Which Christ are believers attached to—Jesus in His earthly ministry or Christ after the cross?
Believers are attached to Christ after the work of the cross—after His death, burial, and resurrection, now ascended in glory—not to Jesus in His earthly ministry. The Christ before the cross was not the object of our salvation that He is after the cross, because the cross makes salvation possible.
In the supplied context, Les explains that because of the work of the cross—His death, burial, and resurrection—henceforth we know no man after the flesh. He notes that much preaching today focuses on Jesus in His earthly ministry, His miracles, signs, and wonders, Sunday after Sunday. But Paul says we are not following any man in the flesh. Instead, we are to take Christ after the work of the cross, now ascended in glory, and that is the Christ to whom believers are attached. Les grants that it is the same man and the same God, but the Christ before the cross was not the object of our salvation as He is after the cross, because the work of the cross makes possible our salvation experience. Paul lived contemporary with Christ after the flesh, yet now, from His death, burial, and resurrection onward, we do not look back and know Him in His earthly ministry as such.
Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
More Questions
After the cross, how should we know Christ?
Instead of knowing Christ after His earthly flesh, believers are to take Christ after the work of the cross—after His death, burial, and resurrection—now that He has ascended into glory, because that risen and exalted Christ is the Christ to whom we are attached.