A Larger Hope?, Volume 2: Universal Salvation from the Reformation to the Nineteenth Century

by Ilaria Ramelli

And in this way, setting aside the thoughts of others and simply reading the Bible, he found what he considered the solution to his problem—the union of Christ and his church. The notion of the union Christ and his church was not new. Indeed, it was a staple of New Testament and Reformed theology. Relly, however, took it to a new level and made it the key to his entire theological system. Jesus had been joined with his church in such a way that what was true of him was true of them, and what was true of them was true of him. He was the head and they were his body (Rom 12:5; 1 Cor 12:27; Eph 1:22–23); he was the vine and they were the branches (John 15).224 Because Christ and his church are, in the eyes of God, united as “one flesh” (Eph 5:29–32), he can be “made sin” for them (2 Cor 5:21), even though in himself he is personally sinless. By standing as the head of the human race he can rightly be punished on their behalf because, through his union with sinners, he is not an innocent bystander, but genuinely shares in their guilt. Thus, “[t]he Union and harmony of the Body, renders it equitable to punish, and chastise the whole Body, in one Member, for its offence in another: . . . As the Union of the body makes it equitable to punish the head for the offence of the other members; with like equity doth the members participate with the head in all its honours and glory.”225 Relly thus felt he had solved his core problem. When Christ dies for our sins, we die in him. And the ...