II

THE DEITY OF CHRIST

W

HEN one considers that for nineteen hundred years the deity of Christ has been the corner-stone of the Christian Church, it may seem strange to my readers that they need consider at this time the question: Was Christ God, or just a man? But even a casual perusal of the pages of the religious press-not to speak of the secular press-will convince one that the issue between these two views of the Saviour is a very vital There are in nearly all of the evangelical churches members, and even ministers-not many, but a few-who openly reject orthodox teachings in regard to Christ's personality. Besides those who boldly dissent, there is a still larger group of timid doubters who cling to the orthodox terms but give these terms an interpretation which destroys their meaning.

one.

Take, for instance, the word “Divinity," as used in describing the supernatural element of Christ. Until recent years, one claiming to believe in the Divinity of Christ would be accepted without question as a real worshipper of the Master. But in recent times some who

regard Christ as merely a good man and a great teacher, but entirely human, acclaim His Divinity, explaining that He was Divine in the sense in which all men have something of divinity in them. The interpretation which they give to the word "Divinity" robs Christ of His Lordship and makes Him differ from men in general only in the degree to which He approached the perfection of the Heavenly Father.

This, of course, opens the way to as many different valuations of Him as there are members of the dissenting class. According to the extent of their own apostasy and the courage with which they announced their views, Christ has been described as "the perfect man,” “the most perfect man," a man of rare virtue,"

66

an extraordinary man for his time," "a teacher of repute," and the like.

When once a follower of Christ departs from the highest conception of the Master, there is no logical stopping place until he reaches an entire repudiation of Christ as a supernatural being. The only knowledge we have of Christ is found in the Bible, and a rejection of the Bible's description of Christ invalidates the authority of every mention of Christ and of every quotation from His words. One does not care to be guilty of an absurdity,

and yet it is an absurdity to say, as some do, in substance: "While the Bible writers falsify the record of Christ's birth and Sonship, still I am willing to believe certain quotations from what Christ is reported to have said and, relying for my information upon these discredited authorities, I am inclined to think that Christ said some things which commend themselves to our judgment and are, therefore, wise." Of what value is such an endorsement of Christ?

A few have been frank enough to carry their logic to its ultimate conclusion and classify Christ with ordinary men-even below many men prominent in history. For instance, a book has been recently published, entitled, Confessions of an Old Priest, in which the author denies that Christ was born of a virgin, that He spoke words of supernatural knowledge impossible for other men, healed lepers, restored palsied limbs, gave sight to the blind, raised the dead, or Himself ascended from the tomb. He even goes so far as to say, Το the great treasure of human knowledge, it cannot be said that he [Jesus] added anything. In science, literature, government, economics, he seems to have been upon the same level as the average uneducated man of his time. He gave no counsel as to the right ordering of human affairs. He offers

no cure or readjustment.' Proceeding, he asks, "Was he good?" and answers as follows: "As an example to copy, his manner of It does not fur

life will not serve.

nish the material.

I was driven to

not only could not but ought not to be followed." This author thinks that the goal to which religion would seem to be moving is a Church "freed from bondage to history, untrammelled by Scripture."

What a Post-Mortem Reveals

This author has said publicly what many preachers and professing Christians say privately while they are accumulating the courage necessary to enable them to defy criticism and break with former religious associates. As a post-mortem examination often reveals diseases that were not suspected during the life of the deceased, so confessions, after the repudiation of religion, often disclose an attitude of mind and heart that was concealed from the public for many years. It is easy to understand why one would hesitate to distress religious associates until his doubts became stronger than his former convictions, and it is also easy to respect the honesty of heart of those who prefer to endure criticism and