{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_6038/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_6038","id":"gutenberg_6038","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6038","summary":null,"tags":["Bible -- Theology","Category: Philosophy & Ethics","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Theology, Doctrinal -- Popular works"],"text":"This eBook was produced by Charles Aldarondo, Charles Franks and The Online\nDistributed Proofreading team.\n\n\n\nTHE GREAT DOCTRINES OF THE BIBLE\n\nBy REV. WILLIAM EVANS, Ph.D., D.D.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDEDICATED TO MY WIFE\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOCTRINE OF GOD\n\nTHE DOCTRINE OF JESUS CHRIST\n\nTHE DOCTRINE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT\n\nTHE DOCTRINE OF MAN\n\nTHE DOCTRINES OF SALVATION\n\nRepentance--Faith--Regeneration--Justification--Adoption--\nSanctification--Prayer\n\nTHE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH\n\nTHE DOCTRINE OF THE SCRIPTURES\n\nTHE DOCTRINE OF ANGELS\n\nTHE DOCTRINE OF SATAN\n\nTHE DOCTRINE OF THE LAST THINGS\n\nThe Second Coming of Christ--The Resurrection--The Judgment--The\nDestiny of the Wicked--The Reward of the Righteous\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFOREWORD.\n\n\n\n\n\nThe demand for this book has come from the students in the class\nroom who have listened to these lectures on the Great Doctrines\nof the Bible, and have desired and requested that they be put into\npermanent form for the purpose of further study and reference. This\nvolume is prepared, therefore, primarily, but not exclusively, for\nthe student, and with his needs in mind.\n\nThe doctrines herein treated are dealt with from the standpoint of\nBiblical rather than Dogmatic theology. This is evident from the\nplan which is followed in the work, namely, to gather together all\nthe Scripture passages dealing with the subject under consideration,\nand from them choose a required number that may be called representative;\nthen seek to understand the meaning of these references by the study\nof the text itself as well as its context and parallel passages;\nand finally, from the selected proof-texts, formulate the doctrinal\nteaching, and place such results under appropriate headings.\n\nThe doctrines of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are more\nfully dealt with than the doctrines which follow. This is especially\ntrue of the doctrine of God. The reason for this is to set forth\nthe method pursued in these studies, and to give a pattern for the\nstudy of the doctrines to follow.\n\nIt is intended that the doctrines of this book should be studied\nside by side with the open Bible. It is for this reason that many\nof the Scripture references are indicated by chapter and verse\nonly. There must be constant reference to the Scriptures themselves.\n\nThis volume is in such form as to be of great service in the\ninstruction given in Bible classes. There is probably no greater\nneed in the Christian church today than that its membership should\nbe made acquainted with the fundamental facts and doctrines of\nthe Christian faith. The Christian layman, therefore, who desires\na deeper knowledge of the doctrines of the Christian faith may find\nall the help he needs in this book. It is hoped that while it is\nprepared for the student, it is nevertheless not too deep for the\naverage layman.\n\nThe special indebtedness of the writer is hereby expressed to the\nfollowing works: \"What the Bible Teaches,\" by R. A. Torrey, D. D.\nTo this work the writer owes much with regard to the method and\nplan of this book. \"Systematic Theology,\" by A. H. Strong, D. D.,\nhas provided some rich expositions of the sacred text. \"Christian\nDoctrine,\" by Dr. F. L. Patton, has been found very helpful,\nespecially in connection with the subject of the \"Proofs for the\nExistence of God.\" Further recognition of indebtedness is also\ndue to the following: \"The Problem of the Old Testament,\" and \"The\nChristian View of God and the World,\" by Dr. James Orr; \"Studies\nin Christian Doctrine,\" by George Knapp; \"Jesus and the Gospel,\"\nand \"The Death of Christ,\" by Prof. James Denny; \"The Person and\nWork of Jesus,\" by Nathan E. Wood, D. D.\n\nThere are doubtless others to whom credit is due of whom the author\nis not at this time conscious, for, after all, we are \"part of all\nthat we have seen, and met, and read.\" To those unknown authors,\ntherefore, our indebtedness is hereby acknowledged.\n\n_Chicago._ WILLIAM EVANS.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOCTRINE OF GOD\n\n\n\n\n\nI. THE EXISTENCE OF GOD: (Vs. Atheism).\n\n   1. ASSUMED BY THE SCRIPTURES.\n   2. PROOFS OF THE EXISTENCE OF GOD.\n      a) Universal belief in the Existence of God.\n      b) Cosmological:--Argument from Cause.\n      c) Teleological:--Argument from Design.\n      d) Ontological:--Argument from Being.\n      e) Anthropological:--Moral Argument.\n      f) Argument from Congruity.\n      g) Argument from Scripture.\n\nII. THE NATURE OF GOD: (Vs. Agnosticism)\n\n   1. THE SPIRITUALITY OF GOD: (Vs. Materialism).\n   2. THE PERSONALITY OF GOD: (Vs. Pantheism).\n   3. THE UNITY OF GOD: (Vs. Polytheism).\n   4. THE TRINITY: (Vs. Unitarianism).\n\nIII. THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD.\n\n   1. THE NATURAL ATTRIBUTES:\n      a) Omniscience.\n      b) Omnipotence.\n      c) Omnipresence.\n      d) Eternity.\n\n   2. THE MORAL ATTRIBUTES:\n      a) Holiness.\n      b) Righteousness.\n      c) Faithfulness.\n      d) Mercy and Loving-kindness.\n      e) Love.\n\n\n\n\n\nI. HIS EXISTENCE.\n\n1. TAKEN FOR GRANTED BY THE SCRIPTURE WRITERS:\n\nIt does not seem to have occurred to any of the writers of either\nthe Old or the New Testaments to attempt to prove or to argue for\nthe existence of God. Everywhere and at all times it is a fact\ntaken for granted. \"A God capable of proof would be no God at all\"\n(Jacobi). He is the self-existent One (Exod. 3:14) and the Source\nof all life (John 5:26).\n\nThe sublime opening of the Scriptures announces the fact of God and\nHis existence: \"In the beginning God\" (Gen. 1:1). Nor is the rise\nor dawn of the idea of God in the mind of man depicted. Psa. 14:1:\n\"The fool hath said in his heart. There is no God,\" indicates not\na disbelief in the existence, but rather in the active interest\nof God in the affairs of men--He seemed to hide Himself from the\naffairs of men (See Job 22:12-14).\n\nThe Scriptures further recognize that men not only know of the\nexistence of God, but have also a certain circle of ideas as to\nwho and what He is (Rom. 1:18-19).\n\nNo one but a \"fool\" will deny the fact of God. \"What! no God? A\nwatch, and no key for it? A watch with a main-spring broken, and\nno jeweler to fix it? A watch, and no repair shop? A time-card and\na train, and nobody to run it? A star lit, and nobody to pour oil\nin to keep the wick burning? A garden, and no gardener? Flowers,\nand no florist? Conditions, and no conditioner?\" He that sitteth\nin the heavens shall laugh at such absurd atheism.\n\n2. THE ARGUMENTS FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD.\n\n[Footnote: A fuller and complete presentation of these arguments\nfor the Existence of God may be found in the works of Dr. Augustus\nH. Strong and Dr. Francis L. Patten, to whom the author is here\nindebted.]\n\nThese arguments may not prove conclusively that God is, but they\ndo show that in order to the existence of any knowledge, thought,\nreason, conscience in man, we must assume that God is (Strong).\nIt is said of the beautiful, \"It may be shown, but not proved.\" So\nwe say of the existence of God. These arguments are probable, not\ndemonstrative. For this reason they supplement each other, and\nconstitute a series of evidences which is cumulative in its nature.\nThough taken singly, none of them can be considered absolutely\ndecisive, they together furnish a corroboration of our primitive\nconviction of God's existence, which is of great practical value,\nand is in itself sufficient to bind the moral actions of men. A\nbundle of rods may not be broken even though each one separately\nmay; the strength of the bundle is the strength of the whole. If in\npractical affairs we were to hesitate to act until we have absolute\nand demonstrable certainty, we should never begin to move at all.\n\nInstead of doubting everything that can be doubted, let us rather\ndoubt nothing until we are compelled to doubt.\n\nDr. Orr, of Glasgow, says: What we mean by the proof of God's\nexistence is simply that there are necessary acts of thought by\nwhich we rise from the finite to the infinite, from the caused to\nthe uncaused, from the contingent to the necessary, from the reason\ninvolved in the structure of the universe to a universal and eternal\nreason, which is the ground of all, from morality in conscience\nto a moral Lawgiver and Judge. In this connection the theoretical\nproofs constitute an inseparable unity--'constitute together,'\nas Dr. Stirling declares, \"but the undulations of a single wave,\nwhich wave is but a natural rise and ascent to God, on the part of\nman's own thought, with man's own experience and consciousness as\nthe object before him.\"\n\nReligion was not produced by proofs of God's existence, and will not\nbe destroyed by its insufficiency to some minds. Religion existed\nbefore argument; in fact, it is the preciousness of religion that\nleads to the seeking for all possible confirmations of the reality\nof God.\n\na) Universality of Belief in the Existence of God.\n\n(1) The fact stated and proven:\n\nMan everywhere believes in the existence of a supreme Being or\nBeings to whom he is morally responsible and to whom propitiation\nneeds to be made.\n\nSuch belief may be crudely, even grotesquely stated and manifested,\nbut the reality of the fact is no more invalidated by such crudeness\nthan the existence of a father is invalidated by the crude attempts\nof a child to draw a picture of its father.\n\nIt has been claimed by some that there are or were tribes in\ninland Africa that possessed no idea or conception of God. Moffat,\nLivingstone's father-in-law, made such a claim, but Livingstone,\nafter a thorough study of the customs and languages of such tribes,\nconclusively showed that Moffat was wrong.\n\nNor should the existence of such few tribes, even if granted, violate\nthe fact we are here considering, any more than the existence of\nsome few men who are blind, lame, deaf, and dumb would make untrue\nthe statement and fact that man is a seeing, hearing, speaking,\nand walking creature. The fact that some nations do not have the\nmultiplication table does no violence to arithmetic.\n\nConcerning so-called atheists in Christian lands: it may be\nquestioned if there are really any such beings. Hume, known as a\nfamous sceptic, is reported to have said to Ferguson, as together they\nlooked up into the starry sky: \"Adam, there is a God.\" Voltaire,\nthe atheist, prayed to God in a thunderstorm. Ingersoll, when\ncharged with being an atheist, indignantly refuted the charge,\nsaying: \"I am not an atheist; I do not say that there is no God;\nI am an agnostic; I do not know that there is a God.\" \"I thank God\nthat I am an atheist,\" were the opening words of an argument to\ndisprove the existence of God. A new convert to atheism was once\nheard to say to a coterie of unbelievers: \"I have gotten rid of\nthe idea of a supreme Being, and I thank God for it.\"\n\n(2) Whence comes this universal belief in the existence of God?\n\naa) _Not from outside sources_, such as reason, tradition, or\neven the Scriptures.\n\n_Not from reason or argument_, for many who believe in God\nhave not given any time to reasoning and arguing the question; some,\nindeed, intellectually, could not. Others who have great powers\nof intellect, and who have reasoned and argued on the subject are\nprofessed disbelievers in God. Belief in God is not the result of\nlogical arguments, else the Bible would have given us proofs.\n\n_Nor did this universal belief come from tradition_, for\n\"Tradition,\" says Dr. Patton, \"can perpetuate only what has been\noriginated.\"\n\n_Nor can it be said that this belief came from the Scriptures\neven_, for, as has been well said, unless a man had a knowledge\nof the God from whom the Scriptures came, the Revelation itself\ncould have no authority for him. The very idea of Scripture as a\nRevelation, presupposes belief in a God who can make it.--_Newman\nSmith_. Revelation must assume the existence of God.\n\nbb) _This universal belief comes from within man._\n\nAll the evidence points to the conclusive fact that this universal\nfaith in the existence of God is innate in man, and comes from\nrational intuition.\n\n(3) The weight and force of this argument.\n\nThe fact that all men everywhere believe in the existence of a\nsupreme Being or beings to whom they are morally responsible, is a\nstrong argument in favor of its truth. So universal an effect must\nhave a cause as universal, otherwise we have an effect without any\nassignable cause. Certain is it that this argument makes the burden\nof proof to rest upon those who deny the existence of God.\n\nb) The Argument from Cause: Cosmological.\n\nWhen we see a thing we naturally ask for the cause of that thing.\nWe see this world in which we live, and ask how it came to be. Is\nit self-originating, or is the cause of its being outside of itself?\nIs its cause finite or infinite?\n\nThat it could not come into being of itself seems obvious; no more\nthan nails, brick, mortar, wood, paints, colors, form into a house\nor building of themselves; no more than the type composing a book\ncame into order of itself. When Liebig was asked if he believed\nthat the grass and flowers which he saw around him grew by mere\nchemical forces, he replied: \"No; no more than I could believe that\nthe books on botany describing them could grow by mere chemical\nforces.\" No theory of an \"eternal series\" can account for this\ncreated universe. No matter how long a chain you may have, you\nmust have a staple somewhere from which it depends. An endless\nperpendicular chain is an impossibility. \"Every house is builded\nby some man,\" says the Bible; so this world in which we live was\nbuilt by a designing mind of infinite power and wisdom.\n\nSo is it when we consider man. Man exists; but he owes his existence\nto some cause. Is this cause within or without himself, finite or\ninfinite? Trace our origin back, if you will, to our first parent,\nAdam; then you must ask, How did he come into being? The doctrine\nof the eternity of man cannot be supported. Fossil remains extend\nback but 6,000 years. Man is an effect; he has not always existed.\nGeology proves this. That the first Cause must have been an intelligent\nBeing is proven by the fact that we are intelligent beings ourselves.\n\nc) The Argument from Design: Teleological.\n\nA watch proves not only a maker, an artificer, but also a designer;\na watch is made for a purpose. This is evident in its structure.\nA thoughtful, designing mind was back of the watch. So is it with\nthe world in which we live. These \"ends\" in nature are not to he\nattributed to \"natural results,\" or \"natural selection,\" results\nwhich are produced without intelligence, nor are they \"the survival\nof the fittest,\" instances in which \"accident and fortuity have\ndone the work of mind.\" No, they are the results of a superintending\nand originating intelligence and will.\n\nd) The Argument from Being: Ontological.\n\nMan has an idea of an infinite and perfect Being. From whence this\nidea? From finite and imperfect beings like ourselves? Certainly\nnot. Therefore this idea argues for the existence of an infinite\nand perfect Being: such a Being must exist, as a person, and not\na mere thought.\n\ne) The Moral Argument; Anthropological.\n\nMan has an intellectual and a moral nature, hence his Creator must\nbe an intellectual and moral Being, a Judge, and Lawgiver. Man has\nan emotional nature; only a Being of goodness, power, love, wisdom\nand holiness could satisfy such a nature, and these things denote\nthe existence of a personal God.\n\nConscience in man says: \"Thou shalt,\" and \"Thou shalt not,\" \"I\nought,\" and \"I ought not.\" These mandates are not self-imposed. They\nimply the existence of a Moral Governor to whom we are responsible.\nConscience,--there it is in the breast of man, an ideal Moses\nthundering from an invisible Sinai the Law of a holy Judge. Said\nCardinal Newman: \"Were it not for the voice speaking so clearly in\nmy conscience and my heart, I should be an atheist, or a pantheist,\nwhen I looked into the world.\" Some things are wrong, others\nright: love is right, hatred is wrong. Nor is a thing right because\nit pleases, or wrong because it displeases. Where did we get this\nstandard of right and wrong? Morality is obligatory, not optional.\nWho made is obligatory? Who has a right to command my life? We must\nbelieve that there is a God, or believe that the very root of our\nnature is a lie.\n\nf) The Argument from Congruity.\n\nIf we have a key which fits all the wards of the lock, we know that\nit is the right key. If we have a theory which fits all the facts\nin the case, we know then that we have the right theory. \"Belief\nin a self-existent, personal God is in harmony with all the facts\nof our mental and moral nature, as well as with all the phenomena\nof the natural world. If God exists, a universal belief in his\nexistence is natural enough; the irresistible impulse to ask for\na first cause is accounted for; or religious nature has an object;\nthe uniformity of natural law finds an adequate explanation, and\nhuman history is vindlcated from the charge of being a vast imposture.\nAtheism leaves all these matters without an explanation, and makes,\nnot history alone, but our moral and intellectual nature itself,\nan imposture and a lie.\"--_Patton_.\n\ng) The Argument from Scripture.\n\nA great deal of our knowledge rests upon the testimony of others.\nNow the Bible is competent testimony. If the testimony of travelers\nis enough to satisfy us as to the habits, customs, and manners of\nthe peoples of the countries they visit, and which we have never\nseen, why is not the Bible, if it is authentic history, be enough\nto satisfy us with its evidence as to the existence of God?\n\nSome facts need more evidence than others, we know. This is true\nof the fact of the existence of God. But the Bible history is\nsufficient to satisfy every reasonable demand. The history of the\nJews, prophecy, is not explainable minus God. If we cannot believe\nin the existence of God on the testimony of the Bible we might\nas well burn our books of history. A man cannot deny the truth of\nthe testimony of the Bible unless he says plainly: \"No amount of\ntestimony will convince me of the supernatural.\"\n\nScripture does not attempt to prove the existence of God; it asserts,\nassumes, and declares that the knowledge of God is universal, Rom.\n1:19-21, 28, 33; 2:15. It asserts that God has wrought this great\ntruth in the very warp and woof of every man's being, so that\nnowhere is He without this witness. The preacher may, therefore,\nsafely follow the example of the Scripture in assuming that there\nis a God. Indeed he must unhesitatingly and explicitly assert it as\nthe Scripture does, believing that \"His eternal power and divinity\"\nare things that are clearly seen and perceived through the evidences\nof His handiwork which abound on every hand.\n\nII. THE NATURE OF GOD: (Vs. Agnosticism).\n\n1. THE SPIRITUALITY OF GOD: (Vs. Materialism). \"GOD IS SPIRIT.\"\n\na) Statement of the Fact, John 4:24: \"God is Spirit.\"\n\nMeaning: The Samaritan woman's question, \"Where is God to be found?\"\netc. On Mt. Zion or Gerizim? Christ's answer: God is not to be\nconfined to any one place (cf. Acts 7:48; 17:25, 1 Kings 8:27). God\nmust be worshipped _in spirit_ as distinguished from place,\nform, or other sensual limitations (4:21); and _in truth_\nas distinguished from false conceptions resulting from imperfect\nknowledge (4:22).\n\nb) Light on \"God is Spirit,\" from other Scriptures.\n\nLuke 24:39: \"A spirit hath not flesh and bones,\" i. e., has not\nbody, or parts like human beings; incorporeal; not subject to human\nlimitations.\n\nCol. 1:15: \"The image of the invisible God.\"\n\n1 Tim. 1:17 (R. V.): \"Now unto the King incorruptible, invisible.\"\n\nThese passages teach that God has nothing of a material or bodily\nnature. Sight sees only objects of the material world, but God is\nnot of the nature of the material world, hence He cannot be seen\nwith the material eye--at least not now.\n\nc) Light Derived from Cautions Against Representing God by Graven\nImages:\n\nDeut. 4:15-23; Isa. 40:25; Exod. 20:4. Study these passages carefully\nand note that the reason why images were forbidden was because no\none had ever seen God, and consequently could not picture how He\nlooked, and, further, there was nothing on the earth that could\nresemble Him.\n\nd) Definition of \"God is Spirit\" in the Light of All This:\n\nGod is invisible, incorporeal, without parts, without body,\nwithout passions, and therefore free from all limitations; He is\napprehended not by the senses, but by the soul; hence God is above\nsensuous perceptions. 1 Cor. 2:6-16 intimates that without the\nteaching of God's Spirit we cannot know God. He is not a material\nBeing. \"LaPlace swept the heavens with his telescope, but could\nnot find anywhere a God. He might just as well have swept a kitchen\nwith his broom.\" Since God is not a material Being, He cannot be\napprehended by physical means.\n\ne) Questions and Problems with Reference to the Statement that \"God\nis Spirit.\"\n\n(1) 'What is meant by statement that man was made \"in the image of\nGod\"?\n\nCol 3:10; Eph. 4:24 declare that this \"image\" consists in \"righteousness,\nknowledge, and holiness of truth.\" By that is meant that the image\nof God in man consisted in intellectual and moral likeness rather\nthan physical resemblance. Some think that 1 Thess. 5:23 indicates\nthat the \"trinity of man\"--body, soul, and spirit--constitutes that\nimage and likeness.\n\n(2) What is meant by the anthropomorphic expressions used of God?\n\nFor example: God is said to have hands, feet, arms, eyes, ears He\nsees, feels, hears, walks, etc. Such expressions are to be understood\nonly in the sense of being human expressions used in order to bring\nthe infinite within the comprehension of the finite. How otherwise\ncould we understand God saving by means of human expressions, in\nfigures that we all can understand!\n\n(3) How are such passages as Exod. 24:10 and 33:18-23 in which it is\ndistinctly stated that men saw the God of Israel, to be reconciled\nwith such passages as John 1:18; \"No man hath seen God at any time,\"\nand Exod. 33:20: \"There shall no man see me and live\"?\n\nAnswer:\n\n_aa) Spirit can be manifested in visible form:_\n\nJohn 1:32: \"I saw tho Spirit descending from heaven like a dove\n(or in the form of a dove).\" So throughout the ages the invisible\nGod has manifested Himself in visible form. (See Judges 6:34: The\nSpirit of the Lord clothed Himself with Gideon.)\n\n_bb) On this truth is based the doctrine of \"The Angel of the\nLord\"_\n\nin the Old Testament: Gen 16:7, 10, 13. Note here how the Angel of\nthe Lord is identified with Jehovah Himself, cf. vv. 10, 13. Also\nGen. 22:12--\"The angel of the Lord.... not withheld from _me_.\"\nIn 18:1-16, one of the three angels clearly and definitely identifies\nhimself with Jehovah. Compare chapter 19, where it is seen that\nonly two of the angels have come to Sodom; the other has remained\nbehind. \"Who was this one, this remaining angel? Gen.18:17, 20\nanswers the question; v. 22 reads: \"And Abraham stood yet before\nthe Lord. In Exod. 13:21 it is _Jehovah_, while in 14:19 it\nis the Angel that went before Israel. Thus was the way prepared for\nthe incarnation, for the Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament is\nundoubtedly the second person of the Trinity. This seems evident\nfrom Judges 13:18 compared with Isa. 9:6, in both of which passages,\nclearly referring to Christ, the name \"Wonderful\" occurs. Also the\nomission of the definite article \"the\" from before the expression\n\"the Angel of the Lord,\" and the substitution of \"an\" points to\nthe same truth. This change is made in the Revised Version.\n\ncc) _What was it then that the elders of Israel saw when it is\nsaid they saw the \"God of Israel\"?_\n\nCertainly it was not God in His real essence, God as He is in\nHimself, for no man can have that vision and live. John 1:18 is\nclear on that point: \"No man hath seen God at any time.\" The emphasis\nin this verse is on the word \"God,\" and may read, \"GOD no one has\nseen at any time.\" In 5:37 Jesus says: \"Ye have neither heard his\nvoice at any time, nor seen his shape.\" From This it seems clear\nthat the \"seeing\" here, the which has been the privilege of no man,\nrefers to the essence rather than to the person of God, if such\na distinction can really be made. This is apparent also from the\nomission of the definite article before God, as well as from the\nposition of God in the sentence. None but the Son has really seen\nGod as God, as He really is. What, then, did these men see?\n\nEvidently an _appearance_ of God in some form to their outward\nsenses; perhaps the form of a man, seeing mention is made of his\n\"feet.\" The vision may have been too bright for human eyes to gaze\nupon fully, but it was _a_ vision of God. Yet it was only a\nmanifestation of God, for, although Moses was conversing with God,\nhe yet said: \"If I have found grace in thy sight, show me thy face.\"\nMoses had been granted exceeding great and precious privileges in\nthat he had been admitted into close communion with God, more so\nthan any other member of the human race. But still unsatisfied he\nlonged for more; so in v. 18 he asks to see the unveiled glory of\nGod, that very thing which no man in the flesh can ever see and\nlive; but, no, this cannot be. By referring to Exod. 33:18-23 we\nfind God's answer: \"Thou canst not see my face.... thou shalt see\nmy back parts, but my face shall not be seen.\" (Num. 12:8 throws\nlight upon the subject, if compared with Exod. 33:11.)\n\n\"The secret remained unseen; the longing unsatisfied; and the\nnearest approach to the beatific vision reached by him with whom\nGod spake face to face, as friend with friend, was to be hidden in\nthe cleft of the rock, to be made aware of an awful shadow, and to\nhear the voice of the unseen.\"\n\n2. THE PERSONALITY OF GOD: (Vs. Pantheism).\n\nPantheism maintains that this universe in its ever changing conditions\nis but the manifestation of the one ever changing universal substance\nwhich is God; thus all, everything is God, and God is everything;\nGod is all, all is God. Thus God is identified with nature and not\nheld to be independent of and separate from it. God is, therefore,\na necessary but an unconscious force working in the world.\n\nThe Bearing of the Personality of God on the Idea of Religion.\n\nTrue religion may be defined as the communion between two persons:\nGod and man. religion is a personal relationship between God in\nheaven, and man on the earth. If God were not a person there could\nbe no communion; if both God and man were one there could be no\ncommunion, and, consequently, no religion. An independent personal\nrelationship on both sides is absolutely necessary to communion.\nMan can have no communion with an influence, a force, an impersonal\nsomething; nor can an influence have any moving or affection towards\nman. It is absolutely necessary to the true definition of religion\nthat both God and man be persons. God is person, not force or\ninfluence.\n\na) Definition of Personality.\n\nPersonality exists where there is intelligence, mind, will,\nreason, individuality, self-consciousness, and self-determination.\nThere must be not mere consciousness--for the beast has that--but\n_self_-consciousness. Nor is personality determination--for the\nbeast has this, too, even though this determination be the result\nof influences from without--but _self_-determination, the power\nby which man from an act of his own free will determines his acts\nfrom within.\n\nNeither corporeity nor substance, as we understand these words,\nare necessarily, if at all, involved in personality. There may be\ntrue personality without either or both of these.\n\nb) Scripture Teaching on the Personality of God.\n\n(In this connection it will Be well to refer to the Ontological\nArgument for the Existence of God, for which see p. 17.)\n\n(1) Exod 3:14;--\"I AM THAT I AM.\"\n\nThis name is wonderfully significant. Its central idea is that of\nexistence and personality. The words signify \"I AM, I WAS, I SHALL\nBE,\" so suggestively corresponding with the New Testament statement\nconcerning God: \"Who wast, and art, and art to come.\"\n\nAll the names given to God in the Scripture denote personality.\nHere are some of them:\n\nJehovah--Jireh: The Lord will provide (Gen. 22:13, 14).\n\nJehovah-Rapha: The Lord that healeth (Exod. 15:26).\n\nJehovah-Nissi: The Lord our Banner (Exod. 17:8-15).\n\nJehovah-Shalom: The Lord our Peace (Judges 6:24).\n\nJehovah-Ra-ah: The Lord my Shepherd (Psa. 23:1).\n\nJehovah-Tsidkenu: The Lord our Righteousness (Jer. 23:6).\n\nJehovah-Shammah: The Lord is present (Ezek. 48:35).\n\nMoreover, the personal pronouns ascribed to God prove personality:\nJohn 17:3, et al. \"To know thee\"--we cannot know an influence in\nthe sense in which the word know is here used. _Statement:_\nAll through the Scriptures names and personal pronouns are ascribed\nto God which undeniably prove that God is a Person.\n\n(2) A sharp distinction is drawn in the Scriptures between the gods\nof heathen and the Lord God of Israel (See Jer. 10:10-16).\n\nNote the context: vv. 3-9: Idols are things, not persons; they\ncannot walk, speak, do good or evil. God is wiser than the men who\nmade these idols; if the idol-makers are persons, much more is God.\n\nSee the sharp contrast drawn between dead idols and the living,\npersonal, true and only God: Acts 14:15; 1 Thess. 1:9; Psa. 94:9,\n10.\n\n_Statement:_ God is to be clearly distinguished from things\nwhich have no life; he is a living Person.\n\n(3) Attributes of personality are ascribed to God in the Scriptures.\n\nGod repents (Gen. 6:6}; grieves {Gen 6:6}; is angry {1 Kings 11:9);\nis jealous (Deut. 6:15); loves (Rev. 3:19); hates (Prov. 6:16).\n\n_Statement_: God possesses the attributes of personality, and\ntherefore is a Person.\n\n(4) The relation which God bears to the Universe and to Men, as set\nforth in the Scriptures, can be explained only on the basis that\nGod is a Person.\n\nDeism maintains that God, while the Creator of the world, yet sustains\nno further relations to it. He made it just as the clock-maker makes\na self-winding clock: makes it and then leaves it to run itself\nwithout any interference on His part. Such teaching as this finds\nno sanction in the Bible. What are God's relations to the universe\nand to men?\n\n_aa) He is the Creator of the Universe and Man._\n\nGen. 1:1, 26; John. 1:1-3. These verses contain vital truths. The\nuniverse did not exist from eternity, nor was it made from existing\nmatter. It did not proceed as an emanation from the infinite, but\nwas summoned into being by the decree of God. Science, by disclosing\nto us the marvellous power and accuracy of natural law, compels\nus to believe in a superintending intelligence who is infinite.\nTyndall said: \"I have noticed that it is not during the hours of my\nclearness and vigor that the doctrine of material atheism commends\nitself to my mind.\"\n\n(In this connection the Arguments from Cause and Design, pp. 16\nand 17, may be properly considered.)\n\n_Statement_: The Creation of the Universe and Man proves the\nPersonality of the Creator--God.\n\n_bb) God sustains certain relations to the Universe and Man which\nHe has made._\n\nHeb 1:3--\"Uphold all things.\" Col. 1:15-17--\"By him all things hold\ntogether.\" Psa. 104:27-30--All creatures wait upon Him for \"their\nmeat in due season.\" Psa. 75:6, 7--\"Promotion\" among men, the\nputting down of one man and the setting up of another, is from the\nhand of God.\n\nWhat do we learn from these scriptures regarding the relation of\nGod to this universe, to man, and to all God's creatures?\n\n_First_. That all things are held together by Him; if not, this\nold world would go to pieces quickly. The uniformity and accuracy\nof natural law compels us to believe in a personal God who\nintelligently guides and governs the universe. Disbelief in this\nfact would mean utter confusion. Not blind chance, but a personal\nGod is at the helm.\n\n_Second._ That the physical supplies for all God's creatures\nare in His hand: He feeds them all. What God gives we gather. If\nHe withholds provision we die.\n\n_Third._ That God has His hand in history, guiding and shaping\nthe affairs of nations. Victor Hugo said: \"Waterloo was God.\"\n\n_Fourth._ Consider with what detail God's care is described:\nThe sparrows, the lilies, the hairs of the head, the tears of His\nchildren, etc. See how these facts are clearly portrayed in the\nfollowing scriptures: Matt. 6:28-30; 10:29, 30; Gen. 39:21, with\n50:20; Dan. 1:9; Job 1:12.\n\n_Statement:_ The personality of God is shown by His active,\ninterest and participation all things, even the smallest things,\nin the universe, the experience of man, and in the life of all His\ncreatures.\n\nTHE UNITY OF GOD: (Vs. Polytheism).\n\nThere are three monotheistic religions in the world: Judaism,\nChristianity, and Mahommedanism. The second is a development of\nthe first; the third is an outgrowth of both.\n\nThe doctrine of the Unity of God is held in contradistinction\nto _Polytheism_, which is belief in a multiplicity of gods;\n_Tri-theism_, which teaches that there are three Gods--that\nis, that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are, specifically,\nthree distinct Gods; and to _Dualism_, which teaches that\nthere are two independent divine beings or eternal principles, the\none good, and the other evil, as set forth especially in Gnostic\nsystems, such as Parseeism.\n\na) The Scriptures Assert the Unity of God.\n\nDeut. 6:4--\"Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord\"; or, \"The\nLord our God, the Lord is one.\" Isa. 44:6-8--\"First.... last....\nbeside me there is no God.\" Isa. 45:5--\"There is none else,\nthere is no God beside me.\" 1 Tim. 2:5 \"There is one God.\" 1 Cor.\n8:4--\"There is none other God but one.\"\n\nThat God is one, that there is no other, that He has no equal is\nthe forceful testimony of above fifty passages in the Scriptures.\nThe fundamental duty of life, namely, the devotion of the entire\nbeing to the Lord, is based upon the Unity of God: \"The Lord....is\none .... therefore thou shalt love the Lord thy God with _all_\nthy heart,\" etc.\n\nNo other truth of the Scripture, particularly of the Old Testament,\nreceives more prominence than that of the Unity of God. This\ntruth is clearly pronounced also in the material universe; it is\nthe introduction and conclusion of all scientific researches. Any\nother representation contradicts both creation and revelation. Its\ndenial is a proper object for the ridicule of every thinking man,\nand of the disbelief of every orthodox Christian. Let this, then,\nbe our first and necessary conclusion--that Deity, whether creating,\ninspiring, or otherwise manifesting itself, is one God; one, and\nno more.--_Cerdo._\n\nA multiplication of Gods is a contradiction; there can be but one\nGod. There can be but one absolutely perfect, supreme, and almighty\nBeing. Such a Being cannot be multiplied, nor pluralized. There\ncan be but one ultimate, but one all-inclusive, but one God.\n\nMonotheism, then, not Tri-theism, is the doctrine set forth in the\nScriptures. \"If the thought that wishes to be orthodox had less\ntendency to become tri-theistic, the thought that claims to be free\nwould be less Unitarian.\"--_Moberly._\n\nb) The Nature of the Divine Unity.\n\nThe doctrine of the Unity of God does not exclude the idea of\na plurality of persons in the Godhead. Not that there are three\npersons in each person of the Godhead, if we use in both cases\nthe term _person_ in one and the same sense. We believe,\ntherefore, that there are three persons in the Godhead, but one\nGod. Anti-trinitarians represent the evangelical church as believing\nin three Gods, but this is not true; it believes in one God, but\nthree persons in the Godhead.\n\n(1) The Scriptural use of the word \"One.\"\n\nGen. 2:24--\"And they two (husband and wife) shall be one flesh.\"\nGen. 11:6--\"The people is one.\" I Cor. 3:6-8--\"He that planteth\nand he that watereth are one.\" 12:13--\"All baptized into one body.\"\nJohn 17:22, 23--\"That they may be one, even as we are one ... that\nthey may be made perfect in one.\"\n\nThe word \"one\" in these scriptures is used in a collective sense;\nthe unity here spoken of is a compound one, like unto that used in\nsuch expressions as \"a cluster of grapes,\" or \"all the people rose\nas one man.\" The unity of the Godhead is not simple but compound.\nThe Hebrew word for \"one\" (yacheed) in the absolute sense, and which\nis used in such expressions as \"the only one,\" is _never_ used\nto express the unity of the Godhead. On the contrary, the Hebrew\nword \"echad,\" meaning \"one\" in the sense of a compound unity,\nas seen in the above quoted scriptures, is the one used always to\ndescribe the divine unity.\n\n(2) The Divine Name \"God\" is a plural word; plural pronouns are\nused of God.\n\nThe Hebrew word for God (Elohim) is used most frequently in the\nplural form. God often uses plural pronouns in speaking of Himself,\ne. g., Gen. 1:26--\"Let _us_ make man.\" Isa. 6:8-\"Who will go for\n_us_?\" Gen. 3:22--Behold, man is become as \"one of _us_.\"\n\nSome would say that the \"us\" in Gen. 1:26--\"Let us make man,\" refers\nto God's consultation with the angels with whom He takes counsel\nbefore He does anything of importance; but Isa. 40:14--\"But of\nwhom took he counsel,\" shows that such is not the case; and Gen.\n1:27 contradicts this idea, for it repeats the statement \"in the\nimage of God,\" not in the image of angels; also that \"GOD created\nman in HIS OWN image, in the image of God (not angels) created he\nhim.\" The \"us\" of Gen. 1:26, therefore, is properly understood of\nplural majesty, as indicating the dignity and majesty of the speaker.\nThe proper translation of this verse should be not \"let us make,\"\nbut \"we will make,\" indicating the language of resolve rather than\nthat of consultation.\n\n4. THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY: (Vs. Unitarianism).\n\nThe doctrine of the Trinity is, in its last analysis, a deep mystery\nthat cannot be fathomed by the finite mind. That it is taught\nin the Scripture, however, there can be no reasonable doubt. It\nis a doctrine to be believed even though it cannot be thoroughly\nunderstood.\n\na) The Doctrine of the Trinity in the Old Testament.\n\nThis doctrine is not so much declared as intimated in the Old\nTestament. The burden of the Old Testament message seems to be the\nunity of God. Yet the doctrine of the Trinity is clearly intimated\nin a four-fold way:\n\nFirst: In the plural names of the Deity; e. g., Elohim.\n\nSecond: Personal pronouns used of the Deity. Gen. 1:26; 11:7;\nIsa.6:8.\n\nThird: The Theophanies, especially the \"Angel of the Lord.\" Gen.16\nand 18.\n\nFourth: The work of the Holy Spirit. Gen. 1:2; Judges 6:34.\n\nb) The Doctrine of the Trinity in the New Testament.\n\nThe doctrine of the Trinity is clearly taught in the New Testament;\nit is not merely intimated, as in the Old Testament, but explicitly\ndeclared. This is evident from the following:\n\nFirst: The baptism of Christ: Matt 3:16, 17. Here the Father speaks\nfrom heaven; the Son is being baptized in the Jordan; and the Spirit\ndescends in the form of a dove.\n\nSecond: In the Baptismal Formula: Matt. 28:19--\"Baptizing them in\nthe name (sing.) of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy\nGhost.\" Third: The Apostolic Benediction: 2 Cor. 13:14--\"The grace\nof our Lord Jesus Christ....love of God.....communion of the Holy\nGhost.\"\n\nFourth: Christ Himself teaches it in John 14:16--\"_I_ will\npray the _Father_... He will give you another _Comforter_.\"\n\nFifth: The New Testaffignt sets forth:\n\nA Father who is God, Rom. 1:7.\nA son who is God, Heb. 1:8.\nA Holy Spirit who is God, Acts 5:3, 4.\n\nThe whole is summed up in the words of Boardman: The Father is all\nthe fulness of the Godhead invisible, John 1:18; the Son is all\nthe fulness of Godhead manifested, John 1:4-18; the Spirit is all\nthe fulness of the Godhead acting immediately upon the creature,\n1 Cor. 2:9, 10.\n\nIII. THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD:\n\nIt is difficult to clearly distinguish between the attributes and\nthe nature of God. It is maintained by some that such a division\nought not to be made; that these qualities of God which we call\nattributes are in reality part of His nature and essence. Whether\nthis be exactly so or not, our purpose in speaking of the attributes\nof God is for convenience in the study of the doctrine of God.\n\nIt has been customary to divide the attributes of God into two classes:\nthe Natural, and the Moral. The Natural attributes are Omniscience,\nOmnipotence, Omnipresence, Eternity; the Moral attributes: Holiness,\nRighteousness, Faithfulness, Mercy and Loving-kindness, and Love.\n\n1. THE NATURAL ATTRIBUTES:\n\na) The Omniscience of God.\n\nGod Is a Spirit, and as such has knowledge. He is a perfect Spirit,\nand as such has perfect knowledge. By Omniscience is meant that\nGod knows all things and is absolutely perfect in knowledge.\n\n(1) Scriptures setting forth the fact of God's Omniscience.\n\n_In general:_ Job 11:7, 8--\"Canst thou by searching find\nout God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?\" Job's\nfriends professed to have discovered the reason for his affliction,\nfor, forsooth, had they not found out the secrets of the divine\nwisdom unto perfection. No, such is beyond their human, finite ken.\nIsa. 40:28--\"There is no searching of his understanding.\" Jacob's\ncaptive condition might lead him to lose trust and faith in God.\nBut Jacob has not seen all God's plans--no man has. Job, 37:16--\"The\nwondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge.\" Could Job\nexplain the wonders of the natural phenomena around him? Much less\nthe purposes and judgments of God. Psa. 147:5--\"His understanding\nis infinite.\" Of His understanding there is no number, no computation.\nIsrael is not lost sight of. He who can number and name and call\nthe stars is able also to call each of them by name even out of\ntheir captivity. His knowledge is not to be measured by ours. 1 John\n3:20--\"God knoweth all things.\" Our hearts may pass over certain\nthings, and fail to see some things that should be confessed. God,\nhowever, sees all things. Rom. 11:33--\"How unsearchable are his\njudgments and his ways past finding out.\" The mysterious purposes\nand decrees of God touching man and his salvation are beyond all\nhuman comprehension.\n\n_In detail, and by way of illustration:_\n\n_aa) His knowledge is absolutely comprehensive:_\n\nProv. 15:3--\"The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping\nwatch upon the evil and the good.\" How could He reward and punish\notherwise? Not one single thing occurring in any place escapes His\nknowledge. 5:21--\"For the ways of man are before the eyes of the\nLord, and he pondereth all his goings.\" We may have habits hidden\nfrom our fellow creatures, but not from God.\n\n_ bb) God has a perfect knowledge of all that is in nature:_\n\nPsa. 147:4--\"He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them\nall by their names.\" Man cannot (Gen. 15:5). How, then, can Israel\nsay, \"My way is hid from the Lord?\" Cf. Isa. 40:26, 27. Matt.\n10:29--\"One ... sparrow shall not fall to the ground without your\nFather.\" Much less would one of His children who perchance might\nbe killed for His name's sake, fall without His knowledge.\n\n_cc) God has a perfect knowledge of all that transpires in human\nexperience:_\n\nProv. 5:21--\"For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord,\nand he pondereth all his goings.\" All a man's doings are weighed\nby God. How this should affect his conduct! Psa. 139:2, 3--\"Thou\nknowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my\nthought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and\nart acquainted with all my ways.\" Before our thoughts are fully\ndeveloped, our unspoken sentences, the rising feeling in our hearts,\nour activity, our resting, all that we do from day to day is known\nand sifted by God. v. 4--\"There is not a word in my tongue, but\nlo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.\" Not only thoughts and\npurposes, but words spoken, idle, good, or bad. Exod. 3:7--\"I\nhave seen the affliction....heard the cry: know the sorrows of my\npeople which are in Egypt.\" The tears and grief which they dared\nnot show to their taskmasters, God saw and noted. Did God know\nof their trouble in Egypt? It seemed to them as though He did not.\nBut He did. Matt. 10:29, 30--\"But the very hairs of your head are\nall numbered.\" What minute knowledge is this! Exod 3:19--\"And I am\nsure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty\nhand.\" Here is intimate knowledge as to what a single individual\nwill do. Isa. 48:18--\"O that thou hadst harkened to my commandments!\nthen had thy peace have been as a river,\" etc. God knows what our\nlives would have been if only we had acted and decided differently.\n\n_dd) God has a perfect knowledge of all that transpires in human\nhistory._\n\nWith what precision are national changes and destinies foretold\nand depicted in Dan. 2 and 8! Acts 15:18--\"Known unto God are all\nhis works from the beginning of the world (ages).\" In the context\nsurrounding this verse are clearly set forth the religious changes\nthat were to characterize the generations to come, the which have\nbeen so far literally, though not fully, fulfilled.\n\n_ee) God knows--from, all eternity to all eternity what will take\nplace._\n\nThe ominiscience of God is abduced as the proof that He alone is\nGod, especially as contrasted with the gods (idols) of the heathen:\nIsa. 48:5-8--\"I have even from the beinning declared it unto thee;\nbefore it came to pass I showed it thee.....I have showed thee\nnew things from this time, even hidden things,\" etc. 46:9, 10--\"I\nam God....declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient\ntimes the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall\nstand, and I will do all my pleasure.\" Here God is announcing to\nHis prophets things that are to occur in the future which it is\nimpossible for the human understanding to know or reach. There is\nno past, present, future with God. Everything is one great living\npresent. We are like a man standing by a river in a low place, and\nwho, consequently, can see that part of the river only that passes\nby him; but he who is aloof in the air may see the whole course of\nthe river, how it rises, and how it runs. Thus is it with God.\n\n(2) Certain problems in connection with the doctrine of the Omniscienc\nof God.\n\nHow the divine intelligence can comprehend so vast and multitudinous\nand exhaustless a number of things must forever surpass our\ncomprehension. \"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and\nknowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his\nways past finding out!\" (Rom. 11:33). \"There is no searching of\nhis understanding; it is beyond human computation.\" We must expect,\ntherefore, to stand amazed in the presence of such matchless wisdom,\nand find problems in connection therewith which must for the time,\nat least, remain unsolved.\n\nAgain, we must not confound the foreknowledge of God with\nHis foreordination. The two things are, in a sense, distinct. The\nfact that God foreknows a thing makes that thing certain but not\nnecessary. His foreordination is based upon His foreknowledge.\nPharaoh was responsible for the hardening of his heart even though\nthat hardening process was foreknown and foretold by God. The\nactions of men are considered certain but not necessary by reason\nof the divine foreknowledge.\n\nb) The Omnipotence of God.