But Now We No Longer
Continue Knowing Christ
in the Realm of Flesh
By Jonathan Mitchell

The title of this essay is a rendering of 2 Cor. 5:16b. The next verse informs us that,

"the old things passed away, and went to the side. Look, and consider, new things of a different character have come into being and continue in this new condition and situation" (vs. 17b).

What did Paul mean by these statements? Well, vs. 16a explains that, from Paul's time forward, "we know no one in the realm of flesh" - and that includes Christ, for he says, "even if we knew, or have known, Christ in the realm of flesh," now we no longer continue knowing Him in this realm, or commensurate with that way of intimate experience. Verse 17a speaks of a new realm of existence: that of being

"within the midst of Christ," or, "in union with an Anointing," or, "centered in the sphere of Christ."

What were the "old things" which passed away, or went to the side of the Path? In Paul's eschatology, this would have been the things of the old age and of the old covenant with Israel. The significance of the Law, which was Israel's charter when becoming a nation, rather than their just being a collection of tribes, had passed to the side and no longer applied. The Better Arrangement (Heb. 8:6) in Christ (the symbol of the Second Humanity - 1 Cor. 15:47 et al) replaced the old arrangement, which applied only to Israel, as its "constitution." Recall what we have read in Heb. 8:13,

"In thus to be saying ‘new: different in kind and quality,' He has made the first (or: former) ‘old,' and so it remains antiquated and obsolete, and that [which is] progressively growing old (or: obsolete) and decrepit (failing of age; ageing into decay), [is] near its disappearing (vanishing away)." [cf 2 Cor. 3:7-13]

Paul made further suggestion of this when he spoke of the head-covering which Moses had used:

"He kept on putting a head-covering (veil) upon his face so that the sons of Israel were not to gaze intently into the purposed and destined goal (the end; the result; the termination; the fruition) of that which was being progressively unemployed and brought down to doing no work and being made ineffective, nullified and abolished" (2 Cor. 3:13; [cf Ex. 34:29; 33-35; Rom. 10:4]).

What does this mean for us? Well, first of all, it means that all the Jewish rituals of Second Temple Judaism were nullified and abolished. We have a new arrangement, in Christ, and we no longer know Him as the Judean Messiah. All these things "passed away." They were a part of "the old things." This means that, in the realm of Christ and in God's sovereign reign, we exist as a part of the "new creation" (2 Cor. 5:17). Don't look for Jesus returning to Jerusalem to sit on a "flesh-realm" throne. We are instructed, in Eph. 2:6, that:

"He jointly roused and raised (or: suddenly awakens and raises) [us] up together, and caused [us] to sit (or: seats [us]; = enthroned [us]) together in union with, and among, the heavenly people, and within the things situated upon [thus, above] the heavens (or: centered in the full, perfected heavenlies; or: among those comprising the complete and perfected heavenlies; in union with the celestial people; among the folks [residing] upon the atmospheres) within, in union with, and in the sphere of, Christ Jesus."

Furthermore, in the new economy of Christ, the division of races, cultures and nations no longer exists. Why? Because of what we read, further on, in Eph. 2:

10. for the fact is, we are (continually exist being) the effect of what He did (or: His creation; the thing He has constructed; the result of His work; His achievement; His opus; the effect of His Deed): people being founded from a state of disorder and wildness (being framed, built, settled and created; being changed from chaos to order), within, and in union with, Christ Jesus, based upon (or: founded and built on) Good Works (virtuous actions; excellent deeds) which God made ready in advance (prepared beforehand), to the end that we could, should and would walk about (= live our lives; order our behavior) centered within, in union with, and in the sphere of, Them. [cf vs. 15, 4:24, below; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:14; Col. 3:10]

11. On which account (or: Wherefore; So then), you folks must continuously call to mind (or: keep in mind; remember) that once you, the nations (multitudes; ethnic groups; Gentiles; non-Israelites) in flesh (= in your physical beings and cultural heritages) - the ones habitually termed (spoken of as; called; said to be) "uncircumcision" by the one (or: that) habitually being termed "circumcision," in flesh (= body, culture and religion), [i.e.], made by hand -

