There are conjoined in the person of Christ infinite worthiness of good, and the greatest patience under sufferings of evil. He was perfectly innocent,and deserved no suffering. He deserved nothing from God by any guilt of his own, and he deserved no ill from men. Yea, he was not only harmless and undeserving of suffering, but he was infinitely worthy; worthy of the infinite love of the Father, worthy of infinite and eternal happiness, and infinitely worthy of all possible esteem, love, and service from all men. And yet he was perfectly patient under the greatest sufferings that ever were endured in this world. (Hebrews 12:2) "He endured the cross, despising the shame." He suffered not from his Father for his faults, but ours; and he suffered from men not for his faults but for those things on account of which he was infinitely worthy of their love and honor, which made his patience the more wonderful and the more glorious. (1 Pet. 2:20) "For what glory is it, if when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently, but if when ye do well. and suffer for it, ye take it patiently; this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called; because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who when he was reviled, reviled not again, when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sin, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." There is no such conjunction of innocence, worthiness, and patience under sufferings, as in the person of Christ.

The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Church at Corinth

Chapter 2:1-5

1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of words, or of wisdom, showing unto you the testimony of God.

2 For I esteemed not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

3 And I was among you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

4 Neither stood my word, and my preaching in the enticing speech of man’s wisdom, but in plain evidence of the Spirit and of power.

5 That your faith should not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Cross references:

1 Corinthians 2:1 - 1 Corinthians 1:17

1 Corinthians 2:3 - Acts 18:1; 2 Corinthians 4:7

1 Corinthians 2:4 - 1 Corinthians 1:17; 2 Peter1:16

Brethren:

In the above verses, we read a re-emphasis made by Paul to the Corinthians that he had come only to preach the Gospel of Christ. That Gospel was being simply stated, and without beguiling words that would seduce men's minds, as was done by the Greek philosophers. But with the simplicity of God's wisdom. Said Gospel was that God had redeemed man to Himself by the sacrifice and crucifixion of His only Son; Jesus Christ.

The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Church at Corinth

Chapter 1:30

30 But ye are of him in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.

Cross references:

Jeremiah 33:5, 36:16; Philippians 3:9

Brethren:

In yesterday’s reading, it was written that man’s wisdom is nothing compared to the wisdom that is, and from God.

In the verse that precedes today's study, we find that no man should glory in his wisdom, (mankind's), for it brings, and profits us nothing. (Read also Jeremiah 9:23-24)

Today, we read that through Christ Jesus we find the wisdom that is of God. The sacrifice that He made for us, brings us the wisdom, this to say, the revelation, of God's plan for salvation. It brings us righteousness, which is now acceptable to God. For we cannot obtain righteousness on our own. This same righteousness brings us sanctification, thereby setting us apart from the world, and making us inclusive in His coming Kingdom. Finally, all of the above brings to us redemption, that is by His grace and mercy.

“The object of the apostle is to show that man of himself possesses no good, that whatever he has comes from God, and from God only through Christ.

Even the good which you possess is granted by God, for it is by and through him that Christ Jesus comes, and all the blessings of the Gospel dispensation. As being the author of that evangelical wisdom which far excels the wisdom of the philosopher and the scribe, and even that legal constitution which is called the wisdom of the Jews, (Read Deuteronomy 4:6). Justification, as procuring for us that remission of sins which the law could not give, (Read Galatians 2:21; Galatians 3:21). As procuring for and working in us, not only an external and relative holiness, as was that of the Jews, but true and eternal holiness, (Read Ephesians 4:24), wrought in us by the Holy Spirit. He is the author of redemption, not from the Egyptian bondage, or Babylonian captivity, but from the servitude of Satan, the dominion of sin and death, and from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God, or the redemption of the body, (Read Romans 8:21, Romans 8:23).” - Adam Clarke

The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Church at Corinth

Chapter 1:26-28

26 For brethren, you see your calling, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called.

27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world, to confound the mighty things,

28 And vile things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are.

Cross References

Corinthians 1:26 - John 7:48; Romans 11:48

Editor’s thoughts:

Verse 26 - Consider, this is to say take heed and make note of, that we who are just ordinary are the ones that He sends to bring the Gospel of Christ to the world. Did not our Redeemer choose fishermen and others of lower birth to become His first disciples? (Read Mark 3:13-15;)

Verses 27-28 - For our God has deliberately made these selections to prove to those that would be wise in their own minds, that His wisdom, which descends from above, would be of a better stripe to guide us in all of our affairs.