\n\nThe Omnipotence of God is that attribute by which He can bring to\npass everything which He wills. God's power admits of no bounds\nor limitations. God's declaration of His intention is the pledge\nof the thing intended being carried out. \"Hath he said, and shall\nhe not do it?\"\n\n(1) Scriptural declarations of the fact; In general:\n\nJob 42:2.(R. V.)--\"I know that thou canst do everything (all things),\nand that no purpose of thine can be restrained.\" The mighty review\nof all God's works as it passes before Job (context) brings forth\nthis confession: \"There is no resisting thy might, and there is no\npurpose thou canst not carry out.\" Gen. 18:14--\"Is anything too\nhard for the Lord?\" What had ceased to be possible by natural means\ncomes to pass by supernatural means.\n\n(2) Scriptural declaration of the fact; In detail:\n\n_aa) In the world of nature:_\n\nGen. 1:1-3--\"God created the heaven and the earth. And God said,\nLet there be light, and there was light.\" Thus \"he spake and it was\ndone. He commanded and it stood fast.\" He does not need even to give\nHis hand to the work; His word is sufficient. Psa. 107:25-29--\"He\nraiseth the stormy wind ... he maketh the storm calm.\" \"Even the\nwinds and the sea obey him.\" God's slightest word, once uttered, is\na standing law to which all nature must absolutely conform. Nahum\n1:5, 6--\"The mountains quake at him ... the hills melt ... the\nearth is burned at his presence ... the rocks are thrown down by\nhim.\" If such is His power how shall Assyria withstand it? This is\nGod's comforting message to Israel. Everything in the sky, in sea,\non earth is absolutely subject to His control.\n\n_bb) In the experience of mankind:_\n\nHow wonderfully this is illustrated in the experience of Nebuchadnezzar,\nDan. 4; and in the conversion of Saul, Acts 9; as well as in the\ncase of Pharaoh, Exod. 4:11. James 4:12-15--\" ... For that ye ought\nto say, If the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that.\" All\nhuman actions, whether present or future, are dependent upon the\nwill and power of God. These things are in God's, not in man's,\npower. See also the parable of the Rich Fool, Luke 12:16-21.\n\n_cc) The heavenly inhabitants are subject to His will and word:_\n\nDan. 4:35 (R. V.)--\"He doeth according to his will in the army of\nheaven.\" Heb. 1:14--\"Are they (angels) not all ministering spirits,\nsent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?\"\nIt has been said that angels are beings created by the power of\nGod for some specific act of service, and that after that act of\nservice is rendered they pass out of existence.\n\n_dd) Even Satan is under the control of God_\n\nSatan has no power over any of God's children saving as God permits\nhim to have. This fact is clearly established in the case of Job\n(1:12 and 2:6). and Peter (Luke 22:31,32), in which we are told\nthat Satan had petitioned God that he might sift the self-righteous\npatriarch and the impulsive apostle. Finally Satan is to be forever\nbound with a great chain (Rev. 20:2). God can set a bar to the\nmalignity of Satan just as he can set a bar to the waves of the\nsea.\n\nc) The Omnipresence of God.\n\nBy the Omnipresence of God is meant that God is everywhere\npresent. This attribute is closely connected with the omniscience\nand omnipotence of God, for if God is everywhere present He is\neverywhere active and possesses full knowledge of all that transpires\nin every place.\n\nThis does not mean that God is everywhere present in a bodily sense,\nnor even in the same sense; for there is a sense in which He may\nbe in heaven, His dwelling place, in which He cannot be said to be\nelsewhere. We must guard against the pantheistic idea which claims\nthat God _is_ everything, while maintaining the Scriptural\ndoctrine that He is everywhere present in all things. Pantheism\nemphasizes the omnipresent activity of God, but denies His\npersonality. Those holding the doctrine of pantheism make loud\nclaims to philosophic ability and high intellectual training, but\nis it not remarkable that it is in connection with this very phase\nof the doctrine of God that the Apostle Paul says \"they became\nfools\"? (Rom. 1.) God is everywhere and in every place; His center\nis everywhere; His circumference nowhere. But this presence is a\nspiritual and not a material presence; yet it is a real presence.\n\n(1) Scriptural statement of the fact.\n\nJer. 23:23, 24-\"Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God\nafar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not\nsee him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith\nthe Lord.\" Did the false prophets think that they could hide their\nsecret crimes from God? Or that He could not pursue them into\nforeign countries? Or that He knew what was transpiring in heaven\nonly and not upon the earth, and even in its most distant corners?\nIt was false for them to thus delude themselves--their sins would\nbe detected and punished (Psa. 10:1-14).\n\nPsa. 139:7-12--\"Whither shall I go from thy Spirit, or whither shall\nI flee from thy presence,\" etc. How wondrously the attributes of\nGod are grouped in this psalm. In vv. 1-6 the psalmist speaks of\nthe omniscience of God: God knows him through and through. In vv.\n13-19 it is the omnipotence of God which overwhelms the psalmist.\nThe omnipresence of God is set forth in vv. 7-12. The psalmist\nrealizes that he is never out of the sight of God any more than\nhe is outside of the range of His knowledge and power. God is in\nheaven; \"Hell is naked before Him\"; souls in the intermediate state\nare fully known to Him (cf. Job 26:2; Jonah 2:2); the darkness is\nas the light to Him. Job 22:12-14--\"Is not God in the height of\nheaven? . . . . Can he judge through the dark cloud? Thick clouds\nare a covering to him that he seeth not,\" etc. All agreed that God\ndisplayed His presence in the heaven, but Job had inferred from this\nthat God could not know and did not take notice of such actions of\nmen as were hidden behind the intervening clouds. Not that Job\nwas atheistic; no, but probably denied to God the attribute of\nomnipresence and omniscience. Acts 17:24-28--\"For in him we live,\nand move, and have our being.\" Without His upholding hand we must\nperish; God is our nearest environment. From these and many other\nscriptures we are clearly taught that God is everywhere present\nand acting; there is no place where God is not.\n\nThis does not mean that God is everywhere present in the same sense.\nFor we are told that He is in heaven, His dwelling-place (1 Kings\n8:30); that Christ is at His right hand in heaven (Eph. 1:20);\nthat God's throne is in heaven (Rev. 21:2; Isa. 66:1).\n\nWe may summarize the doctrine of the Trinity thus: God the Father\nis specially manifested in heaven; God the Son has been specially\nmanifested on the earth; God the Spirit is manifested everywhere.\n\nJust as the soul is present in every part of the body so God is\npresent in every part of the world.\n\n(2) Some practical inferences from this doctrine.\n\nFirst, _of Comfort:_ The nearness of God to the believer.\n\"Speak to Him then for He listens. And spirit with spirit can meet;\nCloser is He than breathing, And nearer than hands or feet.\"\n\n\"God is never so far off, As even to be near; He is within. Our\nspirit is the home He holds most dear. To think of Him as by our\nside is almost as untrue, As to remove His shrine beyond those\nskies of starry blue.\"--_Faber._ The omnipresence is not only\na detective truth--it is protective also. After dwelling on this\ngreat and awful attribute in Psalm 139, the psalmist, in vv. 17,\n18, exclaims: \"How precious are thy thoughts to me..... When I\nawake I am still with thee.\" By this is meant that God stands by\nour side to help, and as One who loves and understands us (Matt.\n28:20).\n\nSecond, _of Warning:_ \"As in the Roman empire the whole world\nwas one great prison to a malefactor, and in his flight to the most\ndistant lands the emperor could track him, so under the government\nof God no sinner can escape the eye of the judge.\" Thus the\nomnipresence of God is detective as well as protective. \"Thou God\nseest me,\" should serve as warning to keep us from sin.\n\nd) The Eternity and Immutability of God.\n\nThe word _eternal_ is used in two senses in the Bible:\nfiguratively, as denoting existence which may have a beginning,\nbut will have no end, e. g., angels, the human soul; literally,\ndenoting an existence which has neither beginning nor ending,\nlike that of God. Time has past, present, future; eternity has\nnot. Eternity is infinite duration without any beginning, end, or\nlimit--an ever abiding present. We can conceive of it only as duration\nindefinitely extended from the present moment in two directions--as\nto the past and as to the future. \"One of the deaf and dumb pupils\nin the institution of Paris, being desired to express his idea\nof the eternity of the Deity, replied: 'It is duration, without\nbeginning or end; existence, without bounds or dimension; present,\nwithout past or future. His eternity is youth, without infancy or\nold age; life, without birth or death; today, without yesterday or\ntomorrow.'\"\n\nBy the Immutability of God is meant that God's nature is absolute|y\nunchangeable. It is not possible that He should possess one attribute\nat one time that He does not possess at another. Nor can there be\nany change in the Deity for better or for worse. God remains forever\nthe same. He is without beginning and without end; the self-existent\n\"I am\"; He remains forever the same, and unchangeable.\n\n(1) Scriptural statement of the fact: The Eternity of God\n\nHab. 1:12--\"Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy\nOne?\" Chaldea had threatened to annihilate Israel. The prophet\ncannot believe it possible, for has not God _eternal_ purposes\nfor Israel? Is He not holy? How, then, can evil triumph? Psa.\n90:2--\"Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst\nformed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting,\nthou art God.\" Short and transitory is the life of man; with God\nit is otherwise. The perishable nature of man is here compared with\nthe imperishable nature of God. Psa. 102:24-27--\"I said, O my God,\ntake me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout\nall generations. Of old thou hast laid the foundations of the earth:\nand the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but\nthou shalt endure; yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment;\nas a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed.\nBut thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.\" With\nthe perishable nature of the whole material creation the psalmist\ncontrasts the imperishable nature of God. Exod. 3:14--\"And God\nsaid unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM.\" The past, present and future lies\nin these words for the name of Jehovah. Rev. 1:8--\"I am Alpha and\nOmega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and\nwhich was, and which is to come, the Almighty.\"\n\n(2) Scriptural statement of the Immutability of God:\n\nMal 3:6--\"1 am the Lord, I change not.\" Man's hope lies in that\nfact, as the context here shows Man had changed in his life and\npurpose toward God, and if God, like man, had changed, man would\nhave been destroyed. James 1:17--\"The Father of lights, with whom is\nno variableness, neither shadow of turning.\" There is no change--in\nthe sense of the degree or intensity of light such as is manifested\nin the heavenly bodies. Such lights are constantly varying\nand changing; not so with God. There is no inherent, indwelling,\npossible change in God. 1 Sam. 15:29.--\"And also the Strength of\nIsrael will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should\nrepent.\" From these scriptures we assert that God, in His nature\nand character, is absolutely without change.\n\nDoes God Repent?\n\nWhat, then, shall we say with regard to such scriptures as Jonah\n3:10 and Gen. 6:6--\"And God repented of the evil, that he said he\nwould do unto them.\" \"And it repented the Lord that he had made\nman on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.\" In reply we may\nsay that God does not change, but threatens that men may change.\n\"The repentent attitude in God does not involve any real change in\nthe character and purposes of God. He ever hates the sin and ever\npities and loves the sinner; that is so both before and after\nthe sinner's repentance. Divine repentance is therefore the same\nprinciple acting differently in altered circumstances. If the\nprospect of punishment answers the same purpose as that intended\nby the punishment itself, then there is no inconsistency in\nits remission, for punishment is not an end, it is only a means\nto goodness, to the reign of the law of righteousness.\" When God\nappears to be displeased with anything, or orders it differently\nfrom what we expected, we say, after the manner of men, that\nHe repents. God's attitude towards the Ninevites had not changed,\nbut they had changed; and because they had changed from sin unto\nrighteousness, God's attitude towards them and His intended dealings\nwith them as sinners must of necessity change, while, of course,\nGod's character had in no wise changed with respect to these\npeople, although His dealings with them had. So that we may say\nthat God's _character_ never changes, but His _dealings_\nwith men change as they change from ungodliness to godliness and\nfrom disobedience unto obedience. \"God's immutability is not that\nof the stone, that has no internal experience, but rather that of\nthe column of mercury that rises and falls with every change in\nthe temperature of the surrounding atmosphere. When a man bicycling\nagainst the wind turns about and goes with the wind instead of going\nagainst it, the wind seems to change, although it is blowing just\nas it was before.\" --_Strong_.\n\n2. THE MORAL ATTRIBUTES.\n\na) The Holiness of God.\n\nIf there is any difference in importance in the attributes of God,\nthat of His Holiness seems to occupy the first place. It is, to\nsay the least, the one attribute which God would have His people\nremember Him by more than any other. In the visions of Himself\nwhich God granted men in the Scriptures the thing that stood out\nmost prominent was the divine holiness. This is clearly seen by\nreferring to the visions of Moses, Job, and Isaiah. Some thirty\ntimes does the Prophet Isaiah speak of Jehovah as \"the Holy One,\"\nthus indicating what feature of those beatific visions had most\nimpressed him.\n\nThe holiness of God is the message of the entire Old Testament.\nTo the prophets God was the absolutely Holy One; the One with eyes\ntoo pure to behold evil; the One swift to punish iniquity. In taking\na photograph, the part of the body which we desire most to see is\nnot the hands or feet, but the face. So is it with our vision of\nGod. He desires us to see not His hand and finger, denoting His\npower and skill, nor even His throne as indicating His majesty.\nIt is His holiness by which He desires to be remembered as that is\nthe attribute which most glorifies Him. Let us bear this fact in\nmind as we study this attribute of the divine nature. It is just\nthis vision of God that we need today when the tendency to deny\nthe reality or the awfulness of sin is so prevalent. Our view of\nthe necessity of the atonement will depend very largely upon our\nview of the holiness of God. Light views of God and His holiness\nwill produce light views of sin and the atonement.\n\n(1) Scriptural statements setting forth the fact of God's Holiness.\n\nIsa. 57:15--\"Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth\neternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place.\"\nPsa. 99:9--\"Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy hill:\nfor the Lord our God is holy.\" Hab. 1:13--\"Thou art of purer eyes\nthan to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity.\" 1 Pet. 1:15,\n16 --\"But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in\nall manner of conversation. Because it is written, Be ye holy: for\nI am holy.\" God's personal name is holy. John 17:11--\"Holy Father,\nkeep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me.\" Christ\nhere contemplates the Father as the Holy One, as the source and\nagent of that which He desires for His disciples, namely, holiness\nof heart and life, being kept from the evil of this world.\n\nIs it not remarkable that this attribute of holiness is ascribed\nto each of the three persons of the Trinity: God the Father, is\nthe Holy One of Israel (Isa. 41:14); God the Son is the Holy One\n(Acts 3:14); God the Spirit is called the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30).\n\n(2) The Scriptural meaning of Holiness as applied to God.\n\nJob 34:10--\"Be it far from God, that he should do wickedness; and\nfrom the Almighty that he should commit iniquity.\" An evil God,\none that could commit evil would be a contradiction in terms,\nan impossible, inconceivable idea. Job seemed to doubt that the\nprinciple on which the universe was conducted was one of absolute\nequity. He must know that God is free from all evil-doing. However\nhidden the meaning of His dealings, He is always just. God never\ndid, never will do wrong to any of His creatures; He will never\npunish wrongly. Men may, yea, often do; God never does. Lev.\n11:43-45--\"Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping\nthing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with\nthem, that ye should be defiled thereby. For I am the Lord your\nGod; ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy;\nfor I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner\nof creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.... Ye shall therefore\nbe holy, for I am holy.\" This means that God is absolutely clean\nand pure and free from all defilement.\n\nThe construction of the Tabernacle, with its holy and most holy\nplace into which the high priest alone entered once a year; the Ten\nCommandments, with their moral categories; the laws of clean and\nunclean animals and things--all these speak to us in unmistakable\nterms as to what is meant by holiness as applied to God.\n\nTwo things, by way of definition, may be inferred from these\nScriptures: first, negatively, that God is entirely apart from\nall that is evil and from all that defiles both in Himself and in\nrelation to all His creatures; second and positively, by the holiness\nof God is meant the consummate holiness, perfection, purity, and\nabsolute sanctity of His nature. There is absolutely nothing unholy\nin Him. So the Apostle John declares: \"God is light, and in him\nis no darkness at all.\"\n\n(3) The manifestation of God's Holiness.\n\nProv. 15:9, 26--\"The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the\nLord. The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination unto the Lord.\"\nGod hates sin, and is its uncompromising foe. Sin is a vile and\ndetestable thing to God. Isa. 59:1, 2--\"Behold, the Lord's hand\nis not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that\nit cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated between you and\nyour God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will\nnot hear.\" Israel's sin had raised a partition wall. The infinite\ndistance between the sinner and God is because of sin. The sinner\nand God are at opposite poles of the moral universe. This in answer\nto Israel's charge of God's inability. From these two scriptures\nit is clear that God's holiness manifests itself in the hatred of\nsin and the separation of the sinner from himself.\n\nHerein lies the need of the atonement, whereby this awful distance\nis bridged over. This is the lesson taught by the construction of\nthe Tabernacle as to the division into the holy place and the most\nholy place.\n\nProv. 15:9--\"But he loveth him that followeth after righteousness.\"\nJohn 3:16--\"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only\nbegotten Son,\" etc. Here God's holiness is seen in that He loves\nrighteousness in the life of His children to such a degree that He\ngave His only begotten Son to secure it. The Cross shows how much\nGod loves holiness. The Cross stands for God's holiness before even\nHis love. For Christ died not merely for our sins, but in order\nthat He might provide us with that righteousness of life which\nGod loves. \"He died that we might be forgiven; he died to make us\ngood.\" Do we love holiness to the extent of sacrificing for it?\n\nFor other manifestations see under Righteousness and Justice of\nGod.\n\n(4) Practical deductions from the doctrine of God's Holiness.\n\nFirst, we should approach God with \"reverence and godly fear\"\n(Heb. 12:28). In the story of Moses' approach to the burning bush,\nthe smiting of the men at Bethshemesh, the boundary set about Mt.\nSinai, we are taught to feel our own unworthiness. There is too\nmuch hilarity in our approach unto God. Eccl. 5:1-3 inculcates\ngreat care in our address to God.\n\nSecond, we shall have right views of sin when we get right views\nof God's holiness. Isaiah, the holiest man in all Israel, was cast\ndown at the sight of his own sin after he had seen the vision of\nGod's holiness. The same thing is true of Job (40:3-4; 42:4-5).\nWe confess sin in such easy and familiar terms that it has almost\nlost its terror for us.\n\nThird, that approach to a holy God must be through the merits\nof Christ, and on the ground of a righteousness which is Christ's\nand which naturally we do not possess. Herein lies the need of the\natonement.\n\nb) The Righteousness and Justice of God.\n\nIn a certain sense these attributes are but the manifestation of\nGod's holiness. It is holiness as manifested in dealing with the\nsons of men. Holiness has to do more particularly with the character\nof God in itself, while in Righteousness and Justice that character\nis expressed in the dealings of God with men. Three things may be\nsaid in the consideration of the Righteousness and Justice of God:\nfirst, there is the imposing of righteousness laws and demands,\nwhich may he called legislative holiness, and may he known as the\nRighteousness of God; second, there is the executing of the penalties\nattached to those laws, which may be called judicial holiness; third,\nthere is the sense in which the attributes of the Righteousness\nand Justice of God may be regarded as the actual carrying out of\nthe holy nature of God in the government of the world. So that in\nthe Righteousness of God we have His love of holiness, and in the\nJustice of God, His hatred of sin.\n\nAgain Righteousness, as here used, has reference to the very nature\nof God as He is in Himself--that attribute which leads God always\nto do right. Justice, as an attribute of God, is devoid of all\npassion or caprice; it is vindicative not vindictive. And so the\nRighteousness and Justice of the God of Israel was made to stand\nout prominently as contrasted with the caprice of the heathen gods.\n\n(1) Scriptural statement of the fact.\n\nPsalm 116:5--\"Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is\nmerciful.\" The context here shows that it is because of this fact\nthat God listens to men, and because having promised to hear He is\nbound to keep His promises. Ezra 9:15--\"0 Lord God of Israel, thou\nart righteous.\" Here the Righteousness of Jehovah is acknowledged\nin the punishment of Israel's sins. Thou art just, and thou hast\nbrought us into the state in which we are today. Psa. 145:17--\"The\nLord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.\" This\nis evident in the rewards He gives to the upright, in lifting up\nthe lowly, and in abundantly blessing the good, pure, and true.\nJer. 12:1--\"Righteous art thou, O Lord, when I plead with thee.\"\nThat is to say, \"If I were to bring a charge against Thee I should\nnot be able to convict Thee of injustice, even though I be painfully\nexercised over the mysteries of Thy providence.\"\n\nThese scriptures clearly set forth not only the fact that God is\nrighteous and just, but also define these attributes. Here we are\ntold that God, in His government of the world, does always that\nwhich is suitable, straight, and right.\n\n(2) How the Righteousness and Justice of God is revealed.\n\nIn two ways: first, in punishing the wicked: retributive justice,\nsecond, in rewarding the righteous: remunerative justice.\n\n_aa) In the punishment of the wicked._\n\nPsa. 11:4-7--\"The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is\nin heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.\nThe Lord trieth the righteous; but the wicked and him that loveth\nviolence his soul hateth. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire\nand brimstone and an horrible tempest. This shall be the portion\nof their cup.\" This is David's reply to his timid advisers. Saul\nmay reign upon the earth and do wickedly, but God reigns from heaven\nand will do right. He sees who does right and who does wrong. And\nthere is that in His nature which recoils from the evil that He\nsees, and will lead Him ultimately to punish it. There is such a\nthing as the wrath of God. It is here described. Whatever awful\nthing the description in this verse may mean for the wicked, God\ngrant that we may never know. In Exod. 9:23-27 we have the account\nof the plague of hail, following which are these words: \"And Pharaoh\nsent...for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned\nthis time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.\"\nPharaoh here acknowledges the perfect justice of God in punishing\nhim for his sin and rebellion. He knew that he had deserved it\nall, even though cavillers today say there was injustice with God\nin His treatment of Pharaoh. Pharaoh himself certainly did not\nthink so. Dan. 9:12-14 and Rev. 16:5, 6 bring out the same thought.\nHow careful sinners ought to be not to fall into the hands of the\nrighteous Judge! No sinner at last will be able to say, \"I did not\ndeserve this punishment.\"\n\n_bb) In forgiving the sins of the penitent._\n\n1 John 1:9 (R. V.)--\"If we confess our sins, he is faithful\nand righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all\nunrighteousness.\" Ordinarily, the forgiveness of sin is associated\nwith the mercy, love, and compassion of God, and not with His\nrighteousness and justice. This verse assures us that if we confess\nour sins, the righteousness and justice of God is our guarantee for\nforgiveness--God cannot but forgive and cleanse us from all sin.\n\n_cc) In keeping His word and promise to His children._\n\nNeh. 9:7, 8--\"Thou art the Lord the God, who didst choose Abram...and\nmadest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites...to\nhis seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous.\"\nWe need to recall the tremendous obstacles which stood in the way\nof the fulfillment of this promise, and yet we should remember the\neleventh chapter of Hebrews. When God gives His word, and makes\na promise, naught in heaven, on earth, or in hell can make that\npromise void. His righteousness is the guarantee of its fulfillment.\n\n_dd) In showing Himself to be the vindicator of His people from\nall their enemies._\n\nPsa. 129:1-4--\"Many a time have they afflicted me...yet they have\nnot prevailed against me. The Lord is righteous: he hath cut asunder\nthe cords of the wicked.\" Sooner or later, God's people will triumph\ngloriously as David triumphed over Saul. Even in this life God\nwill give us rest from our enemies; and there shall assuredly come\na day when we shall be \"where the wicked cease from troubling, and\nthe weary are at rest.\"\n\n_ee) In the rewarding of the righteous._\n\nHeb. 6:10--\"For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor\nof love, which ye have showed towards his name, in that ye have\nministered unto the saints, and do minister.\" Those who had shown\ntheir faith by their works would not now be allowed to lose that\nfaith. The very idea of divine justice implies that the use of this\ngrace, thus evidenced, will be rewarded, not only by continuance\nin grace, but their final perseverance and reward. 2 Tim.\n4:8--\"Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,\nwhich the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me at that day:\nand not to me only, but unto all them that love hiss appearing.\"\nThe righteous Judge will not allow the faithful believer to go\nunrewarded. He is not like the unrighteous judges of Rome and the\nAthenian games. Here we are not always rewarded, but some time we\nshall receive full reward for all the good that we have done. The\nrighteousness of God is the guarantee of all this.\n\nc) The Mercy and Loving-kindness of God.\n\nBy these attributes is meant, in general, the kindness, goodness,\nand compassion of God, the love of God in its relation to both\nthe obedient and the disobedient sons of men. The dew drops on the\nthistle as well as on the rose.\n\nMore specifically: Mercy is usually exercised in connection with\nguilt; it is that attribute of God which leads Him to seek the\nwelfare, both temporal and spiritual, of sinners, even though at\nthe cost of great sacrifice on His part. \"But God, who is rich in\nmercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us...God commendeth\nhis love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ\ndied for us.\" (Eph. 2:4; Rom. 5:8.)\n\nLoving-kindness is that attribute of God which leads Him to bestow\nupon His obedient children His constant and choice blessing. \"He\nthat spared not his own Son, but freely delivered him up for us\nall, how shall he not with him freely give us all things?\" (Rom.\n8:32.)\n\n(I) Scriptural statement of the fact.\n\nPsa. 103:8--\"The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger,\nand plenteous in mercy.\" For, instead of inflicting pain, poverty,\ndeath--which are the wages of sin--God has spared our lives, given\nus health, increased our blessings and comforts, and given us the\nlife of the ages. Deut. 4:31--\"(For the Lord thy God is a merciful\nGod); he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget\nthe covenant of thy fathers.\" God is ready to accept the penitence\nof Israel, even now, if only it be sincere. Israel will return and\nfind God only because He is merciful and does not let go of her.\nIt is His mercy that forbids his permanently forsaking His people.\nPsa. 86:15--\"But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and\ngracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.\" It\nwas because God had so declared Himself to be of this nature that\nDavid felt justified in feeling that God would not utterly forsake\nhim in his time of great stress and need. The most striking\nillustration of the Mercy and Loving-kindness of God is set forth\nin the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). Here we have\nnot only the welcome awaiting the wanderer, but also the longing\nfor his return on the part of the anxious and loving father.\n\n(1) How the Mercy and Loving-kindness of God are manifested.\n\nIn general: We must not forget that God is absolutely sovereign in\nthe bestowal of His blessings--\"Therefore hath he mercy on whom he\nwill have mercy\" (Rom. 9:18). We should also remember that God\nwills to have mercy on all His creatures--\"For thou, Lord, art good,\nand ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy to all them that call\nupon thee\" (Psa. 86:5).\n\n_aa) Mercy--towards sinners in particular._\n\nLuke 6:36--\"Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is\nmerciful.\" Matt. 5:45--\"That ye may be the children, of your Father\nwhich is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and\nthe good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.\" Here even\nthe impenitent and hard-hearted are the recipients of God's mercy;\nall sinners, even the impenitent are included in the sweep of His\nmercy.\n\nIsa. 55:7--\"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man\nhis thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord: and he will have\nmercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.\"\nGod's mercy is a holy mercy; it will by no means protect sin, but\nanxiously awaits to pardon it. God's mercy is a city of refuge for\nthe penitent, but by no means a sanctuary for the presumptuous. See\nProv. 28:13, and Psa. 51:1. God's mercy is here seen in pardoning\nthe sin of those who do truly repent. We speak about \"trusting in\nthe mercy of the Lord.\" Let us forsake sin and then trust in the\nmercy of the Lord and we shall find pardon.\n\n2 Pet. 3:9--\"The Lord...is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing\nthat any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.\"\nNeh. 9:31--\"Nevertheless for thy great mercies' sake thou didst not\nutterly consume them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.\"\nHere is mercy manifested in forbearance with sinners. If God should\nhave dealt with them in justice they would have been cut off long\nbefore. Think of the evil, the impurity, the sin that God must see.\nHow it must disgust Him. Then remember that He could crush it all\nin a moment. Yet He does not. He pleads; He sacrifices to show His\nlove for sinners. Surely it is because of the Lord's mercies that\nwe are not consumed, and because His compassions fail not. Yet,\nbeware lest we abuse this goodness, for our God is also a consuming\nfire. \"Behold, the goodness and the severity of God.\" The Mercy\nof God is here shown in His loving forbearance with sinners.\n\n_bb) Loving-kindness towards the saints, in particular._\n\nPsa. 32:10--\"But he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass\nhim about.\" The very act of trust on the part of the believer moves\nthe heart of God to protect him just as in the case of a parent\nand his child. The moment I throw myself on God I am enveloped in\nHis mercy--mercy is my environment, like a fiery wall it surrounds\nme, without a break through which an evil can creep. Besistance\nsurrounds us with \"sorrow\"; but trust surrounds us with \"mercy.\"\nIn the center of that circle of mercy sits and rests the trusting\nsoul.\n\nPhil. 2:27--\"For indeed he was sick nigh unto death; but God had\nmercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should\nhave sorrow upon sorrow.\" Here God's loving-kindness is seen in\nhealing up His sick children. Yet remember that \"He hath mercy on\nwhom He will have mercy.\" Not every sick child of God is raised.\nPsa. 6:4--\"Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak: O Lord, heal\nme...Deliver my soul for thy mercies' sake (v. 4).\" The psalmist\nasks God to illustrate His mercy in restoring to him his spiritual\nhealth. From these scriptures we see that the mercy of God is\nrevealed in healing His children of bodily and spiritual sickness.\n\nPsa. 21:7--\"For the king trusteth in the Lord, and through the\nmercy of the most High he shall not be moved.\" David feels that,\nbecause he trusts in the mercy of the Lord, his throne, whatever\nmay dash against it, is perfectly secure. Is not this true also\nof the believer's eternal security? More to the mercy of God than\nto the perseverance of the saints is to be attributed the eternal\nsecurity of the believer. \"He will hold me fast.\"\n\nd) The Love of God.\n\nChristianity is really the only religion that sets forth the Supreme\nBeing as Love. The gods of the heathen are angry, hateful beings,\nand are in constant need of appeasing.\n\n(1) Scriptural statements of the fact.\n\n1 John 4:8-16--\"God is love.\" \"God is light\"; \"God is Spirit\";\n\"God is love.\" Spirit and Light are expressions of God's essential\nnature. Love is the expression of his personality corresponding to\nHis nature. It is the nature of God to love. He dwells always in\nthe atmosphere of love. Just how to define or describe the love\nof God may be difficult if not impossible. It appears from certain\nscriptures (1 John 3:16; John 3:16) that the love of God is of such\na nature that it betokens a constant interest in the physical and\nspiritual welfare of His creatures as to lead Him to make sacrifices\nbeyond human conception to reveal that love.\n\n(2) The objects of God's Love.\n\n_aa) Jesus Christ, God's only-begotten Son, is the special object\nof His Love._\n\nMatt. 3:17--\"This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.\"\nAlso Matt. 17:5; Luke 20:13. Jesus Christ shares the love of the\nFather in a unique sense, just as He is His Son in a unique sense.\nHe is especially \"My chosen.\" \"The One in whom my soul delighteth,\"\n\"My beloved Son,\"--literally: the Son of mine, the beloved. And we\ncan readily understand how that He who did the will of God perfectly\nshould thus become the special object of the Father's love. Of\ncourse, if the love of God is eternal, as is the nature of God,\nwhich must be the case, then, that love must have had an eternal\nobject to love. So Christ, in addressing the Father, says: \"Thou\nlovedst me before the foundation of the world.\"\n\n_bb) Believers in His Son, Jesus Christ, are special objects of\nGod's Love._\n\nJohn 16:27--\"For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have\nloved me, and have believed that I came out from God.\" 14:21-23--\"He\nthat loveth me shall be loved of my Father. ...If a man love me...my\nFather will love him.\" 17:23--\"And hast loved them, as thou hast\nloved me.\" Do we really believe these words? We are not on the\noutskirts of God's love, but in its very midst. There stands Christ\nright in the very midst of that circle of the Father's love; then\nHe draws us to that spot, and, as it were, disappears, leaving us\nstanding there bathed in the same loving-kindness of the Father in\nwhich He Himself had basked.\n\n_cc) God loves the world of sinners and ungodly men._\n\nJohn 3:16--\"For God so loved the world\" was a startling truth to\nNicodemus in his narrow exclusivism. God loved not the Jew only,\nbut also the Gentile; not a part of the world of men, but every\nman in it, irrespective of his moral character. For \"God commendeth\nhis love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ\ndied for us\" (Rom. 5:8). This is wonderful when we begin to realize\nwhat a world in sin is. The love of God is broader than the measure\nof man's mind. God desires the salvation of all men (1 Tim. 2:4).\n\n(3) How the Love of God reveals Itself.\n\n_aa) In making infinite sacrifice for the salvation of men._\n\n1 John 4:9, 10--\"In this was manifested the love of God towards us,\nbecause that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, that\nwe might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God,\nbut that God loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for\nour sins.\" Love is more than compassion; it hides not itself as\ncompassion may do, but displays itself actively in behalf of its\nobject. The Cross of Calvary is the highest expression of the love\nof God for sinful man. He gave not only a Son, but His only Son,\nHis well-beloved.\n\n_bb) In bestowing full and complete pardon on the penitent._\n\nIsa. 38:17--\"Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit\nof corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.\"\nLiterally, \"Thou hast loved my soul back from the pit of destruction.\"\nGod had taken the bitterness out of his life and given him the\ngracious forgiveness of his sins, by putting them far away from\nHim. Eph. 2:4, 5--\"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great\nlove wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath\nquickened us together with Christ,\" etc. Verses 1-3 of this chapter\nshow the race rushing headlong to inevitable ruin. \"But\" reverses\nthe picture; when all help for man fails, then God steps in, and\nby His mercy, which springs from \"His great love,\" redeems fallen\nman, and gives him not only pardon, but a position in His heavenly\nkingdom by the side of Jesus Christ. All this was \"for,\" or, perhaps\nbetter, \"in order to satisfy His great love.\" Love led Him to do\nit.\n\n_cc) In remembering His children in all the varying circumstances\nof life._\n\nIsa. 63:9--\"In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel\nof his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed\nthem; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.\" Here\nis retrospection on the part of the prophet. He thinks of all the\noppressions of Israel, and recalls how God's interests have been\nbound up with theirs. He was not their adversary; He was their\nsympathetic, loving friend. He suffered with them. Isa. 49:15,\n16--\"Can a woman forget her sucking child? Yea, they may forget,\nyet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee on the palms\nof my hands; thy walls are continually before me.\" It was the custom\nthose days to trace upon the palms of the hands the outlines of any\nobject of affection; hence a man engraved the name of his god. So\nGod could not act without being reminded of Israel. God is always\nmindful of His own. Saul of Tarsus learned this truth on the way\nto Damascus.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOCTRINE OF JESUS CHRIST.\n\nA. THE PERSON OF CHRIST.\n\n   I. THE HUMANITY OF JESUS CHRIST.\n      1. HE HAD A HUMAN PARENTAGE.\n      2. HE GREW AS OTHER HUMAN BEINGS DO.\n      3. HE HAD THE APPEARANCE OF A MAN.\n      4. HE WAS POSSESSED OF A BODY, SOUL, AND SPIRIT.\n      5. HE WAS SUBJECT TO THE SINLESS INFIRMITIES OF HUMANITY.\n      6. HUMAN NAMES ARE GIVEN TO HIM.\n\n   II. THE DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST.\n\n      1. DIVINE NAMES ARE GIVEN TO HIM.\n      2. DIVINE WORSHIP IS ASCRIBED TO HIM.\n      3. DIVINE QUALITIES AND PROPERTIES ARE POSSESSED BY HIM.\n      4. DIVINE OFFICES ARE ASCRIBED TO HIM.\n      5. DIVINE ATTRIBUTES ARE POSSESSED BY HIM.\n      6. CHRIST'S NAME IS COUPLED WITH THAT OF THE FATHER.\n      7. THE SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS OF JESUS CHRISTAS MANIFESTED:\n         a) In His Visit to the Temple.\n         b) In His Baptism.\n         c) In His Temptation.\n         d) In the Calling of the Twelve and the Seventy.\n         e) In the Sermon on the Mount.\n\nB. THE WORK OF CHRIST.\n\n   1. HIS DEATH.\n   2. HIS RESURRECTION.\n   3. HIS ASCENSION AND EXALTATION.\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOCTRINE OF JESUS CHRIST.\n\nA. THE PERSON OF CHRIST.\n\nThe close kinship of Christ with Christianity is one of the\ndistinctive features of the Christian religion. If you take away\nthe name of Buddha from Buddhism and remove the personal revealer\nentirely from his system; if you take away the personality of\nMahomet from Mahommedanism, or the personality of Zoroaster from\nthe religion of the Parsees, the entire doctrine of these religions\nwould still be left intact. Their practical value, such as it is,\nwould not be imperilled or lessened. But take away from Christianity\nthe name and person of Jesus Christ and what have you left? Nothing!\nThe whole substance and strength of the Christian faith centres in\nJesus Christ. Without Him there is absolutely nothing.--_Sinclair\nPatterson._\n\nFrom beginning to end, in all its various phases and aspects and\nelements, the Christian faith and life is determined by the person and\nthe work of Jesus Christ. It owes its life and character at every\npoint to Him. Its convictions are convictions about Him. Its hopes\nare hopes which He has inspired and which it is for Him to fulfill.\nIts ideals are born of His teaching and His life. Its strength is\nthe strength of His spirit.--_James Denney._\n\nI. THE HUMANITY OF JESUS CHRIST.\n\n1. THE SCRIPTURES DISTINCTLY TEACH THAT HE HAD A HUMAN PARENTAGE:\nTHAT HE WAS BORN OF A WOMAN--THE VIRGIN MARY.\n\nMatt. 1:18--\"Mary ... was found with child of the Holy Ghost.\"\n2-11--\"The young child with Mary his mother.\" 12:47 --\"Behold, thy\nmother and thy brethren.\" 13:55--\"Is not his mother called Mary?\"\nJohn 1:14--\"The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.\" 2:1--\"The\nmother of Jesus was there.\" Acts 13:23--\"Of this man's seed hath God\n... raised ... ..Jesus.\" Rom.1:3--\"Of the seed of David according\nto the flesh.\" Gal. 4:4--\"Made of a woman.\"\n\nIn thus being born of a woman Jesus Christ submitted to the conditions\nof a human life and a human body; became humanity's son by a human\nbirth. Of the \"seed of the woman,\" of the \"seed of Abraham,\" and\nof line and lineage of David, Jesus Christ is undeniably human.\n\nWe must not lose sight of the fact that there was something\nsupernatural surrounding the birth of the Christ. Matt. 1:18--\"On\nthis wise,\" and Luke 1:35--\"The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee,\nand the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also\nthat holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the\nSon of God.\" \"On this wise\" indicates that this birth was different\nfrom those recorded before it. Luke 1:35 is explicit about the\nmatter. To assail the virgin birth is to assail the Virgin's life.\nHe was of \"the seed of the woman,\" not of the man. (See Luke 1:34--\"How\nshall this be, seeing I know not a man?\") No laws of heredity are\nsufficient to account for His generation. By a creative act God\nbroke through the chain of human generation and brought into the\nworld a supernatural being.\n\nThe narrative of the virgin birth need not stagger us. The abundance\nof historical evidence in its favor should lead to its acceptance.\nAll the manuscripts in all the ancient versions contain the record\nof it. All the traditions of the early church recognize it. Mention\nof it is made in the earliest of all the creeds: the Apostles'\nCreed. If the doctrine of the virgin birth is rejected it must be\non purely subjective grounds. If one denies the possibility of\nthe supernatural in the experience of human life, it is, of course,\neasy for him to deny this doctrine. To one who believes that\nJesus was human only it would seem comparatively easy to deny the\nsupernatural birth on purely subjective grounds. The preconceptions\nof thinkers to a great degree determine their views. It would\nseem that such a wonderful life as that lived by Christ, having as\nit did such a wonderful finish in the resurrection and ascension,\nmight, indeed should, have a wonderful and extraordinary entrance\ninto the world. The fact that the virgin birth is attested by the\nScriptures, by tradition, by creeds, and that it is in perfect\nharmony with all the other facts of that wonderful life should\nbe sufficient attestation of its truth. [Footnote: _\"The Virgin\nBirth,\"_ by James Orr, D.D., deals fully and most ably with this\nsubject.]\n\nIt has been thought strange that if, as is claimed, the virgin\nbirth is so essential to the right understanding of the Christian\nreligion, that Mark, John, and Paul should say nothing about it.\nBut does such silence really exist? John says \"the Word became\nflesh\"; while Paul speaks of \"God manifest in the flesh.\" Says L.\nF. Anderson: \"This argument from silence is sufficiently met by\nthe considerations that Mark passes over thirty years of our Lord's\nlife in silence; that John presupposes the narratives of Matthew\nand Luke; that Paul does not deal with the story of Jesus' life.\nThe facts were known at first only to Mary and Joseph; their very\nnature involved reticence until Jesus was demonstrated to be the\nSon of God with power by the resurrection from the dead; meantime\nthe natural development of Jesus and His refusal to set up an\nearthly kingdom have made the miraculous events of thirty years\nago seem to Mary like a wonderful dream; so only gradually the\nmarvelous tale of the mother of the Lord found its way into the\nGospel tradition and the creeds of the church, and into the innermost\nhearts of the Christians of all countries.\"\n\n2. HE GREW IN WISDOM AND STATURE AS OTHER HUMAN BEINGS DO. HE WAS\nSUBJECT TO THE ORDINARY LAWS OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN BODY AND SOUL.\n\nLuke 2:40, 52, 46--\"And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit,\nfilled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. And Jesus\nincreased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.\nAnd....they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the\ndoctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.\"\n\nJust to what extent His sinless nature influenced His growth we may\nnot be able to say. It seems clear, however, from the Scriptures,\nthat we are to attribute Jesus' growth and advancement to the\ntraining He received in a godly home; to the instruction given at\nthe synagogue and the temple; from His own personal study of the\nScriptures, and from His fellowship and communion with His Father.