The Expositor's Bible: The Book of EzekielSkinner, John
Religion
The Expositor's Bible: The Book of Ezekiel
Skinner, John
Bible. Ezekiel -- Commentaries
This outline of the prophet’s conception of salvation illustrates the
truth of the remark that Ezekiel is the first dogmatic theologian. In so
far as it is the business of a theologian to exhibit the logical
connection of the ideas which express man’s relation to God, Ezekiel more
than any other prophet may claim the title. Truths which are the
presuppositions of all prophecy are to him objects of conscious
reflection, and emerge from his hands in the shape of clearly formulated
doctrines. There is probably no single element of his teaching which may
not be traced in the writings of his predecessors, but there is none which
has not gained from him a more distinct intellectual expression. And what
is specially remarkable is the manner in which the doctrines are bound
together in the unity of a system. In grounding the necessity of
redemption in the divine nature, Ezekiel may be said to foreshadow the
theology which is often called Calvinistic or Augustinian, but which might
more truly be called Pauline. Although the final remedy for the sin of the
world had not yet been revealed, the scheme of redemption disclosed to
Ezekiel agrees with much of the teaching of the New Testament regarding
the effects of the work of Christ on the individual. Speaking of the
passage ch. xxxvi. 16‐38 Dr. Davidson writes as follows:—
“Probably no passage in the Old Testament of the same extent offers so
complete a parallel to New Testament doctrine, particularly to that of St.
Paul. It is doubtful if the apostle quotes Ezekiel anywhere, but his line
of thought entirely coincides with his. The same conceptions and in the
same order belong to both,—forgiveness (ver. 25); regeneration, a new
heart and spirit (ver. 26); the Spirit of God as the ruling power in the
new life (ver. 27); the issue of this, the keeping of the requirements of
God’s law (ver. 27; Rom. viii. 4); the effect of being ‘under grace’ in
softening the human heart and leading to obedience (ver. 31; Rom. vi.,
vii.); and the organic connection of Israel’s history with Jehovah’s
revelation of Himself to the nations (vv. 33‐36; Rom. xi.).”
Chapter XXIV. Jehovah’s Final Victory. Chapters xxxviii., xxxix.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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