(Col. 3:9-11.)

(Continued from p.473.)

The exhortation regarding what we are to "put off" continues with "Do not lie to one another"-do not speak falsely or deceitfully, do not utter falsehood. In our intercourse there is to be nothing feigned, no guile or hypocrisy, nothing of a deceitful character, or of that fleshly trickery in speech or act by which some advantage over another is sought, or attempt made to catch one in what will be turned against him. So spake the scribes and Pharisees, the Herodians and the Sadducees (Mark 12:13; Luke 11:54; 20:20). Words may be smooth as butter, yet war be in the heart; softer than oil, yet be drawn swords (Ps. 55:21). Good and fair speeches may be made to deceive (Rom. 16:18); words may be vain, enticing, used to beguile (Eph. 5:6; Col. 2:4); flattering, to cover a covetous aim(l Thess. 2:5); feigned, for selfish gain(2 Pet. 2:3); grievous, which stir up anger(Prov. 15:1); malicious, to gain power (3 John 10). In all such speech the element of falsehood enters to a greater or lesser degree. A heart and mind not kept purged from what is fleshly and selfish, searched and judged daily in the sanctuary, may easily and quickly fall into deceitful ways, of which words become the expression in dealing with others.

Next to the danger of having an ungirded mind (a mind allowed to run into any channel or be set upon any object which may present itself, instead of being held in leash and by the power of the truth directed into heavenly and holy things) is an unbridled tongue-a tongue sending forth the sparks of nature's fire which has been allowed to burn, instead of being quenched at once by the water of the Word. That Word is needed to gird the mind and bridle the tongue, if our word is to be "always with grace, seasoned with salt." Speech is like the bit in a horse's mouth or the rudder of a ship; it may guide into good or evil. Our words may minister grace and edify, or set on fire the course of nature and promote the outbreak of lust, anger, passion, strife, emulation, bitterness. Speech may be malicious, hypocritical, characterized by invective or innuendo, framed to hide the real purpose and catch the unsuspecting. A mere question may be used to arouse suspicion about or cast reflection upon another. A statement may be so repeated, its form so altered, or such isolated use made of it, as to materially change its meaning, causing another to be falsely represented, his thought or purpose misinterpreted or he may be made to appear positively evil. Such is often the character of this world's speech; men deal with one another after this fashion. It is the way of the flesh, that nature in which insincerity predominates, in which deceit and self-interest are interwoven. Even social intercourse in the world is more or less stamped with this character. We still have this nature in us. We are warned not to permit our speech to be tainted with its corruption. To speak half of the truth, or tell as much as may serve our purpose, may effectively further injustice and unrighteousness. Such false dealing is to have no place with us. It is of a lying character, though our carnal state and worldly spirit may blind our eyes to it.

The law itself said, "Ye shall not steal, and ye shall not deal falsely, and ye shall not lie one to another" (Lev. 19:11); and the grace of God so teaches us here, and in Eph. 5:28; Titus 2:10-12.

Falsehood is characteristic of the old man. Having put him off with his deeds it is not to be found with us. We are not exhorted to put off, it is accounted as done -"having put off."

What are we to understand by the old man and his deeds? As to the latter, plainly, lying is one of them, and also the other things already mentioned in our chapter.

In answering our question it may be well for us first to digress so far as to consider several antitheses used by the apostle Paul.

1. The natural man and the spiritual man (1 Cor. 2:14,15).

2. The fleshly, or carnal man, and the spiritual man (1 Cor. 3:1-4).

3. The outward man and the inward, or inner, man (2 Cor. 4:16; Rom. 7:22; Eph. 3:16).

4. The old man and the new man, mentioned in our verses, and in Eph. 4:22-24; Rom. 6:6.

Then there is the "one new man" (Eph. 2:15). which is not the same as "the new man," but refers to Jew and Gentile formed in Christ into one body, the Church, of which He is Head.

Now the natural man is simply man as born into the world, born of the flesh, and remaining that, no matter how learned or cultured he may become. He does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, he can not learn or appropriate them. In contrast the spiritual man is one born of the Spirit, having the divine nature and the life of God, who, having received the Spirit, in His power enters into the things of God which that Spirit alone reveals.

The Corinthians were no longer natural men, for they had believed the gospel, and were born of the Spirit, who also dwelt in them (1 Cor. 15:1,2; 6:19). Yet the apostle could not speak to them as spiritual, but as fleshly, That was their state or condition. They were not being energized by the Spirit. They were influenced by what was of the natural man, by what he esteemed wisdom and power; therefore by the world and what pleased the flesh. How would the apostle speak to us to-day? As those who walk as men or as those who walk by the Spirit?

Thus the spiritual man is one not only born of the Spirit, but one whose judgment, affections, and manner of life are under the Spirit's control, as it is said, "If we live by the Spirit, let us walk by the Spirit" (Gal. 5:25). The natural man is the unregenerate child of Adam, alienated from the life of God, who walks according to the course of this world. The fleshly or carnal Christian is one who walks according to man, so that what is natural to men manifests itself as it did among the Corinthians who were in this state.

The outward man is the material body, the earthen vessel, our earthly tabernacle house. The inward man is the immaterial or spiritual, with which the Spirit identifies Himself, so that there is renewal day by day in the knowledge and joy of those realities, those things which, though unseen to the eye of the outward man, the eye of sense, are eternal, and are blessedly visualized by the eyes of the heart enlightened by the indwelling Spirit. Compare Eph. 1:18, N. Tram., 3:16; Rom. 7:22. These expressions contrast the two parts of a man, as the others – natural, spiritual, fleshly or carnal – speak of three conditions with which a man may be identified. As a believer he passes out of the first, because as such he is born of the Spirit, but such an one may be found either spiritual or fleshly.