\nBoth the human and divine element entered into His training and\ndevelopment, which were as real in the experience of Jesus as in\nthat of any other human being. We are told that \"Jesus grew, and\nincreased in wisdom and stature.\" He \"increased,\" i.e., He kept\nadvancing; He \"grew,\" and the reflective form of the verb would\nseem to indicate that His growth was due to His own efforts. From\nall this it seems clear that Jesus received His training along the\nlines of ordinary human progress--instruction, study, thought.\n\nNor should the fact that Christ possessed divine attributes, such\nas omniscience and omnipotence, militate against a perfectly human\ndevelopment. Could He not have possessed them and yet not have\nused them? Self-emptying is not self-extinction. Is it incredible\nto think that, although possessing these divine attributes, He\nshould have held them in subjection in order that the Holy Spirit\nmight have His part to play in that truly human, and yet divine,\nlife?\n\n3. HE HAD THE APPEARANCE OF A MAN.\n\nJohn 4:9--\"How is it that thou, being a Jew.\" Luke 24:13--The two\ndisciples on the way to Emmaus took Him to be an ordinary man. John\n20:15--\"She, supposing him to be the gardener.\" 21:4, 5--\"Jesus\nstood on the shore; but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.\"\n\nThe woman of Samaria evidently recognized Jesus as a Jaw by His\nfeatures or speech. To her He was just an ordinary Jew, at least\nto begin with. There is no Biblical warrant for surrounding the\nhead of Christ with a halo, as the artists do. His pure life no\ndoubt gave Him a distinguished look, just as good character similarly\ndistinguishes men today. Of course we know nothing definite as to\nthe appearance of Jesus, for no picture or photograph of Him do we\npossess. The apostles draw attention only to the tone of His voice\n(Mark 7:34; 15:34). After the resurrection and ascension Jesus\nseems still to have retained the form of a man (Acts 7:56; 1 Tim.\n2:5).\n\n4. HE WAS POSSESSED OF A HUMAN PHYSICAL NATURE: BODY, SOUL AND\nSPIRIT.\n\nJohn 1:14--\"And the Word was made flesh.\" Heb. 2:14--\"For asmuch\nthen as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also\nhimself likewise took part of the same.\" Matt. 26:12--\"She hath\npoured this ointment on my body.\" v. 38--\"My soul is exceeding\nsorrowful.\" Luke 23:46--\"Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.\"\n24:39--\"Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle\nme, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me\nhave.\"\n\nBy his incarnation Christ came into possession of a real human\nnature; He came not only unto His own, but came unto them in the\nlikeness of their own flesh. Of course we must distinguish between\na human nature and a carnal nature. A carnal nature is really not\nan integral part of man as God made him in the beginning. Christ's\nhuman nature was truly human, yet sinless: \"Yet without sin\" (Heb.\n4:15).\n\n5. HE WAS SUBJECT TO THE SINLESS INFIRMITIES OF HUMAN NATURE.\n\nMatt. 4:2--\"He was afterward an hungred.\" John 19:28--\"Jesus....saith,\nI thirst.\" 4:6--\"Jesus....being wearied with his journey.\" Matt.\n8:24--\"But he was asleep.\" John 19:30--\"He bowed his head, and gave\nup the ghost.\" He mourns over Jerusalem (Matt. 23:37); weeps over\nHis dead friend Lazarus, (John 11:35); craves for human sympathy in\nthe garden (Matt. 26:36,40); tempted in all points like as we are\n(Heb. 4:15). There is not a note in the great organ of our humanity\nwhich, when touched, does not find a sympathetic vibration in the\nmighty range and scope of our Lord's being, saving, of course, the\njarring discord of sin. But sin is not a necessary and integral\npart of unfallen human nature. We speak of natural depravity, but,\nin reality, depravity is _un_natural. God made Adam upright\nand perfect; sin is an accident; it is not necessary to a true\nhuman being.\n\n6. HUMAN NAMES ARE GIVEN TO HIM BY HIMSELF AND OTHERS.\n\nLuke 19:10--\"Son of Man.\" Matt. 1:21--\"Thou shalt call his name\nJesus.\" Acts 2:22--\"Jesus of Nazareth.\" 1 Tim. 2:5--\"The man Christ\nJesus.\"\n\nNo less than eighty times in the Gospels does Jesus call himself\nthe Son of Man. Even when acquiescing in the title Son of God as\naddressed to Himself He sometimes immediately after substitutes\nthe title Son of Man (John 1:49-51; Matt 26:63,64).\n\nWhile we recognize the fact that there is something official in\nthe title Son of Man, something connected with His relation to the\nKingdom of God, it is nevertheless true that in using this title\nHe assuredly identifies Himself with the sons of men. While He is\nrightly called _THE_ Son of Man, because, by His sinless nature\nand life He is unique among the sons of men, He is nevertheless\n_A_ Son of Man in that He is bone of our bone and flesh of\nour flesh.\n\nII. THE DEITY OF JESUS CHEIST.\n\n1. DIVINE NAMES ARE GIVEN TO HIM.\n\na) He is Called God.\n\nJohn 1:1--\"The Word was God.\" Heb. 1:8--\"But unto the Son he saith,\nThy throne, O God, is for ever.\" John 1:18--\"The only begotten Son\n(or better \"only begotten God\").\" Absolute deity is here ascribed to\nChrist. 20:28-\"My Lord and my God.\" Not an expression of amazement,\nbut a confession of faith. This confession accepted by Christ, hence\nequivalent to the acceptance of deity, and an assertion of it on\nChrist's part. Rom. 9:5--\"God blessed forever.\" Tit. 2:13--\"The\ngreat God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.\" 1 John,5:20--\"His Son\nJesus Christ. This is the true God.\" In all these passages Christ\nis called God.\n\nIt may be argued that while Christ is here called God, yet that\ndoes not argue for nor prove His deity, for human judges are also\ncalled \"gods\" in John 10:35--\"If he called them gods unto whom the\nword of God came.\" True, but it is then used in a secondary and\nrelative sense, and not in the absolute sense as when used of the\nSon.\n\nb) He is Called the Son of God.\n\nThe references containing this title are numerous. Among others\nsee Matt. 16:16, 17; 8:29; 14:33; Mark 1:1; 14:61; Luke 1:35; 4:41.\nWhile it may be true that in the synoptic Gospels Jesus may not be\nsaid to have claimed this title for Himself, yet He unhesitatingly\naccepted it when used of Him and addressed to Him by others. Further,\nit seems clear from the charges made against Him that He did claim\nsuch an honor for Himself. Matt. 27:40, 43--\"For he said, I am\nthe Son of God.\" Mark 14:61, 62 --\"Art thou the Christ, the Son of\nthe Blessed\" (Luke 22:70--\"Art thou then the Son of God? And Jesus\nsaid, I am.\" In John's Gospel, however, Jesus plainly calls Himself\n\"the Son of God\" (5:25; 10:36 11:4). Indeed, John's Gospel begins\nwith Christ as God: \"The Word was God,\" and ends with the same\nthought: \"My Lord and my God\" (20:28). (Chapter 21 is an epilogue.)\n\nDr. James Orr says, in speaking of the title Son of God as ascribed\nto Christ: \"This title is one to which there can be no finite\ncomparison or analogy. The oneness with God which it designates is\nnot such reflex influence of the divine thought and character such\nas man and angels may attain, but identity of essence constituting\nhim not God-like alone, but God. Others may be children of God in\na moral sense; but by this right of elemental nature, none but He;\nHe is herein, the _only_ Son; so little separate, so close to\nthe inner divine life which He expresses, that He is in the bosom\nof the Father. This language denotes two natures homogeneous,\nentirely one, and both so essential to the Godhead that neither\ncan be omitted from any truth you speak of it.\"\n\nIf when He called Himself \"the Son of God\" He did not mean more\nthan that He was _a_ son of God, why then did the high priest\naccuse Him of blasphemy when He claimed this title (Matt. 26:\n61-63)? Does not Mark 12:6--\"Having yet therefore one son, his\nwell-beloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will\nreverence my son,\" indicate a special sonship? The sonship of\nChrist is human and historical, it is true; but it is more: it is\ntranscendent, unique, solitary. That something unique and solitary\nlay in this title seems clear from John 5:18--\"The Jews sought the\nmore to kill Him....because he....said....also that God was His\nFather, making Himself equal with God.\"\n\nThe use of the word \"only begotten\" also indicates the uniqueness\nof this sonship. For use of the word see Luke 7:12--\"The only son of\nhis mother.\" 9:38--\"For he is mine only child.\" This word is used\nof Christ by John in 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9, and distinguishes\nbetween Christ as the only Son, and the \"many....children of God\"\n(John 1:12, 13). In one sense Christ has no brethren: He stands\nabsolutely alone. This contrast is clearly emphasized in John 1:14,\n18--\"only begotten Son,\" and 1:12 (R. V.)--\"many....children.\" He\nis the Son from eternity: they \"become\" sons in time. He is one;\nthey are many. He is Son by nature; they are sons by adoption and\ngrace. He is Son of the same essence with the Father; they are of\ndifferent substance from the Father.\n\nc) He is Called The Lord.\n\nActe 4:33; 16:31; Luke 2:11; Acts 9:17; Matt. 22:43-45. It is true\nthat this term is used of men, e.g., Acts 16:30--\"Sirs (Lords),\nwhat must I do to be saved?\" John 12:21--\"Sir (Lord), we would\nsee Jesus.\" It is not used, however, in this unique sense, as the\nconnection will clearly show. In our Lord's day, the title \"Lord\"\nas used of Christ was applicable only to the Deity, to God. \"The\nPtolemies and the Roman Emperors would allow the name to be applied\nto them only when they permitted themselves to be deified. The\narchaeological discoveries at Oxyrhyncus put this fact beyond a\ndoubt. So when the New Testament writers speak of Jesus as Lord,\nthere can be no question as to what they mean.\" --_Wood._\n\nd) Other Divine Names are Ascribed to Him:\n\n\"The first and the last\" (Rev. 1:17). This title used of Jehovah\nin Isa. 41:4; 44:6; 48:12. \"The Alpha and Omega\" (Rev. 22:13, 16);\ncf. 1:8 where it is used of God.\n\n2. DIVINE WORSHIP IS ASCRIBED TO JESUS CHRIST.\n\nThe Scriptures recognize worship as being due to God, to Deity\nalone: Matt. 4:10--\"Worship the Lord thy God, and him only.\" Rev.\n22:8, 9--\"I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel...Then\nsaith he unto me, See thou do it not:.... worship God.\" John was\nnot allowed even to worship God at the feet of the angel. Acts\n14:14, 15; 10:25, 26--Cornelius fell down at the feet of Peter, and\nworshipped him. \"But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself\nalso am a man.\" See what an awful fate was meted out to Herod\nbecause he dared to accept worship that belonged to God only (Acts\n12:20-25). Yet Jesus Christ unhesitatingly accepted such worsnip,\nindeed, called for it (John 4:10). See John 20:28; Matt. 14:33;\nLuke 24:52; 5:8.\n\nThe homage given to Christ in these scriptures would be nothing\nshort of sacrilegious idolatry if Christ were not God. There seemed\nto be not the slightest reluctance on the part of Christ in the\nacceptance of such worship. Therefore either Christ was God or He\nwas an imposter. But His whole life refutes the idea of imposture.\nIt was He who said, \"Worship God only\"; and He had no right to take\nthe place of God if He were not God.\n\nGod himself commands all men to render worship to the Son, even as\nthey do to Him. John 5:23, 24--\"That all men should honor the Son,\neven as they honor the Father.\" Even the angels are commanded to\nrender worship to the Son. Heb. 1:6--\"And let all the angels of\nGod worship him.\" Phil. 2:10--\"That at the name of Jesus every knee\nshould bow.\"\n\nIt was the practice of the apostles and the early church to render\nworship to Christ: 2 Cor. 12:8-10--\"I besought the Lord.\" Acts\n7:59--\"And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord\nJesus, receive my spirit.\" 1 Cor. 1:2--\"Them that...call upon the\nname of Jesus Christ our Lord.\"\n\nThe Christians of all ages have not been satisfied with admiring\nChrist, they have adored and worshipped Him. They have approached\nHis person in the attitude of self-sacrifice and worship as in the\npresence of and to a God.\n\nRobert Browning quoted, in a letter to a lady in her last illness,\nthe words of Charles Lamb, when in a gay fancy with some friends\nas to how he and they would feel if the greatest of the dead were\nto appear suddenly in flesh and blood once more--on the first\nsuggestion, and \"if Christ entered this room?\" changed his tone\nat once, and stuttered out as his manner was when moved: \"You see\n--if Shakespeare entered, we should all rise; if Christ appeared,\nwe must kneel.\"\n\n3. HE POSSESSES THE QUALITIES AND PROPERTIES OF DEITY.\n\na) Pre-Existence.\n\nJohn 1:1--\"In the beginning\"; cf. Gen 1:1 John 8:58--\"Before Abraham\nwas, I am.\" That is to say: \"Abraham's existence presupposes mine,\nnot mine his. He was dependent upon me, not I upon him for existence.\nAbraham came into being at a certain point of time, but I am.\"\nHere is simple being without beginning or end. See also John 17:5;\nPhil. 2:6; Col. 1:16, 17.\n\nb) Self-Existence and Life-Giving Power:\n\nJohn 5:21, 26--\"For as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth\nthem, even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.\" \"For as the Father\nhath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in\nhimself.\" 1:4--\"In him was life.\" See also 14:6; Heb. 7:16; John\n17:3-5; 10:17, 18. These scriptures teach that all life--physical,\nmoral, spiritual, eternal--has its source in Christ.\n\nc) Immutability:\n\nHeb. 13:8--\"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for\never.\" See also 1:12. All nature, which like a garment He throws\naround Him is subject to change and decay; Jesus Christ is the\nsame always, He never changes. Human teachers, such as are spoken\nof in the context, may change, but He, the Christ, never.\n\nd) All the Fulness of the Godhead Dwelt in Him:\n\nCol. 2:9--Not merely the divine perfections and attributes of Deity,\nbut _(theotes)_ the very essence and nature of the Godhead.\nHe was not merely God-like; He was God.\n\n4. DIVINE OFFICES ABE ASCRIBED TO HIM.\n\na) He is the Creator:\n\nJohn 1:3--\"All things were made by Him.\" In the creation He was the\nacting power and personal instrument. Creation is the revelation\nof His mind and might. Heb. 1:10 shows the dignity of the Creator\nas contrasted with the creature. Col. 1:16 contradicts the Gnostic\ntheory of emanations, and shows Christ to be the creator of all\ncreated things and beings. Rev. 3:14--\"The beginning of the creation\nof God,\" means \"beginning\" in the active sense, _the origin,_\nthat by which a thing begins to be. Col. 1:15--\"first-born,\" not\nmade; compare with Col. 1:17, where the \"for\" of v. 16 shows Him\nto be not included in the \"created things,\" but the origin of and\nsuperior to them all. He is the Creator of the universe (v. 16),\njust as He is the Head of the church (v. 18).\n\nb) He is the Upholder of All Things:\n\nCol. 1:17; Heb. 1:3. The universe is neither self-sustaining nor\nis it forsaken by God (Deism). Christ's power causes all things\nto hold together. The pulses of universal life are regulated and\ncontrolled by the throbbings of the mighty heart of Christ.\n\nc) He Has the Right to Forgive Sins.\n\nMark 2:5-10. Luke 7:48--\"And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.\"\nCertain it is that the Pharisees recognized that Christ was here\nassuming a divine prerogative. No mere man had any right to forgive\nsins. God alone could do that. Hence the Pharisees' charge of\nblasphemy. This is no declaration of forgiveness, based upon the\nknowledge of the man's penitence. Christ does not merely _declare_\nsins forgiven. He _actually_ forgives them. Further, Jesus, in\nthe parable of the Two Debtors (Luke 7), declares that sins were\ncommitted against Himself (cf. Psa. 51:4--\"Against thee, thee only,\nhave I sinned\").\n\nd) The Raising of the Bodies of Men is Ascribed to Him:\n\nJohn 6:39, 40, 54; 11:25. Five times it is here declared by Jesus\nthat it is His prerogative to raise the dead. It is true that others\nraised the dead, but under what different conditions? They worked\nby a delegated power (Acts 9:34); but Christ, by His own power (John\n10:17, 18). Note the agony of Elisha and others, as compared with\nthe calmness of Christ. None of these claimed to raise the dead by\nhis own power, nor to have any such power in the general resurrection\nof all men. Christ did make such claims.\n\ne) He is to be the Judge of All Men;\n\nJohn 5:22--\"For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all\njudgment unto the Son.\" 2 Tim. 4:1; Acts 17:31; Matt. 25:31-46.\nThe Man of the Cross is to be the Man of the throne. The issues of\nthe judgment are all in His hand.\n\n5. DIVINE ATTRIBUTES ARE POSSESSED BY HIM.\n\na) Omnipotence.\n\nMatt 28:18--\"All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.\"\nRev. 1:8; John 17:2; Eph. I:20-22. Here is power over three realms:\nFirst, all power on earth: over disease (Luke 4:38-41); death (John\n11); nature, water into wine (John 2); tempest (Matt. 8). Second,\nall power in hell: over demons (Luke 4:35, 36, 41); evil angels\n(Eph. 6). Third, all power in heaven: (Eph. 1:20-22). Finally,\npower over all things: (Heb. 2:8; 1:3; Matt. 28:18).\n\nb) Omniscience.\n\nJohn 16:30--\"Now are we sure that thou knowest all things.\" 2:24;\nMatt. 24; 25; Col. 2:3. Illustrations: John 4:16-19; Mark 2:8;\nJohn 1:48. \"Our Lord always leaves the impression that He knew all\nthings in detail, both past and future, and that this knowledge\ncomes from His original perception of the events. He does not learn\nthem by acquisition. He simply knows them by immediate perception.\nSuch utterances as Matt. 24 and Luke 21 carry in them a subtle\ndifference from the utterances of the prophets. The latter spoke as\nmen who were quite remote in point of time from their declaration\nof unfolding events. Jesus spoke as one who is present in the midst\nof the events which He depicts. He does not refer to events in\nthe past as if He were quoting from the historic narrative in the\nOld Testament. The only instance which casts doubt upon this view\nis Mark 13:32. The parallel passage in Matthew omits, in many\nancient versions, the words; \"Neither the Son.\" The saying in Mark\nis capable of an interpretation which does not contradict this\nview of His omniscience. This is an omniscience nevertheless,\nwhich in its manifestation to men is under something of human\nlimitation.\"--_Wood._\n\nThis limitation of knowledge is no argument against the infallibility\nof those things which Jesus did teach: for example, the Mosaic\nauthorship of the Pentateuch. That argument, says Liddon, involves\na confusion between limitation of knowledge and liability to error;\nwhereas, plainly enough, a limitation of knowledge is one thing,\nand fallibility is another. St. Paul says, \"We know in part,\" and\n\"We see through a glass darkly.\" Yet Paul is so certain of the\ntruth of that which he teaches, as to exclaim, \"But though we, or\nan angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that\nwhich we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.\" Paul clearly\nbelieved in his own infallibility as a teacher of religious truth,\nand the church of Christ has ever since regarded his epistles as\npart of an infallible literature. But it is equally clear that Paul\nbelieved his knowledge of truth to be limited. Infallibility does\nnot imply omniscience, any more than limited knowledge implies error.\nIf a human teacher were to decline to speak upon a given subject,\nby saying that he did not know enough about it, this would not be\na reason for disbelieving him when he proceeded to speak confidently\nupon a totally different subject, thereby at least implying that\nhe did not know enough to warrant his speaking. On the contrary,\nhis silence in the one case would be a reason for trusting his\nstatements in the other. The argument which is under consideration\nin the text would have been really sound, if our Saviour had fixed\nthe date of the day of judgment and the event had shown him to be\nmistaken. Why stumble over the limitation of this attribute and\nnot over the others? Did He not hunger and thirst, for example? As\nGod He is omnipresent, yet as man He is present only in one place.\nAs God He is omnipotent; yet, on one occasion at least, He could\ndo no mighty works because of the unbelief of men.\n\nc) Omnipresence.\n\nMatt. 18:20--\"For where two or three are gathered together in my\nname, there am I in the midst of them.\" He is with every missionary\n(Matt. 28:20). He is prayed to by Christians in every place (1 Cor.\n1:2). Prayer would be a mockery if we were not assured that Christ\nis everywhere present to hear. He fills all things, every place\n(Eph. 1:23). But such an all pervading presence is true only of\nDeity.\n\n6. HIS NAME IS COUPLED WITH THAT OF GOD THE FATHER.\n\nThe manner in which the name of Jesus Christ is coupled with that\nof God the Father clearly implies equality of the Son with the\nFather. Compare the following:\n\na) The Apostolic Benediction.\n\n2 Cor. 13:14. Here the Son equally with the Father is the bestower\nof grace.\n\nb) The Baptismal Formula.\n\nMatt. 28:19; Acts 2:38. \"In the name,\" not the names (plural).\nHow would it sound to say, \"In the name of the Father\" _and of\nMoses?_ Would it not seem sacrilegious? Can we imagine the effect\nof such words on the apostles?\n\nc) Other Passages.\n\nJohn 14:23--\"We will come: the Father and I.\" 17:3--\"And this is\nlife eternal that they might know thee, the only true God, _and\nJesus Christ.\"_ The content of saving faith includes belief in\nJesus Christ equally with the Father. 10:30--\"I and my Father are\none.\" \"One\" is neuter, not masculine, meaning that Jesus and the\nFather constitute one power by which the salvation of man is secured.\n2 Thess. 2:16, 17--\"Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God,\neven our Father...comfort your hearts.\" These two names, with a\nverb in the singular, intimate the oneness of the Father with the\nSon.\n\n7. THE SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS OF JESUS REGARDING HIS OWN PERSON AND\nWORK.\n\nIt will be interesting to search the Gospel records to ascertain\nwhat was in the mind of Jesus concerning Himself--His relation to\nthe Father in particular. What bearing has the testimony of Jesus\nupon the question of His deity? Is the present Christian consciousness\nborne out by the Gospel narratives? Is Jesus Christ a man of a\nmuch higher type of faith than ours, yet one with whom we believe\nin God? Or is He, equally with God, the object of our faith? Do we\nbelieve _with Him_, or _on_ Him? Is there any indication\nin the words ascribed to Jesus, as recorded in the Gospels,\nof a consciousness on His part of His unique relation to God the\nFather? Is it Jesus Himself who is responsible for the Christian's\nconsciousness concerning His deity, or is the Church reading into\nthe Gospel accounts something that is not really there? Let us see.\n\na) As Set Forth in the Narrative of His Visit to the Temple.\n\nLuke 2:41-52. This is a single flower out of the wonderfully enclosed\ngarden of the first thirty years of our Lord's life. The emphatic\nwords, for our purpose, are \"thy father,\" and \"my Father.\" These are\nthe first recorded words of Jesus. Is there not here an indication\nof the consciousness on the part of Jesus of a unique relationship\nwith His heavenly Father? Mary, not Joseph, asked the question, so\ncontrary to Jewish custom. She said: \"Thy father\"; Jesus replied\nin substance: \"Did you say _my_ father has been seeking me?\"\nIt is remarkable to note that Christ omits the word \"father\" when\nreferring to His parents, cf. Matt. 12:48; Mark 3:33, 34. \"_My_\nFather!\" No other human lips had ever uttered these words. Men said,\nand He taught them to say, \"_Our_ Father.\" It is not too much\nto say that in this incident Christ sees, rising before Him, the\ngreat truth that God, and not Joseph, is His Father, and that it\nis in His true Father's house that He now stands.\n\nb) As Revealed at His Baptism:\n\nMatt. 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-ll; Luke 3:21. Here are some things\nto remember in connection with Christ's baptism: First, Jesus was\nwell acquainted with the relation of John and his ministry to the\nOld Testament prophecy, as well as of John's own announcement\nthat he was the Messiah's fore-runner, and that he (John) was not\nworthy to untie the latchet of Christ's shoes. Second, to come\nthen to John, and to submit to baptism at his hands, would indicate\nthat Jesus conceded the truth of all that John had said. This\nis emphasized when we remember Jesus' eulogy of John (Matt. 11).\nThirdly, There is the descent of the Spirit, and the heavenly voice;\nwhat meaning did these things have to Jesus? If Christ's sermon\nin the synagogue at Nazareth is of any help here, we must believe\nthat at His baptism, so much more than at the age of twelve, He was\nconscious that in thus being anointed He was associating Himself in\nsome peculiar way with the prophecy of Isaiah, chapters 42 and 61:\n\"Behold my Servant... I have put my Spirit upon Him.\" All, therefore,\nthat must have been wrapped up in the thought of the \"Servant of\nthe Lord\" in the Old Testament would assuredly be quickened in his\nconsciousness that day when the Spirit descended upon Him. See also\nLuke 4:16-17; Acts 10: 38; Matt. 12:28.\n\nBut what did the heavenly voice signify to Christ? \"This is my\nbeloved Son\" takes us back to the second Psalm where this person\nis addressed as the ideal King of Israel. The last clause--\"in whom\nI am well pleased\"--refers to Isaiah 42, and portrays the servant\nwho is anointed and empowered by the endowment of God's Spirit. We\nmust admit that the mind of Jesus was steeped in the prophecies of\nthe Old Testament, and that He knew to whom these passages referred.\nThe ordinary Jew knew that much. Is it too much to say that on that\nbaptismal day Jesus was keenly conscious that these Old Testament\npredictions were fulfilled in Him? We think not.\n\nc) As Set Forth in the Record of the Temptation.\n\nMatt. 4:1-11; Mark 1:12, 13; Luke 4:1-13. That Jesus entered\ninto the temptation in the wilderness with the consciousness of\nthe revelation He received, and of which He was conscious at the\nbaptism, seems clear from the narratives. Certain it is that Satan\nbased his temptations upon Christ's consciousness of His unique\nrelation to God as His Son. Throughout the whole of the temptation\nSatan regards Christ as being in a unique sense the Son of God, the\nideal King, through whom the kingdom of God is to be established\nupon the earth. Indeed, so clearly is the kingship of Jesus recognized\nin the temptation narrative that the whole question agitated there\nis as to how that kingdom may be established in the world. It must\nbe admitted that a careful reading of the narratives forces us\nto the conclusion that throughout all the temptation Christ was\nconscious of His position with reference to the founding of God's\nkingdom in the world.\n\nd) As Set Forth in the Calling of the Twelve and the Seventy.\n\nThe record of this event is found in Matt. 10; Mark 3:13-19; 6:7-13;\nLuke 9:1-6; 10:1-14. This important event in the life of our Lord\nhad an important bearing upon His self-consciousness as to His\nperson and work. Let us note some of the details:\n\n_First_, as to the number, twelve. Is there no suggestion\nhere with reference to the New Jerusalem when the Messiah shall sit\nupon the throne surrounded by the twelve apostles seated on their\nthrones? Is not Jesus here conscious of Himself as being the centre\nof the scene thus described in the Apocalypse?\n\n_Second_, He gave them power. Is not Jesus here repeating what\nhad been done for Him at His baptism: conveying super-human power?\nWho can give this power that is strong enough to make even demons\nobey? No one less than God surely.\n\n_Third_, note that the message which He committed to the twelve\nconcerned matters of life and death. Not to receive that message\nwould be equivalent to the rejection of the Father.\n\n_Fourth_, all this is to be done in _His_ name, and for\n_His_ name's sake. Fidelity to Jesus is that on which the final\ndestiny of men depends. Everything rises or falls in its relation\nto Him. Could such words be uttered and there be no consciousness\non the part of the speaker of a unique relationship to the Father\nand the things of eternity? Know you of anything bolder than this?\n\n_Fifth_, He calls upon men to sacrifice their tenderest affections\nfor Him. He is to be chosen before even father and mother (Matt.\n10:34-39).\n\ne) As Revealed in the Sermon on the Mount.\n\nMatt. 5-7; Luke 6:20-49. Two references will be sufficient here.\nWho is this that dares to set Himself up as superior to Moses and\nthe law of Moses, by saying, \"But _I_ say unto you\"? Then,\nagain, listen to Christ as He proclaims Himself to be the judge\nof all men at the last day (Matt. 7:21). Could Jesus say all this\nwithout having any consciousness of His unique relationship to all\nthese things? Assuredly not.\n\nB. THE WORK OF JESUS CHRIST.\n\nThe Death of Jesus Christ.\n\nI. ITS IMPORTANCE.\n\n1. IT HAS A SUPREME PLACE IN THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION.\n\nChristianity is a religion of atonement distinctively. The elimination\nof the doctrine of the death of Christ from the religion that bears\nHis name would mean the surrender of its uniqueness and claim to\nbe the only true religion, the supreme and final revelation from\nGod to the sons of men. It is its redemption feature that distinguishes\nChristianity from any and all other religions. If you surrender this\ndistinctive Christian doctrine from its creed, then this supreme\nreligion is brought down to the level of many other prevailing\nreligious systems. Christianity is not merely a system of ethics;\nit is the history of redemption through Jesus Christ, the personal\nRedeemer.\n\n2. ITS VITAL RELATION TO JESUS CHRIST.\n\nThe atonement is so closely related to Jesus Christ, so allied to\nHis work, as set forth in the Scriptures, that it is absolutely\ninseparable from it. Christ was not primarily a religious teacher,\na philanthropist, an ethical example; He was all these, yea, and much\nmore--He was first and foremost the world's Saviour and Redeemer.\nOther great men have been valued for their lives; He, above all,\nfor His death, around which God and man are reconciled. The Cross\nis the magnet which sends the electric current through the telegraph\nbetween earth and heaven, and makes both Testaments thrill,\nthrough the ages of the past and future, with living, harmonious,\nand saving truth. Other men have said: \"If I could only live, I\nwould establish and perpetuate an empire.\" The Christ of Galilee\nsaid: \"My death shall do it.\" Let us understand that the power\nof Christianity lies, not in hazy indefiniteness, not in shadowy\nforms, not so much even in definite truths and doctrines, but in\n_the_ truth, and in _the_ doctrine of Christ crucified\nand risen from the dead. Unless Christianity be more tnan ethical,\nit is not, nor can it really be ethical at all. It is redemptive,\ndynamic through that redemption, and ethical withal.\n\n3. ITS RELATION TO THE INCARNATION.\n\nIt is not putting the matter too strongly when we say that the\nincarnation was for the purpose of the atonement. At least this\nseems to be the testimony of the Scriptures. Jesus Christ partook\nof flesh and blood in order that He might die (Heb. 2:14). \"He was\nmanifested to take away our sins\" (1 John 3:5). Christ came into\nthis world to give His life a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28). The\nvery purpose of the entire coming of Christ into the word, in all\nits varying aspects, was that, by assuming a nature like unto our\nown, He might offer up His life as a sacrifice for the sins of men.\nThe faith of the atonement presupposes the faith of the incarnation.\nSo close have been the relation of these two fundamental doctrines\nthat their relation is one of the great questions which have\ndivided men in their opinions in the matter: which is primary and\nwhich secondary; which is to be regarded as the most necessary to\nman's salvation, as the primary and the highest fact in the history\nof God's dealings with man. The atonement naturally arises out of\nthe incarnation so that the Son of God could not appear in our nature\nwithout undertaking such a work as the word atonement denotes. The\nincarnation is a pledge and anticipation of the work of atonement.\nThe incarnation is most certainly the declaration of a purpose\non the part of God to save the world. But how was the world to be\nsaved if not through the atonement?\n\n4. ITS PROMINENCE IN THE SCRIPTURES.\n\nIt was the claim of Jesus, in His conversation with the two\ndisciples on the way to Emmaus, that Moses, and all the prophets,\nindeed, all the Scriptures, dealt with the subject of His death\n(Luke 24:27, 44). That the death of Christ was the one great subject\ninto which the Old Testament prophets searched deeply is clear from\n1 Pet. 1:11, 12. The atonement is the scarlet cord running through\nevery page in the entire Bible. Cut the Bible anywhere, and it\nbleeds; it is red with redemption truth. It is said that one out\nof every forty-four verses in the New Testament deals with this\ntheme, and that the death of Christ is mentioned in all one hundred\nand seventy-five times. When you add to these figures the typical\nand symbolical teaching of the Old Testament some idea is gained as\nto the important place which this doctrine occupies in the sacred\nScriptures.\n\n5. THE FUNDAMENTAL THEME OF THE GOSPEL.\n\nPaul says: \"I delivered unto you first of all (i.e., first in\norder; the first plank in the Gospel platform; the truth of primary\nimportance) . . . that Christ died for our sins\" (1 Cor. 15:1-3).\nThere can be no Gospel story, message or preaching without the\nstory of the death of Christ as the Redeemer of men.\n\n6. THE ONE GRAND THEME IN HEAVEN.\n\nMoses and Elias, the heavenly visitors to this earth, conversed\nabout it (Luke 9:30, 31), even though Peter was ashamed of the same\ntruth (Matt. 16:21-25). The theme of the song of the redeemed in\nheaven is that of Christ's death (Rev. 5:8-12).\n\nII. THE SCRIPTURAL DEFINITION OF THE DEATH OF CHRIST.\n\nThe Scriptures set forth the death of Jesus Christ in a four-fold\nway:\n\n1. AS A RANSOM. Matt. 20:28; 1 Pet. l;18; 1 Tim. 2:6; Gal. 3:13.\n\nThe meaning of a ransom is clearly set forth in Lev. 25:47-49: To\ndeliver a thing or person by paying a price; to buy back a person\nor thing by paying the price for which it is held in captivity. So\nsin is like a slave market in which sinners are \"sold under sin\"\n(Rom. 7:14); souls are under sentence of death (Ezek. 18:4). Christ,\nby His death, buys sinners out of the market, thereby indicating\ncomplete deliverance from the service of sin. He looses the bonds,\nsets the prisoners free, by paying a price--that price being His\nown precious blood.\n\nTo whom this ransom is paid is a debatable question: whether to\nSatan for his captives, or to eternal and necessary holiness, to\nthe divine law, to the claims of God who is by His nature the holy\nLawgiver. The latter, referring to God and His holiness, is probably\npreferable.\n\nChrist redeemed us from the curse of a broken law by Himself being\nmade a curse for us. His death was the ransom price paid for our\ndeliverance.\n\n2. A PROPITIATION. Rom. 3:25; 1 John 2:2; Heb. 2:17 (R. V.).\n\nChrist is the propitiation for our sins; He is set forth by God to\nbe a propitiation through His blood.\n\nPropitiation means mercy-seat, or covering. The mercy-seat covering\nthe ark of the covenant was called propitiation (Exod. 25:22;\nHeb. 9:5.) It is that by which God covers, overlooks, and pardons\nthe penitent and believing sinner because of Christ's death.\nPropitiation furnishes a ground on the basis of which God could\nset forth His righteousness, and yet pardon sinful men, Rom. 3:25,\n26; Heb. 9:15. Christ Himself is the propitiatory sacrifice, 1\nJohn 2:2. The death of Jesus Christ is set forth as the ground on\nwhich a righteous God can pardon a guilty and sinful race without\nin any way compromising His righteousness.\n\n3. AS A RECONCILIATION. Rom. 5:10; 2 Cor. 5:18, 19; Eph. 2:16; Col.\n1:20.\n\nWe are reconciled to God by the death of His Son, by His Cross, and\nby the blood of His Cross--that is the message of these scriptures.\n\nReconciliation has two sides; active and passive. In the _active_\nsense we may look upon Christ's death as removing the enmity\nexisting between God and man, and which had hitherto been a barrier\nto fellowship (see the above quoted texts). This state of existing\nenmity is set forth in such scriptures as Rom. 8:7--\"Because the\ncarnal mind is enmity against God.\" Also Eph. 2:15; Jas. 4:4. In\nthe _passive_ sense of the word it may indicate the change of\nattitude on the part of man toward God, this change being wrought\nin the heart of man by a vision of the Cross of Christ; a change\nfrom enmity to friendship thus taking place, cf. 2 Cor. 5:20. It\nis probably better to state the case thus: God is propitiated, and\nthe sinner is reconciled (2 Cor. 5:18-20).\n\n4. AS A SUBSTITUTION. Isa. 53:6; 1 Pet. 2:24, 3:18; 2 Cor. 5:21.\n\nThe story of the passover lamb (Exod. 12), with 1 Cor. 5:7,\nillustrates the meaning of substitution as here used: one life given\nin the stead of another. \"The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity\nof us all.\" God made Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for us.\nChrist Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree--this is\nsubstitution. Christ died in our place, bore our sins, paid the\npenalty due our sins; and all this, not by force, but willingly\n(John 10:17, 18). The idea of substitution is well illustrated by\nthe nature of the preposition used in connection with this phase\nof Christ's death: In Matt. 80-28 Christ is said to give His life\na ransom _for_ all (also 1 Tim. 2:6). That this preposition means\n_instead of_ is clear from its use in Matt. 2:22--\"Archelaus\ndid reign in the room (or in the stead) of his father, Herod.\" Also\nin Luke 11:11--\"Will he _for_ a fish give him a serpent?\" (See\nHeb. 12:2, 16.) Substitution, then, as used here means this: That\nsomething happened to Christ, and because it happened to Christ,\nit need not happen to us. Christ died for our sins; we need not\ndie for them if we accept His sacrifice. For further illustrations,\nsee Gen. 22:13; God providing a ram instead of Isaac; also Barabbas\nfreed and Christ bearing his cross and taking his place.\n\n\n    Upon a life I did not live;\n       Upon a death I did not die;\n    Upon another's death, another's life,\n       I risk my soul eternally.\n\n\nIII. UNSCRIPTURAL VIEWS OF CHRIST'S DEATH.\n\nThere are certain so called _modern_ views of the atonement\nwhich it may be well to examine briefly, if only to show how\nunscriptural they are. That the modern mind fails to see in the\ndoctrine of the atonement what the orthodox faith has held for\ncenturies to be the truth of God regarding this fundamental Christian\ndoctrine, there is certainly no doubt. To some minds today the death\nof Jesus Christ was but the death of a martyr, counted in the same\ncategory as the death of John Huss or Savonarola. Or perchance\nChrist's death was an exhibition to a sinful world of God's wondrous\nlove. Or it may be that Christ, in His suffering of death, remains\nforever the sublime example of adherence to principles of righteousness\nand truth, even to the point of death. Or, again, Calvary may be an\nepisode in God's government of the world. God, being holy, deemed\nit necessary to show to the world His hatred of sin, and so His\nwrath fell on Christ. The modern mind does not consider Christ's\ndeath as in any sense vicarious, or substitutionary. Indeed,\nit fails to see the justice as well as the need or possibility of\none man, and He so innocent, suffering for the sins of the whole\nrace--past, present and future. Every man must bear the penalty of\nhis own sin, so we are told; from that there is no escape, unless,\nand it is fervently hoped and confidently expected, that God, whose\nwondrous love surpasses all human conception, should, as He doubtless\nwill, overlook the eternal consequences of man's sin because of\nthe great love wherewith He loves the race. The love of God is\nthe hope of the race's redemption.\n\nWhat shall the Christian church say to these things, and what\nshall be her reply? To the Word of God must the church resort\nfor her weapons in this warfare. If the so called modern mind and\nits doctrinal views agree with the Scriptures, then the Christian\nchurch may allow herself to be influenced by the spirit of the age.\nBut if the modern mind and the Scriptures do not agree in their\nresults, then the church of Christ must part company with the modern\nmind. Here are some of the modern theories of the atonement:\n\n1. THE ACCIDENT THEORY.\n\nBriefly stated, this is the theory: The Cross was something unforeseen\nin the life of Christ. Calvary was not in the plan of God for His\nSon. Christ's death was an accident, as unforeseen and unexpected\nas the death of any other martyr was unforeseen and unexpected.\n\nTo this we reply: Jesus was conscious all the time of His forthcoming\ndeath. He foretold it again and again. He was always conscious\nof the plots against His life. This truth is corroborated by the\nfollowing scriptures: Matt. 16-21; Mark 9:30-32; Matt. 20:17-19;\nLuke 18:31-34; Matt, 20:28; 26:2, 6, 24, 39-42; Luke 22:19, 20.\nFurther, in John 10:17, 18 we have words which distinctly contradict\nthis false theory: \"Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay\ndown my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from\nme, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and\nI have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of\nmy Father.\"\n\nIn addition to this we may make mention of the many, many references\nand prophecies of the Old Testament to the fact of Christ's death.\nThen there is Christ's own testimony to the fact of His death being\npredicted and foretold by the prophets (Luke 24:26, 27, 44). See\nalso Isa. 53; Psa. 22; 69.\n\n2. THE MARTYR THEORY.\n\nIt is as follows: Christ's death was similar in kind to that of\nJohn Huss, or Polycarp, or any other noble man who has given up\nhis life as a sacrifice for a principle and for truth.\n\nTo this we reply: Then Christ should have so declared Himself.\nPaul should have said so. That word was used for other Christian\ndeaths, why not for Christ's? Then there is no mystery about the\natonement, and the wonder is that Paul should have said anything\nabout the mystery. Further, if Christ died as a martyr He might, at\nleast, have had the same comforting presence of God afforded other\nmartyrs in the hour of their death. Why should He be God-forsaken\nin that crucial hour? Is it right that God should make the holiest\nman in all the ages the greatest sufferer, if that man were but\na martyr? When you recall the shrinking of Gethsemane, could you\nreally--and we say it reverently--call Jesus as brave a man facing\ndeath as many another martyr has been? Why should Christ's soul\nbe filled with anguish (Luke 22:39-46), while Paul the Apostle was\nexultant with joy (Phil. 1:23)? Stephen died a martyr's death,\nbut Paul never preached forgiveness through the death of Stephen.\nSuch a view of Christ's death may beget martyrs, but it can never\nsave sinners.\n\n3. THE MORAL EXAMPLE THEORY.\n\nChrist's death has an influence upon mankind for moral improvement.\nThe example of His suffering ought to soften human hearts, and help\na man to reform, repent, and better his condition. So God grants\npardon and forgiveness on simple repentance and reformation. In the\nsame way a drunkard might call a man his saviour by whose influence\nhe was induced to become sober and industrious. But did the sight\nof His suffering move the Jews to repentance? Does it move men today?\nSuch a view of Christ's death does not deal with the question with\nwhich it is always connected, viz., the question of sin.\n\n4. THE GOVERNMENTAL THEORY.\n\nThis means that the benevolence of God requires that He should make\nan example of suffering in Christ in order to exhibit to man that\nsin is displeasing in His sight. God's government of the world\nnecessitates that He show His wrath against sin.\n\nTrue, but we reply: Why do we need an incarnation for the manifestation\nof that purpose? Why not make a guilty, and not an absolutely\ninnocent and guileless man such an example of God's displeasure\nupon sin? Were there not men enough in existence? Why create a\nnew being for such a purpose?\n\n5. THE LOVE OF GOD THEOEY.\n\nHe died to show men how much God loved them. Men ever after would\nknow the feeling of the heart of God toward them.\n\nTrue, the death of Christ did show the great love of God for fallen\nman. But men did not need such a sacrifice to know that God loved\nthem. They knew that before Christ came. The Old Testament is full\nof the love of God. Read Psalm 103. The Scriptures which speak\nof God's love as being manifested in the gift of His Son, tell us\nalso of another reason why He gave His Son: \"That whosoever believeth\nin him should not perish, but have everlasting life\" (John 3:16);\n\"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and\nsent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins\" (1 John 4:10).\n\nWe believe that Christ's Cross reveals the love of God, and that\nthroughout all these ages men have been bowed in penitence as they\nhave caught a vision of the One who hung thereon. But if you were\nto question the multitudes that have believed in God because of\nthe Cross, you would find that what moved them to repentance was\nnot merely, if at all, certainly not primarily, that the Cross\nrevealed the love of God in a supreme way, but the fact that there\nat that Cross God had dealt with the great and awful fact of sin,\nthat the Cross had forever removed it.\n\n\"I examine all these views, beautiful as some of them are, appealing\nto the pride of man, but which leave out all thought of vicarious\natonement, and say, 'But what shall be done with my sin? Who shall\nput it away? Where is its sacrifice? If without shedding of blood\nthere is no remission of sin, where is the shed blood?' These\nviews are neat, measurable, occasionally pathetic, and frequently\nbeautiful, but they do not include the agony of the whole occasion\nand situation. They are aspect theories, partial conceptions. They\ndo not take in the whole temple from its foundation to its roof.\nNo man must set up his judgment against that of another man in a\ndogmatic way, but he may, yea, he must, allow his heart to speak\nthrough his judgment; and in view of this liberty, I venture to\nsay that all these theories of the atonement are as nothing, most\ncertainly shallow and incomplete to me . . . . As I speak now,\nat this very moment, I feel that the Christ on the Cross is doing\nsomething for me, that His death is my life, His atonement my pardon,\nHis crucifixion the satisfaction for my sin, that from Calvary,\nthat place of a skull, my flowers of peace and joy blossom forth,\nand that in the Cross of Christ I glory.\"--_Joseph Parker._\n\nIV. THE NECESSITY OF CHRIST'S DEATH.\n\nThe necessity of the atonement lay in a twofold fact: The holiness\nof God, and the sinfulness of man. The doctrine of the atonement\nis a related subject, and it cannot be properly understood unless\nit is viewed as such. It is related to certain conditions existing\nbetween God and man--a condition and relation which has been affected\nby sin. It is necessary, therefore, to know this relation and how\nit has been affected by sin. This relation between God and man\nis a personal one. No other construction can legitimately be put\nupon the passages setting forth this relationship. \"_Thou_ has\nsearched _me_, and known _me_.\" \"_I_ am continually\nwith _Thee_.\" It is, moreover, an ethical relationship, and\nthat which is ethical is at the same time personal and universal,\nthat is to say, that God's dealings with mankind are expressed\nin a moral constitution of universal and eternal validity. These\nrelationships are disordered by sin. No matter how sin came to be\nhere we are morally conscious, by the testimony of a bad conscience,\nthat we are guilty, and that our sin is not merely a matter of\npersonal guilt but a violation of a universal moral law.