“Two things, however, must be observed here; that he was desirous from the example of the Corinthians to confirm the truth of what he had said: and farther, that he designed to admonish them, that they must be entirely divested of pride, if they duly considered the order of things that the Lord had observed in their calling. To put to shame, says he, the wise and noble, and to bring to naught things that are Both expressions are appropriate, for fortitude and wisdom vanish when they are put to shame, but what has an existence requires to be brought to naught By the choosing of the poor, and the foolish, and the ignoble, he means, that God has preferred them before the great, and the wise, and the noble. For it would not have sufficed, for beating down the arrogance of the flesh, if God had placed them all upon a level. Hence, those who appeared to excel he put in the background, in order that he might thoroughly abase them. That man, however, were an arrant fool, who would infer from this, that God has in this manner abased the glory of the flesh, in order that the great and noble might be shut out from the hope of salvation. There are some foolish persons that make this a pretext for not merely triumphing over the great, as if God had cast them off, but even despising them as far beneath them. Let us, however, bear in mind, that this is said to the Corinthians, who, though they had no great distinction in the world, were nevertheless, even without any occasion, puffed up. God, therefore, by confounding the mighty, and the wise, and the great, does not design to elate with pride the weak, the illiterate, and the abject, but brings down all of them together to one level. Let those, therefore, that are contemptible in the eyes of the world, think thus with themselves: “What modesty is called for on our part, when even those that have high honor in the view of the world have nothing left them?” If the effulgence of the sun is obscured, what must become of the stars? If the light of the stars is extinguished, what must become of opaque objects?” The design of these observations is, that those who have been called by the Lord, while of no estimation in the view of the world, may not abuse these words of Paul by pluming their crests, but, on the contrary, keeping in mind the exhortation.” - John Calvin

Thou standest by faith, be not high-minded, but fear

The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Church at Corinth

Chapter 1:18-25

18 For that preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness: but unto us, which are saved, it is the power of God.

19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will cast away the understanding of the prudent.

20 Where is the wise? where is the Scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made the wisdom of this world foolishness?

21 For seeing the world by wisdom knew not God in the wisdom of GOD, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe:

22 Seeing also that the Jews require a sign, and the Grecians seek after wisdom.

23 But we preach Christ crucified: unto the Jews, even a stumbling block, and unto the Grecians, foolishness:

24 But unto them which are called, both of the Jews and Grecians, we preach Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Cross references:

1 Corinthians 1:18 - Romans 1:16

1 Corinthians 1:19 - Isaiah 29:14

1 Corinthians 1:22 - Mattew12:38

1 Corinthians 1:24 - Romans 1:4, Colossians 2:3

Editor’s thoughts:

Brethren:

It is written that the fool has said there is no God and likewise they've said, that God will not see, He will not take notice. (Read Psalm 14:1, 53:1 10:11, 94:7)

This is the vaunted and so called wisdom of mankind. We exalt all our earthly knowledge as if it were something of immense value. Yet for all our knowledge, what have we gained? From it, what does it profit us, if it brings us further away from our Creator?

Take note also, that with Wisdom, God founded the universe by the use of His Word. That word, is so powerful, that it has the capacity to fulfill Itself.

The crucified, and risen Savior, Christ Jesus, seems foolish to those that choose not to believe. To them, I say, please take heed friend, for ALL will come before the throne of God on the Day of Judgment. Beware, and be ready to meet your God.

The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Church at Corinth

Chapter 1:17

17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel, not with (A)wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

Cross references:

1 Corinthians 1:17 - 1 Corinthians 2:2, 4, 13; 2 Peter 1:16

Editor’s thoughts:
Herein above, we find that the verse ends one thought, and begins another.