The two expressions particularly before us-the old man, and the new-neither refer to parts or conditions relative to men, but rather to the totality of what we were before regeneration and what we now are as new creation. They speak of more than of two natures. The old man is always spoken of as being put off, and the new man as being put on. They do not exist together. "The flesh," the evil nature, we recognize as still in us, not put off. But the whole course of life, the former conversation, the old man which goes on in corruption according to the deceitful lusts, hi fact all that we were as natural men, not born of God, is put off. That is no longer the form of man in which we live. As the new man stands linked with Christ, so we may think of the old as linked with Adam, the fallen head. Thus this expression, "the old man," comes to mean the entire standing and order of life belonging to the first man as fallen, which found its manifestation in each of us as natural men, so that not only the old man is set in contrast to the new, but "our old man," as belonging to us and characterizing us as born of the flesh. This in its totality is viewed as crucified with Christ, and the believer is said to have put it off. This is the reason why he should not be found doing what is here proscribed. He is no longer identified with the old man. This is not now the sphere or order of life of the Christian, nor is the headship connected with it that under which he stands. He is not "in flesh," for they that are in flesh cannot please God, and along with this there is "the mind of the flesh," which is death, and enmity against God. Such is the natural man who is according to flesh and minds the things of the flesh, not having the Spirit which all have who are now Christ's. Man in the flesh is one in whose members the passions of sin bring forth fruit unto death.

Of believers it is said, "When we were in the flesh," but this is so no longer, it is ended in the death of Christ. Having died with Him, we are raised with Him. Now the antithesis is "in Spirit," "the mind of the Spirit," "the things of the Spirit," since we are born of the Spirit and He dwells in us. This is consequent upon the faith which appropriates the redemption in Christ Jesus, coincident with which it become? true that we have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man. This new man is the entire standing and order of life in which Christ is everything and in all. As the old man stands identified with the evil nature, so the new stands with the divine nature, and is the totality of those dispositions and activities associated with the new headship, under which the believer now stands. This found its perfect exhibition in Jesus, and as found in us is God's new creation-work in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

What we find then in these two expressions is the truth of a complete change of place and relation which is apparently intensified by the use of the term man. What we were and what we are is as different as two men would be who were entirely opposite in all that constituted them and stood related to them.

While Eph. 4:22-24 appears to be a parallel passage to Col. 3:9,10 there are interesting differences in the words used. For "old" the same word is used, but "new" in Ephesians is kainos, having reference to quality, kind, and in Colossians, neos, new in reference to time, as having recently come into existence, young. The thought in Ephesians is wholly new in sort or kind, totally different in character from the old. In Colossians it is wholly new, as young, not only what is different but a true new beginning in life. Thus we have two aspects of the new man, his total difference in quality or character to the old, and his freshness or youthfulness, new as what now begins.

This difference, it would seem, agrees with the character of the epistles. In Colossians the emphasis is upon the believer's practical new life according to the truth of death with Christ, being raised with Christ, and Christ in heaven his object. Thus the man he puts on is new as not having previous existence; it is our new beginning with God, our renewal according to His image, even Christ, and into full knowledge as revealed in Him.

In Ephesians the apostle maintains the entirely different (and in that sense, new), character of the Christian place and relation as a creation of God according to His own nature, in contrast to the old place and relation, that of spiritual death, darkness and wickedness, as estranged from the life of God.

Renewal is spoken of in both passages, but here there is difference also. In Ephesians, where kainos is used with man, the word for renewal is ananeoo derived from neos. In Colossians, where neos is used with man, we find anakainoo derived from kainos. Thus in the former the renewing work of the Holy Spirit in connection with putting on the man which is new in character, in kind, in quality, is spoken of as the impartation to the believer (in respect to the spirit of his mind) of the newness, the freshness of youth. This makes the spirit of our mind wholly new, such as we did not possess before, while what is connected with this is the character or nature of the new man. Hence there is immediately said of it, "According to God created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." It is of the very nature of God.

In Colossians the relation is reversed. There renewal is spoken of in its character or nature (anakainoo), and hence linked with this we have what answers to the new man as spoken of in Ephesians and yet adds to the thought, for it is not only the righteous and holy nature of this new creation work, but the fact that this renewal is into full knowledge as found in Christ who represents and glorifies God, who is His image. What a blessed and wonderful thing! As new creation we participate in the nature and fulness of God as found in Christ; the new man is created according to this. This divine work of renewal produces what is new in the sense of youth-fulness, in which we may say it abides, neither age nor decay come upon it; and what is thus produced is also new in character, being in no sense a modification of the old.

How complete is the change of place and relation indicated by these contrasted expressions! They emphasized that the new is entirely God's work. The blessing of the change lies in that all is according to God in righteousness and holiness ; and that it is "into full knowledge," not partial but complete, and in it we grow up into Christ, since it is according to the image of Him, Christ, the image of the invisible God, who has created this new man and commenced and carries on the renewing work in us by the Holy Spirit.

In this new man all those distinctions which belong to the old man are not found; but Christ is all and in all. He is the blessed and glorious Object before the new man, and He is in all believers. He is ministered to us by the Holy Spirit, for He is all that the new man is, so that He only can now satisfy those who have entered into this change of place and relation.

These things are to be so appreciated and appropriated by us that our practical lives shall receive their character from them. This means that we will bear present likeness to Him who is the image of God, the perfect representation of all that is God's nature in which as believers we now participate. The development of this follows. John Bloore

(To be continued, D. V.)