\n\n1. THE HOLINESS OF GOD.\n\nWe should carefully note the emphasis laid upon the doctrine of\nGod's holiness in the Old Testament (see under Attributes of God,\np. 37). The Levitical law, the laws of clean and unclean, the\ntabernacle and the temple with its outer court, its holy and most\nholy place, the priestly order and the high priest, the bounds\nset around Mt. Sinai, things and persons that might not be touched\nwithout causing defilement, sacred times and seasons, these, and\nmuch more, speak in unmistakable terms of the holiness of God.\nWe are thus taught that if sinful man is to approach unto God, it\nmust be through the blood of atonement. The holiness of God demands\nthat before the sinner can approach unto and have communion with\nHim, some means of propitiation must be provided. This means of\napproach is set forth in the shed blood.\n\n2. THE SIN OF MAN.\n\nLight and erroneous views of the atonement come from light and\nerroneous views of sin. If sin is regarded as merely an offence\nagainst man, a weakness of human nature, a mere disease, rather than\nas rebellion, transgression, and enmity against God, and therefore\nsomething condemning and punishable, we shall not, of course,\nsee any necessity for the atonement. We must see sin as the Bible\ndepicts it, as something which brings wrath, condemnation, and eternal\nruin in its train. We must see it as guilt that needs expiation.\nWe must see sin as God sees it before we can denounce it as God\ndenounces it. We confess sin today in such light and easy terms\nthat it has almost lost its terror.\n\nIn view of these two thoughts, the holiness of God and the sinfulness\nof man, the question naturally arises: How is the mercy of God to\nbe manifested so that His holiness will not be compromised by His\nassuming a merciful attitude towards sinful men in the granting of\nforgiveness, pardon, justification? The answer is: The only way in\nwhich this can be done is by means of the atonement.\n\n3. THE FULFILLMENT OF THE SCRIPTURES.\n\nWe may add this third thought to the two already mentioned. There\nis a sense in which the atonement was necessary in order to the\nfulfillment of the predictions of the Old Testament--predictions\ninseparable from the person and work of the Messiah. If Jesus\nChrist were the true Messiah, then these predictions regarding His\nsufferings and death must be fulfilled in Him (Luke 24:25-27, 44;\nIsa. 53; Psa. 22; 69).\n\nV. THE EXTENT OF CHRIST'S DEATH.\n\nWas the death of Jesus Christ for all mankind--for every human\nbeing in the world, or for man actually and ultimately regenerate\nonly--the chosen Church? Was it for all mankind, irrespective of\ntheir relation to Jesus Christ, or must we limit the actual benefits\nof the atonement to those who are spiritually united to Christ by\nfaith? That the death of Christ is intended to benefit all mankind\nseems clear from the following scriptures: Isa. 53:6; 1 Tim. 2:6;\n1 John 2:2, cf. 2 Cor. 5:19; Rom. 14:15; 1 Cor. 8:11. The scriptures,\nwhich to some seem to limit the effects of the atonement, are John\n10:15, cf. vv 26, 29; Eph. 5:25-27.\n\nCertain it is that the doctrine of the atonement is presented in\nthe Scriptures as competent to procure and secure salvation for\nall. Indeed, not only competent but efficacious to do this very\nthing. It might seem that there is an apparent contradiction in\nthe above-named scriptures. The atonement, in its actual issue,\nshould realize and actualize the eternal purpose of God, the which\nis set forth as a desire that all men should be saved and come\nto a saving knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus Christ. This\nis testified to be the general and universal invitation of the\nScriptures to partake of the blessings of Christ's death. Thus the\noffer of the Gospel to all is not a pretence but a reality on the\npart of God. The divine willingness that all men should share the\nbenefits of the atonement is all-inclusive, and really means what\nis offered. Yet on the other hand, we can not overlook the fact\nthat, from another point of view the effects of the atonement--shall\nwe say the _purpose_ of the atonement?--seems to be limited\nto the sphere of the the true Church, so that only those who\nare really united to Christ by faith actually share in the merits\nof the atonement. Let us put it this way: \"The atonement is\n_sufficient_ for all; it is _efficient_ for those who\nbelieve in Christ.\" The atonement itself, so far as it lays the basis\nfor the redemptive dealing of God with all men, is _unlimited_;\nthe _application_ of the atonement is limited to those who actually\nbelieve in Christ. He is the Saviour of all men _potentially_\n(1 Tim. 1:15); of believers alone _effectually_ (1 Tim. 4:10).\nThe atonement is limited only by men's unbelief.\n\n1. FOR THE WHOLE WORLD.\n\nThe Scriptures set forth this fact in the following statements:\n\"And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only,\nbut also for the sins of the whole world\" (1 John 2:2). Christ's\ndeath was the ground on which God, who is absolutely holy, could\ndeal with the whole race of men in mercy, and pardon their sins.\n\nJohn 1:29--\"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of\nthe world.\" Not the sin of a few individuals, or of an elect race,\nlike Israel, but the sin of the whole world. This was a striking\ntruth to reveal to a Jew.\n\n1 Tim. 2:6--\"Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in\ndue time.\" It is for this reason, as the context of this passage\nshows, that we may pray for all men. If all men were not capable\nof being saved, how then could we pray to that end?\n\n2. FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL MAN.\n\nThis is but a detailed statement of the fact that He died for the\nwhole world. Not a single individual man, woman, or child is excluded\nfrom the blessings offered in the atonement.\n\nHeb. 2:9--\"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the\nangels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor;\nthat he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.\"\nLeo the Great (461) affirmed that \"So precious is the shedding of\nChrist's blood for the unjust, that if the whole universe of captives\nwould believe in the Redeemer, no chain of the devil could hold\nthem.\" General Booth once said: \"Friends, Jesus shed His precious\nblood to pay the price of salvation, and bought from God enough\nsalvation to go around.\"\n\n3. FOR THE SINFUL, UNJUST, AND UNGODLY.\n\nSinners of all sorts, degrees, and conditions may have a share in\nthe redemptive work of Christ. Greece invited only the cultured,\nRome sought only the strong, Judea bid for the religious only.\nJesus Christ bids all those that are weary and heavy-hearted and\nover-burdened to come to Him (Matt. 11:28).\n\nRom. 5:6-10--\"Christ died for the ungodly...While we were yet sinners,\nChrist died for us...When we were enemies, we were reconciled to\nGod by the death of His Son.\" 1 Pet. 3:18--\"For Christ also hath\nonce suffered for sins, the just for the unjust.\" Christ died for\n_sinners_--those in open opposition to God; for the\n_unjust_--those who openly violate God's laws; for the\n_ungodly_--those who violently and brazenly refuse to pay their\ndues of prayer, worship, and service to God; for _enemies_\n--those who are constantly fighting God and His cause. For all of\nthese Christ died.\n\n1 Tim. 1:15--\"Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of\nwhom I am chief.\" Paul was a _blasphemer_, a _persecutor_,\n_injurious_ (v. 13), a _murderer_ (Acts 22 and 26), yet\nGod saved him; he was included in the atonement. Note also that\nit is in this very connection that the apostle declares that the\nreason God saved him was in order that his salvation might be a\npattern, or an encouragement to other great sinners, that God could\nand would save them, if they desired Him to do so.\n\n4. FOR THE CHURCH.\n\nThere is a peculiar sense in which it may be said that Christ's\ndeath is for the Church, His body, the company of those who believe\nin Him. There is a sense in which it is perfectly true that Christ's\ndeath avails only for those who believe in Him; so in that sense\nit can be said that He died for the Church more particularly. He is\n\"the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe\" (1 Tim.\n4:10). Herein lies the truth that is contained in the theory of a\nlimited atonement.\n\nEph. 5:25-27--\"Christ also loved the church, and gave himself\nfor it.\" Not for any one particular denomination; not for any one\norganization within any four walls; but for all those whom He calls\nto Himself and who follow Him here.\n\nGal. 2:20--\"The Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.\"\nHere the individual member of the Church, the body of Christ, is\nspecifically mentioned as being included in the efficacy of the\natonement. When Luther first realized this particular phase of the\natonement, he was found sobbing beneath a crucifix, and moaning:\n\"Mein Gott, Mein Gott, Fur Mich! Fur Mich!\"\n\n1 Cor. 8:11--\"And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother\nperish, for whom Christ died?\" Also Rom. 14:15. Note the connection\nin which this truth is taught. If Christ was willing to die for the\nweak brother--whom we, perchance, sneer at for his conscientious\nscruples--we ought to be willing to deny ourselves of some habit\nfor his sake.\n\nHow all-inclusive, all-comprehensive, far-reaching is the death of\nChrist in its effects! Not a few, but many shall be saved. He gave\nhis life a ransom for _many_. God's purposes in the atonement\nshall not be frustrated. Christ shall see of the travail of His\nsoul, and shall be satisfied. Many shall come from the north, the\nsouth, the east and the west and sit down in the kingdom. In that\ngreat day it will be seen (Rev. 7:9-15).\n\nVI. THE EFFECTS OF CHRIST'S DEATH.\n\n1. IN RELATION TO THE PHYSICAL OR MATERIAL UNIVERSE.\n\nJust as the material universe was in some mysterious manner affected\nby the fall of man (Rom. 8:19-23, R. V.), so also is it affected\nby the death of Jesus Christ, which is intended to neutralize the\neffect of sin upon the creation. There is a cosmical effect in the\natonement. The Christ of Paid is larger than the second Adam--the\nHead of a new humanity; He is also the center of a universe which\nrevolves around Him, and is in some mysterious way reconciled by\nHis death. Just how this takes place we may not be able definitely\nto explain.\n\nCol. 1:20--\"And, having made peace through the blood of his cross,\nby him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether\nthey be things in earth, or things in heaven.\" Some day there shall\nbe a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness (2\nPet. 3:13). See also Heb. 9:23, 24; Isa. 11 and 35.\n\n2. IN RELATION TO THE WORLD OF MEN.\n\na) The Enmity Existing Between God and Man is Removed:\n\nRom. 5:10; Col. 1:20-22. For explanation, see under Scriptural\nDefinition of the Atonement ((II.3, p. 72). The ground of enmity\nbetween God and man--whether in the active or passive sense of\n_reconciliation_--is removed by Christ's death. The world of\nmankind is, through the atonement, reconciled to God.\n\nb) A Propitiation for the World's Sin Has Been Provided:\n\n1 John 2:2; 4:10. See under Propitiation (II. 2, p. 71). The\npropitiation reaches as far as does the sin.\n\nc) Satan's Power Over the Race Has Been Neutralized:\n\nJohn 12:31, 32--\"Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the\nprince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the\nearth, will draw all men unto me.\" Also John 16:9, 10; Col. 2:10.\nThe lifting up of Christ on the Cross meant the casting down of\nSatan. Satan no longer holds undisputed sway over the sons of men.\nThe power of darkness has been broken. Man need no longer be the\nslave of sin and Satan.\n\nd) The Question of the World's Sin is Settled:\n\nIt need no longer stand as a barrier between God and man. Strictly\nspeaking, it is not now so much of a _sin_ question as it is\na _Son_ question; not, What shall be done with my sin? but,\nWhat shall I do with Jesus, which is called Christ? The sins of\nthe Old Testament saints, which during all the centuries had been\nheld, as it were, in abeyance, were put away at the Cross (Rom.\n3:25, 26). Sins present and future were also dealt with at the\nCross. By the sacrifice of Himself, Christ forever put away sin\n(Heb. 9:26).\n\ne) The Claims of a Broken Law Have Been Met, and the Curse Resting\nupon Man Because of a Broken Law Removed.\n\nCol. 2:14--\"Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was\nagainst us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way,\nnailing it to his cross.\" Thus every claim of the holy law of God,\nwhich sinful man had violated, had been met.\n\nGal. 3:13--\"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law,\nbeing made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one\nthat hangeth on a tree.\" (See v. 10 for the description of the\ncurse.) The wages of sin, and the curse of sin, is death. Christ\nby His death on the Cross, paid that debt, and removed that curse.\n\nf) Justification, Adoption, Sanctification, Access to God,\nan Inheritance, and the Removal of All Fear of Death--All This is\nIncluded in the Effect of the Death of Christ in the Behalf of\nthe Believer.\n\nRom. 5:9; Gal. 4:3-5; Heb. 10:10; 10:19, 20; 9:15; 2:14, 15. How\ncomforting, how strengthening, how inspiring are these wonderful\naspects of the effects of the death of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus\nChrist!\n\n3. THE EFFECT OF CHRIST'S DEATH ON SATAN.\n\nSee under c) above. The devil must submit to the victory of Christ.\nThe dominion of Satan, so far as the believer in Christ is concerned,\nis now at an end: his dominion over the disobedient sons of men,\ntoo, will soon be at an end. Christ's death was the pronouncement\nof Satan's doom; it was the loss of his power over men. The power\nof the devil, while not yet absolutely destroyed, has been neutralized\n(Heb. 2:14). The evil principalities and powers, and Satan himself,\ndid their worst at the Cross, but there they received their deathblow\n(Col. 2:14, 15).\n\nTHE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST.\n\nI. ITS IMPORTANT PLACE IN THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION.\n\n1. IT HOLDS A UNIQUE PLACE IN CHRISTIANITY.\n\nChristianity is the only religion that bases its claim to acceptance\nupon the resurrection of its founder. For any other religion to\nbase its claim on such a doctrine would be to court failure. Test\nall other religions by this claim and see.\n\n2. IT IS FUNDAMENTAL TO CHRISTIANITY.\n\nIn that wonderful chapter on the resurrection (1 Cor. 15) Paul\nmakes Christianity answer with its life for the literal truth of\nthe resurrection of Jesus Christ. That the body of the founder of\nthe Christian religion did not lie in the grave after the third day\nis fundamental to the existence of the religion of Christ: \"And\nif Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith\nis also vain\" (v. 14). \"If Christ be not raised . . . ye are yet\nin your sins\" (v. 17). \"Then they also which are fallen asleep in\nChrist are perished\" (v.18). Remove the resurrection from Paul's\nGospel, and his message is gone. The resurrection of Jesus Christ\nis not an appendage to Paul's Gospel; it is a constitutive part of\nit.\n\nThe importance of this doctrine is very evident from the prominent\npart it played in the preaching of the Apostles: Peter--Acts 2:24,\n32; 3:15; 4:10; 5:30; 10:40; 1 Peter 1:21, 23. Paul--Acts 13:30,\n34; 17:31; 1 Cor. 15; Phil. 3:21. It was belief in such preaching\nthat led to the establishment of the Christian church. Belief in\nthe resurrection of Christ was the faith of the early church (Acts\n4:33). The testimony to this great fact of Christian faith was borne\nin the midst of the fiercest opposition. Nor was it controverted,\nalthough the grave was well known and could have been pointed out.\nIt was in this fact that Christianity acquired a firm basis for\nits historical development. There was not only an \"Easter Message,\"\nthere was also an \"Easter Faith.\"\n\nOur Lord's honor was, in a sense, staked upon the fact of His\nresurrection. So important did He regard it that He remained forty\ndays upon the earth after His resurrection, giving many infallible\nproofs of the great fact. He appealed to it again and again as\nevidence of the truth of His claims: Matt. 12:39, 40; John 2:20-22.\n\nBoth the friends and the enemies of Christianity admit that the\nresurrection of Jesus Christ is vital to the religion that bears His\nname. The Christian confidently appeals to it as an incontrovertible\nfact; the sceptic denies it altogether as a historical reality.\n\"If the resurrection really took place,\" says an assailant of it,\n\"then Christianity must be admitted to be what it claims to be--a\ndirect revelation from God.\" \"If Christ be not risen,\" says the\nApostle Paul, \"then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also\nvain.\" The one tries all he can to do away with the proofs submitted\nfor the accepted fact; the other plainly says that if the resurrection\ncannot be believed, then Christianity is nothing but a sham. If\nthe resurrection of Christ can be successfully denied, if it can be\nproven to be absolutely untrue, then the whole fabric of the Gospel\nfalls to pieces, the whole structure of the Christian religion is\nshaken at its foundation, and the very arch of Christianity crumbles\ninto dust. Then it has wrought only imaginary changes, deluded its\nmost faithful adherents, deceived and disappointed the hopes of\nits most devoted disciples, and the finest moral achievements that\nadorn the pages of the history of the Christian church have been\nbased upon a falsehood.\n\nNor must we ignore the prominent place the resurrection of Jesus\nChrist occupies in the Scriptures. More than one hundred times is\nit spoken of in the New Testament alone.\n\nII. THE NATURE OF THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST.\n\n1. JESUS CHRIST ACTUALLY DIED.\n\nSome who disbelieve in the resurrection of Christ assert that Jesus\nmerely swooned, and that pitying hands took Him down from the cross,\nthinking that He had died. The cool air of the tomb in which He was\nplaced revived Him, so that He came forth from the tomb as though\nHe had really risen from the dead. The disciples believed that He\nhad really died and risen again.\n\nThis theory is false for the following reasons:\n\nJesus Christ appeared to the disciples after the third day, not as\na weak, suffering, half-dead man, but as a conquering, triumphant\nvictor over death and the grave. He never could have made the\nimpression upon the disciples that He did, if He had presented the\npicture of a sick, half-dead man.\n\nFrom John 19:33-37 we learn that when the soldiers pierced the side\nof Christ, _there came forth blood and water_. Physiologists\nand physicists agree that such a condition of the vital organs,\nincluding the heart itself, precludes the idea of a mere swoon,\nand proves conclusively that death had taken place.\n\nJoseph of Arimathaea asked permission to bury the body of Jesus\nbecause he knew that Jesus had been pronounced dead (Matt. 27:57,\n58).\n\nWhen the news was brought to Pilate that Christ had died, it is\nsaid that \"Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling\nunto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while\ndead. And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to\nJoseph\" (Mark 15:44, 45).\n\nThe women brought spices to anoint a dead body, not a half-dead\nChrist (Mark 16:1).\n\nThe soldiers pronounced Him dead: \"But when they came to Jesus, and\nsaw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs\" (John 19:33).\n\nJesus Christ Himself, He who is the Truth, testifies to the fact\nthat He had really died: Rev. 1:18--\"I am he that liveth, and was\ndead.\"\n\n2. THE FACT THAT CHRIST'S BODY WAS ACTUALLY RAISED FROM THE DEAD.\n\nThe resurrection of Christ is not a spiritual resurrection, nor\nwere his appearances to the disciples spiritual manifestations.\nHe appeared to His disciples in a bodily form. The body that was\nlaid in Joseph's tomb came forth on that first Easter morn twenty\ncenturies ago.\n\nSome maintain that it is not vital to belief in the resurrection\nof Christ that we insist on a literal resurrection of the body\nof Jesus; all that we need to insist on is that Christ was ever\nafterwards known to be the victor over death, and that He had the\npower of an endless life. So it comes to pass that we have what is\ncalled an \"Easter Message,\" as contrasted with an \"Easter Faith\"\nwhich believes in the literal resurrection of Jesus Christ from the\ndead. \"Faith has by no means to do with the knowledge of the form\nin which Jesus lives, but only with the conviction that He is\nthe living Lord.\"--_Harnack_ in _What is Christianity?_\nAccording to this theory, belief in Christ's resurrection means\nnothing more than belief in the survival of the soul of Jesus--that\nsomehow or other Jesus was alive, and lived with God, while His\nbody yet saw corruption in the grave.\n\nWe reply: This cannot be, for all the facts in the Gospel narratives\ncontradict such a theory. Let us examine these narratives.\n\na) We are Confronted by the Fact of an Empty Tomb.\n\nMatt. 28:6; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:3, 12; John 20:1, 2. The fact that\nthe tomb was empty is testified to by competent witnesses --both\nfriends and enemies: by the women, the disciples, the angels, and\nthe Roman guards. How shall we account for the absence of the body\nof Jesus from the tomb? That it had not been stolen by outside parties\nis evident from the testimony of the soldiers who were bribed to\ntell that story (Matt. 28:11-15). Such a guard never would have\nallowed such a thing to take place. Their lives would have been\nthereby jeopardized. And if they were asleep (v. 13), how could\nthey know what took place? Their testimony under such circumstances\nwould be useless.\n\nThe condition in which the linen cloths were found lying by those\nwho entered the tomb precludes the possibility of the body being\nstolen. Had such been the case the cloths would have been taken\nwith the body, and not left in perfect order, thereby showing that\nthe body had gone out of them. Burglars do not leave things in such\nperfect order. There is no order in haste.\n\nThen again, we have the testimony of angels to the fact that Jesus\nhad really risen as foretold (Matt. 28:6; Mark 16:6). The testimony\nof angels is surely trustworthy (Heb. 2:2).\n\nb) There are Other Resurrections Mentioned in the Gospel Records\nwhich were Undoubtedly Bodily Resurrections.\n\nMatt. 9:18-26; Luke 7:11-18; John 11:1-44. These incidents throw\nlight upon the resurrection of Jesus. Why did the officers say\nthat they were afraid \"that his disciples should come by night and\nsteal him away\" if they did not refer to the _body_ of Jesus?\nThey surely could not steal His soul.\n\nc) Those Who Saw Him After the Resurrection Recognized Him as Having\nthe Same Body as He Had Before, Even to the Wound Prints.\n\nJohn 20:27; Luke 24:37-39. It is true that there were occasions on\nwhich He was not recognizable by the disciples, but such occasions\nwere the result of the eyes of the disciples being holden in order\nthat they might not know him. There was divine intervention on\nthese occasions. Does Christ still retain the prints of the nails?\nIs He still the Lamb as though it had been slain? (Rev. 5 and 6).\n\nd) There Can Be No Doubt of the Fact that the Apostle Paul Believed\nin the Bodily Resurrection of Christ.\n\nThe Corinthians, to whom the apostle wrote that wonderful treatise\non the resurrection (1 Cor. 15), were not spending their time denying\na _spiritual_ resurrection; nor was the apostle spending his\ntime trying to produce convincing arguments for a _spiritual_\nresurrection. (See also Rom. 8:11.)\n\ne) It is Clear also from Christ's Own Testimony Before and After\nthe Resurrection.\n\nMatt. 17:23; Luke 24:39; Rev. 1:18. No other construction can\nlegitimately be put upon these words than that Christ here refers\nto the resurrection of His body.\n\nf) The Apostolic Testimony Corroborates this Fact.\n\nActs 2:24-32; 1 Pet. 1:3, 21; 3:21. Peter was at the tomb; he it\nwas who stepped inside and saw the linen cloths lying. His testimony\nought to be beyond question as to the fact at issue.\n\ng) The Record of the Appearances of Christ Prove a Literal, Physical\nResurrection.\n\nMatt. 28:9, 10; John 20:14-18, cf. Mark 16:9; Luke 24:13-32; John\n21, etc. All these appearances bear witness to the fact that it was\nnot an incorporeal spirit or phantom, but a real, bodily Christ that\nthey saw. He could be seen, touched, handled; He was recognizable;\nHe ate and drank in their presence.\n\nh) Lastly, Many Passages in the Scriptures Would Be Unintelligible\nExcept on the Ground of a Bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ from\nthe Grave.\n\nRom. 8:11, 23; Eph. 1:19, 20; Phil. 3:20, 21; 1 Thess. 4:13-17.\n\n3. THE NATURE OF THE RESURRECTION BODY OF CHRIST.\n\na) It was a Real Body; not a Ghost, nor a Phantom.\n\nThat the resurrection body of Jesus was not a phantom, but a body\ncomposed of \"flesh and bones\" is evident from Luke 24:36-43. It\ncould be \"touched\" (John 20:20), and bore the marks of His passion\n(John 20:24-29). The likeness to His earthly body was not wholly\nparted with. [NOTE: Does this throw any light on the matter\nof recognition in heaven? Has Jesus Christ still this body in the\nglory? Shall we know Him by the prints?]\n\nb) Yet the Body of Jesus was more than a mere Natural Body.\n\nIt bore marks and possessed attributes which proclaimed a relation\nto the celestial or supra-terrestrial sphere. For example: It could\npass through barred doors (John 20:19), thus transcending physical\nlimitations. It was not recognizable at times (Luke 24: 13-16;\nJohn 20:14, 15; 21:4, 12; Mark 16:12). This fact may be accounted\nfor in two ways: First, supernaturally--their eyes were holden;\nSecond, that in that risen life the spiritual controls the material\nrather than as here, the material the spiritual; so that the spirit\ncould change the outward form of the body at will and at any given\ntime. [Yet, note how Jesus had power to make Himself known by little\nacts, such as the breaking of the bread, and the tone of His voice.\nDo we carry these little characteristics into the other life? Shall\nwe know our loved ones by these things?] Then again, Jesus was able\nto vanish out of sight of His friends (Luke 24:31; John 20:19, 26;\nLuke 24:51; Acts 1:9). And so He could be in different places at\nvery short intervals of time.\n\nCan we explain these facts? No, not fully. Yet we must not be so\nmaterial as to totally disbelieve them. \"Daily, indeed, are men\nbeing forced to recognize that the world holds more mysteries than\nthey formerly imagined it to do. Probably physicists are not so\nsure of the impenetrability of matter, or even of the conservation\nof energy, as they once were; and newer speculations on the etheric\nbasis of matter, and on the relation of the seen to the unseen\nuniverse (or universes) with forces and laws largely unknown, open\nup vistas of possibility which may hold in them the key to phenomena\neven as extraordinary as those in question.\"--_James Orr_.\n\nc) Christ's Resurrection Body was Immortal.\n\nNot only is it true that Christ's body has not seen death since His\nresurrection, but it cannot die again. Rom. 6:9, 10; Rev. 1:18, cf.\nLuke 20:36. [The lesson for us from this: Christ is the first-fruits\n(1 Cor. 15:20).]\n\nIII. THE CREDIBILITY OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.\n\nCredibility refers to the acceptance of a fact in a manner that\ndeserves belief; it is belief based upon good authority, reliable\nfacts, and competent witnesses. Credulity is belief in a thing without\nrespect to the strength or weakness, reliability or unreliability of\nthe authority, facts, or witnesses; it is a believing too readily,\nand with no reason for the faith or hope. The resurrection of\nChrist is a fact proven by competent evidence, and deserving of\nintelligent acceptance and belief. It is a doctrine buttressed by\n\"many infallible proofs.\"\n\nThe lines of proof for the credibility of Christ's resurrection\nwhich may be followed in harmony with our purpose are as follows:\n\n1. THE ARGUMENT FROM CAUSE AND EFFECT.\n\nCertain things, conditions, institutions exist in our midst today;\nthey are effects of causes, or a cause; what is that cause? Among\nthese we may mention--\n\na) The Empty Tomb.\n\nThat was an effect; what was its cause? How did that grave become\nempty? (See under II. a), p. 87). The fact of an empty tomb must be\naccounted for. How do we account for it? Renan, the French sceptic,\nwittingly said, and yet how truly: \"You Christians live on the\nfragrance of an empty tomb.\"\n\nb) The Lord's Day.\n\nThe Lord's Day is not the original Sabbath. Who dared change it?\nFor what reason, and on what ground was it changed? Ponder the\ntenacity with which the Jews held on to their Sabbath given in\nEden, and buttressed amid the thunders of Sinai. Recall how Jews\nwould sooner die than fight on the Sabbath day (cf. Titus' invasion\nof Jerusalem on the Sabbath). The Jews never celebrated the birthdays\nof great men; they celebrated events, like the Passover. Yet, in\nthe New Testament times we find Jews changing their time-honored\nseventh day to the first day of the week, and, contrary to all\nprecedent, calling that day after a man--the Lord's Day. Here is an\neffect, a tremendous effect; what was its cause? We cannot have\nan effect without a cause. The resurrection of our Lord was the\ncause for this great change in the day of worship.\n\nc) The Christian Church.\n\nWe know what a grand and noble institution the Christian church\nis. What would this world be without it? Its hymns, worship,\nphilanthropy, ministrations of mercy are all known to us. Where did\nthis institution come from? It is an effect, a glorious effect; what\nis its cause? When the risen Christ appeared unto the discouraged\ndisciples and revived their faith and hope, they went forth, under\nthe all-conquering faith in a risen and ascended Lord, and preached\nthe story of His life, death, resurrection, ascension, and coming\nagain. Men believed these teachings; gathered themselves together\nto study the Scriptures, to pray, to worship Christ, and to extend\nHis kingdom among men. This is how the church came into existence.\nIts cause was the resurrection of Christ.\n\nd) The New Testament.\n\nIf Jesus Christ had remained buried in the grave, the story of His\nlife and death would have remained buried with Him. The New Testament\nis an effect of Christ's resurrection. It was the resurrection\nthat put heart into the disciples to go forth and tell its story.\nSceptics would have us believe that the resurrection of Christ\nwas an afterthought of the disciples to give the story of Christ's\nlife a thrilling climax, a decorative incident which satisfies\nthe dramatic feeling in man, a brilliant picture at the end of an\nheroic life. We reply: There would have been no beautiful story\nto put a climax to if there had been no resurrection of the Christ\nof the story. The resurrection does not grow out of the beautiful\nstory of His life, but the beautiful story of Christ's life grew\nout of the fact of the resurrection. The New Testament is the book\nof the resurrection.\n\n2. THE ARGUMENT FROM TESTIMONY.\n\na) As to the Number of the Witnesses.\n\nThe resurrection of Christ as a historical fact is verified by a\nsufficient number of witnesses: over five hundred (1 Cor. 15:3-9).\nIn our courts, one witness is enough to establish murder; two,\nhigh treason; three, the execution of a will; seven, an oral will.\nSeven is the greatest number required under our law. Christ's\nresurrection had five hundred and fourteen. Is not this a sufficient\nnumber?\n\nb) As to the Character of the Witnesses.\n\nThe value of the testimony of a witness depends much upon his\ncharacter; if that is impeached, then the testimony is discounted.\nScrutinize carefully the character of the men who bore witness to\nthe fact of Christ's resurrection. Impeach them if you can. They\nare unassailable on ethical grounds. \"No honorable opponent of the\nGospel has ever denied this fact. Their moral greatness awakened\nan Augustine, a Francis of Assisi, and a Luther. They have been the\nunrivalled pattern of all mature and moral manhood for nearly two\nthousand years.\" In law much is made of the question of _motive_.\nWhat motive could the apostles have had in perpetrating the story\nof Christ's resurrection upon people? Every one of them (except\none) died a martyr's death for his loyalty to the story of Christ's\nresurrection. What had they to gain by fraud? Would they have\nsacrificed their lives for what they themselves believed to be an\nimposture?\n\nNor are we to slight the testimony to Christ's resurrection that\ncomes to us from sources other than that of the inspired writers\nof the New Testament. Ignatius, a Christian, and a contemporary of\nChrist, a martyr for his faith in Christ, in his _Letter to the\nPhiladelphians_, says: \"Christ truly suffered, as He also truly\nraised up Himself. I _know_ that after the resurrection He was\nin the flesh, and I believe Him to be so still. And when He came\nto those who were with Peter, He said to them, 'Take, handle me,\nand see that I am not an incorporeal phantom!'\" Tertullian, in\nhis _Apolegeticus_, says: \"The fame of our Lord's remarkable\nresurrection and ascension being now spread abroad, Pontius Pilate,\naccording to an ancient custom of communicating novel occurrences\nto the emperor, that nothing might escape him, transmitted to\nTiberius, Emperor of Rome, an account of the resurrection of our\nLord from the dead...Tiberius referred the whole matter to the\nSenate, who, being unacquainted with the facts, rejected it.\" The\nintegrity of this passage is unquestioned by even the most sceptical\ncritics.\n\nAlleged Discrepancies.\n\n[Footnote: The following extract from Dr. Orr's book, _The\nResurrection of Jesus_, will throw some light on the matter\nof differences in testimony, while maintaining the credibility of\nthe fact itself. \"An instructive example is furnished in a recent\nissue of the _Bibliotheca Sacra_. A class in history was studying\nthe French Revolution, and the pupils were asked to look the matter\nup, and report next day by what vote Louis XVI was condemned. Nearly\nhalf the class reported that the vote was unanimous. A considerable\nnumber protested that he was condemned by a majority of one. A few\ngave the majority as 145 in a vote of 721. How utterly irreconcilable\nthese reports seemed! Yet for each the authority of reputable\nhistorians could be given. In fact, all were true, and the full\ntruth was a combination of all three. On the first vote as to the\nking's guilt there was no contrary voice. Some tell only of this.\nThe vote on the penalty was given individually, with reasons, and\na majority of 145 declared for the death penalty, at once or after\npeace was made with Austria, or after confirmation by the people.\nThe votes for immediate death were only 361 as against 360. History\nabounds with similar illustrations. As an example of another kind,\nreference may be made to Rev. R. J. Campbell's volume of _Sermons\nAddressed to Individuals_, where, on pp. 145-6 and pp. 181-2,\nthe same story of a Brighton man is told with affecting dramatic\ndetails. The story is no doubt true in substance; but for\n'discrepancies'--let the reader compare them, and never speak more\n(or Mr. Campbell either) of the Gospels!\"]\n\nThe seeming differences in the testimony of the witnesses to the\nresurrection may be largely, if not altogether reconciled by a\ncorrect knowledge of the manner and order of the _appearances_\nof Christ after His resurrection.\n\nThe following order of appearances may help in the understanding\nof the testimony to the resurrection:\n\n1. The women at the grave see the vision of angels.\n\n2. The women separate at the grave to make known the news --Mary\nMagdalene going to tell Peter and John, who doubtless lived close\nby (for it seems that they reached the grave in a single run). The\nother women go to tell the other disciples who, probably, were at\nBethany.\n\n3. Peter and John, hearing the news, run to the grave, leaving\nMary. They then return home.\n\n4. Mary follows; lingers at the grave; gets vision of the Master,\nand command to go tell the disciples.\n\n5. The other women see Christ on the way.\n\n6. Christ appears to the two on the way to Emmaus.\n\n7. To Simon Peter.\n\n8. To the ten apostles, and other friends.\n\n9. To the apostles at Tiberias.\n\n10. To the apostles and multitude on the mount.\n\n11. To the disciples and friends at the ascension.\n\n12. To James (1 Cor. 15:7).\n\n13. To Paul (1 Cor. 15:8).\n\nIV. THE RESULTS OF THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST.\n\n1. AS TO JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF.\n\nRom. 1:4--\"And declared to be the Son of God with power, according\nto the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.\" To\n\"declare\" means to mark off, to define, to set apart (Acts 10:42;\nHeb. 4:7). NOTE: Christ was not _made_ the Son of God by the\nresurrection, but _declared_ such. Had Christ remained in the\ngrave as other men had done, there would then have been no reasonable\nground to impose faith in Him. The empty tomb testifies to the\ndeity of Christ.\n\nMatt. 18:38-42; John 2:13-22. In these scriptures Jesus Christ bases\nHis authority for His teaching and the truth of all His claims on\nHis resurrection from the dead. (Cf. under I. 2, in this chapter,\np. 84.) See also Matt. 28:6--\"Risen, as he said.\"\n\n2. AS TO THE BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST.\n\na) Assures Him of His Acceptance with God.\n\nRom. 4:25--\"Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised\nagain for our justification.\" So long as Christ lay in the grave\nthere was no assurance that His redemptive work had been acceptable\nto God. The fact that God raised Jesus from the dead was evidence\nthat the Father was satisfied with the sacrifice Christ had made\nfor the sins of men. \"Of righteousness, because I go unto my Father\"\n(John 16:10). Believing sinners may now rest satisfied that in Him\nthey are justified. This thought is illustrated by the picture of\nthe Jews waiting outside the temple for the coming out of the high\npriest (Luke 1:21), thereby indicating that their sacrifice had\nbeen accepted.\n\nb) Assures of Him an Interceding High Priest in the Heavens.\n\nRom. 8:34--\"Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea\nrather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God,\nwho also maketh intercession for us.\" Also Heb. 7:25. Salvation\nwas not completed at the Cross; there is still need of daily\nforgiveness, and so of the continual presenting of the shed blood\nbefore the mercy-seat. The accusations of Satan still need to be\nanswered (Zec. 3:1-5; Job 1 and 2; Heb. 7:25). We need a Moses,\nnot only to deliver us from bondage, but also to plead for us and\nintercede for us because of our sins committed in the wilderness\njourney. Herein is our assurance of forgiveness of sins committed\nafter conversion--that our great High Priest is always heard (John\n11:42), and that He prays constantly for us that our faith fail\nnot (Luke 22:32). Our temporary falls shall not condemn us, for\nour Priest intercedes for us.\n\nc) Assures Him of All Needed Power for Life and Service.\n\nEph. 1:19-22--\"The exceeding greatness of his power . . . which\nhe wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set\nhim at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all\nprincipality, and power, and might, . . . and gave him to be the\nhead over all things to the church.\" Also Phil. 3:10. There are\ntwo standards in the Bible by which God's power is gauged: In the\nOld Testament, when God would have His people know the extent of His\npower, it is according to the power by which He brought Israel out\nof Egypt (Micah 7:15); in the New Testament, the unit of measurement\nof God's power is \"According to the working of his mighty power,\nwhich he wrought in Christ . . . when he raised him from the\ndead.\" The connection of Phil. 3:10 gives the believer the promise\nand assurance not only of present power and victory, but also of\nfuture glorification. If we desire to know what God is able to do\nfor and through us we are invited to look at the resurrection of\nJesus Christ.\n\nd) The Assurance of His Own Resurrection and Immortality.\n\n1 Thess. 4:14--\"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,\neven so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.\"\n\n2 Cor. 4:14--\"Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall\nraise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.\" John\n14:19--\"Because I live, ye shall live also.\"\n\n3. AS TO THE WORLD.\n\na) The Certainty of a Resurrection.\n\n1 Cor. 15:22--\"As in Adam all die; even so in Christ shall all\nbe made alive.\" Paul is here discussing a _bodily,_ and not\na _spiritual_, resurrection (see under II. 2 d), p. 88). As\nin Adam all men die physically, so in Christ all men are raised\nphysically. The resurrection of Jesus Christ guarantees the\nresurrection of all men (see under Resurrection, p. 245).\n\nb) The Certainty of a Judgment Day.\n\nActs 17:31--\"Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will\njudge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained;\nwhereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised\nhim from the dead.\" The resurrection of Christ is God's unfailing\ntestimony to the fact of a coming day of judgment for the world.\nThe one is as sure as the other.\n\nThe Ascension and Exaltation of Jesus Christ.\n\nI. THE MEANING OF THESE TERMS.\n\nWhen we speak of the _Ascension_ of Christ we refer to that\nevent in the life of our risen Lord in which He departed visibly\nfrom His disciples into heaven. This event is recorded in Acts\n1:9-11--\"This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven,\"\netc.\n\nBy the _Exaltation_ of Jesus Christ we mean that act of God\nby which the risen and ascended Christ is given the place of power\nat the right hand of God. Phil. 2:9--\"Wherefore God also hath highly\nexalted him and given him a name which is above every name.\" Eph.\n1:20, 21--\"Which he (God) wrought in Christ, when he raised him\nfrom the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly\nplaces, far above all principality and power.\" See also Heb. 1:3.\n\nII. THE SCRIPTURAL DATA FOR THE DOCTRINE.\n\nForegleams of this truth were granted to the prophets of the Old\nTestament times, Psa. 110:1; 68:18. They saw Christ in prophetic\nvision not only as the meek and lowly One, but as the ascended and\nglorified Lord.\n\nOur Lord Himself, on many occasions, foretold His ascension and\nexaltation. These events were constantly before His mind's eye:\nLuke 9:51; John 6:62; 20:17.\n\nThe New Testament writers record the event: Mark 16:19; Luke 24:51;\nJohn 3:13; Acts 1:9-11; Eph. 4:8-10; Heb. 10:12.\n\nStephen, in his dying moments, was granted a vision of the exalted\nChrist. He saw the \"Son of Man standing on the right hand of God\"\n(Acts 7:55, 36).\n\nThe apostles taught and preached these great truths: Peter, Acts\n2:33, 34; 5:31; 1 Peter 3:22. Paul: Eph. 4:8-10; Heb. 4:14; 1 Tim.\n3:16.\n\nIII. THE NECESSITY OF THE ASCENSION AND EXALTATION OF JESUS CHRIST.\n\nThe nature of the resurrection body of our Lord necessitated\nHis ascension and exaltation. Such a body could not be subject to\nordinary laws; it could not permanently abide here.\n\nChrist's unique personality also required such an exit from the\nworld. Should not the exit of Christ from this world be as unique\nas His entrance into it? Then, again, consider the sinlessness of\nHis life. If a miraculous exit was granted to men like Elijah and\nEnoch, who were sinful men, why should we marvel if such was granted\nto Christ? Indeed it seems perfectly natural, and quite in keeping\nwith His whole life that just such an event as the ascension and\nexaltation should form a fitting finish to such a wonderful career.\n\nThe ascension and exaltation were necessary to complete the redemptive\nwork of Christ. His work was not finished when He arose from the\ndead. He had not yet presented the blood of the atonement in the\npresence of the Father; nor had He yet been given His place at the\nright hand of the Father as the bestower of all spiritual gifts,\nand especially the gift of the Holy Spirit.\n\nThe apostles were thus able to furnish to an unbelieving and\ninquisitive world a satisfactory account of the disappearance of\nthe body of Christ which had been placed in the tomb, and which\nthey claimed to have seen after the resurrection. \"Where is your\nChrist?\" the scoffing world might ask. \"We saw Him ascend up into\nthe heaven, and He is now at the Father's right hand,\" the apostles\ncould reply.\n\nIt was further necessary in order that Christ might become an ideal\nobject of worship for the whole human race. We should not forget\nthat Christ's earthly ministry was a purely local one: He could be\nbut in one place at a time. Those who worshipped at His feet in\nJerusalem could not, at the same time, worship Him in any other\nplace. This was the lesson, doubtless, that the Master desired to\nteach Mary when she would fain hold on to Him, and when He said,\n\"Touch me not.\" Mary must worship now by faith, not by sight.\n\nIV. THE NATURE OF THE ASCENSION AND EXALTATION OF JESUS CHRIST.\n\n1. IT WAS A BODILY AND VISIBLE ASCENSION.\n\nActs 1:9-11; Luke 24:51. It was the same Christ they had known in\nlife, only glorified, who had tarried with them now for the space\nof forty days, who had delivered unto them certain commandments,\nand whose hands were even then outstretched in blessing that they\nsaw slowly vanishing from their view up into the heavens. It was\na body of flesh and bones, not flesh and blood. So will be our\ntranslation (1 Cor. 15:51, 52).\n\n2. HE PASSED UP THROUGH THE HEAVENS.\n\nHeb. 4:14 (R. V.); Eph. 4:10; Heb. 7:26. Whatever and how many\ncreated heavens there may be between the earth and the dwelling\nplace of God, we may not know, but we are here told that Christ\npassed through them all, and up to the highest heaven, indeed was\nmade higher than the heavens. This means that He overcame all those\nevil principalities and powers that inhabit these heavenlies (Eph.\n6) and who doubtless tried their best to keep Him from passing\nthrough the heavens to present His finished work before the Father.\nJust as the high priest passed through the vail into the holy place,\nso Christ passed through the heavens into the presence of God.\n\n3. HE TOOK HIS PLACE AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER.\n\nHe was exalted to the right hand of God. Eph. 1:20--\"Set him at his\nown right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality\nand power.\" Col. 3:1--\"Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.\"\nThis place was not taken by Christ without conflict with these\nevil principalities and powers. But \"He made a show of them openly,\ntriumphing over them in it\" (Col. 2:15). See also Acts 5:31.\n\nWhat is meant by \"the right hand of God\"? Is it a definite place,\nor is it simply a figure of speech denoting a place of authority\nand power? Why can not both things be included? God has His dwelling\nplace in heaven, and it is not incredible to believe that from the\nthrone there Christ exercises His divine prerogatives. Stephen\nsaw Christ standing at the right hand of God in heaven.\n\nThe \"right hand of God\" assuredly indicates the place of the\naccuser whom Christ casts out (Zec. 3:1; Rev. 12:10); the place of\nintercession which Christ now occupies (Rom. 8:34); the place of\nacceptance where the Intercessor now sits (Psa. 110:1); the place\nof highest power and richest blessing (Gen. 48:13-19); the place of\npower (Psa. 110:5). All these powers and prerogatives are Christ's\nby reason of His finished work of redemption.\n\nV. THE PURPOSE OF THE ASCENSION AND EXALTATION OF JESUS CHRIST.\n\n1. HE HAS ENTERED HEAVEN AS A FORERUNNER.\n\nHeb. 6:20--\"Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus.