"Old Things Are Passed Away."
By W. N. Glenn
THERE are few scriptures more frequently quoted in support of error than the latter part of 2 Cor. 5: 17: "Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." It is forced into service to abolish the law, to set aside the prophecies, to ignore the entire Old Testament, and finally, to greatly depreciate all New Testament teaching that is not in harmony with strictly modern theology and inclination. It is one of those convenient phrases which the "unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction." 2 Pet. 3: 16. Webster gives as a definition of wrest, "To turn from truth, or twist from its natural meaning." The most inexcusable feature of such dealing with the Scriptures lies in the fact that it is not done only with "some things hard to be understood," but "also the other scriptures." 2 Cor. 5: 17 is not hard to be understood, if the context, or even the entire verse, be read. From a course of very clear reasoning, the apostle draws a fair conclusion: "Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." It is very plain that there is no reference whatever to old doctrines of the Scriptures pertaining to the gospel, or new things overturning them; but that the reference is solely to the life of the sinner who turns to Christ. He becomes a "new creature," which could not be without his old manner of life—his thoughts, desires, associations, and aspirations—passing away, and being replaced by a new or different life. The individual converted to Christ, if he would overcome unto the end, must needs live in a new spiritual atmosphere. Peter expresses the idea in his first letter, chap. 4: 3: "For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revelings, banquettings, and abominable idolatries; wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them," &c. This shows the change from the old to the new to be of such a radical character that the unrenewed do not understand it; "they think it strange." There is described in the seventh chapter of Romans, a transition state, or process of change from the old to the new, which illustrates how great is the change, and how terrible the conflict: "I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man; but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members." Verses 21-23. The deliverance from such a "wretched" state, as shown in the following verses, is only "through Jesus Christ our Lord." And the triumphant result is expressed in chap. 8: 1, 2: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." The passing away of the old, and all things becoming new, in the sense of 2 Cor. 5: 17, is further shown in Eph. 4, the point being especially manifest in verses 22-24: "That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." But the specific declaration of what things pass away with the old man, and what appear in the new man, is found in Gal. 5: 19-23. The "works of the flesh," or of the "old man," here enumerated will be readily recognized as violations of the moral law. "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like; of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law." The foregoing is an accurate description of the "new creature" in Christ, as contrasted with the "Gentiles," or those out of Christ, "being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world." Eph. 2: 12. "Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself." 1 John 3: 3. Surely no one ought to mistake what old things should pass away and give place to new things in the Christian's life. Surely it could not be any part of the Scriptures, which were all "given by inspiration of God, and are profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 2 Tim. 3: 16, 17.