In the first part, we are reading that which refers to the verses preceding seventeen. Paul speaks upon, what we now call denominations. He declares that he had come openly, not to baptize, but to spread, and teach the Gospel of our Saviour, Christ Jesus. Baptism, the end result of such of preaching. One must first hear, and accept the good news before one can be baptized. Additionally, he left that to others. As we shall read later onward in this epistle, Paul goes on to say that one will plant, another will water, but it will be God that gives increase (Read 1 Corinthians 3:5-9). Likewise, it is written in this same epistle that we are all one body of Christ, each with a different function. (Read 1 Corinthians 12;12-26)

Now, in the second part of this verse, he declares that he speaks plainly and simply. Not with words that might beguile one, but one that speaks with the knowledge based on the message of the cross. That message being; Christ died for our sins in order that God might cleanse our sinful natures, and redeem us unto Himself. We are now covered by His grace, granted mercy, restored to righteousness, (not of our own accord), and returned to His kingdom a clean and new creation.

“...his sense is, that baptism was not the chief and principal business he was sent about; this was to be done mostly by those preachers of the word who traveled with him, or followed after him: he was not sent so much about this work, but [instead], to preach the Gospel, for which he was most eminently qualified, had peculiar gifts for the discharge of it, and was greatly useful in it. This was what he was rather sent to do than the other, and this ‘not with wisdom of words’. Scholastic divinity, or the art of disputation. He was not sent with, or to preach, with words of man's wisdom, with human eloquence and oratory, with great swelling words of vanity, but in a plain, humble, modest manner; on which account the false teachers despised him, and endeavored to bring his ministry into contempt with others: but this way and manner of preaching he chose for this reason. [This to say], lest men's ears and fancies should be so tickled and pleased with the eloquence of speech, the elegancy of diction, and accuracy of expression, the cadency of words, and beauty of the oration, with the manner, and not with the matter of preaching, and so the true use, end, and design of the doctrine of a crucified Christ be defeated; or lest the success of the ministry should be attributed to the force of enticing words, and the strength and persuasion of oratory, and not to the energy of divine power attending the doctrine of the cross.”

John Gill - Theologian

The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Church at Corinth

Chapter 1:1-9

1 Paul called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ, through the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

2 Unto the Church of God, which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, Saints by calling, with all that call on the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, both their Lord, and ours:

3 Grace be with you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 I thank my God always on your behalf for the grace of God, which is given you in Jesus Christ.

5 That in all things ye are made rich in him in all kind of speech, and in all knowledge:

6 As the testimony of Jesus Christ hath been confirmed in you:

7 So that ye are not destitute of any gift: waiting for the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 God is faithful, by whom ye are called unto the fellowship of his son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Cross References:

1 Corinthians 1:2 - Acts 15:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:7

1 Corinthians 1:2 - Romans 1:7; Ephesians 1:1; Col. 1:22; 1 Timothy 1:9; Titus 2:3

1 Corinthians 1:2 - 2 Timothy 1:21

1 Corinthians 1:7 - Titus 2:11; Philippians 3:20

1 Corinthians 1:8 - 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:23

1 Corinthians 1:9 - 1 Thessalonians 5:24

Editor’s thoughts:

Verses 2-9 - Brethren, we read today, in our new study, the words "sanctified, called, saints, grace, given, enriched and faithful"

These words are all connected to each other. First, God sanctified us, this to say set us apart from the world and all of its carnality. We are now called saints, as a result of that sanctification. Likewise, we are called to serve Him to the best of our abilities, to be His proxies here upon this temporal plain. (Read 1 Peter 2:9)

Second, it is through this grace, as given unto us by God through the blood of Christ Jesus, that we are now set apart. Therefore, we are God's children, brethren to each other, and to our Lord Jesus to whom we now serve. (Read Romans 7:6)

Third, in this, we become enriched with all things that are handed down to us from God, for as is written, all good gifts come from Him. (Read James 1:17).

Finally, He is faithful to fulfill His promises to us. He is not slack in anything promised, as He has said He will do it, so He shall.

(Read 2 Peter 3:9; 1 John 1:9