\"\nThe forerunner is one who enters into a place where the rest are\nto follow; one who is sent before to make observations; a scout, a\nspy. The Levitical high priest was not a forerunner; no one could\nfollow him. But where Christ goes His people may go also.\n\n2. HE HAS GONE TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR HIS PEOPLE.\n\nHeb. 9:21-24; John 14:2. He is there making all necessary preparations\nfor the coming of His bride, the Church. In some way it seems that\nthe heavenly sanctuary had been defiled by sin. It was necessary,\ntherefore, that Christ purge it with His blood. What a home that\nwill be if He prepares it!\n\n3. HE IS NOW APPEARING BEFORE GOD IN OUR BEHALF.\n\nHeb. 9:24--\"To appear in the presence of God for us.\" He is there\nto act as High Priest in our behalf; to present the blood of\natonement. \"Before the throne my Surety stands.\" And yet not so\nmuch before the throne as on the throne. He is the Kingly Priest.\nWith authority He asks, and His petitions are granted.\n\n4. HE HAS TAKEN HIS PLACE AT THE FATHER'S RIGHT HAND THAT HE MAY\nFILL ALL THINGS, AWAITING THE DAY WHEN HE SHALL HAVE UNIVERSAL\nDOMINION.\n\nEph. 4:10. He fills all things with His presence, with His work,\nwith Himself. He is not a local Christ any longer (cf. Jer. 23:24).\n\nHeb. 10:12, 13; Acts 3:20, 21--\"He shall send Jesus Christ . . .\n. whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of\nall things.\" Having won His victory, Christ is now waiting for\nall the spoils to be gathered. He is expecting, not doubting, but\nassuredly waiting; already His feet are upon the neck of the enemy.\nThe Apocalypse pictures Christ entering upon the actual possession\nof His kingdom.\n\nVI. THE RESULTS OF THE ASCENSION AND EXALTATION OF JESUS CHRIST.\n\n1. IT ASSURES US OF A FREE AND CONFIDENT ACCESS INTO THE PRESENCE\nOF GOD.\n\nHeb. 4:14-16 (R. V.)--\"Having then a great high priest, who hath\npassed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast\nour confession. . . . . Let us therefore draw near with boldness\nunto the throne of grace.\" Our great High Priest is before the\nthrone to present petitions, secure pardons for His people, and\nto communicate blessings in answer to their faith and prayers. We\nmay have a free and fearless confidence in our approach to God.\n\n2. AN ASSURED HOPE OF IMMORTALITY.\n\n2 Cor. 5:1-8 describes the longing of the Christian to be clothed\nwith a body after he has been called upon to lay aside this earthly\ntabernacle. He has no desire for a bodiless existence. The ascension\nand exaltation of Christ assures the believer that as Christ, so\nhe also will take his place in heaven with a body like unto Christ's\nown glorious body.\n\n3. IT GIVES THE BELIEVER CONFIDENCE IN GOD'S PROVIDENCE TO BELIEVE\nTHAT ALL THINGS ARE WORKING TOGETHER FOR HIS GOOD\n\nSeeing that Christ, the believer's Head, is exalted far above all\nthings in heaven and earth, it is possible for the believer to be\nmaster of circumstances, and superior to all his environment (Eph.\n1:22; cf. Col. 1:15-18).\n\n4. CHRIST HAS BEEN MADE HEAD OVER ALL THINGS FOR THE CHURCH.\n\nThat is to say, that everything is subject to Christ, and that for\nthe Church's sake. Eph. 1:22 (R. V.)--\"And he put all things in\nsubjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things\nto the church.\" Christ is the fullness of the Father for the Church\n(Col. 1:19; 2:9, 10). Christ bestows the Holy Spirit upon the\nChurch (Acts 2:33-36; John 7:37-39). He receives for, and bestows\nupon the Church spiritual gifts (Eph. 4:8-12).\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOCTRINE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT\n\nI. THE PERSONALITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.\n\n   1. PERSONAL NAMES GIVEN TO THE SPIRIT.\n   2. PERSONAL PRONOUNS USED OF THE SPIRIT.\n   3. THE SPIRIT ASSOCIATED WITH THE FATHER AND THE SON.\n   4. THE SPIRIT POSSESSES PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS.\n   5. PERSONAL ACTS ARE ASCRIBED TO THE HOLY SPIRIT.\n   6. THE SPIRIT IS SUBJECT TO PERSONAL TREATMENT.\n\nII. THE DEITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.\n\n   1. DIVINE NAMES ARE GIVEN TO THE SPIRIT.\n   2. DIVINE ATTRIBUTES.\n   3. DIVINE WORKS.\n   4. NAME OF THE SPIRIT ASSOCIATED WITH NAMES OF THE DEITY.\n   5. COMPARISON OF OLD TESTAMENT PASSAGES WITH SOME IN THE NEW\n      TESTAMENT.\n\nIII. THE NAMES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.\n\n   1. THE HOLY SPIRIT.\n   2. THE SPIRIT OF GRACE.\n   3. THE SPIRIT OF BURNING.\n   4. THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH.\n   5. THE SPIRIT OF LIFE.\n   6. THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE.\n   7. THE SPIRIT OF PROMISE.\n   8. THE SPIRIT OF GLORY.\n   9. THE SPIRIT OF GOD AND OF CHRIST.\n\nIV. THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.\n\n   1. IN RELATION TO THE WORLD.\n      a) The Universe.\n      b) The World of Mankind.\n   2. IN RELATION TO THE BELIEVER.\n   3. IN RELATION TO THE SCRIPTURES.\n   4. IN RELATION TO JESUS CHRIST.\n\nV. OFFENCES AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT.\n\n   1. BY THE SINNER.\n      a) Resisting.\n      b) Insulting.\n      c) Blaspheming.\n   2. BY THE BELIEVER.\n      a) Grieving.\n      b) Lying to.\n      c) Quenching.\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOCTRINE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.\n\nWe are living in the Age of the Spirit. The Old Testament period\nmay be called the Age of the Father; the period covered by the\nGospels, the Age of the Son; from Pentecost until the second advent\nof Christ, the Age of the Spirit.\n\nAll matters pertaining to the doctrine of the Holy Spirit should,\ntherefore, be of special interest to us who live in this age\nof special privilege. Yet how ignorant is the average Christian\nconcerning matters pertaining to the Spirit. The Christian church\ntoday needs to heed Paul's exhortation: \"Now concerning spiritual\ngifts (or, perhaps better, \"matters pertaining to the Spirit\"),\nI would not have you ignorant.\" May it not be that the reason why\nthe sin against the Holy Spirit is so grievous is because it is a\nsin committed in the light and with the knowledge of the clearest\nand fullest revelation of the Godhead. We cannot, therefore, afford\nto remain in ignorance of this all-important doctrine.\n\nI. THE PERSONALITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.\n\nIt seems strange that it should be necessary to discuss this phase\nof the subject at all. Indeed, in the light of the last discourse\nof the Master (John 14-16), it seems superfluous, if not really\ninsulting. During all the ages of the Christian era, however, it\nhas been necessary to emphasize this phase of the doctrine of the\nSpirit (cf. Arianism, Socinianism, Unitarianism).\n\n1. WHY IS THE PERSONALITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT QUESTIONED?\n\na) Because, as Contrasted with the Other Persons of the Godhead,\nthe Spirit Seems Impersonal.\n\nThe visible creation makes the personality of God the Father\nsomewhat easy to conceive; the incarnation makes it almost, if not\naltogether, impossible to disbelieve in the personality of Jesus\nChrist; but the acts and workings of the Holy Spirit are so secret\nand mystical, so much is said of His influence, graces, power and\ngifts, that we are prone to think of Him as an influence, a power,\na manifestation or influence of the Divine nature, an agent rather\nthan a Person.\n\nb) Because of the Names Given to the Holy Spirit.\n\nHe is called _breath, wind, power._ The symbols used in\nspeaking of the Spirit are _oil, fire, water,_ etc. See John\n3:5-8; Acts 2:1-4; John 20:22; 1 John 2:20. It is not strange that\nin view of all this some students of the Scriptures may have been\nled to believe, erroneously of course, that the Holy Spirit is an\nimpersonal influence emanating from God the Father.\n\nc) Because the Holy Spirit is not usually Associated with the Father\nand the Son in the Greetings and Salutation of the New Testament.\n\nFor illustration, see 1 Thess. 3:11--\"Now God himself and our Father,\nand our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.\" Yet we must\nremember, in this connection, that the Apostolic Benediction in 2\nCor. 13:14 does associate the three persons of the Trinity, thereby\nasserting their personality equally.\n\nd) Because the Word or Name \"Spirit\" is Neuter.\n\nIt is true that the same Greek word is translated _wind_ and\n_Spirit;_ also that the Authorized Version uses the neuter\npronoun \"itself,\" when speaking of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:16, 26).\nAs we shall see later, the Revised Version substitutes \"himself\"\nfor \"itself.\"\n\nThe importance of the personality of the Spirit, and of our being\nassured of this fact is forcibly set forth by Dr. R. A. Torrey:\n\"If the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person and we know it not, we are\nrobbing a Divine Being of the love and adoration which are His due.\nIt is of the highest practical importance whether the Holy Spirit\nis a power that we, in our ignorance and weakness, are somehow to\nget hold of and use, or whether the Holy Spirit is a personal Being\n. . . . who is to get hold of us and use us. It is of the highest\nexperimental importance. . . . . Many can testify to the blessing\nthat came into their lives when they came to know the Holy Spirit,\nnot merely as a gracious influence . . . . but as an ever-present,\nloving friend and helper.\"\n\n2. METHOD OF PROOF.\n\nIt is difficult to define _personality_ when used of the\nDivine Being. God cannot be measured by human standards. God was\nnot made in the image of man, but man in the image of God. God is\nnot a deified man; man is rather a limited God (\"a little . . ..\nless than God.\" Heb. 2:7, R. V.). Only God has a perfect personality.\nWhen, however, one possesses the attributes, properties and qualities\nof personality, then personality may be unquestionably predicated\nof such a being. Does the Holy Spirit possess such properties? Let\nus see.\n\na) Names that Imply Personality are Given to the Spirit.\n\n_The Comforter:_ John 14:16; 16:7. \"Comforter\" means one who\nis called to your side--as a client calls a lawyer. That this name\ncannot be used of any abstract, impersonal influence is clear from\nthe fact that in 1 John 2:1 the same word is used of Christ. (See\nRom. 8:26). Again in John 14:16 the Holy Spirit, as the Paraclete,\nis to take the place of a person--Christ Himself, and to personally\nguide the disciples just as Jesus had been doing. No one but a\nperson can take the place of a person; certainly no mere influence\ncould take the place of Jesus Christ, the greatest personality\nthat ever lived. Again, Christ, in speaking of the Spirit as the\nComforter, uses the masculine definite article, and thus, by His\nchoice of gender, teaches the personality of the Holy Spirit. There\ncan be no parity between a person and an influence.\n\nb) Personal Pronouns are Used of the Holy Spirit.\n\nJohn 16:7, 8, 13-15: Twelve times in these verses the Greek masculine\npronoun _ekeinos_ (that one, He) is used of the Spirit. This\nsame word is used of Christ in 1 John 2:6; 3:3, 5, 7, 16. This is\nespecially remarkable because the Greek word for spirit (_pneuma_)\nis neuter, and so should have a neuter pronoun; yet, contrary\nto ordinary usage, a masculine pronoun is here used. This is\nnot a pictorial personification, but a plain, definite, clear-cut\nstatement asserting the personality of the Holy Spirit. Note also\nthat where, in the Authorized Version, the neuter pronoun is used,\nthe same is corrected in the Revised Version: not \"itself,\" but\n\"Himself\" (Rom. 8:16,26).\n\nc) The Holy Spirit is Identified with the Father and the Son--and,\nindeed, with Christians--in Such a Way as to Indicate Personality.\n\nThe Baptismal Formula. Matt. 28:19. Suppose we should read,\n\"Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of\n_the wind or breath_.\" Would that sound right? If the first\ntwo names are personal, is not the third? Note also: \"In the name\"\n(singular), not names (plural), implying that all three are Persons\nequally,\n\nThe Apostolic Benediction. 2 Cor. 13:14. The same argument may be\nused as that in connection with the Baptismal Formula, just cited.\n\nIdentification with Christians. Acts 15:28. \"For it seemeth good\nto the Holy Ghost, and to us.\" Shall we say, \"It seemeth good to\n_the wind_ and to us\"? It would be absurd. 10:38--\"How God\nanointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power.\"\nShall we read, \"Anointed .. with _power_ and power?\" Rom.\n15:13--\"That ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy\nGhost.\" Shall we read, \"That ye may abound in hope, through the\npower of the _power_\"? See also Luke 4:14. Would not these\npassages rebel against such tautological and meaningless usage?\nMost assuredly.\n\nd) Personal Characteristics are Ascribed to the Holy Spirit.\n\nThe Holy Spirit is represented as searching the deepest and\nprofoundest truths of God, and possessing knowledge of His counsels\nsufficiently to understand His purposes (1 Cor. 2:10, 11). Could\na mere influence do this? See also Isa. 11:3; I Pet. 1:11.\n\nSpiritual gifts are distributed to believers according to the\n_will_ of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12). Here is wisdom, prudence and\ndiscretion, all of which are distinguishing marks of personality.\nThe Spirit not only bestows spiritual gifts, but bestows them\ndiscreetly, according as He thinks best. See John 3:8 also.\n\nThe Spirit is said to have a _mind_, and that implies thought,\npurpose, determination: Rom. 8:27, cf. v. 7. Mind is an attribute\nof personality.\n\ne) Personal Acts are Ascribed to the Holy Spirit.\n\nThe Spirit _speaks_: Rev. 2:7 (cf. Matt. 17:5--\"Hear ye him.\")\nIt is the Spirit who speaks through the apostles (10:20). Speech\nis an attribute of personality.\n\nThe Spirit _maketh intercession:_ Rom. 8:26 (R. V.), cf. Heb.\n7:25; I John 2:1, 2, where Christ is said to \"make intercession.\"\n\nActs 13:2; 16:6, 7; 20:28. In these passages the Holy Spirit is\nseen _calling_ missionaries, _overseeing_ the church,\nand _commanding_ the life and practice of the apostles and\nthe whole church. Such acts indicate personality.\n\nf) The Holy Spirit is Susceptible to Personal Treatment.\n\nHe may be _grieved_ (Eph. 4:30); _insulted_ (Heb. 10.29);\n_lied to_ (Acts 5:3); blasphemed and sinned against (Matt.\n12:31, 32). Indeed, the sin against the Holy Spirit is a much more\ngrievous matter than the sin against the Son of Man. Can such be\nsaid of an influence? Can it be said even of any of the sons of\nmen?\n\nII. THE DEITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.\n\nBy the Deity of the Holy Spirit is meant that the Holy Spirit is God.\nThis fact is clearly set forth in the Scriptures, in a five-fold\nway:\n\n1. DIVINE NAMES ARE GIVEN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT.\n\nIn Acts 5:4, the Spirit is called _God_. And this in opposition\nto man, to whom, alone, Ananias thought he was talking. Can any\nstatement allege deity more clearly? In 2 Cor. 3:18--\"We .... are\ntransformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from\nthe Lord the Spirit\" (R. V.). Here the Spirit is called the _Lord_.\nFor the meaning of \"Lord\" see under the Deity of Christ, p. 60.\n\n2. THE HOLY SPIRIT POSSESSES DIVINE ATTRIBUTES.\n\nHe is _eternal_ in his nature (Heb. 9:14, R. V.); _omnipresent_\n(Psa. 139:7-10); _omnipotent_ (Luke 1:35); _omniscient_\n(1 Cor. 2:10, 11). For the meaning of these attributes, see under\nthe Doctrine of God and Jesus Christ, pp. 28 and 63.\n\n3. DIVINE WORKS ARE ASCRIBED TO THE HOLY SPIRIT.\n\n_Creation_ (Gen. 1:2; Psa. 104:30, R. V.); Job 33:4--\"The Spirit\nof God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me\nlife.\" _Regeneration_ (John 3:5-8); _Resurrection_ (Rom.\n8:11).\n\n4. THE NAME OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT OF THE\nFATHER, AND OF THE SON.\n\nSee under Personality of the Spirit, p. 107. The same arguments\nwhich there prove the Personality of the Spirit may be used here to\nprove the Deity of the Spirit. It would be just as absurd to say,\n\"Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of\n_Moses_\"--thus putting Moses on an equality with the Father\nand the Son--as it would be to say, \"Baptizing them in the name of\nthe Father, and of the Son, and of the _wind_\"--thus making\nthe wind as personal as the Father and the Son. The Spirit is\non an equality with the Father and the Son in the distribution of\nspiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12:4-6).\n\n5. PASSAGES WHICH IN THE OLD TESTAMENT REFER TO GOD ARE IN THE\nNEW TESTAMENT MADE TO REFER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT.\n\nCompare Isa. 6:8-10 with Acts 28:25-27; and Exod. 16:7 with Heb.\n3:7-9.\n\nIII. THE NAMES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.\n\nJust as the Father and the Son have certain names ascribed to them,\nsetting forth their nature and work, so also does the Holy Spirit\nhave names which indicate His character and work.\n\n1. THE HOLY SPIRIT.\n\nLuke 11:13--\"How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy\nSpirit to them that ask Him?\" Rom. 1:4--\"The Spirit of holiness.\"\nIn these passages it is the moral character of the Spirit that\nis set forth. Note the contrast: \"Ye, being evil,\" and \"the Holy\nSpirit.\" The Spirit is _holy_ in Himself and produces holiness\nin others.\n\n2. THE SPIRIT OF GRACE.\n\nHeb. 10:29--\"And hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace.\" As\nthe executive of the Godhead, the Spirit confers grace. To resist\nthe Spirit, therefore, is to shut off all hope of salvation. To\nresist His appeal is to insult the Godhead. That is why the punishment\nmentioned here is so awful.\n\n3. THE SPIRIT OF BURNING.\n\nMatt. 3:11, 12--\"He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with\nfire.\" Isa. 4:4--\"When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of\nthe daughters of Zion.... by the spirit of judgment and the spirit\nof burning.\" This cleansing is done by the blast of the Spirit's\nburning. Here is the searching, illuminating, refining, dross-consuming\ncharacter of the Spirit. He burns up the dross in our lives when\nHe enters and takes possession.\n\n4. THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH.\n\nJohn 14:17; 15:26; 16:13; I John 5:6. As God is Love, so the Spirit\nis Truth. He possesses, reveals, confers, leads into, testifies to,\nand defends the truth. Thus He is opposed to the \"spirit of error\"\n(1 John 4:6).\n\n5. THE SPIRIT OF LIFE.\n\nRom. 8:2--\"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath\nmade me free from the law of sin and death.\" That which had been\nthe actuating principle of life, namely, the flesh, is now deposed,\nand its controlling place taken by the Spirit. The Spirit is thus\nthe dynamic of the believer's experience that leads him into a life\nof liberty and power.\n\n6. THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE.\n\nThat the references in Isa. 11:2; 61:1, 2 are to be understood\nas referring to the Spirit that abode upon the Messiah, is clear\nfrom Luke 4:18 where \"Spirit\" is capitalized. Christ's wisdom and\nknowledge resulted, in one aspect of the case, from His being filled\nwith the Spirit. \"Wisdom and understanding\" refer to intellectual\nand moral apprehension; \"Counsel and might,\" the power to scheme,\noriginate, and carry out; \"Knowledge and the fear of the Lord,\"\nacquaintance with the true will of God, and the determination\nto carry it out at all costs. These graces are the result of the\nSpirit's operations on the heart.\n\n7. THE SPIRIT OF PROMISE.\n\nEph. 1:13--\"Ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.\" The\nSpirit is the fulfillment of Christ's promise to send the Comforter,\nand so He is the promised Spirit. The Spirit also confirms and seals\nthe believer, and thus assures him that all the promises made to\nhim shall be completely fulfilled.\n\n8. THE SPIRIT OF GLORY.\n\n1 Pet. 4:14--\"The spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you.\"\nWhat is glory? Glory as used in the Scripture means character.\nThe Holy Spirit is the One who produces godlike character in the\nbeliever (cf. 2 Cor. 3:18).\n\n9. THE SPIRIT OF GOD, AND OF CHRIST.\n\n1 Cor. 3:16--\"The Spirit of God dwelleth in you.\" Rom. 8:9--\"Now\nif any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.\" The\nfact that the Spirit is sent from the Father and the Son, that He\nrepresents them, and is their executive, seems to be the thought\nconveyed here.\n\n10. THE COMFORTER (p. 109).\n\nIV. THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.\n\nThe Work of the Spirit may be summed up under the following headings:\nHis work in the universe; in humanity as a whole; in the believer;\nwith reference to the Scriptures; and, finally, with reference to\nJesus Christ.\n\n1. IN RELATION TO THE WORLD.\n\na) With Regard to the Universe.\n\nThere is a sense in which the creation of the universe may be\nascribed to God's Spirit. Indeed Psa. 33:6--\"By the word of the\nLord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath\n(Spirit) of his mouth,\" attributes the work of creation to the\nTrinity, the Lord, the Word of the Lord, and the Spirit of the Lord.\nThe creation of man is attributed to the Spirit. Job 33:4--\"The\nSpirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath\ngiven me life.\" It would be proper, doubtless, to say that the\nFather created all things through the agency of the Word and the\nSpirit. In the Genesis account of creation (1:3) the Spirit is seen\nactively engaged in the work of creation.\n\nNot only is it true that the Spirit's agency is seen in the act of\ncreation, but His power is seen also in the preservation of nature.\nIsa. 40:7--\"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the\nspirit of the Lord bloweth upon it.\" A staggering declaration.\n\nTHE DOCTRINE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT\n\nThe Spirit comes in the fierce east wind with its keen, biting\nblast of death. He comes also in the summer zephyr, which brings\nlife and beauty.\n\nb) With Regard to Humanity as a Whole.\n\nJohn 16:8-11--\"And when He is come, he will reprove the world of\nsin, and of righteousness, and of judgment; of sin, because they\nbelieve not on me; of righteousness, because I go unto my Father\nand ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this\nworld is judged.\" Here are three great facts of which the Spirit\nbears witness to the world: the sin of unbelief in Christ; the\nfact that Christ was righteous and absolutely true in all that He\nclaimed to be; the fact that the power of Satan has been broken. Of\nsin: the sin in which all other sins are embraced; of righteousness:\nthe righteousness in which all other righteousness is manifested and\nfulfilled; of judgment: the judgment in which all other judgments\nare decided and grounded. Of sin, belonging to man; of righteousness,\nbelonging to Christ; of judgment, belonging to Satan.\n\nJohn 15:26--\"The Spirit of truth ... shall testify of me.\" Acts\n5:32--\"And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the\nHoly Ghost.\" It is the work of the Holy Spirit to constantly bear\nwitness of Christ and His finished work to the world of sinful and\nsinning men. This He does largely, although hardly exclusively,\nthrough the testimony of believers to the saving power and work\nof Christ: \"Ye also shall bear witness\" (John 15:27).\n\n2. THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT IN RELATION TO THE BELIEVER.\n\na) He Regenerates the Believer.\n\nJohn 3:3-5--\"Born of ... the Spirit.\" Tit. 3:5--\"The... renewing\nof the Holy Ghost.\" Sonship, and membership in the kingdom of God,\ncome only through the regenerating of the Holy Spirit. \"It is the\nSpirit that quickeneth.\" Just as Jesus was begotten of the Holy Ghost,\nso must every child of God who is to be an heir to the kingdom.\n\nb) The Spirit Indwells the Believer.\n\n1 Cor. 6:19--\"Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is\nin you.\" Also 3:16; Rom. 8:9. Every believer, no matter how weak\nand imperfect he may be, or how immature his Christian experience,\nstill has the indwelling of the Spirit. Acts 19:2 does not contradict\nthis statement. Evidently some miraculous outpouring of the Spirit\nis intended there, the which followed the prayer and laying on of\nthe hands of the apostles. \"Now if any man have not the Spirit of\nChrist, he is none of his.\" \"No man can say that Jesus is the Lord,\nbut by the Holy Ghost\" (Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:3).\n\nc) The Spirit Seals the Believer with Assurance of Salvation.\n\nEph. 1:13, 14--\"In whom also after that ye believed, ye were\nsealed with that Holy Spirit of promise; which is the earnest of\nour inheritance.\" Also 4:30--\"Sealed unto the day of redemption.\"\nThis sealing stands for two things: ownership and likeness (2 Tim.\n2:19-21). The Holy Spirit is \"the Spirit of adoption\" which God\nputs into our hearts, by which we know that we are His children.\nThe Spirit bears witness to this great truth (Gal. 4:6; Rom. 8:14,\n16). This sealing has to do with the heart and the conscience--satisfying\nboth as to the settlement of the sin and sonship question.\n\nd) The Holy Spirit Infills the Believer.\n\nActs 2:4--\"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost.\" Eph.\n5:18--\"Be filled with the Spirit.\" The filling differs somewhat from\nthe indwelling. We may speak of the baptism of the Spirit as that\ninitial act of the Spirit by which, at the moment of our regeneration,\nwe are baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ; the Spirit\nthen comes and takes up His dwelling within the believer. The\nfilling with the Spirit, however, is not confined to one experience,\nor to any one point of time exclusively; it may be repeated times\nwithout number. There is one baptism, but many infillings with the\nSpirit. The experience of the apostles in the Acts bears witness to\nthe fact that they were repeatedly filled with the Spirit. Whenever\na new emergency arose they sought a fresh infilling with the Spirit\n(cf. Acts 2:4 with 4:31 showing that the apostles who were filled\non the day of Pentecost were again filled a few days after).\n\nThere is a difference between possessing the Spirit, and being\nfilled with the Spirit. All Christians have the first; not all have\nthe second, although all may have. Eph. 4:30 speaks of believers\nas being \"sealed,\" whereas 5:18 commands those same believers to\n\"be filled (to be being filled again and again) with the Spirit.\"\n\nBoth the baptism and the infilling may take place at once. There\nneed be no long wilderness experience in the life of the believer.\nIt is the will of God that we should be filled (or, if you prefer\nthe expression, \"be baptized\") with the Spirit at the moment of\nconversion, and remain filled all the time. Whenever we are called\nupon for any special service, or for any new emergency, we should\nseek a fresh infilling of the Spirit, either for life or service,\nas the case may be.\n\nThe Holy Spirit seeks--so we learn from the story of the Acts--for\nmen who are not merely possessed by but also filled with the Spirit,\nfor service (6:3, 5; 9:17; 11:24). Possession touches assurance;\ninfilling, service.\n\ne) The Holy Spirit Empowers the Believer for Life and Service.\n\nRom. 8:2--\"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath\nmade me free from the law of sin and death\" (also vv. 9-11). There\nare two natures in the believer: the flesh and the Spirit (Gal.\n5:17). But while the believer is still in the flesh, he does not\nlive after the flesh (Rom. 8:12, 13). The Holy Spirit enables the\nbeliever to get constant and continual victory over sin. A single\nact of sin a believer may commit; to live in a state of sin is\nimpossible for him, for the Spirit which is within him gives him\nvictory, so that sin does not _reign_ over him. If sinless\nperfection is not a Scriptural doctrine, sinful imperfection is\ncertainly less Scriptural. The eighth chapter of Romans exhibits\na victorious life for the believer; a life so different from that\ndepicted in the seventh chapter. And the difference lies in the\nfact that the Holy Spirit is hardly, if at all, mentioned in the\nseventh chapter, while in the eighth He is mentioned over twelve\ntimes. The Spirit in the heart is the secret of victory over sin.\n\nThen note how the Holy Spirit produces the blessed fruit of the\nChristian life (Gal. 5:22, 23). What a beautiful cluster of graces!\nHow different from the awful catalogue of the works of the flesh\n(vv. 19-21). Look at this cluster of fruit. There are three groups:\nthe first, in relation to God--love, joy, peace; the second, in\nrelation to our fellowman--longsuffering, gentleness, goodness;\nthe third, for our individual Christian life--faith, meekness,\nself-control.\n\nf) The Holy Spirit is the Guide of the Believer's Life.\n\nHe guides him as to the details of his daily life, Rom. 8:14; Gal.\n5:16, 25-\"Walk in the Spirit.\" There is no detail of the believer's\nlife that may not be under the control and direction of the Spirit.\n\"The steps (and, as one has well said,'the stops') of a good man\nare ordered by the Lord.\"\n\nThe Holy Spirit guides the believer as to the field in which\nhe should labor. How definitely this truth is taught in the Acts\n8:27-29; 16:6, 7; 13:2-4. What a prominent part the Spirit played\nin selecting the fields of labor for the apostles! Every step in\nthe missionary activity of the early church seemed to be under the\ndirect guidance of the Spirit.\n\ng) The Holy Spirit Anoints the Believer.\n\nThis anointing stands for three things:\n\nFirst, for _knowledge and teaching_. 1 John 2:27--\"But the\nanointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye\nneed not that any man teach you; but as the same anointing teacheth\nyou of all things, and is truth . . . ye shall abide in him.\" Also\n2:20. It is not enough to learn the truth from human teachers, we\nmust listen to the teaching of the Spirit. 1 Cor. 2:9-14 teaches\nus that there are some great truths that are spiritually discerned;\nthey cannot be understood saving by the Spirit-filled man, for they\nare \"spiritually discerned.\" See also John 14:26; 16:13.\n\nSecond, for _service_. How dependent Christ was upon the Holy\nSpirit for power in which to perform the duties of life is clear\nfrom such passages as Luke 4:18--\"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,\nbecause he hath anointed me to preach,\" etc. Also Acts 10:38--\"How\nGod anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power:\nwho went about doing good.\" Ezekiel teaches a lesson by his vivid\npicture of the activity of God portrayed in the wheels within wheels.\nThe moving power within those wheels was the Spirit of God. So in\nall our activity for God we must have the Spirit of power.\n\nThird, for _consecration_. Three classes of persons in the Old\nTestament were anointed: the prophet, the priest, and the king.\nThe result of anointing was consecration--\"Thy vows are upon\nme, O God\"; knowledge of God and His will--\"Ye know all things\";\ninfluence--fragrance from the ointment. Just as the incense at\nMecca clings to the pilgrim when he passes through the streets, so\nit is with him who has the anointing of the Spirit. All his garments\nsmell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia. He has about him the sweet\nodor and scent of the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley.\n\n3. THE RELATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THE SCRIPTURES.\n\na) He is the Author of the Scriptures.\n\nHoly men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. 2\nPet. 1:20, 21. The Scriptures came by the inbreathing of God, 2\nTim. 3:16. \"Hear what the Spirit saith to the churches,\" Eev. 2\nand 3. It was the Spirit who was to guide the apostles into all\nthe truth, and show them things to come (John 16:13).\n\nb) The Spirit is also the Interpreter of the Scriptures.\n\n1 Cor. 2:9-14. He is \"the Spirit of wisdom and revelation,\" Eph.\n1:17. \"He shall receive of mine and show it unto you,\" John 16:14,\n15. (See under the Inspiration of the Bible, p. 194.)\n\n4. THE RELATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO JESUS CHRIST.\n\nHow dependent Jesus Christ was, in His state of humiliation, on the\nHoly Spirit! If He needed to depend solely upon the Spirit can we\nafford to do less?\n\na) He was Conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Spirit, Luke\n1:35.\n\nb) He was led by the Spirit, Matt. 4:1.\n\nc) He was Anointed by the Spirit for Service, Acts 10:38.\n\nd) He was Crucified in the Power of the Spirit, Heb. 9:14.\n\ne) He was Raised by the Power of the Spirit, Rom. 1:4; 8:11.\n\nf) He gave Commandment to His Disciples and Church Through the\nSpirit, Acts 1:2.\n\ng) He is the Bestower of the Holy Spirit, Acts 2:33.\n\nV. OFFENCES AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT.\n\nScarcely any phase of the doctrine of the Spirit is more solemn\nthan this. It behooves us all, believer and unbeliever alike, to\nbe careful as to how we treat the Holy Spirit. Sinning against the\nSpirit is fraught with terrific consequences.\n\nFor convenience sake we are classifying the offences against the\nSpirit under two general divisions, namely, those committed by the\nunbeliever, and those committed by the believer. Not that there is\nabsolutely no overlapping in either case. For, doubtless, in the\nvery nature of the case there must be. This thought will be kept\nin mind in the study of the offences against the Spirit.\n\n1. OFFENCES COMMITTED BY THE UNBELIEVER.\n\na) Resisting the Holy Ghost.\n\nActs 7:51-\"Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost.\" Here the picture is\nthat of the Holy Spirit attacking the citadel of the soul of man,\nwho violently resists the gracious attempts of the Spirit to win\nhim. In spite of the plainest arguments, and the most incontestable\nfacts this man wilfully rejects the evidence and refuses to\naccept the Christ so convincingly presented. Thus is the Holy Ghost\nresisted. (See Acts 6:10.) That this is a true picture of resistance\nto the Holy Spirit is clearly seen from Stephen's recital of the\nfacts in Acts 7:51-57.\n\nb) Insulting, or Doing Despite unto the Holy Spirit.\n\nHeb. 10:29 (cf. Luke 18:32). It is the work of the Spirit to present\nthe atoning work of Christ to the sinner as the ground of his\npardon. When the sinner refuses to believe or accept the testimony\nof the Spirit, he thereby insults the Spirit by esteeming the whole\nwork of Christ as a deception and a lie, or accounts the death of\nChrist as the death of an ordinary or common man, and not as God's\nprovision for the sinner.\n\nc) Blaspheming the Holy Spirit.\n\nMatt. 12:31,32. This seems to be the most grievous sin of all,\nfor the Master asserts that there is no forgiveness for this sin.\nSins against the Son of Man may be forgiven because it was easily\npossible, by reason of His humble birth, lowly parentage, etc., to\nquestion the claims He put forth to deity. But when, after Pentecost,\nthe Holy Spirit came, and presented to every man's conscience\nevidence sufficient to prove the truth of these claims, the man who\nthen refused to yield to Christ's claims was guilty of resisting,\ninsulting, and that amounts to blaspheming the testimony of the\nwhole Godhead, of which the Spirit is the executive.\n\n2. OFFENCES COMMITTED BY THE BELIEVER.\n\na) Grieving the Spirit.\n\nEph. 4:30, 31; Isa. 63:10 (R. V.). To grieve means to make sad or\nsorrowful. It is the word used to describe the experience of Christ\nin Gethsemane; and so the sorrow of Gethsemane may be endured by\nthe Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the most sensitive person of the\nGodhead. He is called the \"Mother--heart\" of God. The context\nof this passage (v.31) tells us how the Spirit may be grieved: by\n\"foolish talking and jesting.\" Whenever the believer allows any of\nthe things mentioned in this verse (and those stated also in Gal.\n5:17-19) to find place in his heart and expression in his words\nand life; when these things abide in his heart and actively manifest\nthemselves, then the Spirit is sad and grieved. Indeed to refuse\nany part of our moral nature to the full sway of the Spirit is to\ngrieve Him. If we continue to grieve the Spirit, then the grief\nturns into vexation (Isa. 63:10).\n\nb) Lying to the Holy Spirit.\n\nActs 5:3, 4. The sin of lying to the Spirit is very prominent when\nconsecration is most popular. We stand up and say, \"I surrender\nall\" when in our hearts we know that we have not surrendered\n_all_. Yet, like Ananias, we like to have others believe that\nwe have consecrated our all. We do not wish to be one whit behind\nothers in our profession. Bead carefully in this connection the\nstory of Achan (Joshua 7), and that of Gehazi (2 Kings 5:20-27).\n\nc) Quenching the Spirit.\n\n1 Thess. 5:19-\"Quench not the Spirit.\" The thought of quenching\nthe Spirit seems to be used in connection with fire: \"Smoking flax\nshall he not quench\" (Matt. 12:20); \"Quench the fiery darts\" (Eph.\n6:16). It is therefore related more to the thought of service than\nto that of life. The context of 1 Thess. 5:19 shows this. The\nmanifestation of the Spirit in prophesying was not to be quenched.\nThe Holy Spirit is seen as coming down upon this gathered assembly\nfor praise, prayer, and testimony. This manifestation of the Spirit\nmust not be quenched. Thus we may quench the Spirit not only in\nour hearts, but also in the hearts of others. How? By disloyalty\nto the voice and call of the Spirit; by disobedience to His voice\nwhether it be to testify, praise, to do any bit of service for God,\nor to refuse to go where He sends us to labor--the foreign field,\nfor example. Let us be careful also lest in criticizing the manifestation\nof the Spirit in the testimony of some believer, or the sermon of\nsome preacher, we be found guilty of quenching the Spirit. Let us\nsee to it that the gift of the Holy Ghost for service be not lost\nby any unfaithfulness, or by the cultivation of a critical spirit\non our part, so that the fire in our hearts dies out and nothing\nbut ashes remain--ashes, a sign that fire was once there, but has\nbeen extinguished.\n\nFrom what has been said the following may be summarily stated:\n\n_Resisting_ has to do with the regenerating work of the Spirit;\n\n_Grieving_ has to do with the indwelling Holy Spirit;\n\n_Quenching_ has to do with the enduement of the Spirit for\nservice.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOCTRINE OF MAN\n\nI. THE CREATION AND ORIGINAL CONDITION OF MAN.\n\n   1. IMAGE AND LIKENESS OF GOD.\n   2. PHYSICAL--MENTAL--MORAL--SPIRITUAL.\n\nII. THE FALL OF MAN.\n\n   1. THE SCRIPTURAL ACCOUNT.\n   2. VARIOUS INTERPRETATIONS.\n   3. THE NATURE OF THE FALL.\n   4. THE RESULTS OF THE FALL.\n\n      a) On Adam, and Eve.\n      b) On the Race.\n         (1) Various Theories.\n         (2) Scriptural Declarations.\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOCTRINE OF MAN.\n\nI. THE CREATION AND ORIGINAL CONDITION OF MAN.\n\n1. MAN MADE IN THE IMAGE AND LIKENESS OF GOD.\n\nGen. 1:26--\"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our\nlikeness.\" 9:6--\"For in the image of God made he man.\" What is\nmeant by the terms _image_ and _likeness_? _Image_\nmeans the shadow or outline of a figure, while _likeness_\ndenotes the resemblance of that shadow to the figure. The two\nwords, however, are practically synonymous. That man was made in\nthe image and likeness of God is fundamental in all God's dealings\nwith man (1 Cor. 11:7; Eph. 4:21-24; Col. 3:10; James 3:9). We\nmay express the language as follows: Let us make man in our image\nto be our likeness.\n\na) The Image of God Does Not Denote Physical Likeness.\n\nGod is Spirit; He does not have parts and passions as a man.\n(See under Doctrine of God; The Spirituality of God, pp. 19, 20).\nConsequently Mormon and Swedenborgian views of God as a great\nhuman are wrong. Deut. 4:15 contradicts such a physical view of\nGod (see p. 19, b, c). Some would infer from Psa. 17:15--\"I shall\nbe satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness,\" that in some remote\nway, a physical likeness is suggested. The R. V., however, changes\nsomewhat the sense of this verse, and reads: \"I shall be satisfied,\nwhen I awake, with _beholding_ thy form.\" See also Num. 12:8,\nR. V. It is fair to believe, however, that erectness of posture,\nintelligence of countenance, and a quick, glancing eye characterized\nthe first man. We should also remember that the manifestations in\nthe Old Testament, and the incarnation must throw some light upon\nthis subject (see p. 20).\n\nb) Nor Are the Expressions \"Image\" and \"Likeness\" Exhausted When\nWe Say That They Consisted in Man's Dominion Over Nature, and the\nCreation of God in General.\n\nIndeed the supremacy conferred upon man presupposed those spiritual\nendowments, and was justified by his fitness, through them, to\nexercise it.\n\nc) Positively, We Learn from Certain Scriptures in What This Image\nand Likeness Consisted.\n\nEph. 4:23, 24--\"And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that\nye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness\nand true holiness (B. V., holiness of truth).\" Col. 3:10--\"And have\nput on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image\nof him that created him.\" It is clear from these passages that the\nimage of God consists in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness;\nmoral, not physical likeness.\n\nd) The Original Man Was Endowed with Intellectual Faculties.\n\nHe had sufficient intelligence to give names to the animals as\nthey were presented before him (Gen. 2:19, 20). Adam had not only\nthe power of speech, but the power of reasoning and thought in\nconnection with speech. He could attach words to ideas. This is not\nthe picture, as evolution would have us believe, of an infantile\nsavage slowly groping his way towards articulate speech by imitation\nof the sounds of animals.\n\ne) The Original Man Possessed Moral and Spiritual Faculties.\n\nConsider the moral test in Genesis 3. Adam had power to resist or\nto yield to moral evil. Sin was a volitional thing. Christ, the\nsecond Adam, endured a similar test (Matt. 4).\n\nFrom all this it is evident that man's original state was not one\nof savagery. Indeed there is abundant evidence to show that man\nhas been degraded from a very much higher stage. Both the Bible\nand science agree in making man the crowning work of God, and that\nthere will be no higher order of beings here on the earth than man.\nWe must not forget that while man, from one side of his nature,\nis linked to the animal creation, he is yet supra-natural--a being\nof a higher order and more splendid nature; he is in the image\nand likeness of God. Man has developed not _from_ the ape,\nbut _away from_ it. He never was anything but potential man.\n\"No single instance has yet been adduced of the transformation of\none animal species into another, either by natural or artificial\nselection; much less has it been demonstrated that the body of the\nbrute has ever been developed into that of the man. The links that\nshould bind man to the monkey have not been found. Not a single\none can be shown. None have been found that stood nearer the monkey\nthan the man of today.\"--_Agassiz_.\n\nII. THE FALL OF MAN.\n\nThe doctrine of the Fall of Man is not peculiar to Christianity;\nall religions contain an account of it, and recognize the great\nand awful fact. Had there been no such account as that found in\nGenesis 3, there would still have remained the problem of the fall\nand sin.\n\nYet, the doctrine of the fall has a relation to Christianity that\nit does not have to other religions, or religious systems. The moral\ncharacter of God as seen in the Christian religion far surpasses the\ndelineation of the Supreme Being set forth in any other religion,\nand thus heightens and intensifies its idea of sin. It is when men\nconsider the very high character of God as set forth in Christianity,\nand then look at the doctrine of sin, that they find it hard to\nreconcile the fact that God, being the moral Being He is, should\never allow sin to come into the world. To some minds these two\nthings seem incompatible.\n\n1. THE SCRIPTURAL ACCOUNT OF THE FALL OF MAN.\n\nThe third chapter of Genesis gives the fullest account of this\nawful tragedy in the experience of mankind. Other scriptures: Rom.\n5:12-19; I Tim. 2:14; Gen. 6:5; 8:31; Psa. 14; Rom. 3:10-23.\n\nThe purpose of the Genesis narrative is not to give an account\nof the manner in which sin came into the _world,_ but how it\nfound its advent into the _human race_. Sin was already in\nthe world, as the existence of Satan and the chaotic condition of\nthings in the beginning, strikingly testify.\n\nThe reasonableness of the narrative of the fall is seen in view of\nthe condition of man after he had sinned with his condition when\nhe left the hand of the Creator. Compare Gen. 1:26 with 6:5, and\nPsa. 14. If the fall of man were not narrated in Genesis we should\nhave to postulate some such event to account for the present\ncondition in which we find man. In no part of the Scripture, save\nin the creation account as found in the first two chapters of\nGenesis, does man appear perfect and upright. His attitude is that\nof rebellion against God, of deepening and awful corruption.\n\n2. VARIOUS INTERPRETATIONS OF THE NARRATIVE OF THE FALL OF MAN.\n\nSome look upon the whole narrative as being an _allegory_.\nAdam is the rational part of man; Eve, the sensual; the serpent,\nexternal excitements to evil. But the simplicity and artlessness\nof the narrative militates against this view.\n\nOthers, again, designate the narrative as being a _myth_. It\nis regarded as a truth invested in poetic form; something made up\nfrom the folklore of the times. But why should these few verses be\nsnatched out of the chapter in which they are found and be called\nmythical, while the remaining verses are indisputably literal?\n\nThen there is the _literal interpretation_, which takes the\naccount as it reads, in its perfectly natural sense, just as in the\ncase of the other parts of the same chapter. There is no intimation\nin the account itself that it is not to be regarded as literal\nhistory. It certainly is part of a historical book. The geographical\nlocations in connection with the story are historic. The curse upon\nthe man, upon the woman, and upon the ground are certainly literal.\nIt is a fact that death is in the world as the wages of sin.\nUnquestionably Christ, and the other Scripture writers regard the\nevent as historical and literal: of. Matt. 19:4; Mark 10:6; 2 Cor.\n11:3; I Tim. 2:13-15; I Cor. 15:56.\n\n3. THE NATURE OF THE FALL.\n\nIt must be kept in mind that Adam and Eve were free moral agents.\nThat while they were sinless beings, it was yet possible for them\nto sin, just as it was possible for them not to sin. A careful\nreading of the narrative leads to the following remarks:\n\nThe sin of our first parents was purely volitional; it was an act\nof their own determination. Their sin was, like all other sin, a\nvoluntary act of the will.\n\nIt came from an outside source, that is to say, it was instigated\nfrom without. There was no sin in the nature of the first human pair.\nConsequently there must have been an ungodly principle already in\nthe world. Probably the fall of Satan and the evil angels had taken\nplace already.\n\nThe essence of the first sin lay in the denial of the divine will;\nan elevation of the will of man over the will of God.\n\nIt was a deliberate transgressing of a divinely marked boundary;\nan overstepping of the divine limits.\n\nIn its last analysis, the first sin was, what each and every sin\ncommitted since has been, a positive disbelief in the word of the\nliving God. A belief of Satan rather than a belief in God.\n\nIt is helpful to note that the same lines of temptation that were\npresented to our first parents, were presented to Christ in the\nwilderness (Matt. 4:1-11), and to men ever since then (1 John\n2:15-17). Satan's program is short and shallow after all.\n\n4. THE RESULTS OF THE FALL.\n\na) On Our First Parents--Adam and Eve.\n\nThe results of sin in the experience of our first parents were as\nfollows:\n\nThe ground was cursed, so that henceforth it would not yield good\nalone (Gen. 3:17).\n\nSorrow and pain to the woman in child-bearing, and subjection of\nwoman to the man (Gen. 3:16).\n\nExhausting physical labor in order to subsist (Gen. 3:19).