| In this magnificent Letter, Paul explains
the symbol of the Cross as the crossing of the two Covenants. The Children
of God who awaited the Kingdom and recognized Jesus when He arrived, and
the entrenched religious establishment represented by the Pharisees who refused to accept Jesus
as the Messiah. The two
opposing lines of the
Covenant that would be present not only among the Jews of the
time, but in every nation, culture and generation in the future.
The first line of the Covenant is rooted in the earth and its wealth, the second line of the Covenant is suspended above the earth and its wealth. One is materialistic and the other spiritual. The Cross is made up of the opposition of these two lines and symbolizes the crossing of the one against the other. Jesus on the Cross unites these two lines of the Covenant. By dying on their behalf, He reconciles them with each other and gives them the opportunity to be a united body. Thus the symbol of the Cross will always be relevant as neither of these two lines can exist without the other. The world will always persecute the Christians as long as they are in this world, and the Christians must bear their cross to the very end without becoming the slave to the world. |