Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith (Chapter 8)

Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith

Chapter 8

Of Christ the Mediator

(Part  1)

Between the chapter that tells us about God’s covenantal contact with man and chapters nine and following, which deal with the doctrine of salvation, comes this chapter covering the mediatorial ministry of Jesus Christ. Chapter VII introduced the covenant of grace whereby God saves His elect and, as just noted, chapters IX-XV deal with the conversion experience. It is natural, therefore, that this particular subject be treated here. Christ’s role as Mediator between God and man naturally must be explained after the plan for our salvation has been announced and before the plan for our salvation has been explained.

I. It pleased God, in His eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, His only begotten Son, to be the Mediator between God and man, the Prophet, Priest,  and King,  the Head and Savior of His Church,  the Heir of all things,  and Judge of the world:  unto whom He did from all eternity give a people, to be His seed,  and to be by Him in time redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified.

This paragraph states three basic facts: 1) Christ has been appointed as Mediator; 2) Christ as Mediator performs certain significant functions; and 3) Christ as Mediator has one particular aim. Let’s explore each of these facts.

The Confession begins by teaching that God has appointed His own Son to serve as a Mediator between God and fallen man. Based upon the distinction between the Creator and His creatures, as mentioned previously in the Confession and as indicated most recently in the preceding chapter on God’s Covenant condescension to man, this opening statement of chapter VIII makes sense.

For there to be contact between God and man, a means of mediation is necessary; that is, contact has to be facilitated in a manner that suits the nature of God and the nature of man. A Mediator who is both God and man, as this chapter says later, is exactly what was required if God and fallen man were to be reconciled. Therefore, in the eternal purposes of God, Christ was designated as the One who would fill this role of Intermediary.

As the unique Mediator between God and man, Christ manifests various characteristics that have been classified both in Scripture and by theologians. The most prominent roles of the Mediator are summed up in the words, “Prophet, Priest and King.” Christ represents the supreme embodiment of these three offices in His multifaceted work as the Mediator.

He is, for example, God’s final and most thorough Prophet. Not only did Christ reveal God to us in word, but being God in the flesh, He revealed God to us in a fashion unknown before. And, as Mediator, Christ fills the role of Priest by representing God to us, by representing us to God and by providing in His own body the supreme sacrifice that purchased our redemption. And, as Mediator, Christ fills the role of King as He gathers us and sovereignly rules over us; He is distinguished in this regard because He is a divine King.

To these important Mediatorial roles, the Divines add that Christ also is “the Head and Savior of His Church,” “the Heir of all things” and “Judge of the world.” Christ’s work is related to a particular body and that is His Church, which is composed of all those who benefit from Christ’s mediatorial labors. As the one Mediator appointed by God to restore humanity, Jesus is “Heir of all things”; that is, upon the completion of His atonement, Christ received authority over all creation, which, in turn leads to the Divines’ last designation of Christ as “Judge of the world.” Having earned the world, as it were, by His atonement, Christ has the privilege of executing a final judgment of all men on the last day.

We mentioned that this paragraph speaks of a particular aim as Christ fills the various roles that accompany His office as Mediator. That aim is explained in the Confession as the redemption of a people given to Him by God. The objects of Christ’s Mediatorial work are an elect people; they are, in time, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified as Christ carries on His ministry as the only Mediator between God and man.

II. The Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, being very and eternal God, of one substance and equal with the Father, did, when the fullness of time was come, take upon Him man’s nature, with all the essential properties, and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin; being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the virgin Mary, of her substance.  So that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion.  Which person is very God, and very man, yet one Christ, the only Mediator between God and man.

This paragraph explains, as clearly as is possible, the Person of the Mediator. From this paragraph, we learn: 1) the Mediator is “very and eternal God, of one substance and equal with the Father.” In other words, Jesus Christ, was God; He was fully God. This statement of fact stands at the beginning of any explanation of the Person of the Mediator. Jesus Christ was not a man who became a God; He was God first. 2) the Mediator did, in time, by means of the Incarnation, take upon Himself a sinless human nature.

The Person of the Mediator, therefore, is composed of a divine and a human nature. These natures are perfect and distinct; there is no mingling, confusion, or corruption of one with or by the other. The “result” of this joining of the divine and human natures is the Mediator who is “very God” and “very man,” yet One.

What is describe here is known in systematic theology as the “hypostatic union.” (Note: this paragraph obviously relies heavily upon the Athanasian Creed.) It is a precise declaration of just what the Bible teaches, even though it is not, and cannot be, a precise explanation of just how such a thing can be. We have no trouble referring to the Incarnation as a “mystery.” This doesn’t mean that it cannot be understood or that it is impossible; such a statement means simply that the Incarnation is something that exceeds our capacities. We know that Jesus Christ was the God-Man because God’s revelation tells us, not because the joining of two natures, the one divine and the other human, is such a common occurrence that it is no big surprise!

(To be continued)