\n\nPhysical and spiritual death (Gen. 3:19; 3:3; 5:5; Rom. 5:12).\n\nOf course, with all this came also a fear of God, a shame because\nof sin, a hiding from God's presence, and finally, an expulsion\nfrom the garden (Gen. 3:8-11, 32-24).\n\nb) On the Race--Various Theories.\n\nThere are three general views held with regard to the effect of\nAdam's sin upon the race. Before looking at the strictly Scriptural\nview in detail, let us briefly state these three theories:\n\nThat Adam's sin affected himself only; that every human being born\ninto the world is as free from sin as Adam was. The only effect the\nfirst sin had upon the race was that of a bad example. According to\nthis theory man is well morally and spiritually. This view of the\ncase is false because the Scriptures recognize all men as guilty and\nas possessing a sinful nature; because man, as soon as he attains\nthe age of responsibility commits sinful acts, and there is no exception\nto this rule; because righteousness is impossible without the help\nof God, otherwise redemption would be by works of righteousness\nwhich we have done, and this the Scripture contradicts. According\nto this view man is perfectly well. (The Pelagian theory.)\n\nThat while Adam's sin, as guilt, is not imputed to man, he is yet\ndestitute of original righteousness, and, without divine help,\nis utterly unable to attain it. God, however, bestows upon each\nindividual, at the dawn of consciousness, a special gift of His\nSpirit, which is sufficient to enable man to be righteous, if he\nwill allow his will to _co-operate_ with God's Spirit. According\nto this view man is only half sick, or half well. This view also\nis false because the Scriptures clearly state that man is utterly\nunable to do a single thing to save himself. (The Semi-Pelagian\ntheory.)\n\nThat because of the unity of the race in Adam, and the organic unity\nof mankind, Adam's sin is therefore imputed to his posterity. The\nnature which man now possesses is like to the corrupted nature\nof Adam. Man is totally unable to do anything to save himself.\nAccording to this theory man is not only not well, nor half well,\nbut totally dead. ( The Augustinian theory.)\n\nSCRIPTURAL TEACHING.\n\n(1) All men, without respect of condition or class, are sinners\nbefore God.\n\nRom. 3:9, 10, 22, 23; Psa. 14; Isa. 53:6. There may be a difference\nin the degree, but not in the fact of sin. All men, Jew and Gentile,\nhave missed the mark, and failed to attain to God's standard. There\nis none righteous, no, not one.\n\n(2) This universal sinful condition is vitally connected with the\nsin of Adam.\n\nRom. 5:12--\"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world,\nand death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all\nhave sinned.\" \"For the judgment was by one to condemnation\" (5:16).\n\"For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners\" (5:19).\nAll men were in Adam when he sinned; fallen he, fallen they. Herein\nlies the truth of the organic unity of the race. \"In Adam all die.\"\nTwo questions are raised here: How can man be held responsible for\na depraved nature?--this touches the matter of _original sin_;\nand How can God justly impute Adam's sin to us?--this deals with\nthe question of the _imputation of sin_.\n\n(3) The whole world rests under condemnation, wrath, and curse.\n\nRom. 3:19--\"That every mouth may be stopped, and all the world\nmay become guilty before God.\" Gal. 3:10; Eph. 2:3. The law of\nGod demands a perfect obedience; but no son of man can yield such\nobedience; hence the curse of a broken law rests upon those breaking\nit. The wrath of God abides on all not vitally united by faith to\nJesus Christ (John 3:36).\n\n(4) Unregenerate men are regarded as children of the devil, and\nnot sous of God.\n\n1 John 3:8-10; John 8:44--\"Ye are of your father the devil.\" 1 John\n5:19--\"And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth\nin wickedness (in the wicked one, R. V.).\"\n\n(5) The whole race of men are in helpless captivity to sin and\nSatan.\n\nRom. 7, chapter entire; John 8:31-36; Eph. 2:3.\n\n(6) The entire nature of man, mentally, morally, spiritually,\nphysically, is sadly affected by sin.\n\nThe _understanding_ is darkened (Eph. 4:18; 1 Cor. 2:14); the\n_heart_ is deceitful and wicked (Jer. 17:9, 10); the _mind\nand conscience_ are defiled (Gen. 6:5; Titus 1:15); the\n_flesh and spirit_ are defiled (2 Cor. 7:5); the _will_\nis enfeebled (Rom. 7:18); and we are utterly destitute of any Godlike\nqualities which meet the requirements of God's holiness (Rom. 7:18).\n\nWhat does all this mean? A. H. Strong, in his _Systematic\nTheology_, explains the matter somewhat as follows: It does not\nmean the entire absence of conscience (John 8:9); nor of all moral\nqualities (Mark 10:21); nor that men are prone to every kind of\nsin (for some sins exclude others). It does mean, however, that\nman is totally destitute of love to God which is the all absorbing\ncommandment of the law (John 5:42); that the natural man has\nan aversion to God (Rom. 8:7); that all that is stated under (6)\nabove is true of man; that man is in possession of a nature that\nis constantly on the downgrade, and from the dominion of which he\nis totally unable to free himself (Rom. 7:18, 23).\n\n[Illustration with caption: Handwritten notations of Rev. William\nEvans, Ph.D. D.D.]\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOCTRINES OF SALVATION\n\nA. REPENTANCE.\nB. FAITH.\nC. REGENERATION.\nD. JUSTIFICATION.\nE. ADOPTION.\nF. SANCTIFICATION.\nG. PRAYER.\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOCTRINES OF SALVATION.\n\nA. REPENTANCE.\n   I. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DOCTRINE.\n   II. THE NATURE OF REPENTANCE.\n       1. AS TOUCHING THE INTELLECT.\n       2. AFFECTING THE EMOTIONS.\n       3. WILL.\n          a) Confess Sin.\n          b) Forsake Sin.\n          c) Turn to God.\n   III. HOW REPENTANCE IS PRODUCED.\n       1. DIVINE SIDE.\n       2. HUMAN SIDE.\n       3. QUESTION OF MEANS.\n   IV. RESULTS OF REPENTANCE.\n       1. GODWARD.\n       2. MANWARD.\n\nA. REPENTANCE.\n\nI. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DOCTRINE.\n\nThe prominence given to the doctrine of Repentance in the Scriptures\ncan hardly be overestimated. John the Baptist began his public\nministry, as did Jesus also, with the call to repentance upon his\nlips (Matt. 3:1, 2; 4:17).\n\nWhen Jesus sent forth the twelve and the seventy messengers to\nproclaim the good news of the kingdom of heaven, He commanded them\nto preach repentance (Luke 24:47; Mark 6:12).\n\nForemost in the preaching of the apostles was the doctrine of\nrepentance; Peter, (Acts 2:38); Paul, (Acts 20:21).\n\nThe burden of the heart of God, and His one command to all men\neverywhere, is that they should repent (2 Pet. 3:9; Acts 17:30).\n\nIndeed, failure on the part of man to heed God's call to repentance\nmeans that he shall utterly perish (Luke 13:3).\n\nDoes the doctrine of repentance find such a prominent place in\nthe preaching and teaching of today? Has the need for repentance\ndiminished? Has God lessened or changed the terms of admission into\nHis kingdom?\n\nII. THE NATURE OF REPENTANCE.\n\nThere is a three-fold idea involved in true repentance:\n\n1. AS TOUCHING THE INTELLECT.\n\nMatt. 21:29--\"He answered and said: I will not; but afterward\nhe repented, and went\". The word here used for \"repent\" means\nto change one's mind, thought, purpose, views regarding a matter;\nit is to have another mind about a thing. So we may speak of it\nas a revolution touching our attitude and views towards sin and\nrighteousness. This change is well illustrated in the action of\nthe Prodigal Son, and of the Publican in the well-known story of\nthe Pharisee and the Publican (Luke 15 and 18). Thus, when Peter,\non the day of Pentecost, called upon the Jews to repent (Acts\n2:14-40), he virtually called upon them to change their minds and\ntheir views regarding Christ. They had considered Christ to be a\nmere man, a blasphemer, an impostor. The events of the few preceding\ndays had proven to them that He was none other than the righteous\nSon of God, their Saviour and the Saviour of the world. The result\nof their repentance or change of mind would be that they would\nreceive Jesus Christ as their long promised Messiah.\n\n2. AS TOUCHING THE EMOTIONS.\n\n2 Cor. 7:9--\"Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that\nye sorrowed to repentance; for ye were made sorry after a godly\nmanner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.\" The context\n(vv. 7-11) shows what a large part the feelings played in true Gospel\nrepentance. See also Luke 10:13; cf. Gen. 6:6. The Greek word for\nrepentance in this connection means \"to be a care to one afterwards,\"\nto cause one great concern. The Hebrew equivalent is even stronger,\nand means to pant, to sigh, to moan. So the publican \"beat upon\nhis breast,\" indicating sorrow of heart. Just how much emotion is\nnecessary to true repentance no one can definitely say. But that a\ncertain amount of heart movement, even though it be not accompanied\nwith a flood of tears, or even a single tear, accompanies all true\nrepentance is evident from the use of this word. See also Psa.\n38:18.\n\n3. AS TOUCHING THE WILL AND DISPOSITION.\n\nOne of the Hebrew words for repent means \"to turn.\" The prodigal\nsaid, \"I will arise.... and he arose\" (Luke 15:18, 20). He not\nonly thought upon his ways, and felt sorry because of them, but he\nturned his steps in the direction of home. So that in a very real\nsense repentance is a crisis with a changed experience in view.\nRepentance is not only a heart broken _for_ sin, but _from_\nsin also. We must forsake what we would have God remit. In the\nwritings of Paul repentance is more of an experience than a single\nact. The part of the will and disposition in repentance is shown:\n\na) In the Confession of Sin to God.\n\nPsa. 38:18--\"For I will declare mine iniquity: I will be sorry\nfor my sin.\" The publican beat upon his breast, and said, \"God be\nmerciful to me a sinner\" (Luke 18:13). The prodigal said, \"I have\nsinned against heaven\" (Luke 15:21).\n\nThere must be confession to man also in so far as man has been\nwronged in and by our sin (Matt. 5:23, 24; James 5:16).\n\nb) In the Forsaking of Sin.\n\nIsa. 55:7--\"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous\nman his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord.\" Prov. 28:13;\nMatt. 3:8, 10.\n\nc) In Turning Unto God.\n\nIt is not enough to turn away from sin; we must turn unto God; 1\nThess. 1:9; Acts 26:18.\n\nIII. HOW REPENTANCE IS PRODUCED.\n\n1. IT IS A DIVINE GIFT.\n\nActs 11:18--\"Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance\nunto life.\" 2 Tim. 2:25--\"If God peradventure will give them repentance\nto the acknowledging of the truth.\" Acts 5:30, 31. Repentance is\nnot something which one can originate within himself, or can pump\nup within himself as one would pump water out of a well. It is a\ndivine gift. How then is man responsible for not having it? We are\ncalled upon to repent in order that we may feel our own inability\nto do so, and consequently be thrown upon God and petition Him to\nperform this work of grace in our hearts.\n\n2. YET THIS DIVINE GIFT IS BROUGHT ABOUT THROUGH THE USE OF MEANS.\n\nActs 2:37, 38, 41. The very Gospel which calls for repentance\nproduces it. How well this is illustrated in the experience of the\npeople of Nineveh (Jonah 3:5-10)! When they heard the preaching\nof the word of God by Jonah they believed the message and turned\nunto God. Not any message, but the Gospel is the instrument that\nGod uses to bring about this desired end. Furthermore, this message\nmust be preached in the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Thess. 1:5-10).\n\nRom. 2:4--\"Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and\nforbearance and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of\nGod leadeth thee to repentance?\" Also 2 Pet. 3:9. Prosperity too\noften leads away from God, but it is the divine intention that it\nshould lead to God. Revivals come mostly in times of panic.\n\nRev. 3:19; Heb. 12:6, 10, 11. The chastisements of God are sometimes\nfor the purpose of bringing His wandering children back to repentance.\n\n2 Tim. 2:24, 25. God oftentimes uses the loving, Christian reproof\nof a brother to be the means of bringing us back to God.\n\nIV. THE RESULTS OF REPENTANCE.\n\n1. ALL HEAVEN IS MADE GLAD.\n\nLuke 15:7, 10. Joy in heaven, and in the presence of the angels\nof God. Makes glad the heart of God, and sets the bells of heaven\nringing. Who are those \"in the presence of the angels of God\"? Do\nthe departed loved ones know anything about it?\n\n2. IT BRINGS PARDON AND FORGIVENESS OF SIN.\n\nIsa. 55:7; Acts 3:19. Outside of repentance the prophets and apostles\nknow of no way of securing pardon. No sacrifices, nor religious\nceremonies can secure it. Not that repentance merits forgiveness,\nbut it is a condition of it. Repentance qualifies a man for a\npardon, but it does not entitle him to it.\n\n3. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS POURED OUT UPON THE PENITENT.\n\nActs 2:38--\"Repent... and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy\nGhost.\" Impenitence keeps back the full incoming of the Spirit into\nthe heart.\n\nB. FAITH.\n\nI. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DOCTRINE.\n\nII. THE DEFINITION OF FAITH.\n\n1. IN GENERAL:\n\na) Knowledge.\n\nb) Assent.\n\nc) Appropriation.\n\n2. IN PARTICULAR:\n\na) Towards God.\n\nb) Towards Christ.\n\nc) In Prayer.\n\nd) In the Word of God.\n\n3. RELATION OF FAITH TO WORKS.\n\nIII. THE SOURCE OF FAITH.\n\n1. THE DIVINE SIDE.\n\n2. THE HUMAN SIDE.\n\n3. MEANS USED.\n\nIV. SOME RESULTS OF FAITH.\n\n1. SAVED.\n\n2. JOY AND PEACE.\n\n3. DO GREAT WORKS.\n\nB. FAITH.\n\nI. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DOCTRINE.\n\nFaith is fundamental in Christian creed and conduct. It was the\none thing which above all others Christ recognized as the paramount\nvirtue. The Syrophoenician woman (Matt. 15) had perseverance; the\ncenturion (Matt. 8), humility; the blind man (Mark 10), earnestness.\nBut what Christ saw and rewarded in each of these cases was faith.\nFaith is the foundation of Peter's spiritual temple (2 Pet. 1:5-7);\nand first in Paul's trinity of graces (1 Cor. 13:13). In faith\nall the other graces find their source.\n\nII. THE DEFINITION OF FAITH.\n\nFaith is used in the Scriptures in a general and in a particular\nsense.\n\n1. ITS GENERAL MEANING:\n\na) Knowledge.\n\nPsa. 9:10--\"And they that know thy name will put their trust in\nthee.\" Rom. 10:17--\"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by\nthe word of God.\" Faith is not believing a thing without evidence;\non the contrary faith rests upon the best of evidence, namely,\nthe Word of God. An act of faith denotes a manifestation of the\nintelligence: \"How shall they believe in him of whom they have not\nheard?\" Faith is no blind act of the soul; it is not a leap in the\ndark. Such a thing as believing with the heart without the head\nis out of the question. A man may believe with his head without\nbelieving with his heart; but he cannot believe with his heart\nwithout believing with his head too. The heart, in the Scriptures,\nmeans the whole man--intellect, sensibilities, and will. \"As a man\n_thinketh_ in his heart.\" \"Why _reason_ ye these things\nin your hearts?\"\n\nb) Assent.\n\nMark 12:32--\"And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast\nsaid the truth.\" So was it with the faith which Christ demanded in\nHis miracles: \"Believe ye that I am able to do this?\" \"Yea, Lord.\"\nThere must not only be the knowledge that Jesus is able to save, and\nthat He is the Saviour of the world; there must be also an assent\nof the heart to all these claims. Those who, _receiving_ Christ\nto be all that He claimed to be, _believed_ in Him, became\nthereby sons of God (John 1:12).\n\nc) Appropriation.\n\nJohn 1:12; 2:24. There must be an appropriation of the things\nwhich we know and assent to concerning the Christ and His work.\nIntelligent perception is not faith. A man may know Christ as\ndivine, and yet aside from that reject him as Saviour. Knowledge\naffirms the reality of these things but neither accepts nor rejects\nthem. Nor is assent faith. There is an assent of the mind which\ndoes not convey a surrender of the heart and affections.\n\nFaith is the consent of the will to the assent of the understanding.\nFaith always has in it the idea of action--movement towards its\nobject. It is the soul leaping forth to embrace and appropriate the\nChrist in whom it believes. It first says: \"My Lord and my God,\"\nand then falls down and worships.\n\nA distinction between believing about Christ and on Christ is made\nin John 8:30, 31, R. V.--\"Many believed _on_ him.... Jesus\ntherefore said to those Jews that had believed _him_.\"\n\nS. THE MEANING OF FAITH IN PARTICULAR:\n\na) When Used in Connection with the Name of God.\n\nHeb. 11:6--\"But without faith it is impossible to please him;\nfor he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is\na rewarder of them that diligently seek him.\" Also Acts 27:22-25;\nRom. 4:19-21 with Gen. 15:4-6. There can be no dealings with the\ninvisible God unless there is absolute faith in His existence. We\nmust believe in His reality, even though He is unseen. But we must\nbelieve even more than the fact of His existence; namely, that He\nis a rewarder, that He will assuredly honor with definite blessing\nthose who approach unto Him in prayer. Importunity will, of course,\nbe needed (Luke 11:5-10).\n\nThere must be confidence in the Word of God also. Faith believes all\nthat God says as being absolutely true, even though circumstances\nseem to be against its fulfillment.\n\nb) When Used in Connection with the Person and Work of Christ.\n\nRecall the three elements in faith, and apply them here.\n\nFirst, there must be a _knowledge_ of the claims of Christ as\nto His person and mission in the world: As to His person--that He\nis deity, John 9:35-38; 10:30; Phil. 2:6-ll. As to His work--Matt.\n20:28; 26:26-28; Luke 24:27, 44.\n\nSecond, there must be an _assent_ to all these claims, John\n16:30; 20:28; Matt. 16:16; John 6:68, 69.\n\nThird, there must be a personal _appropriation_ of Christ as\nbeing all that He claims to be, John 1:12, 8:21, 24; 5:24. There\nmust be surrender to a person, and not mere faith in a creed. Faith\nin a doctrine must lead to faith in a person, and that person Jesus\nChrist, if salvation is to be the result of such belief. So Martha\nwas led to substitute faith in a doctrine for faith in a person\n(John 11:25).\n\nIt is such faith--consisting of knowledge, assent, and appropriation\n--that saves. This is believing with the heart (Rom. 10:9,10).\n\nc) When Used in Connection with Prayer.\n\nThree passages may be used to set forth this relationship: 1 John\n5:14, 15; James 1:5-7, Mark 11:24. There must be no hesitation\nwhich balances between belief and unbelief, and inclines toward\nthe latter--tossed one moment upon the shore of faith and hope,\nthe next tossed back again into the abyss of unbelief. To \"doubt\"\nmeans to reason whether or no the thing concerning which you are\nmaking request can be done (Acts 10:20; Rom. 4:20). Such a man\nonly conjectures; he does not really believe. Real faith thanks God\nfor the thing asked for, if that thing is in accord with the will\nof God, even before it receives it (Mark 11:24). Note the slight:\n\"that man.\"\n\nWe must recognize the fact that knowledge, assent, and appropriation\nexist here also. We must understand the promises on which we base\nour prayer; we must believe that they are worth their full face\nvalue; and then step out upon them, thereby giving substance to that\nwhich, at the moment may be unseen, and, perchance, nonexistent,\nso far as our knowledge and vision are concerned, but which to\nfaith is a splendid reality.\n\nd) When Used in Connection with the Word and Promise of God.\n\nFirst, we should know whether the particular promise in question is\nintended for us in particular. There is a difference in a promise\nbeing written _for_ us and _to_ us. There are dispensational\naspects to many of the promises in the Bible, therefore we must\nrightly divide, apportion, and appropriate the Word of God (cf. I\nCor. 10:32).\n\nSecond, when once we are persuaded that a promise is _for_\nus, we must believe that God means all He says in that promise;\nwe must assent to all its truth; we must not diminish nor discount\nit. God will not, cannot lie (Titus 1:2).\n\nThird, we must appropriate and act upon the promises. Herein lies\nthe difference between belief and faith. Belief is mental; faith\nadds the volitional; we may have belief without the will, but not\nfaith. Belief is a realm of thought; faith is a sphere of action.\nBelief lives in the study; faith comes out into the market-places\nand the streets. Faith substantiates belief--gives substance, life,\nreality, and activity to it (Heb. 11:1). Faith puts belief into\nactive service, and connects possibilities with actualities. Faith\nis acting upon what you believe; it is appropriation. Faith counts\nevery promise valid, and gilt-edged (Heb. 11:11); no trial can\nshake it (11:35); it is so absolute that it survives the loss of\nits own pledge even (11:17). For illustration, see I Kings 18:41-43.\n\n3. THE RELATION OF FAITH TO WORKS.\n\nThere is no merit in faith alone. It is not mere faith that saves,\nbut faith in Christ. Faith in any other saviour but Christ will\nnot save. Faith in any other gospel than that of the New Testament\nwill not save (Gal. 1:8, 9).\n\nThere is no contradiction between Paul and James touching the\nmatter of faith and works (cf. James 2:14-26; Rom. 4:1-12). Paul\nis looking at the matter from the Godward side, and asserts that we\nare justified, in the sight of God, _meritoriously_, without\nabsolutely any works on our part. James considers the matter from\nthe manward side, and asserts that we are justified, in the sight\nof man, _evidentially_, by works, and not by faith alone\n(2:24). In James it is not the _ground_ of justification, as\nin Paul, but the _demonstration_. See under Justification,\nII. 4, p. 159.\n\nIII. THE SOURCE OF FAITH.\n\nThere are two sides to this phase of the subject--a divine and a\nhuman side.\n\n1. IT IS THE WORK OF THE TRIUNE GOD. _God the Father_: Rom.\n12:3; I Cor. 12. This is true of faith both in its beginning (Phil.\n1:29) and its development (1 Cor. 12). Faith, then, is a gift of\nHis grace.\n\n_God the Son_: Heb. 12:2--\"Looking unto Jesus the author and\nfinisher of our faith.\" (Illustration, Matt. 14:30, 31--Peter taking\nhis eyes off Christ.) I Cor. 12; Luke 17:5.\n\n_God the Spirit_: Gal. 5:22; I Cor. 12:9. The Holy Spirit is\nthe executive of the Godhead.\n\nWhy then, if faith is the work of the Godhead, are we responsible\nfor not having it? God wills to work faith in all His creatures,\nand will do so if they do not resist His Holy Spirit. We are\nresponsible, therefore, not so much for the lack of faith, but for\nresisting the Spirit who will create faith in our hearts if we will\npermit Him to do so.\n\n2. THERE IS ALSO A HUMAN SIDE TO FAITH.\n\nRom. 10:17--\"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by\nthe word of God.\" (cf. the context, vv. 9-21.) Acts 4:4--\"Howbeit\nmany of them which heard the word believed.\" In this instance the\n_spoken_ word, the Gospel, is referred to; in other cases the\nwritten Word, the Scriptures, are referred to as being instrumental\nin producing faith. See also Gal. 3:2-5. It was a looking unto the\npromises of God that brought such faith into the heart of Abraham\n(Rom. 4:19).\n\nPrayer also is an instrument in the development of faith. Luke is\ncalled the _human_ Gospel because it makes so much of prayer,\nespecially in connection with faith: 22:32--\"But I have prayed for\nthee that thy faith fail not.\" 17:5--\"And the apostles said unto\nthe Lord, Increase our faith.\" See also Mark 9:24; Matt. 17:19-21.\n\nOur faith grows by the use of the faith we already have. Luke 17:5,\n6; Matt. 25:39.\n\nIV. SOME RESULTS OF FAITH.\n\n1. WE ARE SAVED BY FAITH.\n\nWe, of course, recall that the saving power of faith resides not\nin itself, but in the Almighty Saviour on whom it rests; so that,\nproperly speaking, it is not so much faith, as it is faith in Christ\nthat saves.\n\nThe whole of our salvation--past, present, and future, is dependent\nupon faith. Our acceptance of Christ (John 1:12); our justification\n(Rom. 5:1); our adoption (Gal. 3:26); our sanctification (Acts\n26:18); our keeping (1 Pet. 1:5), indeed our whole salvation from\nstart to finish is dependent upon faith.\n\n2. REST, PEACE, ASSURANCE, JOY.\n\nIsa. 26:3; Phil. 4:6; Rom. 5:1; Heb. 4:1-3; John 14:1; 1 Pet. 1:8.\nFact, faith, feeling--this is God's order. Satan would reverse\nthis order and put feeling before faith, and thus confuse the child\nof God. We should march in accord with God's order: Fact leads,\nFaith with its eye on Fact, following, and Feeling with the eye on\nFaith bringing up the rear. All goes well as long as this order is\nobserved. But the moment Faith turns his back on Fact, and looks\nat Feeling, the procession wabbles. Steam is of main importance,\nnot for sounding the whistle, but for moving the wheels; and if\nthere is a lack of steam we shall not remedy it by attempting by\nour own effort to move the piston or blow the whistle, but by more\nwater in the boiler, and more fire under it. Feed Faith with Facts,\nnot with Feeling.--_A. T. Pierson_.\n\n3. DO EXPLOITS THROUGH FAITH.\n\nHeb. 11:32-34; Matt. 21:21; John 14:12. Note the wonderful things\ndone by the men of faith as recorded in the eleventh chapter of\nHebrews. Read vv. 32-40. Jesus attributes a kind of omnipotence to\nfaith. The disciple, by faith, will be able to do greater things\nthan his Master. Here is a mighty Niagara of power for the believer.\nThe great question for the Christian to answer is not \"What can I\ndo?\" but \"How much can I believe?\" for \"all things are possible to\nhim that believeth.\"\n\n\nC. REGENERATION, OR THE NEW BIRTH.\n\nI. ITS NATURE.\n   1. NOT BAPTISM.\n   2. NOT REFORMATION.\n   3. A SPIRITUAL QUICKENING.\n   4. AN IMPARTATION OF A DIVINE NATURE.\n   5. A NEW AND DIVINE IMPULSE.\n\nII. ITS NECESSITY.\n   1. UNIVERSAL.\n   2. THE SINFUL CONDITION OF MAN DEMANDS IT.\n   3. THE HOLINESS OF GOD DEMANDS IT.\n\nIII. THE MEANS.\n   1. THE DIVINE SIDE.\n   2. THE HUMAN SIDE.\n   3. THE MEANS USED.\n\nC. REGENERATION, OR THE NEW BIRTH.\n\n\nIt is of the utmost importance that we have a clear understanding\nof this vital doctrine. By Regeneration we are admitted into\nthe kingdom of God. There is no other way of becoming a Christian\nbut by being born from above. This doctrine, then, is the door of\nentrance into Christian discipleship. He who does not enter here,\ndoes not enter at all.\n\nI. THE NATURE OF REGENERATION.\n\nToo often do we find other things substituted by man for God's\nappointed means of entrance into the kingdom of heaven. It will be\nwell for us then to look, first of all, at some of these substitutes.\n\n1. REGENERATION IS NOT BAPTISM.\n\nIt is claimed that John 3:5--\"Except a man be born of water and of\nthe Spirit,\" and Titus 3:5--\"The washing of regeneration,\" teach\nthat regeneration may occur in connection with baptism. These\npassages, however, are to be understood in a figurative sense,\nas meaning the cleansing power of the Word of God. See also\nEph. 5:26--\"With the washing of water by (or in) the word\"; John\n15:3--\"Clean through the word.\" That the Word of God is an agent\nin regeneration is clear from James 1:18, and 1 Pet. 1:23.\n\nIf baptism and regeneration were identical, why should the Apostle\nPaul seem to make so little of that rite (1 Cor. 4:15, and compare\nwith it 1 Cor. 1:14)? In the first passage Paul asserts that he had\n_begotten_ them through the Gospel; and in 1:14 he declares\nthat he _baptized none of them_ save Crispus and Gaius. Could\nhe thus speak of baptism if it had been the means through which\nthey had been begotten again? Simon Magus was baptized (Acts 8),\nbut was he saved? Cornelius (Acts 11) was saved even before he was\nbaptized.\n\n2. REFORMATION IS NOT REGENERATION.\n\nRegeneration is not a natural forward step in man's development;\nit is a supernatural act of God; it is a spiritual crisis. It is\nnot evolution, but involution--the communication of a new life. It\nis a revolution--a change of direction resulting from that life.\nHerein lies the danger in psychology, and in the statistics regarding\nthe number of conversions during the period of adolescence. The\ndanger lies in the tendency to make regeneration a natural phenomenon,\nan advanced step in the development of a human life, instead of\nregarding it as a crisis. Such a psychological view of regeneration\ndenies man's sin, his need of Christ, the necessity of an atonement,\nand the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.\n\n3. REGENERATION IS A SPIRITUAL QUICKENING, A NEW BIRTH.\n\nRegeneration is the impartation of a new and divine life; a new\ncreation; the production of a new thing. It is Gen. 1:26 over again.\nIt is not the old nature altered, reformed, or re-invigorated, but\na new birth from above. This is the teaching of such passages as\nJohn 3:3-7; 5:21; Eph. 2:1, 10; 2 Cor. 5:17.\n\nBy nature man is dead in sin (Eph. 2:1); the new birth imparts to\nhim new life--the life of God, so that henceforth he is as those\nthat are alive from the dead; he has passed out of death into life\n(John 5:24).\n\n4. IT IS THE IMPARTATION OF A NEW NATURE--GOD'S NATURE.\n\nIn regeneration we are made partakers of the divine nature (2\nPet. 1:4). We have put on the new man, which after God is created\nin holiness and righteousness (Eph. 4:11; Col. 3:10). Christ now\nlives in the believer (Gal. 2:20). God's seed now abides in him\n(1 John 3:9). So that henceforth the believer is possessed of two\nnatures (Gal. 5:17).\n\n5. A NEW AND DIVINE IMPULSE IS GIVEN TO THE BELIEVER.\n\nThus regeneration is a crisis with a view to a process. A new\ngoverning power comes into the regenerate man's life by which he\nis enabled to become holy in experience: \"Old things are passed\naway; behold all things are become new\" (2 Cor. 5:17). See also\nActs 16:14, and Ezek. 36:25-27, 1 John 3:6-9.\n\nII. THE IMPERATIVE NECESSITY OF THE NEW BIRTH.\n\n1. THE NECESSITY IS UNIVERSAL.\n\nThe need is as far reaching as sin and the human race: \"Except\na man (lit. anybody) be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of\nGod\" (John 3:3, cf. v. 5). No age, sex, position, condition exempts\nanyone from this necessity. Not to be born again is to be lost.\nThere is no substitute for the new birth: \"Neither circumcision\navaileth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature\" (Gal.\n6:15). The absolute necessity is clearly stated by our Lord: whatever\nis born of the flesh, must be born again of the Spirit (John 3:3-7).\n\n2. THE SINFUL CONDITION OF MAN DEMANDS IT.\n\nJohn 3:6--\"That which is born of the flesh is flesh\"--and it\ncan never, by any human process, become anything else. \"Can the\nEthiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye\nalso do good that are accustomed to do evil\" (Jer. 13:23). \"They\nthat are in the flesh cannot please God\" (Rom. 8:8); in our \"flesh\ndwelleth no good thing\" (Rom. 7:18). The mind is darkened so that\nwe cannot apprehend spiritual truth; we need a renewing of the mind\n(Rom. 12:2). The heart is deceitful, and does not welcome God; we\nneed to be pure in heart to see God. There is no thought of God\nbefore the eyes of the natural man; we need a change in nature\nthat we may be counted among those \"who thought upon His name.\"\nNo education or culture can bring about such a needed change. God\nalone can do it.\n\n3. THE HOLINESS OF GOD DEMANDS IT.\n\nIf without holiness no man shall see the Lord (Heb. 12:14); and\nif holiness is not to be attained by any natural development or\nself-effort, then the regeneration of our nature is absolutely\nnecessary. This change, which enables us to be holy, takes place\nwhen we are born again.\n\nMan is conscious that he does not have this holiness by nature; he\nis conscious, too, that he must have it in order to appear before\nGod (Ezra 9:15). The Scriptures corroborate this consciousness in\nman, and, still further, state the necessity of such a righteousness\nwith which to appear before God. In the new birth alone is the\nbeginning of such a life to be found. To live the life of God we\nmust have the nature of God.\n\nIII. THE MEANS OF REGENERATION.\n\n1. REGENERATION IS A DIVINE WORK.\n\nWe are \"born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of\nthe will of man, _but of God\"_ (John 1:13). It was of His own\nwill he begat us (Jas. 1:18): Our regeneration is a creative act\non the part of God, not a reforming process on the part of man. It\nis not brought about by natural descent, for all we get from that\nis \"flesh.\" It is not by natural choice, for the human will is\nimpotent. Nor is it by self-effort, or any human generative principle.\nNor is it by the blood of any ceremonial sacrifices. It is not by\npedigree or natural generation. It is altogether and absolutely\nthe work of God. Practically speaking, we have no more to do with\nour second birth, than we had to do with our first birth.\n\nThe Holy Spirit is the Divine Agent in our regeneration. For this\nreason it is called the \"renewing of the Holy Ghost\" (Tit. 3:5).\nWe are \"born of the Spirit\" (John 3:5).\n\n2. AND YET THERE IS A HUMAN SIDE TO THE WORK.\n\nJohn 1:12 and 13 bring together these two thoughts--the divine and\nthe human in regeneration: Those who _received_ Him (i. e.,\nChrist)....were born _of God._ The two great problems connected\nwith regeneration are the efficiency of God and the activity of\nman.\n\na) Man Is Regenerated by Means of the Acceptance of the Message of\nthe Gospel.\n\nGod begat us by \"the word of truth\" (James 1:18). We are \"born\nagain,\" says Peter (1 Ep. 1:23), \"of incorruptible seed, by the\nword of God.\" We are \"begotten through the gospel\" (1 Cor. 4:15).\nThese scriptures teach us that regeneration takes place in the\nheart of man when he reads or hears the Word of God, or the Gospel\nmessage, or both, and, because of the Spirit working in the Word as\nwell as in the heart of man, the man opens his heart and receives\nthat message as the Word of life to his soul. The truth is illuminated,\nas is also the mind, by the Spirit; the man yields to the truth,\nand is born again. Of course, even here, we must remember that it\nis the Lord who must open our hearts just as He opened the heart\nof Lydia (Acts 16:14). But the Word must be believed and received\nby man. 1 Pet. 1:25.\n\nb) Man Is Regenerated by the Personal Acceptance of Jesus Christ.\n\nThis is the clear teaching of John 1:12, 13 and Gal. 3:26. We become\n\"children of God by faith in Jesus Christ.\" When a man, believing\nin the claims of Jesus Christ receives Him to be all that He claimed\nto be--that man is born again.\n\nMan therefore is not wholly passive at the time of his regeneration.\nHe is passive only as to the change of his ruling disposition.\nWith regard to the exercise of this disposition he is active. A\ndead man cannot assist in his own resurrection, it is true; but he\nmay, and can, like Lazarus, obey Christ's command, and \"Come forth!\"\n\nPsa. 90:16, 17 illustrates both the divine and human part: \"Let\n_thy_ work appear unto thy servants,\" and then \"the work of\n_our_ hands establish thou it.\" God's work appears first, then\nman's. So Phil. 2:12,13.\n\n\nD. JUSTIFICATION.\n\nI. ITS MEANING.\n\n1. RELATIVELY.\n2. SCRIPTURALLY.\n3. PARDON--RIGHTEOUSNESS.\n\nII. ITS METHOD.\n\n1. NOT BY LAW.\n2. BY GOD'S FREE GRACE.\n3. THE BLOOD OF CHRIST.\n4. FAITH.\n\nD. JUSTIFICATION.\n\nI. THE MEANING OF JUSTIFICATION.\n\n1. RELATIVELY.\n\n\nIt is a change in a man's relation or standing before God. It has\nto do with relations that have been disturbed by sin, and these\nrelations are personal. It is a change from guilt and condemnation\nto acquittal and acceptance. Regeneration has to do with the change\nof the believer's nature; Justification, with the change of his\nstanding before God. Regeneration is subjective; Justification\nis objective. The former has to do with man's state; the latter,\nwith his standing.\n\n2. ACCORDING TO THE LANGUAGE AND USAGE OF THE SCRIPTURES.\n\nAccording to Deut. 25:1 it means to declare, or to cause to appear\ninnocent or righteous; Rom. 4:2-8: to reckon righteous; Psa. 32:2:\nnot to impute iniquity. One thing at least is clear from these\nverses, and that is, that to justify does not mean to _make_\none righteous. Neither the Hebrew nor Greek words will bear such\nmeaning. To justify means to set forth as righteous; to declare\nrighteous in a legal sense; to put a person in a right relation.\nIt does not deal, at least not directly, with character or conduct;\nit is a question of relationship. Of course both character and\nconduct will be conditioned and controlled by this relationship.\nNo real righteousness on the part of the person justified is to be\nasserted, but that person is declared to be righteous and is treated\nas such. Strictly speaking then, Justification is the judicial act\nof God whereby those who put faith in Christ are declared righteous\nin His eyes, and free from guilt and punishment.\n\n3. JUSTIFICATION CONSISTS OF TWO ELEMENTS.\n\na) The Forgiveness of Sin, and the Removal of Its Guilt and\nPunishment.\n\nIt is difficult for us to understand God's feeling towards sin.\nTo us forgiveness seems easy, largely because we are indifferent\ntowards sin. But to a holy God it is different. Even men sometimes\nfind it hard to forgive when wronged. Nevertheless God gladly\nforgives.\n\nMicah 7:18,19--\"Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity,\nand passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he\nretaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy .\n. . . he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their\nsins into the depths of the sea.\" See also Psa. 130:4. What a\nwondrous forgiveness!\n\nForgiveness may be considered as the cessation of the moral anger\nand resentment of God against sin; or as a release from the guilt\nof sin which oppresses the conscience; or, again, as a remission\nof the punishment of sin, which is eternal death.\n\nIn Justification, then, all our sins are forgiven, and the guilt\nand punishment thereof removed (Acts 13:38, 39; Rom. 8:1). God sees\nthe believer as without sin and guilt in Christ (Num. 23:21; Rom.\n8:33, 34).\n\nb) The Imputation of Christ's Righteousness, and Restoration to\nGod's Favor.\n\nThe forgiven sinner is not like the discharged prisoner who has\nserved out his term and is discharged from further punishment, but\nwith no rights of citizenship. No, justification means much more\nthan acquittal. The repentant sinner receives back in his pardon,\nthe full rights of citizenship. The Society of Friends called\nthemselves Friends, not because they were friends one to another\nbut because, being justified, they counted themselves friends of\nGod as was Abraham (2 Chron. 20:7, James 2:23). There is also the\nimputation of the righteousness of Jesus Christ to the sinner. His\nrighteousness is \"unto all and upon all them that believe\" (Rom.\n3:22). See Rom. 5:17-21; 1 Cor. 1:30. For illustration, see Philemon\n18.\n\nII. THE METHOD OF JUSTIFICATION.\n\n1. NEGATIVELY: NOT BY WORKS OF THE LAW.\n\nRom. 3:20--\"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh\nbe justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of\nsin.\" \"Therefore\" implies that a judicial trial has taken place\nand a judgment pronounced. At the bar of God no man can be counted\nrighteous in His sight because of his obedience to law. The burden\nof the Epistle to the Romans is to set forth this great truth. As\na means of establishing right relations with God the law is totally\ninsufficient. There is no salvation _by_ character. What men\nneed is salvation _from_ character.\n\nThe reason why the law cannot justify is here stated: \"For by the\nlaw is the knowledge of sin.\" The law can open the sinner's eyes\nto his sin, but it cannot remove it. Indeed, it was never intended\nto remove it, but to intensify it. The law simply defines sin, and\nmakes it sinful, yea, exceedingly sinful, but it does not emancipate\nfrom it. Gal. 3:10 gives us a further reason why justification\ncannot take place by obedience to the law. The law demands perfect\nand continual obedience: \"Cursed is every one that continueth not\nin all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.\"\nNo man can render a perfect and perpetual obedience, therefore\njustification by obedience to the law is impossible. The only thing\nthe law can do is to stop the mouth of every man, and declare him\nguilty before God (Rom. 3:19, 20).\n\nGal. 2:16, and 3:10, Rom. 3:28, are very explicit in their denial\nof justification by law. It is a question of Moses or Christ, works\nor faith, law or promise, doing or believing, wages or a free gift.\n\n2. POSITIVELY: BY GOD'S PEEE GRACE--THE ORIGIN OR SOURCE OF\nJUSTIFICATION.\n\nRom. 3:24--\"Being justified freely by his grace through the\nredemption that is in Christ Jesus.\" \"Freely\" denotes that it is\ngranted without anything done on our part to merit or deserve it.\nFrom the contents of the epistle up to this point it must be clearly\nevident that if men, sinful and sinning, are to be justified at\nall, it must be \"by his free grace.\"\n\n3. BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST--THE GROUND OF JUSTIFICATION.\n\nRom. 3:24--\"Being justified . . . . through the redemption that\nis in Christ Jesus.\" 5:9--\"Much more then, being now justified by\nhis blood.\" 2 Cor. 5:21 (R. V.)--\"Him who knew no sin he made to\nbe sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of\nGod in him.\" The bloodshedding of Christ is here connected with\njustification. It is impossible to get rid of this double idea from\nthis passage. The sacrifices of the Old Testament were more than a\nmeaningless butchery--\"Without shedding of blood is no remission\"\nof sin (Heb. 9:22). The great sacrifice of the New Testament,\nthe death of Jesus Christ, was something more than the death of a\nmartyr--men are \"justified by his blood\" (Rom. 5:9).\n\n4. BY BELIEVING IN JESUS CHRIST--THE CONDITION OF JUSTIFICATION.\n\nGal. 2:16--\"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the\nlaw, but by the faith of Jesus Christ,\" or as the Revised Version\nmargin has it: \"But only through faith in Jesus Christ.\" Rom.\n3:26--\"To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness; that he\nmight be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.\"\n\"Him that believeth in Jesus\" is contrasted with \"as many as are\nof the works of the law\" (Gal. 3:10). When Paul in Romans 4:5 says:\n\"Now to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth\nthe ungodly,\" he gives the death-blow to Jewish righteousness.\n\"His faith is counted for righteousness;\" that pictures the man\nwho, despairing of all dependence upon his works, casts himself\nunreservedly upon the mercy of God, as set forth in Jesus Christ,\nfor his justification. Thus it come to pass that \"all that believe\nare justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified\nby the law of Moses\" (Acts 13:39). The best of men need to be saved\nby faith in Jesus Christ, and the worst need only that. As there\nis no difference in the need, neither is there in the method of\nits application. On this common ground all saved sinners meet, and\nwill stand forever. The first step, then, in justification is to\ndespair of works; the second, to believe on him that justifieth\nthe ungodly.\n\nWe are not to slight good works, for they have their place, but\nthey follow, not precede justification. The workingman is not the\njustified man, but the justified man is the workingman. Works are\nnot meritorious, but they meet with their reward in the life of\nthe justified. The tree _shows_ its life by its fruits, but\nit was alive before the fruit or even the leaves appeared. (See\nunder Faith, II. 3, p. 148, for further suggestions regarding the\nrelation between faith and works.)\n\nSumming up we may say that men are justified _judicially_ by\nGod. (Rom. 8:33); _meritoriously_ by Christ, (Isa. 53:11);\n_mediately_ by _faith_, (Rom. 5:1); _evidentially_\nby works, (James 2:14, 18-24).\n\n\nTHE DOCTRINES OF SALVATION\n\nE. ADOPTION.\n\nI. THE MEANING OF ADOPTION.\n\n   1. ETYMOLOGICALLY.\n   2. SCRIPTURALLY.\n\nII. THE TIME OF ADOPTION.\n\n   1. ETERNAL.\n   2. WHEN ONE BELIEVES.\n   3. COMPLETE AT RESURRECTION.\n\nIII. THE BLESSINGS OF ADOPTION.\n\n   1. FILIAL.\n   2. EXPERIMENTAL.\n\nIV. SOME EVIDENCES OF SONSHIP.\n\n   1. GUIDANCE.\n   2. CONFIDENCE.\n   3. ACCESS.\n   4. LOVE FOR THE BRETHREN.\n   5. OBEDIENCE.\n\nE. ADOPTION.\n\n\nRegeneration begins the new life in the soul; justification deals\nwith the new attitude of God towards that soul, or perhaps better, of\nthat soul towards God; adoption admits man into the family of God\nwith filial joy. Regeneration has to do with our change in nature;\njustification, with our change in standing; sanctification, with\nour change in character; adoption, with our change in position. In\nregeneration the believer becomes a child of God (John 1:12,13);\nin adoption, the believer, already a child, receives a place as\nan adult son; thus the child becomes a son, the minor becomes an\nadult (Gal. 4:1-7).\n\nI. THE MEANING OF ADOPTION.\n\nAdoption means _ the placing of a son_. It is a legal metaphor\nas regeneration is a physical one. It is a Roman word, for adoption\nwas hardly, if at all, known among the Jews. It means the taking\nby one man of the son of another to be his son, so that that son\nhas the same position and all the advantages of a son by birth.\nThe word is Pauline, not Johannine. The word is never once used\nof Christ. It is used of the believer when the question of rights,\nprivileges, and heirship are involved. It is peculiarly a Pauline\nword (Gal. 4:5; Rom. 8:15, 23; 9:4; Eph. 1:5). John uses the word\n\"children,\" not \"sons,\" because he is always speaking of sonship\nfrom the standpoint of nature, growth, and likeness (cf. 1 John\n3:1, R. V.).\n\nExodus 2:10 and Heb. 11:24, furnish two splendid illustrations of\nthe Scriptural sense and use of adoption.\n\nII. THE TIME WHEN ADOPTION TAKES PLACE.\n\n1. IN A CERTAIN SENSE IT IS ETERNAL IN ITS NATURE.\n\nEph. 1:4, 5--Before the foundation of the world we were predestinated\nunto the adoption of children. We need to distinguish between the\nforeordaining to adoption, and the actual act of adoption which\ntook place when we believed in Christ. Just as the incarnation was\nforeordained, and yet took place in time; and just as the Lamb was\nslain from before the foundation of the word, and yet actually only\non Calvary. Why then mention this eternal aspect of adoption? To\nexclude works and to show that our salvation had its origin solely\nin the grace of God (Rom. 9:11; 11:5, 6). Just as if we should\nadopt a child it would be a wholly gracious act on our part.\n\n2. IT TAKES PLACE THE MOMENT ONE BELIEVES IN JESUS CHRIST.\n\n1 John 3:2--\"Beloved, now are we the sons of God.\" Gal. 3:26--\"For\nye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.\" See also\nJohn 1:12. Sonship is now the present possession of the believer.\nStrange as it may be, inconceivable as it may seem, it is nevertheless\ntrue. The world may not think so (v. 1), but God says so, and the\nChristian believing it, exclaims, \"I'm the child of a King.\" Formerly\nwe were slaves; now we are sons.\n\n3. OUR SONSHIP WILL BE COMPLETED AT THE RESURRECTION AND COMING\nAGAIN OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.\n\nRom. 8:23--\"Waiting for the adoption, to-wit, the redemption, of\nthe body.\" Here in this world we are _incognito_; we are not\nrecognized as sons of God. But some day we shall throw off this\ndisguise (2 Cor. 5:10). It doth not appear, it hath not yet appeared\nwhat we shall be; the revelation of the sons of God is reserved\nfor a future day. See also I John 3:1-3.\n\nIII. THE BLESSINGS OF ADOPTION.\n\nThe blessings of adoption are too numerous to mention save in the\nbriefest way. Some of them are as follows:\n\nObjects of God's peculiar love (John 17:23), and His fatherly care\n(Luke 12:27-33).