Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 2 · Chapter 1 · Verse and explication 16
Vers. 20. Which He wrought in Christ when He raised him from the dead, and set Him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.
THe Apostle, in the third branch of this second part of the Chapter, taking occasion from what he spoke of the exceeding greatnesse of God's power in Believers, ver. 19. falleth out upon a commendation, and more large explication of that mighty power, taken from one of its admirable effects towards Christ, in exalting Him from His low condition, whereby he doth yet prosecute his main scope; for, what greater confirmation could be given unto their faith in Christ, than the making known unto them, how highly exalted Christ is, and that the same divine power, which exalted Him, had wrought, was working, and would continue to work in them, untill all those glorious things, which they had now only in hope, should be actually bestowed upon them? And, first, that he may commend and clear that mighty Power, according to which God did work in the believing Ephesians, he doth briefly propound two things, which were wrought by it towards the exaltation of Christ; first His resurrection from the dead; Secondly, His being set at the right hand of God in heavenly places, whereby is set forth that high glory and dignity, which after Christ's resurrection and ascension was put upon Christ, as God-man, far surpassing the glory of all things created, Philip. 2. 9. together with that high power and authority, which the same Christ God-man hath obtained over all things to dispose of them for the Churches good, 1 Pet. 3. 22. which glory and authority of Christ is only visible in the Heavens, and therfore it is said to be in heavenly places; because Christ's humane nature, through which His Deity doth shine and manifest it self, is only in Heaven, Act. 3. 21. although the effects of this His power and authority may be and are perceived elsewhere, Act. 2. 33. And that this is intended to be held forth by Christ's sitting at the Father's right hand, is clear, not only from the places presently cited, and the Apostle's own explication, which he subjoyneth in the verses following, but also from the phrase it self, which cannot be proper; seing God hath neither right nor left hand properly, Joh. 4. 24. and so must be a metaphor borrowed from Kings and Princes, who do set those at their right hand, whom they highly honour, 1 King. 2. 19. or, place in any office of chief authority and trust, Mat. 20. 21. Doct. 1. As our Lord Jesus was once among the dead; So He did rise again from death, (See upon Gal. 1. ver. 1. doct. 7.) for, saith he, When He raised Him from the dead. 2. The raising of Christ from the dead, as it was the Father's work; So, considering what an eminent person Christ was, and how low He was brought, Philip. 2. 6, 7, 8. and what a height of honour He was exalted unto, Philip. 2. 9. 10. and that He did sustain our person in dying (the iniquities of us all being laid upon Him, Isa. 53. 6.) and in rising again from death, Eph. 2. 5, 6. All those, I say, being considered, this work of raising Christ, was an effect of God's extraordinary and mighty power: for, as he ascribeth the raising of Christ to the Father, which doth not contradict those Scriptures which affirm Christ to have risen by His own power, John. 2. 19. and 10. 17. because it is one and the same power which is in both Father and Son, they being one only God, 1 Joh. 5. 7. So he doth ascribe it to the working of His mighty power, spoken of, vers. -19. and related unto in this, while he saith, Which, or according to which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead. 3. The selfsame omnipotent power, which wrought in, and towards Christ's exaltation in all the steps of it, is engaged for working grace, and carrying-on the work of grace in Believers, and for performing unto Believers whatever they have ground to hope-for from His Word: and therefore we may look upon the severall effects and proofs of this power towards Christ, as so many pledges, that God will against all opposition perform whatever He hath undertaken to us: for, He maketh that power, whereby He worketh in Believers, and whereby He raised Christ from the dead, to flow from one and the same fountain and principle in God, and the one to be according to the other, while he saith, According to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ. 4. This high honour and soveraign power, signified by sitting at the Father's right hand, was put upon Christ, not before, but after His humiliation and resurrection from the dead; for, then in His humane nature He did receive dominion and honour, which He never had untill then, as man; and, though being considered as God, cloathed only with His own divine Majestie, He was from all eternity equal in power and glory with the Father and holy Ghost, Philip. 2. 6. yet He did not reign as God incarnate, and cloathed with our flesh, untill then, having hid His divine glory, so that very little of it did appear under the infirmities of the humane nature from His incarnation untill then, Philip. 2. 7, 8. but then He did manifest His divine glory, absolute power and authority in a way incomprehensible by us, in and through the vail of His glorified flesh: for, the Apostle sheweth those things were done in this order, while he saith, When He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand. 5. Although the divine and humane nature in Christ are not confounded, but remain distinct both in their essence and operations, each nature doing that which is proper unto it self, Heb. 9. 14. 1 Pet. 3. 18. yet, so near and strict is that personall union of the two natures in Christ, that those things, which are proper only unto the one nature, are ascribed unto, and spoken of the whole person: for here, though this high honour and trust put upon Christ, was in some things verified only in the divine nature, in so far as it speaketh His manifestation of His divine glory and exercising His divine authority, as God incarnate, in, and through the humane nature: And though in some things it was verified only in the humane nature, in so far as it speaketh His obtaining of glory and power from the Father, which before He had not; yet, the whole of it is ascribed unto the whole person of Christ God-man, while he saith, And made Him to sit at His own right hand. 6. Though Christ as Mediator be exalted to such high honour and authority, as no meer creature is capable of; yet, so far is His humane nature from being made hereby omnipotent, omnipresent, and consequently equal with God, That even whole Christ, considered as Mediator, is inferior and lesse than the Father, Joh. 14. -28. as having received all this honour and authority from the Father, Matth. 28. 18. and administrating His Kingdom in the Father's Name, Joh. 5. 22. which He is also to render up unto the Father, 1 Cor. 15. 24. for, not only do the Scriptures cited, but also the phrase here used, prove so much, seing those whom the King setteth at his right hand do hold their dignity and trust from him, and must be comptable unto him; And set Him at His own right hand.