Restitution

See CRIMES and next article. RESTORATION in RV corresponds to 'restitu- tion ' in AV, as rendering of the noun npokatastasis, which occurs but once in the NT, Ac 3'-' dTroKard- fl-ratris tuv TravTuv, The times spoken of by the prophets are here described as times of restoration, when Christ shall reign over a kingdom in which none of the consequences of sin will any longer apjiear.

The same word in its verbal form occurs in Mt 17" and in the LXX of Mai 4" of the moral restoration or spiritual revolution inaugurated or attempted by .lohn the Baptist. This restoration was a foresliadowing of the true apokatnstasi.'s, which is to be realized in the case of all who will recognize the authority of the Messiah and become members of His kingdom.

The word palinr)enesia (iroKiv-feveala) is used by our Lord, Mt i9-*, in precisely the same sense of the restoration of the whole creation. The subject of the new genesis comes under the influence of the transforming power of the Hol3- Spirit by which he is renewed day by d.iy. See Trench, Synonym.^ of the AT", p. 65. The word is also used by Josephus, Ant. XI. iii. 9, of the restoration of the country of the Jews under Zerubbabel.

It became a favourite term in later Jewish Apocalyptic writings, and was no doubt in common use in the Jewish Apocalypses current in the time of our Lord. That the word should be employed in the Hebrew Gospel of Matthew and not in the writings of the other evangelists is natural enough, so that there is no need of the hvpothesis of interpolation, nor yet of the assumption of any particular .lewish- Christian sources.

The proi)hecy of Caiaphas (Jn 11'-) supposes the oiler of the Saviour's salvation to all, — it may be in another stiite of existence to those who have not had it here, — but not necessarily its acceptance by all. Anumg the words of Jesus which seem to favour the restora- tionist view may be mentioned Jn 12'-, wherp, however, the lifting up, like that of .In 3", ctlerft a drnwing, which secures salvation only for tl.ose who look or believe. It ha-s been maintained, e.g.

by Ptleiderer [Paulinism, i. 274-276), that the idea of a restitution in the sense of a literal restoration of all things is taught by St. Paul in Ro IP- and 1 Co 15-"-. But in these pa.ssajjes St. Pa\il simply insists upon this, that only believers shall share in that perfected kingdom of God in which God is all in all. It might, of course, be argued, if I he pener.al scope of Divine revelation would .

allow of it, that the believers who shall share in th jse KESUKRECTION RESURRECTION 231 blessings will at last be found to embrace all mankind. But it cannot be said that these pas- sages contribute any evidence for or against that view. See Weiss, Liblical Theology of XT, ii. 73. Such biblical passages were understood by Clement of Ale.

xaudria, Origen, Gregory Nazianzen, Gregory of Nyssa, even by Chrysostom (see Homily on 1 Co 15**) and other lathers, by Erigena, most of the mystics and theosophists, as they have been in modern times by Schleiermacher, Erskine of Lin- lathen, Maurice, Farrar, etc., not as teaching absolutely the final salvation of all nun, but as pointing to the ultimate restoration of all as at least a possibility.

In the Pastoral Epistles there are three very interesting passages, 1 Ti 2* 4'», Tit 2'", in which God's saving will is described as universal. This, however, is the will of God concerning men who are themselves possessors of a will, which may resist and reject as well as accept what the gracious will of God has designed for them. The aame explanation must be given of Eph 1'- '", Col 1", which represent the gathering into one and rcconcilin" of all as the purpose and good pleasure of God.

1 his Divine plan is realized only in Christ, and applies therefore only to tliose who are in Christ. What is taken into account here is only God's purpose, and not what is actually realized in the world of human freedom. The whole scope of Scripture shows that the realization of the Divine will regarding man is conditioned by man's volun- tary acceptance of the terms proposed.

The universal purpose of God is well described by Martensen as ' an avoKaTaaTaan a parte ante' whicli has its development as an dTroKarairTacns a parte post, under condition of man's free will, only when the possibility of eternal comlemnation has been confessed. He would regard the opposition of biblical passages, on the one hand seemingly universahst, on the other hand seemingly in favour of eternal retribution, a.s an antinomy like that of freedom and predestination.

It is now generally admitted by the best exegetes of all schools that the doctrine of tlie restoration of all cannot be supported by NT texts. The ablest and most candid advocates of this theory seek to ground their position on what they regard as necessary conclusions as to the nature and character of God, or on psychological and ethical doctrines of the constitution and destiny of man. LlTHRATURS.

— Jukes, The Second Death arid the Restitution 9f all Thingt, London (iscn), 18AS; MaitHnsen, Christian Dog- maticn, E<lin. 1866, pp. 47l-4b4; Farrar, Eternal Uoi>e, London, 1878. Mercji and Judjment, London, 1881 ; Pusey, What ill ojF Faith at to Everlasting Punishment > London, 1S80 ; Cox, Saleator ilundi : It Christ the Saviour of all Meni London, 1877 ; Row, Future Hetribulion, London, 1S87 ; Mniirire, TheoUmeal Essays, London, 18M ; File, The Uereafter, Kdin.

1880 ; Salmond, The Christian Doctrine o/ Immorldlity, Edin. 1896, 4th ed. 1001 ; Beet, The Last Thinr/s, London, 1897. 3. Macpiiku-son.