\n\nWe have the family name (1 John 3:1; Eph. 3:14, 15), the family\nlikeness (Rom. 8:29); family love (John 13:35; 1 John 3:14); a\nfilial spirit (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6); a family service (John 14:23,\n24; 15:8).\n\nWe receive fatherly chastisement (Heb. 12:5-11); fatherly comfort\n(Isa. 66:13; 2 Cor. 1:4), and an inheritance (1 Pet. 1:3-5; Rom.\n8:17).\n\nIV. SOME EVIDENCES OF SONSHIP.\n\nThose who are adopted into God's family are: Led by the Spirit\n(Rom. 8:4; Gal. 5:18). Have a childlike confidence in God (Gal.\n4:5, 6). Have liberty of access (Eph. 3:12). Have love for the\nbrethren (1 John 2:9-11; 5:1). Are obedient (1 John 5:1-3).\n\n\nF. SANCTIFICATION.\n\nI. ITS MEANING.\n\n   1. NEGATIVELY--SEPARATION FROM EVIL.\n   2. POSITIVELY--DEDICATION UNTO GOD.\n   3. USED OF THE DIVINE NATURE.\n\nII. WHEN IT TAKES PLACE.\n\n   1. INSTANT.\n   2. PROGRESSIVE.\n   3. COMPLETE.\n\nIII. THE MEANS.\n\n   1. DIVINE.\n   2. HUMAN.\n   3. MEANS USED.\n\n\nF. SANCTIFICATION.\n\nIf Regeneration has to do with our nature, Justification with our\nstanding, and Adoption with our position, then Sanctification has\nto do with our character and conduct. In Justification we are declared\nrighteous in order that, in Sanctification, we may become righteous.\nJustification is what God does for us, while Sanctification is what\nGod does in us. Justification puts us into a right relationship with\nGod, while Sanctification exhibits the fruit of that relationship--a\nlife separated from a sinful world and dedicated unto God.\n\nI. THE MEANING OF SANCTIFICATION.\n\nTwo thoughts are prominent in this definition: separation from\nevil, and dedication unto God and His service.\n\n1. SEPARATION FROM EVIL.\n\n2 Chron. 29:5, 15-18--\"Sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the\nhouse of the Lord God . . . . and carry forth the filthiness out\nof the holy places. . . . And the priests went into the inner part\nof the house of the Lord, to cleanse it, and brought out all the\nuncleanness. . . .Then they went in to Hezekiah the king, and said,\nWe have cleansed all the house of the Lord.\" 1 Thess. 4:3--\"For\nthis is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should\nabstain from fornication.\" See also Heb. 9:3; Exod. 19:20-22; Lev.\n11:44.\n\nIt is evident from these scriptures that sanctification has to do\nwith the turning away from all that is sinful and that is defiling\nto both soul and body.\n\n2. SEPARATION OR DEDICATION UNTO GOD.\n\nIn this sense whatever is set apart from a profane to a sacred use,\nwhatever is devoted exclusively to the service of God, is sanctified.\nSo it follows that a man may \"sanctify his house to be holy unto\nthe Lord,\" or he may \"sanctify unto the Lord some part of a field\nof his possession\" (Lev. 27:14, 16). So also the first-born of all\nthe children were sanctified unto the Lord (Num. 8:17). Even the\nSon of God Himself, in so far as He was set apart by the Father and\nsent into the world to do God's will, was sanctified (John 10:36).\nWhenever a thing or person is separated from the common relations\nof life in order to be devoted to the sacred, such is said to be\nsanctified.\n\n3. IT IS USED OF GOD.\n\nWhenever the sacred writers desire to show that the Lord is\nabsolutely removed from all that is sinful and unholy, and that He\nis absolutely holy in Himself they speak of Him as being sanctified:\n\"When I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes\" (Ezek. 36:23).\n\nII. THE TIME OF SANCTIFICATION.\n\nSanctification may be viewed as past, present, and future; or\ninstantaneous, progressive, and complete.\n\n1. INSTANTANEOUS SANCTIFICATION.\n\n1 Cor. 6:11--\"And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye\nare sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus,\nand by the Spirit of our God.\" Heb. 10:10, 14--\"By the which will\nwe are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ\nonce for all. . . . For by one offering he hath perfected forever\nthem that are sanctified.\" By the death of Jesus Christ the\nsanctification of the believer takes place at once. The very moment\na man believes in Christ he is sanctified, that is, in this first\nsense: he is separated from sin and separated unto God. For this\nreason all through the New Testament believers are called saints\n(1 Cor. 1:2, R. V.; Rom. 1:7, R. V.). If a man is not a saint he\nis not a Christian; if he is a Christian he is a saint. In some\nquarters people are canonized after they are dead; the New Testament\ncanonizes believers while they are alive. Note how that in 1 Cor.\n6:11 \"sanctified\" is put before \"justified.\" The believer grows\n_in_ sanctification rather than _into_ sanctification out\nof something else. By a simple act of faith in Christ the believer\nis at once put into a state of sanctification. Every Christian is\na sanctified man. The same act that ushers him into the state of\njustification admits him at once into the state of sanctification,\nin which he is to grow until he reaches the fulness of the measure\nof the stature of Christ.\n\n2. PROGRESSIVE SANCTIFICATION.\n\nJustification differs from Sanctification thus: the former is an\ninstantaneous act with no progression; while the latter is a crisis\nwith a view to a process--an act, which is instantaneous and which\nat the same time carries with it the idea of growth unto completion.\n\n2 Pet. 3:18--\"But grow in (the) grace, and in the knowledge of our\nLord and Saviour Jesus Christ.\" 2 Cor. 3:18--We \"are transformed\ninto the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the\nSpirit.\" The tense is interesting here: We are being transformed\nfrom one degree of character, or glory, to another. It is because\nsanctification is progressive, a growth, that we are exhorted\nto \"increase and abound\" (1 Thess. 3:12), and to \"abound more and\nmore\" (4:1, 10) in the graces of the Christian life. The fact that\nthere is always danger of contracting defilement by contact with a\nsinful world, and that there is, in the life of the true Christian,\nan ever increasing sense of duty and an ever-deepening consciousness\nof sin, necessitates a continual growth and development in the\ngraces and virtues of the believer's life. There is such a thing\nas \"perfecting holiness\" (2 Cor. 7:1). God's gift to the church of\npastors and teachers is for the purpose of the perfecting of the\nsaints in the likeness of Christ _until_, at last, they attain\nunto the fulness of the divine standard, even Jesus Christ (Eph.\n4:11-15). Holiness is not a mushroom growth; it is not the thing\nof an hour; it grows as the coral reef grows: little by little,\ndegree by degree. See also Phil. 3:10-15.\n\n3. COMPLETE AND FINAL SANCTIFICATION.\n\n1 Thess. 5:23, R. V.--\"And the God of peace himself sanctify you\nwholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved entire,\nwithout blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.\" \"Wholly\"\nmeans complete in every part, perfect in every respect, whether\nit refers to the Church as a whole, or to the individual believer.\nSome day the believer is to be complete in all departments of\nChristian character--no Christian grace missing. Complete in the\n\"spirit\" which links him with heaven; in the \"body\" which links him\nwith earth; in the \"soul\" as being that on which heaven and earth\nplay. Maturity in each separate element of Christian character:\nbody, soul, and spirit.\n\nThis blessing of entire and complete sanctification is to take\nplace when Christ comes: 1 Thess. 3:13--\"To the end that he may\nestablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even\nour Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his\nsaints.\" It is when we shall see Him that we shall be like Him (1\nJohn 3:2). How explicitly Paul puts the matter in Phil. 3:12-14,\nR. V. --\"Not that I have already obtained, or am already made\nperfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold of that for\nwhich also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count\nnot myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do, forgetting\nthe things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things\nwhich are before, I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the\nhigh calling of God in Christ Jesus.\"\n\nIII. THE MEANS OF SANCTIFICATION.\n\nHow are men sanctified? What means are used, and what agencies\nemployed to make men holy and conform them into the likeness of\nChrist? The agencies and means are both divine and human: both God\nand man contributing and co-operating towards this desired end.\n\n1. FROM THE DIVINE SIDE: IT IS THE WORK OF THE TRIUNE GOD.\n\na) God the Father.\n\n1 Thess. 5:23, 24, R. V.--\"And the God of peace himself sanctify\nyou wholly. . . . Faithful is he that calleth you, who will also\ndo it.\" God's work is here contrasted with human efforts to achieve\nthe preceding injunctions. Just as in Hebrews 12:2, and Philippians\n1:6, the Beginner of faith is also the Finisher; so is it\nhere; consequently the end and aim of every exhortation is but to\nstrengthen faith in God who is able to accomplish these things for\nus. Of course there is a sense in which the believer is responsible\nfor his progress in the Christian life (Phil. 3:12, 13), yet it\nis nevertheless true that, after all, it is the divine grace which\nworks all in him (Phil. 2:12, 13). We cannot purify ourselves,\nbut we can yield to God and then the purity will come. The \"God of\npeace,\" He who reconciles us--is the One who sanctifies us. It is\nas if the apostle said: \"God, by His mighty power will do for you\nwhat I, by my admonitions, and you by your own efforts, cannot\ndo.\" See also John 17:17--\"Sanctify them through thy truth.\" Christ\naddresses God as the One who is to sanctify the disciples.\n\nb) Jesus Christ the Son.\n\nHeb. 10:10, R. V.--\"By which will we have been sanctified through\nthe offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.\" The death\nof Jesus Christ separates the believer from sin and the world, and\nsets him apart as redeemed and dedicated to the service of God.\nThis same truth, namely, the sanctification of the church as based\non the sacrificial death of Christ, is set forth in Eph. 5:25,\n27--\"Christ loved the church, and gave himself up for it; that he\nmight sanctify it.\" Christ is \"made unto us . . . sanctification\"\n(1 Cor. 1:30). See also Heb. 13:12, R. V.\n\nc) The Holy Spirit Sanctifies.\n\n1 Pet. 1:2--\"Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the\nFather, through sanctification of the Spirit.\" 2 Thess. 2:13--\".\n. . . Because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation\nthrough sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.\" The\nHoly Spirit seals, attests, and confirms the work of grace in the\nsoul by producing the fruits of righteousness therein. It is the\nSpirit of life in Christ Jesus who gives us freedom from the law\nof sin and death (Rom. 8:2). He is called the _Holy_ Spirit,\nnot only because He is absolutely holy Himself, but also because\nhe produces that quality of soul-character in the believer. The\nSpirit is the executive of the God-head for this very purpose. It is\nthe Spirit's work to war against the lusts of the flesh and enable\nus to bring forth fruit unto holiness (Gal. 5:17-22). How wonderfully\nthis truth is set forth in the contrast between the seventh and\neighth chapters of Romans. Note the unsuccessful struggle of the\nformer, and the victory of the latter. Note also that there is no\nmention of the Holy Spirit in the seventh, while He is mentioned\nabout sixteen times in the eighth chapter. Herein lies the secret\nof failure and victory, sin and holiness.\n\n2. FROM THE HUMAN SIDE.\n\na) Faith in the Redemptive Work of Jesus Christ.\n\n1 Cor. 1:30, R. V.--\"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who was\nmade unto us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification,\nand redemption.\" Christ is indeed all these things to us, but, in\nreality, He becomes such only as we appropriate Him for ourselves.\nOnly as the believer, daily, yea, even momentarily, takes by faith\nthe holiness of Jesus, His faith, His patience, His love, His\ngrace, to be his own for the need of that very moment, can Christ,\nwho by His death was made unto him sanctification in the instantaneous\nsense, become unto him sanctification in the progressive\nsense--producing in the believer His own life moment by moment.\nHerein lies the secret of a holy life--the momentarily appropriation\nof Jesus Christ in all the riches of His grace for every need as\nit arises. The degree of our sanctification is the proportion of\nour appropriation of Christ. See also Acts 26:18.\n\nb) The Study of the Scriptures and Obedience Thereto.\n\nJohn 17:17--\"Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.\"\nEph. 5:26--\"That he might sanctify and cleanse it (i.e., the Church)\nwith the washing of water by the word.\" John 15:3--\"Now ye are clean\nthrough the word which I have spoken unto you.\" Our sanctification\nis limited by our limitation in the knowledge of and our lack of\nobedience to the Word of God. How does the Word of God sanctify? By\nrevealing sin; by awakening conscience; by revealing the character\nof Christ; by showing the example of Christ; by offering the\ninfluences and powers of the Holy Spirit, and by setting forth\nspiritual motives and ideals. There is no power like that of the\nWord of God for detaching a man from the world, the flesh and the\ndevil.\n\nc) Various Other Agencies.\n\nHeb. 12:14, R. V.--\"Follow after . . . the sanctification without\nwhich no man shall see the Lord.\" To \"follow after\" means to\npursue, to persecute, as Saul of Tarsus pursued and followed the\nearly Christians. One cannot become a saint in his sleep. Holiness\nmust be the object of his pursuit. The lazy man will not be the\nholy man.\n\nHeb. 12:10, 11: God chastens us \"for our profit, that we might be\npartakers of his holiness.\" Chastisement ofttimes is intended to\n\"produce the peaceable fruit of righteousness.\"\n\nRom. 6:19-32; 2 Cor. 6:17, 7:1. Sanctification is brought about\nin the life of the believer by his separating himself deliberately\nfrom all that is unclean and unholy, and by presenting, continually\nand constantly, the members of his body as holy instruments unto God\nfor the accomplishment of His holy purposes. Thus by these single\nacts of surrender unto holiness, sanctification soon becomes the\nhabit of the life.\n\n\nG. PRAYER.\n\nI. ITS IMPORTANCE.\n\nII. ITS NATURE.\n\n   1. AS SEEN IN ITS HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT.\n   2. SCRIPTURAL TERMS.\n\nIII. ITS POSSIBILITY.\n\n   1. THE REVELATION OF GOD.\n   2. THE WORK OF THE SON.\n   3. THE ASSISTANCE OF THE SPIRIT.\n   4. THE PROMISES.\n   5. CHRISTIAN TESTIMONY.\n\nIV. ITS OBJECTS.\n\n   1. GOD THE FATHER.\n   2. CHRIST THE SON.\n   3. THE HOLY SPIRIT.\n\nV. ITS METHOD.\n\n   1. POSTURE.\n   2. TIME AND PLACE.\n\nVI. HINDEANCES AND HELPS.\n\n   1. HINDRANCES.\n   2. HELPS--ESSENTIALS.\n\nG. PRAYER.\n\nI. THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER.\n\n\nEven a cursory perusal of the Scriptures will reveal the large and\nimportant place which the doctrine of Prayer finds therein. The\nChristian life cannot be sustained without it; it is the Christian's\nvital breath. Its importance is seen when we recall:\n\nThat the neglect of prayer is grievous to the Lord (Isa. 43:21, 22;\n64:6, 7, R. V.). That many evils in life are to be attributed\nto the lack of prayer (Zeph. 1:4-6; Dan. 9:13, 14, cf. Hosea 7:13,\n14; 8:13, 14).\n\nThat it is a sin to neglect prayer (1 Sam. 12:23).\n\nThat to continue in prayer is a positive command (Col. 4:2, R. V.;\n1 Thess. 5:17; we are commanded to take leisure or a vacation for\nprayer: 1 Cor. 7:5).\n\nThat it is God's appointed method of obtaining what He has to bestow\n(Dan. 9:3; Matt. 7:7-11; 9:24-29; Luke 11:13).\n\nThat the lack of the necessary blessings in life comes from failure\nto pray (James 4:2).\n\nThat the apostles regarded prayer as the most important employment\nthat could engage their time or attention (Acts 6:4; Rom. 1:9;\nCol. 1:9).\n\nII. THE NATURE OF PRAYER.\n\nIt is interesting to trace the development of prayer in the\nScriptures.\n\nIn the life of the patriarch Abraham prayer seems to have taken the\nform of a dialogue--God and man drawing near and talking to each\nother (Gen. 18; 19); developing into intercession (Gen. 17:18;\n18:23, 32), and then into personal prayer (Gen. 15:2; 24:12); Jacob,\n(Gen. 28:20; 32:9-12, 24; Hosea 12:4). The patriarchal blessings\nare called prayers (Gen 49:1; Deut. 33:11).\n\nDuring the period of the Law. Not very much prominence is given\nto formal prayer during this period. Deut. 26:1-15 seems to be the\nonly one definitely recorded. Prayer had not yet found a stated\nplace in the ritual of the law. It seems to have been more of a\npersonal than a formal matter, and so while the Law may not afford\nmuch material, yet the life of the lawgiver, Moses, abounds with\nprayer (Exod. 5:22; 32:11; Num. 11:11-15).\n\nUnder Joshua (7:6-9; 10:14), and the judges (c. 6) we are told that\nthe children of Israel \"cried unto the Lord.\"\n\nUnder Samuel prayer seems to have assumed the nature of intercession\n(1 Sam. 7:5, 12; 8:16-18); personal (1 Sam. 15:11, 35; 16:1).\nIn Jeremiah (15:1) Moses and Samuel are represented as offering\nintercessory prayer for Israel.\n\nDavid seems to regard himself as a prophet and priest, and prays\nwithout an intercessor (2 Sam. 7:18-29).\n\nThe prophets seem to have been intercessors, e.g., Elijah (1 Kings\n18). Yet personal prayers are found among the prophets (Jer. 20--both\npersonal and intercessory; 33:3; 42:4; Amos 7).\n\nIn the Psalms prayer takes the form of a pouring out of the heart\n(42:4; 62:8; 100:2, title). The psalmist does not seem to go before\nGod with fixed and orderly petitions so much as simply to pour\nout his feelings and desires, whether sweet or bitter, troubled\nor peaceful. Consequently the prayers of the psalmist consist of\nvarying moods: complaint, supplication, confession, despondency,\npraise.\n\nTrue prayer consists of such elements as adoration, praise, petition,\npleading, thanksgiving, intercession, communion, waiting. The closet\ninto which the believer enters to pray is not only an oratory --a\nplace of prayer, it is an observatory--a place of vision. Prayer\nis not \"A venture and a voice of mine; but a vision and a voice\ndivine.\" Isa. 63:7; 64:12, illustrates all essential forms of\naddress in prayer.\n\nIII. THE POSSIBILITY OF PRAYER.\n\nThis possibility consists in five things:\n\n1. THE REVELATION OF GOD WHICH CHRIST HAS BROUGHT TO US.\n\nJohn 1:18--\"No man hath seen God at any time; the only-begotten\nSon, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.\"\nMatt. 11:27--\". . . . Neither knoweth any man the Father, save the\nSon, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.\"\n\nChrist reveals God as a _personal_ God, as a Being who sees,\nfeels, knows, understands, and acts. Belief in the personality of\nGod is absolutely necessary to true prayer (Heb. 11:6).\n\nChrist reveals God as a _sovereign_ God (Matt. 19:26)--\"With\nGod all things are possible.\" God is sovereign over all laws; He\ncan make them subservient to His will, and use them in answering\nthe prayers of His children. He is not bound by any so-called\nunchangeable laws.\n\nChrist revealed God as a _Father_ (Luke 11:13). In every\ninstance in the life of Christ whenever He addresses God in prayer\nit is always as Father. The fact of the fatherhood of God makes\nprayer possible. It would be unnatural for a father not to commune\nwith his child.\n\n2. THE SACRIFICIAL WORK OF JESUS CHRIST.\n\nHeb. 10:19-22, R. V.--\"Having therefore, brethren, boldness to\nenter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by the way which\nhe dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that\nis to say, his flesh; and having a great priest over the house of\nGod; let us draw near with a true heart in fulness of faith.\" It\nis because of the death of Christ, which removed the barrier that\nstood between God and us so that He could not consistently hear and\nanswer our prayers, that He can now hear and answer the petitions\nof His children.\n\n3. THE INSPIRATION OF THE HOLY GHOST.\n\nRom. 8:26--\"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for\nwe know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit\nhimself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be\nuttered.\" See also Jude 20. The thought is this: Even though we\nare assured that there is a personal God to hear us, and although\nwe have the confidence that the barrier of sin which stood between\nus and God has been removed, so that we now desire to pray, we often\nare hindered because we either do not know what to say or what to\nask for. We may ask too ardently for wrong things, or too languidly\nfor the things we most need. And so we are afraid to pray. The\nassurance that this verse gives us is that the Holy Spirit will pray\nwithin us, and will indict the petition, helping us in our prayer\nlife.\n\n4. THE MANY PROMISES OF THE BIBLE.\n\nWe are told that there are over 33,000 of them. Each promise is \"yea\nand amen in Jesus Christ\"; He is the guarantee and the guarantor\nof them all. They are not given to mock but to encourage us: \"Hath\nhe said and shall he not do it? Hath he spoken and shall he not\nmake it good?\" See John 14:13; 15:7; 1 John 5:14, 15; Luke 11:9,\netc.\n\n5. THE UNIVERSAL CHRISTIAN TESTIMONY.\n\nChristians, by the millions, the world over, can and do testify to\nthe fact that God both hears and answers prayer. The credibility,\ncharacter, and intelligence of the vast number of witnesses make\ntheir testimony indisputable and incontrovertible.\n\nIV. THE OBJECTS OF PRAYER--TO WHOM TO PRAY.\n\n1. TO GOD.\n\nNeh 4:9; Acts 12:5--\"Prayer was made without ceasing of the church\nunto God for him\": God is holy--hence there must be no impurity\nin the life of the one praying; righteous, hence no crookedness;\ntruthful, hence no lying or hypocrisy; powerful, hence we may have\nconfidence; transcendent, hence reverence in our approach.\n\n2. TO CHRIST.\n\nActs 7:59--\"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.\" 2 Cor. 12:8, 9; 2 Tim.\n2:22.\n\n3. THE HOLY SPIRIT.\n\nRom. 8:15, 16 sets forth the relation of the Holy Spirit and prayer,\nas do also Zech. 12:10; Eph. 6:18; Jude 20. The Holy Spirit is God\n(Acts 5:3, 4; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14), hence is to be worshipped\n(Matt. 4:10; Rev. 22:9).\n\nThe normal mode of prayer is prayer in the Spirit, on the ground\nof the merits of the Son, to the Father: In the Spirit, through\nthe Son, to the Father.\n\nV. THE METHOD OR MANNER OF PRAYER.\n\n1. WITH REGARD TO THE POSTURE OF THE BODY.\n\nThe soul may be in prayer no matter what is the attitude of the\nbody. The Scriptures sanction no special bodily posture. Christ\nstood and prayed (John 17:1), knelt (Luke 22:41), He also fell on\nhis face on the ground (Matt. 26:39); Solomon knelt (1 Kings 8:54);\nElijah prayed with his elbows on his knees and his face buried in\nhis hands; David prayed lying on his bed (Psa. 63:6); Peter prayed\non the water (Matt. 14:30); the dying thief, on the cross (Luke\n23:42).\n\n2. TIME AND PLACE.\n\nTime: _Stated times_ (Dan. 6:10; Psa. 55:16, 17; Acts 3:1;\n2:46; 10:9, 30). _Special occasions:_ Choosing the twelve (Luke\n6:12, 13). Before the cross (Luke 22:39-46). After great successes\n(John 6:15, cf. Mark 6:46-48). _Early in the morning_ (Mark\n1:35). _All night_ (Luke 6:12). _Times of special trouble_\n(Psa. 81:7, cf. Exod. 2:23; 3:7; 14:10, 24). _At meals_ (Matt.\n14:19; Acts 27:35; 1 Tim. 4:4, 5).\n\nPlace of Prayer: Inner chamber (Matt. 6:6); amid nature (Matt.\n14:23; Mark 1:35). In the church (John 17:1; Psa. 95:6). Before\nthe unsaved (Acts 16:25; 27:35). In all places (1 Tim. 2:8, R.\nV.).\n\nVI. HINDRANCES AND HELPS TO PRAYER.\n\n1. HINDRANCES.\n\nIndulged known sin (Psa. 66:18; Isa. 59:1, 2). Wilful disobedience\nto known commandments (Prov. 28:9). Selfishness (James 4:3).\nUnforgiving spirit (Matt. 5:22, 23; 6:12). Lack of faith (Heb.\n11:6; James 1:6). Idols in the heart (Ezek. 8:5-18; 14:1-3).\n\n2. HELPS--ESSENTIALS TO PREVAILING PRAYER.\n\nSincerity (Psa. 145:18; Matt. 6:5). Simplicity (Matt. 6:7, cf.\n26:44). Earnestness (James 5:17; Acts 12:5; Luke 22:44). Persistence\n(Luke 18:1-8; Col. 4:2; Rom. 12:12, R. V.). Faith (Matt. 21:22;\nJames 1:6). Unison with others (Matt. 18:19, 20). Definiteness\n(Psa. 27:4; Matt. 18:19). Effort (Exod. 14:15). In the name of\nJesus (John 16:23; 14:13, 14). With fasting (Acts 13:2, 3; 14:23).\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH\n\nI. DEFINITION; DISTINCTIONS.\n\n   1. OLD TESTAMENT.\n   2. NEW TESTAMENT.\n   3. THE CHURCH; CHRISTENDOM; KINGDOM.\n\nII. THE FOUNDING OF THE CHURCH.\n\n   1. IN PROPHECY AND PROMISE.\n   2. HISTORICALLY FOUNDED.\n\nIII. MEMBERSHIP IN THE CHURCH.\n\nConditions of Entrance; Characteristics.\n\n   1. REPENTANCE AND BAPTISM.\n   2. FAITH IN THE DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST.\n   3. REGENERATION.\n   4. PUBLIC CONFESSION OF CHRIST--BAPTISM.\n   5. ADHERENCE TO THE APOSTLES' DOCTRINE.\n   6. CHARACTERISTICS.\n\nIV. FIGURES UNDER WHICH THE CHURCH\nIS PRESENTED.\n\n   1. THE BODY OF CHRIST.\n   2. THE TEMPLE OF GOD.\n   3. THE BRIDE OF CHRIST.\n\nV. THE ORDINANCES OF THE CHURCH.\n\n   1. BAPTISM.\n   2. THE LORD'S SUPPER.\n\nVI. THE VOCATION OF THE CHURCH.\n\n   1. TO WORSHIP GOD.\n   2. TO EVANGELIZE THE WORLD.\n   3. PERFECT EACH MEMBER.\n   4. TO WITNESS.\n   5. FUTURE GLORY.\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH.\n\nThere is great danger of losing sight of the Church in the endeavor\nto emphasize the idea of the Kingdom of Heaven or Christendom. We\nare prone to think it a small thing to speak of the Church; the\nKingdom and Christendom seem so large in comparison. We are tempted\nto distinguish and contrast Churchism, as it is sometimes called,\nand Christianity, to the disparagement of the former. It is well\nto remember that Jesus Christ positively identifies Himself with\nthe Church (Acts 9) and not with Christendom; He gave up His life\nthat He might found the Church (Eph. 5:25). The Apostle Paul sacrificed\nhimself in his endeavors to build up the Church, not Christendom.\nHe speaks of his greatest sin as consisting in persecuting the\nChurch of God (1 Cor. 15:9). The supreme business of God in this\nage is the gathering of the Church. Some day it will be complete\n(Eph. 4:12), and then the age will have served its purpose.\n\nI. DEFINITIONS; DISTINCTIONS.\n\n1. OLD TESTAMENT USE OF THE WORD.\n\nLev. 4:13--\"And if the whole congregation of Israel sin through\nignorance, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly . .\n. .\" The Hebrew word for _assembly_ means to _call_ or\n_assemble,_ and is used not only for the act of calling itself,\nbut also for the assembly of the called ones. In this sense Israel\nis called a \"church,\" an assembly, because called out from among\nthe other nations to be a holy people (Acts 7:38, \"the church in\nthe wilderness\"). There is always a religious aspect associated\nwith this particular call.\n\n2. THE NEW TESTAMENT USE OF THE WORD.\n\nIt is from the New Testament primarily, if not really exclusively,\nthat the real meaning and idea of the Church is derived. The Christian\nChurch is a New Testament institution, beginning with Pentecost,\nand ending, probably, with the rapture. Two words are of special\nimportance in this connection:\n\na) Ecclesia, from Two Greek Words Meaning \"To Call Out From.\"\n\nThis word is used in all about 111 times in the New Testament. It\nis used in a secular sense in Acts 19:39--\"It shall be determined\nin a lawful assembly\"; of Israel in the wilderness (Acts 7:38),\nand of the assembly of believers in Christ (Matt. 16:18; 18:17; 1\nCor. 1:2; Eph. 5:25-27). In keeping with this idea the saints are\nsaid to be the \"called-out\" ones (Rom. 8:30; 1 Cor. 1:2; cf. 2 Cor.\n6:17).\n\nb) \"Kuriakon\"--That Which Belongs to the Lord.\n\nSo we have \"the supper of the Lord\" (1 Cor. 11:20); the \"day of\nthe Lord\" (Rev. 1:10). See also Luke 22:25 and Rom. 14:8, 9, as\nillustrating that over which the Lord has dominion and authority.\n\nTo sum up then: The Church is composed of the body of believers who\nhave been called out from the world, and who are under the dominion\nand authority of Jesus Christ.\n\nc) The Growth of the Church Idea in the New Testament.\n\nAt first there was but one Church at Jerusalem. The meetings may\nhave been held in different houses, yet there was but one Church\nwith one roster: so we read of the total membership consisting\nat one time of 120 (Acts 1:15), again of 3,000 (2:41), and still\nagain of 5,000 (4:4), to which there were daily additions (2:47).\nThe apostles were at the head of the Church (2:41-47). See Acts,\ncc. 1 and 2, for a fuller account of the first Church.\n\nThe second stage in the growth of the Church was its spread throughout\nJudea and Samaria, as recorded in Acts 8.\n\nAntioch, in Syria, then became the head of the Gentile Church (Acts\n13:1), as Jerusalem was the head of the Jewish Church (Acts 15);\nPaul representing the Church at Antioch, and Peter and James at\nJerusalem. The assembly at Antioch was called \"the church\" just as\ntruly as was the assembly at Jerusalem (11:22; 13:1).\n\nBecause of the missionary activities of the apostles, especially\nPaul, churches sprang up in different cities, especially in Asia\nMinor, e.g., Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, and Philippi.\n\nIn view of all this the term \"church\" came to be used of the Church\n_universal,_ that is, the complete body of Christ as existing\nin every place (1 Cor. 15:9; Gal. 1:2, 13; Matt. 16:18); of\n_local_ churches in any one place (Col. 4:16; Phil. 4:15; 1\nCor. 1:2, etc.); of _single meetings,_ even where two or three\nmet together (Matt. 18:19; Col. 4:15; Phil. 1:2; Rom. 16:5).\n\nIt is evident, then, from what has here been said, that by the term\n\"church\" is included all that is meant from the Church Universal\nto the meeting of the church in the house. Wherever God's people\nmeet in the name of Christ to worship, there you have the Church.\n\n3. DISTINCTIONS:\n\na) The Church and the Kingdom.\n\nThe Church (which is the mystery) and the Kingdom in mystery are\nnow contemporary. The Kingdom will be fully manifested at the\ncoming of Christ. The Church is within the Kingdom; probably the\nregenerate are \"the children of the kingdom.\" The Kingdom is comprised\nof both good and bad (Matt. 13); the Church, of real saints only.\nThe Jews rejected the Kingdom under Christ and the apostles. That\nKingdom, now rejected, will be set up again when the Messiah comes.\nThis conception will help us to understand the parables of Matthew\n13, as well as the Sermon on the Mount. The tares are sown not in\nthe Church, but in the field, which is the world. The Church may\nbe looked upon as part of the Kingdom of God, just as Illinois is\npart of the United States. The Kingdom is present, in a sense,\njust as the King is present in the hearts of his own people. There\nis a difference between the Church and Christendom, just as there\nis a difference between possessing and professing Christians.\nBaptized Christendom is one thing, and the Church of Christ is\nanother.\n\nb) The Church Visible and Invisible: Actual and Ideal.\n\nThe Church _Visible_ is composed of all those whose names are\nenrolled upon its roster; _Invisible,_ of those whose names\nare written in the Lamb's book of life; _Actual,_ people\nimperfect, yet aiming after perfection, alive here on the earth;\n_Ideal,_ departed saints who are now triumphant in heaven (Heb.\n12:23). There is a Church in heaven just as there is one upon the\nearth; indeed, it is but a part of the one Church; called the Church\n_militant_ while upon the earth, and the Church _triumphant_\nin heaven.\n\nc) The Church Local and Universal.\n\nBy the first is meant the Church in any particular place, such\nas \"the church at Corinth\"; by the latter, the Church as found in\nevery place (1 Cor. 1:2).\n\nII. THE FOUNDING OF THE CHURCH.\n\n1. FORETOLD BY CHRIST.\n\nMatt. 16:16-18--\". . . . On this rock I will build my church.\" Here\nis the Church in prophecy and promise; the first mention of the\nChurch in the New Testament. Note the distinction here recognized\nbetween the \"Kingdom\" and the \"Church.\"\n\nThe Church is to be founded on Peter's confession of Jesus Christ\nas the Son of the living God. No supremacy is here given to Peter,\nas a comparison of these verses with John 20:19-23, and Matt.\n18:18--in which the same privilege of the binding and loosing is\ngiven to the whole Church and to all the apostles--will show.\n\nIn Matthew 18:15-20 our Lord recognizes the fact of the Church, and\nalso that it has the divine seal and sanction in the exercising of\nthe power of the keys.\n\n2. HISTORICALLY FOUNDED BY THE APOSTLES.\n\nActs 1-2:47. The promise and prophecy of Matt. 16:16-18 is here\nfulfilled. Here is the account of the first Christian Church in\nits glorious beginning, and as it actually existed in Jerusalem.\nWhen a man became regenerate by believing in Jesus Christ he was\nthereby constituted a member of the Church. There was no question\nas to whether he ought to join himself to the Church or not; that\nwas a fact taken for granted. So we read that the Lord was adding\nto the Church daily such as were being saved. The Church was already\na concrete institution to which every believer in Christ united\nhimself.\n\n\"The Apostles' doctrine\" formed the standard of faith--a fulfillment\nof Christ's prophecy and promise in Matthew 16:16-18: \"On this rock\nI will build my church,\" etc.\n\nThe Church had _stated places of meeting:_ the upper room (Acts\n1:13), the temple (5:12), the homes of members (2:46, 12:12), and\nthe synagogue; _stated times of_ meeting: daily (2:46), each\nLord's Day (20:7), the _regular hours_ of prayer (3:1; 10:9);\n_a regular church roll:_ 120 (1:15), 3,000 (2:41), 5,000 (4:4);\n_daily additions_ (2:47).\n\nThat there were definitely, regularly organized churches is clear\nfrom the fact that the Apostle Paul addressed many of his epistles\nto churches in different localities. The letters to the Corinthians\n(e.g., 1 Ep. 12-14) show that the churches had already recognized\ncertain forms of service and liturgy; those to Timothy and Titus\npresume a regularly organized congregation of believers. That there\nis a Church in the world is clear from 1 Cor. 5:9-13. The Christian\nChurch is as much an entity as the Gentile, or the Jew (1 Cor.\n10:32). The existence of church officers proves the existence of\nthe Church in an organized form: bishops and deacons (Phil. 1:1),\nelders (Acts 20:17), the presbytery (1 Tim. 4:14). Church letters\nwere granted to members (Acts 18:27).\n\nIII. MEMBERSHIP IN THE CHURCH--ITS CONDITIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS.\n\n1. REPENTANCE AND BAPTISM REQUIRED OF ALL ITS MEMBERS.\n\nActs 2:38-41--\"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized\nevery one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of\nsins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Then they\nthat gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there\nwere added unto them about three thousand souls.\"\n\n2. FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AS THE DIVINE REDEEMER.\n\nMatt. 16:16-18; Acts 2:38, 39. Peter's entire sermon in Acts 2\nillustrates this fact.\n\n3. SAVED-REGENERATED.\n\nActs 2:47--\". . . . And the Lord added to the church such as should\nbe saved.\" Cf. John 3:3, 5. It was essential that the members of\nthe early Church should be \"added unto the Lord\" before they were\nadded to the Church (5:14; 11:24).\n\n4. BAPTISM IN THE NAME OF THE TRIUNE GOD AS AN OPEN CONFESSION OF\nCHRIST.\n\nMatt. 28:19--\"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing\nthem in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy\nGhost.\" Acts 2:38-41; 10:47, 48; 22:16: cf. Rom. 10:9, 10.\n\n5. ADHERENCE TO THE APOSTOLIC DOCTRINE.\n\nActs 2:42--\"And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine\nand fellowship.\" Cf. \"On this rock I will build my church\" (Matt.\n16:16-18); also Eph. 2:20.\n\n6. CHARACTERISTICS OF MEMBERSHIP IN THE EARLY CHURCH.\n\nThe members were known as believers (Acts 4:32); brethren (11:29;\n12:17; Rom. 1:13--the absolute equality of all believers, cf. Matt.\n23:8-10); Christians (Acts 11:26; 26:28); saints (9:13; 1 Cor. 1:2;\nRev. 13:7); elect (Mark 13:27; Rom. 8:33; Eph. 1:4).\n\nIV. FIGURES UNDER WHICH THE CHURCH IS SET FORTH IN THE SCRIPTURES.\n\n1. THE BODY, OF WHICH CHRIST IS THE HEAD.\n\nTwo ideas are contained in this symbol:\n\na) The Relation of the Church to Christ, Who Is Its Head.\n\nEph. 1:22, 23; Col. 1:18; 2:19. The Church is an organism, not\nan organization. There is a vital relation between Christ and the\nChurch, both partaking of the same life, just as there is between\nthe physical head and the body. We cannot join the Church as we\nwould a lodge or any mere human organization. We must be partakers\nby faith of Christ's life before we can become members of Christ's\nChurch, in the true sense. As the Head of the Church Christ is\nits Guardian and Director (Eph. 5:23, 24); the Source of its life,\nfilling it with His fulness (Eph. 1:23); the Centre of its Unity\nand the Cause of its growth (Eph. 4:15; Col. 2:19).\n\nb) The Relation of the Members One to Another.\n\n1 Cor. 12:12-27; Rom. 12:4, 5; Eph. 4:1-4, 15,16.\n\n2. A TEMPLE, A BUILDING, A HABITATION, A DWELLING-PLACE FOR GOD'S\nSPIRIT.\n\nEph. 2:20, 21; 1 Cor. 3:9-17; 1 Tim. 3:15; 1 Pet. 2:4-8; Rev. 21:3;\n1 Cor. 6:19. Of this building Christ is the cornerstone, and the\nprophets and apostles the foundation. In 1 Cor. 3 Christ is the chief\ncornerstone and the apostles the builders; the whole building is\nheld in place by Christ.\n\n3. THE BRIDE OF CHRIST.\n\n2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:25-27; Rev. 19:7; 22:17. Christ is the\nBridegroom (John 3:29). This is a great mystery (Eph. 5:32). The\nBride becomes the wife of the Lamb (Rev. 21:2).\n\nV. THE ORDINANCES OF THE CHURCH.\n\n1. BAPTISM.\n\nMatt. 28:19, 20; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38, 41; 8:36-40; 10:47, 48.\n\n2. THE LORD'S SUPPER.\n\nActs 2:42, 46; 20:7--\"And upon the first day of the week, when the\ndisciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them,\nready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until\nmidnight.\" 1 Cor. 11:20-34.\n\nVI. THE VOCATION OF THE CHURCH.\n\n1. TO WORSHIP GOD AND TO GLORIFY HIM ON THE EARTH:\n\nEph. 1:4-6--\"According as he hath chosen us in him before the\nfoundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame\nbefore him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of\nchildren by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure\nof his will. To the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he\nhath made us accepted in the beloved.\"\n\n2. TO EVANGELIZE THE WORLD WITH THE GOSPEL:\n\nMatt. 28:19, 20--\"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing\nthem in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy\nGhost.\" Acts 2; 5:42; 6:5-8; Eph. 3:8; Acts 15:7.\n\n3. TO DEVELOP EACH INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIAN UNTIL HE ATTAINS UNTO THE\nFULNESS OF THE STATURE OF CHRIST:\n\nEph. 4:11-15. Hence the gift of pastors, teachers, etc. Herein\nlies the value of church attendance--it promotes growth; failure\nto attend leads to apostasy (Heb. 10:25-28), cf. 1 Thess. 5:11; 1\nCor. 12.\n\n4. A CONSTANT WITNESS FOR CHRIST AND HIS WORD:\n\nActs 1:8--\"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is\ncome upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem,\nand in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of\nthe earth.\" 8:1, 4.\n\n5. THE FUTURE GLORY OF THE CHURCH:\n\nEph. 3:10, 21; Eev. 7:9-17.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOCTRINE OF THE SCRIPTURES.\n\nI. NAMES AND TITLES.\n\n   1. THE BIBLE.\n   2. THE TESTAMENTS.\n   3. THE SCRIPTURES.\n   4. THE WORD OF GOD.\n\nII. INSPIRATION.\n\n   1. DEFINITION.\n   2. DISTINCTIONS.\n      a) Revelation.\n      b) Illumination.\n      c) Reporting.\n   3. VIEWS:\n      a) Natural Inspiration.\n      b) Christian Illumination.\n      c) Dynamic Theory.\n      d) Concept Theory.\n      e) Verbal Inspiration.\n      f) Partial Inspiration.\n      g) Plenary Inspiration.\n   4. THE CLAIMS OF THE SCRIPTURES THEMSELVES:\n      a) The Old Testament.\n      b) The New Testament.\n   5. THE CHARACTER (OR DEGREES) OF INSPIRATION.\n      a) Actual Words of God Himself.\n      b) Actual Words Communicated by God to Men.\n      e) Individual Freedom in Choice of Words--To What Extent?\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOCTRINE OF THE SCRIPTURES.\n\nI. THE BIBLE--ITS NAMES AND TITLES.\n\n1. \"THE BIBLE.\"\n\nOur English word _Bible_ comes from the Greek words _biblos_\n(Matt. 1:1) and _biblion_ (diminutive form) (Luke 4:17), which\nmean _\"book.\"_ Ancient books were written upon the biblus or\npapyrus reed, and from this custom came the Greek name _biblos,_\nwhich finally came to be applied to the sacred books. See Mark\n12:26; Luke 3:4; 20:42; Acts 1:20; 7:42.\n\nThe Bible is not merely _a_ book, however. It is THE BOOK--the\nBook that from the importance of its subjects, the wideness of its\nrange, the majesty of its Author, stands as high above all other\nbooks as the heaven is high above the earth.\n\n2. \"THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS.\"\n\nSee Luke 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25; 2 Cor. 3:6, 14; Heb. 9:15; 12:24.\n\nThe word _Testament_ means _Covenant,_ and is the term\nby which God was pleased to designate the relation that existed\nbetween Himself and His people. The term _Covenant_ was first\nof all applied to the relation itself, and afterward to the books\nwhich contained the record of that relation.\n\nBy the end of the second century we find the \"Old Covenant\" and the\n\"New Covenant\" as the established names of the Jewish and Christian\nScriptures; and Origen, in the beginning of the third century, mentioned\n\"the divine Scriptures, the so-called Old and New Covenants.\"\n\nThe Old Testament deals with the record of the calling and history\nof the Jewish nation, and as such it is the Old Covenant. The New\nTestament deals with the history and application of the redemption\nwrought by the Lord Jesus Christ, and as such it is the New Covenant.\n\n3. \"THE SCRIPTURE,\" AND \"THE SCRIPTURES.\"\n\nThe Bible is also called \"The Scripture\" (Mark 12:10; 15:28; Luke\n4:21; John 2:22; 7:38; 10:35; Rom. 4:3; Gal. 4:30; 2 Pet. 1:20), and\n\"The Scriptures\" (Matt. 22:29; Mark 12:24; Luke 24:27; John 5:39;\nActs 17:11; Rom. 1:2; 2 Tim. 3:15; 2 Pet. 3:16). These terms mean\nthat the Scriptures are \"Holy Writings.\" By the early Christians\nthe most common designation for the whole Bible was \"The Scriptures.\"\n\n4. \"THE WORD OF GOD.\"\n\nOf all the names given to the Bible, \"The Word of God\" (Mark 7:13;\nRom. 10:17; 2 Cor. 2:17; Heb. 4:12; 1 Thess. 2:13) is doubtless\nthe most significant, impressive, and complete. It is sufficient\nto justify the faith of the weakest Christian. It gathers up all\nthat the most earnest search can unfold. It teaches us to regard the\nBible as the utterance of divine wisdom and love--as God speaking\nto man.\n\nII. THE INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE.\n\n1. WHAT IS MEANT BY THE TERM \"INSPIRATION.\"\n\nThis question is best answered by Scripture itself. It defines its\nown terms. Let us turn, then, \"to the Law and to the Testimony.\"\n\nIn 2 Tim. 3:16--\"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.\"\n\nThe word \"inspired\" means literally \"God-breathed.\" It is composed\nof two Greek words--_theos=God;_ and _pnein=to breathe._\nThe term \"given by inspiration\" signifies, then, that the writings\nof the Old Testament, of which Paul is here speaking, are the result\nof a certain influence exerted by God upon their authors.\n\nThe meaning of the word \"breathed,\" as here used, is brought\nout very forcibly by the comparison of two other words translated\nin the same way. The one is the Greek word _psuchein=to breathe\ngently,_ while in 2 Tim. 3:16 the term denotes a forcible\nrespiration. The other is the Hebrew word _ah-ayrh=to breathe\nunconsciously,_ while 2 Tim. 3:16 denotes a conscious breathing.\n\nInspiration, then, as defined by Paul in this passage, is the\n_strong, conscious inbreathing of God into men, qualifying them\nto give utterance to truth. It is God speaking through men, and the\nOld Testament is therefore just as much the Word of God as though\nGod spake every single word of it with His own lips._ The\nScriptures are the result of divine inbreathing, just as human\nspeech is uttered by the breathing through a man's mouth.\n\n2 Pet. 1:21--\"For not by the will of man was prophecy brought at\nany time, but being borne by the Holy Spirit, the holy men of God\nspoke.\" (This is a literal rendering, and brings out the sense more\nclearly.)\n\nThe participle \"moved\" may be translated \"when moved,\" so this\npassage teaches that holy men of God wrote the Scripture _when_\nmoved to do so by the Holy Spirit.\n\nFurther, the participle is passive, and denotes \"to be moved upon.\"\nThis distinctly teaches that the Scripture was not written by mere\nmen, or at their suggestion, but by men _moved upon_, prompted,\nyea indeed, driven by the promptings of the Holy Spirit.\n\nThis declaration of Peter may be said to intimate that the Holy Ghost\nwas especially and miraculously present with and in the writers of\nthe Scriptures, revealing to them truths which they did not know\nbefore, and guiding them alike in their record of these truths,\nand of the transactions of which they were eye and ear witnesses,\nso that they were enabled to present them with substantial accuracy\nto the minds of others.\n\nThe statements of the Scriptures regarding Inspiration may be summed\nup as follows: Holy men of God, qualified by the infusion of the\nbreath of God, wrote in obedience to the divine command, and were\nkept from all error, whether they revealed truths previously unknown\nor recorded truths already familiar. In this sense, \"all Scripture\nis given by inspiration of God,\" the Bible is indeed and in truth\nthe very Word of God, and the books of the Bible are of divine\norigin and authority.\n\n2. THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN INSPIRATION, REVELATION, ILLUMINATION,\nAND VERBATIM REPORTING.\n\na) The Distinction Between Inspiration and Revelation.\n\nIt is of the greatest importance, in considering the theme of\nInspiration, to distinguish it clearly from Revelation.\n\nThe most cursory perusal of the Scriptures reveals the fact that\nthey consist of two different kinds of records: first, records of\ntruth directly revealed and imparted to the mind of the writer by\nGod, and which he could have learned in no other manner (such, for\nexample, as the story of Creation); and second, records of events\nthat occurred within the writer's own observation, and of sayings\nthat fell upon his own ears (such as Moses' account of the Exodus,\nPaul's account of his interview with Peter at Antioch). In the one\ncase, the writer records things that had not been revealed to man\nbefore; in the other case, he records facts which were as well\nknown to others as to himself.\n\nNow, Revelation is that act of God by which He directly communicates\ntruth not known before to the human mind. Revelation discovers new\ntruth, while Inspiration superintends the communicating of that\ntruth.\n\nAll that is in the Bible has not been \"directly revealed\" to man.\nIt contains history, and the language of men, even of wicked men.\nBut there is absolutely no part of the Bible record that is not\ninspired. The history recorded in the Bible is true. The sacred\nwriters were so directed and influenced by the Spirit that they\nwere preserved, in writing, from every error of fact and doctrine.\nThe history remains history. Things not sanctioned by God, recorded\nin the Bible, are to be shunned (2 Tim. 3:16). Nevertheless, all\nthese things were written under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.\nThis is Inspiration.\n\nThis distinction should be definitely and clearly understood, for\nmany of the most plausible arguments against the full inspiration\nof the Scriptures have arisen from the fact that this has been\neither unrecognized or ignored.