12. that (or: because) you were, and continued on being for that season (or: in that appointed situation), apart from Christ ([the] Anointed One): people having been alienated from the state of being a citizen (or: estranged from citizenship in the commonwealth and society; [cf Col. 1:21]) of, and which is, Israel and [being] strangers pertaining to the arrangements of (or: foreigners from covenants and testamentary dispositions whose origin is) The Promise and the assurance, continually having no expectation (or: hope), and [were] folks without God (or: godless; atheists) within the ordered System (centered in the world of culture, religion and governments; or: in union with the aggregate of humanity). [cf Gal. 4:8]

13. But now, within, in union with, and centered in, Christ Jesus, you - the folks once being (continuously existing) far off (or: at a distance) - came to be (were birthed; are generated; are suddenly become) near, immersed within, and in union with, the blood of the Christ (or: from the Anointed One [= the Messiah]). [cf Gal. 3:28]

14. You see, He Himself is our Peace (or: continuously exists being our JOINING and harmony [of Israel with the Gentiles]) - the One making (forming; constructing; creating; producing) The Both [to be] one, and within His flesh (= physical being; or: = system-caused crucifixion) is instantly destroying (unbinding; unfastening; loosing; causing to collapse) the middle wall of the fenced enclosure (or: of the partition; which was the barrier): the enmity (cause of hate, alienation, discord and hostility; characteristics of an enemy),

15. rendering useless and inoperative (nullifying; rendering down in accord with inactivity and unemployment; abolishing) the Law (or: the custom; = the Torah) of the implanted goals (or: concerning impartations of the finished product within; from commandments; which was inward directives) consisting in decrees (or: prescribed ordinances and dogmas which are the results of opinions and perceptions of what seems right or good), to the end that He may frame (create; found and settle from a state of wildness and disorder) The Two into One qualitatively New and Different [p46 & others: common] Humanity centered within the midst of, and in union with, Himself, continuously making (progressively creating, constructing and forming) Peace by a Joining; [2 Cor. 5:17; note: these verses, may fit John Milbank's phrase, "an ontology of peace"]

16. and then should fully transfer, from a certain state to another which is quite different, The Both - centered in, and within the midst of, One Body in God (or: make completely other, while moving away from what had existed, and fully reconcile The Both, in one Body, by, to, with and for God), through the cross (execution stake) - while, in the midst of Himself, killing the enmity and discordant hatred (or: killing-off the characteristics of enemies within it). [cf Rom. 6:6; 1 Cor. 10:17; Eph. 4:4; Col. 3:15]

17. And so upon coming, He brings goodness and proclaims as good news (or: as a message of ease and well-being), Peace and a Joining to you, the folks far off, and Peace from the Joining, to the people nearby, [cf Isa. 57:19; Zech. 9:10]

18. that (or: because) through Him we, The Both, continuously have (hold and possess) the procurement of access (conduct toward the presence; admission, entrée; being led), within one Spirit (or: in union with, and in the sphere of, one Breath-effect and Attitude), to (or: toward; face to face with) the Father.

We suggest that you read these verses again, slowly, and meditate upon what they reveal to us. This new, joined humanity is the "spiritual body," "the Last (eschatos) Adam," "that which is spiritual," "the second humanity," the ones "that are heavenly," those who "bear the image of the heavenly," and all this speaks of the realm that is not "flesh and blood." All this is taken from 1 Cor. 15:44-50. Read the entire text and ponder the eschatology which Paul lays out for us.

From the position of Christ's body, as described in Eph. 2:6, above, note the symbolic position of the bride of the Lamb, as presented in a visionary description, in Rev. 21:2, "descending from God, out of the atmosphere," and then, in 21:9b-10ff. In 21:24, we are informed that the ethnic multitudes will continue walking in the Light (which is God's glory - vs. 23) of the New Jerusalem, which is the mother of us all (Gal. 4:26). Please notice that there is no mention of religious organization or religious ritual in any of these symbolic scenes. Religion has no place in God's kingdom. God's realm and reign is simply Light and understanding. It is awareness of who we are: we are God's family (Acts 17:28-29a). God is spirit, and so, we no longer know or experience Christ in the realm, or in correspondence to, "flesh":

"if even we have intimately, by experience, known Christ ([the] Anointed One) on the level of flesh (or: = in the sphere of the natural realm of estranged humanity; or: = in correspondence to a self that is oriented to the System; = according to the old covenant), nevertheless we now (in the present moment) no longer continue [thus] knowing Him or anyone."

Jonathan

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