ADVOCATE, MEDIATOR, AND THE UNITY OF GOD

Scripture citations are to the KJV

1 John 2: 1

My little children, these things I write unto you that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

1 Tim. 2: 5 [emphasis added]

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.

One should distinguish between (1) the role of Christ towards His Church and (2) the role of Christ towards the world.

For the Church, Christ Jesus is an advocate [Gk., parakletos], speaking favourably on their behalf to the Throne of Justice. By faith, each believer is justified, and thus viewed by God as if he or she were without sin. Put another way, the advocate is partial to the believers and is unashamedly on their side.

It is a different matter as far as the unbelieving world is concerned.

The long-standing Scriptural promise is that Christ Jesus will return to establish a kingdom on earth. Under His rule the human family will be offered a (conditional, favourable) opportunity to be brought into harmony with God and to receive eternal life. But since they are generally unfriendly or hostile towards God, and God Himself – represented by His justice – is stand-offish with them, the situation calls for a mediator [Gk., mesites]. Therefore, Christ Jesus will then put Himself between God and the human race to effect reconciliation.

Thus: GOD <Jesus> HUMANITY

Moses fulfilled a similar role under the Law Covenant, acting as mediator between Jehovah and the nation of Israel.

There is, therefore, a correspondence between Moses and Christ, as outlined in Heb. 12: 18-24. The wording of v. 21 obliquely identifies Moses as the mediator [Gk., měsitēs] of the Law Covenant (compare Heb. 9: 18-22).

Thus: GOD <Moses> ISRAEL

In Heb. 12: 24 Christ is identified as the mediator of the New Covenant, the type and counterpart of the Law Covenant.

In either administration – advocacy or mediation – there are three separate parties involved. Christ is therefore not the Father. It would strain reason to construe from these verses that God engages in advocacy or mediation with Himself.

___________

↑ Return top of page ↑