\n\nThough all Scripture is inspired, it does not stamp with divine\nauthority every sentiment which it reports as uttered by the men of\nwhom it speaks, nor does it mark with divine approval every action\nwhich it relates as performed by those with whose biographies\nit deals. In the book of Job, for example, Inspiration gives with\nequal accuracy the language of Jehovah, the words of Satan, and the\nspeeches of Job and his three friends; but it does not therefore\nplace them all on the same level of authority. Each speaker is\nresponsible for his own utterances. Neither Satan, Job, nor his\nthree friends spoke by inspiration of God. They gave utterance to\ntheir own opinions; and all that Inspiration vouches for is that\nno one of them is misrepresented, but that each one spoke the\nsentiments that are attributed to him in Scripture. So, again,\nthe fact that David's cruelty to the Ammonites is recorded in the\nbook of Kings does not imply that God approved it any more than\nHe approved the king's double crime of murder and adultery, which\n\"displeased Him.\" The inspiration of the Book vouches only for the\naccuracy of the record.\n\nb) The Distinction Between Inspiration and Illumination.\n\nSpiritual Illumination refers to the influence of the Holy Ghost,\ncommon to all Christians. No statement of a truth about God or\nspiritual things can be understood by a man unless the Holy Spirit\ntakes it and reveals it to him. It is only the spiritual man who\ncan understand spiritual things. \"The natural man receiveth not\nthe things of the Spirit\" (1 Cor. 2:14). No learning of the schools\ncan lead him to know God. Flesh and blood cannot reveal God to men\n(Matt. 16:17).\n\nThere is a vast difference between \"a divine revelation of the\nmind of God\" and \"a divine action on the mind of man.\" The former\nis Revelation; the latter is Spiritual Illumination.\n\nThose who hold to the illumination theory to account for the origin\nof the Bible revelation claim that there is in every man an intuitive\nfaculty that grasps the supernatural, that lays hold of God and\nspiritual things; and that whatever insight into the nature and\nbeing of God is given man, is produced by the divine Spirit playing\nupon this spiritual faculty in man, illuminating and irradiating\nit, so that it sees the perfection of God and is enabled to penetrate\ninto His will.\n\nAccording to this view, the Bible is the result of the meditations\nof godly men whose minds were acted upon by God. Any revelation\nof divinity of which man is the recipient, comes in this manner.\nSubjective illumination God has carried on since the world began,\nand is still carrying on by a great variety of methods. The Scriptures\nare not in any way the oracles of God, nor do they come to us\nas direct, logical utterances of the divine mind. The patriarchs,\nprophets and apostles of old so deeply meditated on God and the\nthings of God that their spiritual faculties were enlarged and\nilluminated to such a degree that they conceived of these visions\nof God, His nature, His will, etc., as recorded in the Scriptures.\n\nNow, it is true, doubtless, that a man may be granted a very deep\ninsight into the nature and being of God by spiritual meditation.\nThat a fire does burn in the Bible, we do not deny. Throughout\nall ages of the Jewish and Christian churches men have lit their\nspiritual torches at this fire, and in their light they have seen\nHim who is invisible. This fire still burns, and to-day the devout\nstudent may catch its flame if, with uncovered head, with shoeless\nfeet, and with humble spirit, he stands before the bush that ever\nburns and yet is never consumed. But this working of the truth of\nGod on the mind of man is not God's revelation of His mind to man\nwhich the Bible professes to be. The Bible must of necessity be not\nmerely a repository or receptacle of spiritual influences fitted\nto act upon the mind; it must be--it is--God making Himself known\nto men. It is God speaking to man through men.\n\nIn contradistinction to the illumination theory we have instances\nin the Bible in which God made revelations of Himself, His truth,\nand His will to men who were by no means at the time meditating\nupon God. See e.g.:\n\nJohn 11:49-52--\"And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high\npriest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, nor\nconsider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for\nthe people, and that the whole nation perish not. And this spake\nhe not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied\nthat Jesus should die for that nation; and not for that nation\nonly, but that also He should gather together in one the children\nof God that were scattered abroad.\" See also Num. 22:34, 35.\n\nc) The Distinction Between Inspiration and Verbatim Reporting.\n\nInspiration is not necessarily Verbatim Reporting.\n\nIt is not absolutely necessary to make such a claim to prove the\ninspiration of the Scriptures. Verbatim Reporting is, in a sense,\na mere mechanical operation. It would have robbed the writers of\ntheir individuality, and made them mere machines. But no; the Holy\nSpirit used the memories, the intuitions, the judgments, and indeed\nthe idiosyncrasies of the writers, so that while each recorded\nthat part of the event or discourse which (as we may express it)\nadhered to himself, he was enabled to give it with substantial\naccuracy.\n\n3. VARIOUS THEORIES OF INSPIRATION.\n\nIt will be in order here to note briefly various theories of\ninspiration; for it must be known that all students do not agree\nas to the degree of inspiration that characterized the writers\nof the Scripture. When a man says, \"I believe in the inspiration\nof the Bible,\" it will be quite in place in these days to ask him\nwhat he means by inspiration. Following are some of the views of\ninspiration held at the present day.\n\na) Natural Inspiration.\n\nThis theory identifies inspiration with genius of a high order. It\ndenies that there is anything supernatural, mysterious, or peculiar\nin the mode of the Spirit's operation in and upon the Scripture\nwriters. It claims that they were no more inspired than were Milton,\nShakespeare, Mahomet, or Confucius.\n\nSuch a theory we absolutely reject. For if such be the character\nof the inspiration possessed by the Scripture writers, there is\nnothing to assure us that they were not liable to make the same\nerrors, to teach the same false views of life, to give expression\nto the same uncertainties concerning the past, the present, and\nthe future as did these shining lights of mere human genius.\n\nWhen David said, \"The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and His word\nwas in my tongue,\" he meant something more than the prayer which\nforms the gem of _Paradise Lost._ When Isaiah and his brethren\nsaid, \"Thus saith the Lord,\" they claimed something higher than\nthat they were speaking under the stirrings of poetic rapture. When\nPaul said to the Corinthians, \"Which things also we speak, not in\nthe words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost\nteacheth (1 Cor. 2:13),\" he used the language to which you will\nfind no parallel in the literature of mere human genius. And no\nman of candor or intelligence can pass from the writings even of\nthe unapproachable Shakespeare into the perusal of the Bible without\nfeeling that the difference between the two is not one simply\nof degree, but of kind; he has not merely ascended to a loftier\noutlook in the same human dwelling, but he has gone into a new\nregion altogether. There is a certain \"unknown quality\" in this\nBook which clearly distinguishes it from all others; and if we may\ntake its own explanation of the matter, that unknown quality is\nits divine inspiration.\n\nb) Universal Christian Inspiration, or Illumination.\n\nAccording to this theory, the inspiration of the Bible writers was\nthe same as has characterized Christians of every age; the ordinary\nChristian of to-day is inspired as much as was the Apostle Paul.\n\nIf this be the true view, there seems to be no plausible reason why\na new Bible should not be possible to-day. And yet no individual,\nhowever extreme his claims to inspiration may be, has even ventured\nsuch a task.\n\nc) Mechanical, or Dynamic Inspiration. (See Verbatim Eeporting,\npage 198.)\n\nThis theory ignores the human instrumentality in the writing of\nthe Scriptures altogether, and claims that the writers were passive\ninstruments mere machines, just as insensible to what they were\naccomplishing as is the string of the harp or lyre to the play of\nthe musician.\n\nHow, then, do we account for the differences in style of the\nvarious writers, the preservation of their individualities, their\nidiosyncrasies?\n\nIt seems evident that Scripture cannot be made to harmonize with\nthe application of this theory.\n\nd) Concept, or Thought Inspiration.\n\nThis theory claims that only the concepts, or thoughts, of men were\ngiven by inspiration. It will be examined more fully later. Concept\nInspiration is opposed by\n\ne) Verbal Inspiration.\n\nHere it is claimed that the very words of Scripture were given\nby the Holy Spirit; that the writers were not left absolutely to\nthemselves in the choice of words they should use. (See page 204.)\n\nf) Partial Inspiration.\n\nThe favorite way of expressing this theory is, \"The Bible\n_contains_ the Word of God.\"\n\nThis statement implies that it contains much that is not the Word\nof God, that is, that is not inspired. A serious question at once\narises: Who is to decide what is and what is not inspired? Who\nis to be the judge of so vital a question? What part is inspired,\nand what part is not? Who can tell?\n\nSuch a theory leaves man in awful and fatal uncertainty.\n\ng) Plenary, or Full, Inspiration.\n\nThis is the opposite of Partial Inspiration. It holds all Scripture\nto be equally inspired, as stated on page 200. It bases its claim\non 2 Tim. 3:16.\n\nThe Revised Version translation of 2 Tim. 3:16 is erroneous. The\nreader might infer from it that there is some Scripture that is\nnot inspired.\n\nIf Paul had said, \"All Scripture that is divinely inspired is also\nprofitable, etc.,\" he would virtually have said, \"There is _some_\nScripture, _some_ part of the Bible, that is _not profitable,\netc.,_ and therefore is not inspired.\" This is what the spirit\nof rationalism wants, namely, to make human reason the test and\njudge and measure of what is inspired and what is not. One man says\nsuch and such a verse is not profitable to him, another says such\nand such a verse is not profitable to him; a third says such and\nsuch is not profitable to him. The result is that no Bible is left.\n\nIs it possible that anyone need be told the flat and sapless tautology\nthat all divinely-inspired Scripture is _also_ profitable?\nPaul dealt in no such meaningless phrases. The word translated\n_also_ does not mean _also_ here. It means _and._\nIts position in the sentence shows this.\n\nAgain, the Revised rendering is shown to be openly false because\nthe revisers refused to render the same Greek construction elsewhere\nin the same way, which convicts them of error.\n\nIn Hebrew 4:13 we read: \"All things are naked and laid open before\nthe eyes of Him with whom we have to do.\" The form and construction\nof this verse is identical with that of 2 Tim. 3:16. Were we,\nhowever, to translate this passage as the revisers translated the\npassage in Timothy, it would read: \"All naked things are also open\nto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.\" All naked things are\nalso open things! All uncovered things are also exposed things!\nThere is no _also_ in the case.\n\nAgain, 1 Tim. 4:4: \"Every creature of God is good and nothing is\nto be rejected.\" According to the principles the revisers adopted\nin rendering 2 Tim. 3:16, this passage would read: \"Every good\ncreature of God is also nothing to be rejected.\"\n\nThe Greek language has no such meaningless syntax. The place of\nthe verb _is,_--which must be supplied,--is directly before\nthe word \"inspired,\" and not after it.\n\nThe great rationalistic scholar, DeWette, confessed candidly that\nthe rendering the revisers here adopted cannot be defended. In his\nGerman version of the text, he gave the sense thus: \"Every sacred\nwriting, i.e., of the canonical Scriptures, is inspired of God\nand is useful for doctrine, etc.\" Bishops Moberly and Wordsworth,\nArchbishop Trench, and others of the Revision committee, disclaimed\nany responsibility for the rendering. Dean Burgon pronounced it \"the\nmost astonishing as well as calamitous literary blunder of the age.\"\nIt was condemned by Dr. Tregelles, the only man ever pensioned by\nthe British government for scholarship.\n\nIn accordance with this weight of testimony, therefore, we hold\nto the rendering of the Authorized Version, and claim that all\nScripture is equally and fully inspired of God.\n\n4. THE CLAIMS OF THE SCRIPTURES TO INSPIRATION.\n\nThat the writers of the Scriptures claimed to write under the\ndirect influence of the Spirit of God there can be no doubt. The\n_quality_ or _degree_ of their insspiration may be called\ninto question, but surely not the _fact_ of it. Let us examine\nthe testimony of the writers themselves.\n\na) The Claims of Old Testament Writers to Inspiration. (We use\nthe word Inspiration here as including Revelation.)\n\nCompare and examine the following passages:\n\nExod. 4:10-15--\"And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not\neloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy\nservant; but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. And the\nLord said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the\ndumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord?\nNow therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what\nthou shalt say. And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the\nhand of him whom thou wilt send. And the anger of the Lord was\nkindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy\nbrother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh\nforth to meet thee; and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his\nheart. And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth,\nand I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach\nyou what ye shall do.\"\n\nDeut. 4:2--\"Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you,\nneither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the\ncommandments of the Lord your God which I command you.\"\n\nJer. 1:7-9--\"But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child:\nfor thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I\ncommand thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces; for\nI am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. Then the Lord put\nforth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me,\nBehold, I have put my words in thy mouth.\" Also Ezek. 3:4; Micah\n3:8.\n\nThese are but a few of the many passages in which the inspiration\nof the writers is affirmed and claimed.\n\nNote further that the words \"God said\" occur ten times in the first\nchapter of Genesis. It is claimed that such expressions as \"The\nLord said,\" \"The Lord spake,\" \"The word of the Lord came,\" are\nfound 3,808 times in the Old Testament. These writers, claiming to\nbe the revealers of the will of God, almost always commenced their\nmessages with the words, \"Thus saith the Lord.\" That they were not\ndeceived in their claims is evident from the minuteness and detail\nas to names, times and places which characterized their messages,\nand from the literal fulfillment of these oracles of God.\n\nb) The Claims of the New Testament Writers to Inspiration.\n\nIt is worthy of note here to observe that inspiration is claimed\nby New Testament writers for Old Testament writers as well as for\nthemselves. Read and compare the following passages:\n\n2 Pet. 1:20, 21--\"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the\nScripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came\nnot in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as\nthey were moved by the Holy Ghost.\"\n\n1 Pet. 1:10, 11--\"Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and\nsearched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come\nunto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of\nChrist which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand\nthe sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.\"\n\nActs 1:16--\"Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been\nfulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before\nconcerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.\" Acts\n28:25--\"And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed,\nafter that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by\nEsaias the prophet unto our fathers.\"\n\n1 Cor. 2:13--\"Which things also we speak, not in the words which\nman's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing\nspiritual things with spiritual.\"\n\n1 Cor. 14:37--\"If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual,\nlet him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the\ncommandments of the Lord.\"\n\n1 Thess. 2:13--\"For this cause also thank we God without ceasing,\nbecause, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us,\nye received it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the\nword of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.\"\n\n2 Peter 3:1, 2--\"This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto\nyou; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:\nthat ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by\nthe holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of\nthe Lord and Saviour.\"\n\nMatt. 10:20--\"For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your\nFather which speaketh in you.\"\n\nMark 13:11--\"But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take\nno thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate;\nbut whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye, for\nit is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.\"\n\nSee also Luke 12:12; 21:14, 15; Acts 2:4.\n\nIt is evident from these and many other passages of Scripture that\nthe writers of both the Old and New Testaments were conscious of\nhaving received revelations from God, and considered themselves\ninspired of God to write the Scriptures. They felt while writing\nthat they were giving expression to the infallible truth of God, and\nwere conscious that the Holy Spirit was moving them to the work.\n\n5. WHAT IS THE NATUEE OF THE INSPIRATION THAT CHARACTERIZED THE\nWRITERS OF THE SCRIPTURES, AND IN WHAT DEGREE WERE THEY UNDER ITS\nINFLUENCE?\n\nMuch has been said and written in answer to this question. Were\nthe _thoughts_ or _concepts_ alone inspired, or were the\n_words_ also inspired? Were the words dictated by the Holy\nSpirit, or were the writers left to choose their own words? These\nare the knotty questions current today regarding the Inspiration\nof the Bible. We may say with certainty that\n\na) At least Some of the Words of Scripture are the Identical Words\nWritten or Spoken by God Himself.\n\nNote Exodus 38:16--\"The writing was the writing of God\"; Exodus\n31:18--\"Written with the finger of God.\" Compare also Deuteronomy\n10:2, 4; 9:10; Exodus 24:12. See also 1 Chronicles 28:19 (R. V.)--\"All\nthis, said David, have I been made to understand in writing from\nthe hand of Jehovah\"; Daniel 5:5--There \"came forth the finger of\na man's hand and wrote.\"\n\nIn the New Testament God is heard speaking both at the baptism and\nthe transfiguration of Jesus, saying, \"This is my beloved Son, in\nwhom I am well pleased; hear ye him.\"\n\nIt is clearly evident from these passages that some part of the\ninspired record claims to be a record of the exact words of God.\n\nb) It is Also very Definitely Stated in Scripture that God Put\ninto the Mouths of Certain Men the Very Words They Should Speak,\nand Told Them What They Should Write.\n\nExod. 4:10-15--\"And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not\neloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy\nservant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. And the\nLord said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the\ndumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord?\nNow therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what\nthou shalt say. And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the\nhand of him whom thou wilt send. And the anger of the Lord was\nkindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy\nbrother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh\nforth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his\nheart. And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth:\nand I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach\nyou what ye shall do.\"\n\nExod. 34:27--\"And the Lord said unto Moses, Write thou these words:\nfor after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with\nthee and with Israel.\" Num. 17:2, 3--\"Speak unto the children of\nIsrael, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house\nof their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of\ntheir fathers, twelve rods: write thou every man's name upon his\nrod. And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for\none rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.\"\n\nIsa. 8:1, 11, 12--\"Moreover the Lord said unto me, Take thee a great\nroll, and write in it with a man's pen concerning Maher-shalal-hash-baz.\nFor the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed\nme that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, Say\nye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say,\nA confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.\"\n\nJer. 1:7--\"But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child:\nfor thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I\ncommand thee thou shalt speak.\"\n\nJer. 7:27--\"Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them;\nbut they will not hearken to thee; thou shalt also call unto them;\nbut they will not answer thee.\"\n\nJer. 13:12--\"Therefore thou shall speak unto them this word: This\nsaith the Lord God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with\nwine: and they shall say unto thee, Do we not certainly know that\nevery bottle shall be filled with wine?\"\n\nJer. 30:1, 3--\"The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying.\nThus speaketh the Lord God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the\nwords that I have spoken unto thee in a book.\"\n\nJer. 36: 1, 2, 4, 11, 27-32--\"And it came to pass in the fourth\nyear of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that this word\ncame unto Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, Take thee a roll of a\nbook, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee\nagainst Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations,\nfrom the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto\nthis day. Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah; and Baruch\nwrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the Lord, which\nhe had spoken unto him, upon a roll of a book. When Michaiah the\nson of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, had heard out of the book\nall the words of the Lord. . . . Then the word of the Lord came to\nJeremiah, after that the king had burned the roll, and the words\nwhich Baruch wrote at the mouth of Jeremiah, saying, Take thee\nagain another roll, and write in it all the former words that were\nin the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned.\nAnd thou shalt say to Jehoiakim king of Judah, Thou saith the Lord;\nThou hast burned this roll, saying, Why hast thou written therein,\nsaying, The king of Babylon shall certainly come and destroy this\nland, and shall cause to cease from thence man and beast? Therefore\nthus saith the Lord of Jehoiakim king of Judah; He shall have none\nto sit upon the throne of David: and his dead body shall be cast\nout in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost. And I\nwill punish him and his seed and his servants for their iniquity;\nand I will bring upon them, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem,\nand upon the men of Judah, all the evil that I have pronounced\nagainst them; but they hearkened not. Then took Jeremiah another\nroll, and give it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who\nwrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book\nwhich Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire; and there\nwere added besides unto them many like words.\" Also Ezek. 2:7;\n3:10, 11; 24:2; 37:16; Hab. 2:2; Zech. 7:8-12.\n\n1 Cor. 14:37--\"If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual,\nlet him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the\ncommandments of the Lord.\"\n\nRev. 2:1, 8, 12, 18--\"Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write;\nThese things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right\nhand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candle-sticks\n. . . . And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These\nthings saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive\n. . . . And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These\nthings saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges . . . .\nAnd unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things\nsaith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire,\nand his feet are like fine brass.\" Also 3:1; 7:14.\n\nRev. 10:4--\"And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices,\nI was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto\nme, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and\nwrite them not.\"\n\nTo sum up these two arguments, then, let us say, regarding the\nnature of the inspiration of the sacred writings, that part of them\nclaim to be the very words and writings of God Himself, spoken by\nHis own mouth, or written by His own hand: that another part claim\nto be the record of words spoken to certain men who wrote them\ndown just as they were spoken. And yet if this is all that is\ninvolved in inspiration, shall we not be robbed of a very beautiful\nand helpful fact, namely, that the Holy Spirit saw fit to preserve\nthe characteristics of the writers? Do not the works of James,\nthe faith of Paul, and the love of John appeal to us in their own\npeculiar way? This leads to the statement that\n\nc) In a Certain Sense, and in Respect to Some Parts of the Scripture,\nthe Authors Were (Humanly Speaking) Left to Choose Their Own Words\nin Relating Divine Truth.\n\nThis was by no means true of all the sacred writings. There are\ninstances recorded of men who spoke without knowing what they were\nsaying; and of men and animals speaking without knowledge of the\nsubstance of their message:\n\nJohn 11:49-52--\"And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high\npriest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, nor\nconsider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for\nthe people, and that the whole nation perish not. And this spake\nhe not of himself; but being high priest that year, he prophesied\nthat Jesus should die for that nation; and not for that nation\nonly, but that also he should gather together in one the children\nof God that were scattered abroad.\"\n\nNum. 22:28-30--\"And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she\nsaid unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten\nme these three times? And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou\nhas mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now\nwould I kill thee. And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine\nass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this\nday? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.\"\n\nDan. 12:8, 9--\"And I heard, but I understood not: then said I,\n0 my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go\nthy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the\ntime of the end.\"\n\nAnd yet the gift of inspiration admitted of personal, diligent,\nand faithful research into the facts recorded--Luke 1:1-4.\n\nThis fact allowed the expression of the same thought in different\nwords, such differences (by no means discrepancies) between\nthe accounts of inspired men as would be likely to arise from the\ndifferent standpoint of each. Examples: Matt. 26:26, 27--\"And as\nthey were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it,\nand gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.\nAnd he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying,\nDrink ye all of it.\"\n\nLuke 22:19, 20--\"And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it,\nand gave unto them, saying, this is my body which is given for you;\nthis do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper,\nsaying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed\nfor you.\"\n\n1 Cor. 11:24, 25--\"And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and\nsaid, Take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you; this do\nin remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup,\nwhen he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my\nblood; this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.\"\n\nMatt. 3:17--\"And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved\nSon, in whom I am well pleased.\"\n\nMark 1:11--\"And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art\nmy beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.\"\n\nLuke 3:22--\"And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a\ndove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art\nmy beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.\"\n\nThe Spirit employed the attention, the investigation, the memory,\nthe fancy, the logic, in a word, all the faculties of the writer,\nand wrought through them. He guided the writer to choose what\nnarrative and materials, speeches of others, imperial decrees,\ngenealogies, official letters, state papers or historical matters\nhe might find necessary for the recording of the divine message of\nsalvation. He wrought in, with, and through their spirits, so as to\npreserve their individuality to others. He used the men themselves,\nand spoke through their individualities. \"The gold was His; the\nmould was theirs.\"\n\nDID INSPIRATION AFFECT THE WORDS USED?\n\nIf the question be asked whether or not inspiration affected the\nwords, it must be answered in the affirmative. It is hardly possible\nthat inspiration could insure the correct transmission of thought\nwithout in some way affecting the words. Yet it affected the words\nnot directly and immediately by dictating them in the ears of the\nwriters, but mediately, through working on their minds and producing\nthere such vivid and clear ideas of thoughts and facts that the\nwriters could find words fitted to their purpose.\n\nWe must conclude, therefore, that while from the divine side the\nHoly Spirit gave through men clearly and faithfully that which\nHe wished to communicate, from the human side that communication\ncame forth in language such as men themselves would naturally have\nchosen.\n\nThis may seem to some to be an impossibility, and they would allege\nthat if the words were affected by inspiration at all, there must\nhave been dictation. But the must is a _non sequitur._ It\nis admitted that God works His purposes in the world through the\nordinary actions of men, while yet no violence is done to their\nfreedom. It is admitted, also, that God, through the gracious\noperations of His Holy Spirit, works in the hearts of His people\nso as to develop in each of them the new man, while yet the\nindividuality of each is preserved; and the type of piety is just\nas distinct in each Christian as the style is in each of the sacred\nwriters. These cases are so nearly parallel as to suggest that all\ndenials of the possibility of inspiration without the destruction\nof the individual characteristics are as unphilosophical as they\nare unwarranted.\n\nWe may therefore safely say that in a very real sense the words\nas well as the thoughts have been given, whether mediately or\nimmediately, under the influence of the divine Spirit. We claim\nthat the Bible is in deed and in truth the very Word of God; that\nit is the Word of God in the language of men; truly divine, and at\nthe same time truly human; that it is the revelation of God to His\ncreatures; that infallible guidance was given to those who wrote\nit, so as to preserve them from error in the statement of facts;\nthat what the writers of the Scriptures say or write under this\nguidance is as truly said and written by God as if their instrumentality\nwere not used at all; that the ideas expressed therein are the\nvery ideas the Holy Ghost intended to convey; that God is in the\nfullest sense responsible for every word. This is what the Bible\nclaims for itself.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOCTRINE OF ANGELS.\n\nI. THEIR EXISTENCE.\n\n   1. THE TEACHING OF JESUS.\n   2. THE TEACHING OF THE APOSTLES.\n\nII. THEIR NATURE.\n\n   1. CREATED BEINGS.\n   2. SPIRITUAL BEINGS.\n   3. GREAT POWER AND MIGHT.\n   4. VARIOUS GRADES.\n   5. THE NUMBER OF ANGELS.\n\nIII. THE FALL OF ANGELS.\n\n   1. TIME AND CAUSE.\n   2. THE WORK OF FALLEN ANGELS.\n   3. THE JUDGMENT OF FALLEN ANGELS.\n\nIV. THE WORK OF ANGELS.\n\n   1. THEIR HEAVENLY MINISTRY.\n   2. THEIR EARTHLY MINISTRY.\n      a) In Relation to the Believer.\n      b) In Relation to Christ's Second Coming.\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOCTRINE OF ANGELS.\n\nWe are not to think that man is the highest form of created being.\nAs the distance between man and the lower forms of life is filled\nwith beings of various grades, so it is possible that between man\nand God there exist creatures of higher than human intelligence\nand power. Indeed, the existence of lesser deities in all heathen\nmythologies presumes the existence of a higher order of beings\nbetween God and man, superior to man and inferior to God. This\npossibility is turned into certainty by the express and explicit\nteaching of the Scriptures. It would be sad indeed if we should allow\nourselves to be such victims of sense perception and so materialistic\nthat we should refuse to believe in an order of spiritual beings\nsimply because they were beyond our sight and touch. We should\nnot thus shut ourselves out of a larger life. A so-called liberal\nfaith may express unbelief in such beings. Does not such a faith\n(?) label itself narrow rather than liberal by such a refusal of\nfaith? Does not a liberal faith mean a faith that believes _much,_\nnot little--as much, not as little, as possible?\n\nI. THEIR EXISTENCE.\n\n1. THE TEACHING OF JESUS.\n\nMatt. 18:10--\"For I say unto you, That in heaven their angels\ndo always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.\" Mark\n13:32--\"But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the\nangels which are in heaven.\" 8:38; Matt. 13:41; 26:53.\n\nThese are a sufficient number of passages, though they are by no\nmeans all, to prove that Jesus believed in the existence of angels.\nJesus is not here speaking in any accommodative sense. Nor is He\nsimply expressing a superstitious belief existing among the Jews\nat that time. This was not the habit of Jesus. He did not fail to\ncorrect popular opinion and tradition when it was wrong, e.g., His\nrebuke of the false ceremonialism of the Pharisees, and the unbelief\nof the Sadducees in the resurrection. See also the Sermon on the\nMount (Matt. 5:20-37).\n\n2. THE TEACHING OF PAUL, AND OTHER APOSTLES.\n\n2 Thess. 1:7--\"And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the\nLord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels,\"\nCol. 2:18--\"Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary\nhumility and worshipping of angels.\" Is not one of the principal\nreasons for the writing of the Epistle to the Colossians to correct\nthe gnostic theory of the worshipping of angels? See also Eph.\n1:21, Col. 1:16. John believed in an angelic order of beings: John\n1:51; Rev. 12:7; 22:9. Peter: 1 Pet. 3:22; 2 Pet. 2:11. See also\nJude 9; Luke 22:43; Mark 8:38; Heb. 12:22. These and numerous other\nreferences in the Scriptures compel the candid student of the Word\nto believe in the existence of angels.\n\nII. THE NATUEE OF ANGELS.\n\n1. THEY ABE CREATED BEINGS.\n\nCol. 1:16--\"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven,\nand that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be\nthrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things\nwere created by him, and for him.\" Angels are not the spirits of\nthe departed, nor are they glorified human beings (Heb. 12:22, 23).\nNeh. 9:6--\"Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven,\nthe heaven of heavens, with all their host.\"\n\n2. THEY ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS.\n\nHeb. 1:14--\"Are they not all ministering spirits?\" Psa. 104:4--\"Who\nmaketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire.\" It is\nthought by some that God creates angels for a certain purpose, and\nwhen that purpose is accomplished they pass out of existence. But\nthat there are many, many angels in existence all the time is clear\nfrom the teaching of the Scriptures.\n\nAlthough the angels are \"spirits,\" they nevertheless oft-times have\nappeared to men in visible, and even human form (Gen. 19; Judges\n2:1; 6:11-22; Matt. 1:20; Luke 1:26; John 20:12). There seems to\nbe no sex among the angels, although wherever the word \"angel\" is\nused in the Scriptures it is always in the masculine form.\n\n3. THEY ARE BEINGS OF GREAT MIGHT AND POWER.\n\n2 Pet, 2:11--\"Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might\n(than man).\" Psa. 103:20--\"Angels that excel in strength.\" One angel\nwas able to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, and other guilty cities;\none angel smote the first-born, and rolled away the great stone\nfrom the mouth of the tomb. One angel had power to lay hold of that\nold dragon, the devil (Rev. 20:2, 10); one angel smote a hundred\nand fourscore and five thousand Assyrians (Isa. 37:36). Their power\nis delegated; they are the angels of _His_ might (2 Thess.\n1:7), the ministers through whom God's might is manifested. They\nare mighty, but not almighty.\n\n4. THERE ARE VARIOUS RANKS AND ORDERS OF ANGELS.\n\nWe read of Michael, the archangel (Jude 9; 1 Thess. 4:16); angels,\nauthorities, and powers--which are supposedly ranks and orders of\nangels (1 Pet. 3:22; Col. 1:16). In the Apocryphal books we find\na hierarchy with seven archangels, including Michael, Gabriel,\nRaphael, Uriel. The fact that but one archangel is mentioned in\nthe Scriptures proves that its doctrine of angels was not derived,\nas some supposed, from Babylonian and Persian sources, for there\nwe find seven archangels instead of one.\n\n5. THE NUMBER OF ANGELS.\n\nHeb. 12:22, R. V.--\"Innumerable hosts of angels.\" Cf. 2 Kings 6:17;\nMatt. 26:53; Job 25:3.\n\nIII. THE FALL OF ANGELS.\n\nOriginally all angels were created good. The Scriptures speak of\na fall of angels--\"the angels that sinned.\"\n\n2 Pet. 2:4--\"For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast\nthem down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to\nbe reserved unto judgment.\" Jude 6--\"And the angels which kept not\ntheir first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved\nin everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great\nday.\"\n\n1. THE TIME OF THE FALL OF ANGELS.\n\nSome maintain that it took place before the creation recorded\nin Genesis 1:2--between verses one and two; that it was this fall\nwhich made the original creation (Gen. 1:1) \"waste and void.\" This\nview can neither be proven nor refuted, nevertheless the great\nand awful fact of a fall of angels remains. (See under Doctrine of\nSatan, p. 225, for fall of angels in connection with the fall of\nSatan.)\n\n2. THE CAUSE OF THE FALL OF ANGELS.\n\nPeter does not specify the sin. Jude says they \"kept not their first\nestate, but left their own habitation.\" This, taken in connection\nwith Deut. 32:8, which seems to indicate that certain territories\nor boundaries were appointed unto the angels, and Gen. 6:1-4,\nwhich speaks of the \"sons of God\" (which some suppose to refer to\nangels, which, however, is questionable), might seem to imply that\nthe sin of the angels consisted in leaving their own abode and coming\ndown to cohabit with the \"daughters of men.\" Thus their sin would\nbe that of lust. To some expositors the context in Jude would\nseem to warrant such a conclusion, inasmuch as reference is made\nto the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. But this can hardly be true,\nfor a close study of the text in Genesis 6 shows that by \"the sons\nof God\" are meant the Sethites. This would seem to be the true\ninterpretation; if so, then the sin recorded in Genesis 6 would\nbe (1) natural and not monstrous; (2) Scriptural, and not mythical\n(cf. Num. 25; Judges 3:6; Rev. 2:14, 20-22 contains sins of a similar\ndescription); (3) accords with the designations subsequently given\nto the followers of God (Luke 3:38; Rom. 8:14; Gal. 3:26); (4) has\na historical basis in the fact that Seth was regarded by his mother\nas a (the) son of from God, (5) in the circumstance that already\nthe Sethites had begun to call themselves by the name of Jehovah\n(Gen. 4:26); (6), finally, it is sufficient as a hypothesis, and\nis therefore entitled to the preference (after Lange).\n\nThere are still others who say that the sin of the angels was pride\nand disobedience. It seems quite certain that these were the sins\nthat caused Satan's downfall (Ezek. 28). If this be the true view\nthen we are to understand the words, \"estate\" or \"principality\" as\nindicating that instead of being satisfied with the dignity once\nfor all assigned to them under the Son of God, they aspired higher.\n\n3. THE WORK OF FALLEN ANGELS.\n\nThey oppose God's purposes (Dan. 10:10-14); afflict God's people\n(Luke 13:16; Matt. 17:15, 16); execute Satan's purposes (Matt.\n25:41; 12:26, 27); hinder the spiritual life of God's people (Eph.\n6:12); try to deceive God's people (1 Sam. 28:7-20).\n\n4. THE JUDGMENT OF THE FALLEN ANGELS.\n\nJude 6; 2 Pet. 2:4; Matt. 25:41, show that there is no hope of\ntheir redemption. Their final doom will be in the eternal fire.\nAccording to 1 Cor. 6:3 it would seem as though the saints were to\nhave some part in the judgment of fallen angels.\n\nIV. THE WORK OF ANGELS.\n\n1. THEIR HEAVENLY MINISTRY.\n\nIsa. 6; Rev. 5:11, 12; 8:3, 4--priestly service and worship.\n\n2. THEIR EARTHLY MINISTRY.\n\nTo the angels has been committed the administration of the affairs\nmaterial to sense, e.g., showing Hagar a fountain; appearing before\nJoshua with a drawn sword; releasing the chains from Peter, and\nopening the prison doors; feeding, strengthening, and defending\nthe children of God. To the Holy Spirit more particularly has been\ncommitted the task of imparting the truth concerning spiritual\nmatters.\n\nIn general: Angels have a relation to the earth somewhat as follows:\nThey are related to winds, fires, storms, pestilence (Psa. 103:20;\n104:4; 1 Chron. 21:15, 16, 27). The nation of Israel has a special\nrelationship to angels in the sense of angelic guardianship (Dan.\n12:1; Ezek. 9:1; Dan. 11:1).\n\nIn particular: Angels have a special ministry with reference to\nthe church of Jesus Christ--the body of believers. They are the\nsaints' \"ministering servants\" (Heb. 1:14)--they do service for\nGod's people. Illustrations: To Abraham (Gen. 19); to Gideon (Judg.\n6); to Mary (Luke 1); to the shepherds (Luke 2); to Peter (Acts\n12); to Paul (Acts 27).\n\na) They Guide the Believer.\n\nThey guide the worker to the sinner (Acts 8:26), and the sinner\nto the worker (Acts 10:3). Note: The angel guides, but the Spirit\ninstructs (8:29). Are angels interested in conversions? (Luke 15:10).\nHow they watch our dealing with the unsaved!\n\nb) They Cheer and Strengthen God's People.\n\n1 Kings 19:5-8; Matt. 4:11; Luke 22:43; cf. Acts 27:4-35; 5:19.\n\nc) They Defend, Protect, and Deliver God's Servants.\n\nDan. 6:22; Acts 5:19; 2 Kings 6:18; Gen. 19:11; Acts 12:8-ll; 27:23,\n24.\n\nd) They Are Eyewitnesses of the Church and the Believer.\n\n1 Tim. 5:21--in matters of preaching, the service of the church,\nand soul-saving, the angels look on--a solemn and appalling thought.\n1 Cor. 4:9--the good angels are spectators while the church engages\nin fierce battle with the hosts of sin. This is an incentive to\nendurance. 1 Cor. 11:10--\"Because of the angels.\" Is there intimated\nhere a lack of modesty on the part of the women so shocking to\nthe angels, who veil their faces in the presence of God when they\nworship.\n\ne) They Guard the Elect Dead.\n\nLuke 16:22; Matt. 24:31. Just as they guarded Christ's tomb, and\nas Michael guarded Moses' tomb (Jude 9).\n\nf) They Accompany Christ at His Second Coming.\n\nSeparating the righteous from the wicked (Matt. 25:31, 32; 2 Thess.\n1:7, 8). Executing God's wrath upon the wicked (Matt. 13:39-42, R.\nV. How this is done, no human pen can describe. The most fearful\nimagery of the Bible is connected with the judgment work of angels\n(cf. Revelation; fire, hail, blood, plague of locusts, poison of\nscorpions, etc.)--whether actual or symbolic, it is awful.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOCTRINE OF SATAN.\n\nI. HIS EXISTENCE AND PERSONALITY.\n\n   1. EXISTENCE.\n   2. PERSONALITY.\n\nII. HIS PLACE AND POWER.\n\n   1. A MIGHTY ANGEL.\n   2. PRINCE OF POWER OF THE AIR.\n   3. GOD OF THIS WORLD.\n   4. HEAD OF KINGDOM OF DARKNESS.\n   5. SOVEREIGN OVER DEATH.\n\nIII. HIS CHARACTER.\n\n   1. ADVERSARY.\n   2. DIABOLOS.\n   3. WICKED ONE.\n   4. TEMPTER.\n\nIV. OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS SATAN.\n\n   1. LIMITED POWER OF SATAN.\n   2. RESIST HIM.\n\nV. HIS DESTINY.\n\n   1. A CONQUERED ENEMY.\n   2. UNDER ETERNAL CURSE.\n\nVI. DEMONS.\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOCTRINE OF SATAN.\n\nThroughout the Scriptures Satan is set forth as the greatest enemy\nof God and man. Too long has Satan been a subject of ridicule\ninstead of fear. Seeing the Scriptures teach the existence of a\npersonality of evil, man should seek to know all he can about such\na being. Much of the ridicule attached to the doctrine of Satan\ncomes from the fact that men have read their fancies and theories\ninto the Scriptures; they have read Milton's _Paradise Lost_\nbut have neglected the Book of Job; they have considered the\nexperiences of Luther instead of the Epistles of Peter and Jude.\nTo avoid skepticism on the one hand, and ridicule on the other\nwe must resort to the Scriptures to formulate our views of this\ndoctrine.\n\nI. THE EXISTENCE AND PERSONALITY OF SATAN.\n\n1. HIS EXISTENCE.\n\nTo science the existence of Satan is an open question; it neither\ncan deny nor affirm it. Satan's existence and personality can be\ndenied therefore only on purely _a priori_ grounds. The Bible,\nhowever, is very clear and positive in its teaching regarding the\nexistence of a personality of evil called the devil. It is popular\nin some circles today to spell devil with the \"d\" left off, thus\ndenying his real existence.\n\nMatt. 13:19, 39--\"Then cometh the wicked one . . . . The enemy\nthat sowed them is the devil.\" John 13:2--\"The devil having now\nput it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray\nhim.\" See also Acts 5:3; 2 Cor. 11:3, 14; 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6.\n\nHow Satan came to be is not quite as clear a fact as that he\nexists. In all probability he was once a good angel. It is claimed\nby scholarly and reliable interpreters that his fall is portrayed\nin Ezekiel 28:12-19; cf. Isa 14:12-14. That he was once in the truth\nbut fell from it is evident from John 8:44. His fall (Luke 10:18)\nwas probably in connection with the fall of angels as set forth\nin such passages as 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6. Pride (?) was one of the\ncauses (1 Tim. 3:6; Ezek. 28:15, 17). This fact may account for\nthe expression \"Satan and his angels\" (Matt. 25:41). Paul doubtless\nrefers to the fact that Satan was once an angel of light (2 Cor.\n11:14). Whenever Satan is represented under the form of a serpent,\nwe are to understand such expressions as describing him after his\nfall. There is certainly no ground for presenting the evil one as\nhaving horns, tail, and hoofs. This is only to bring into ridicule\nwhat is an exceedingly serious fact. A careful consideration of\nall the scriptures here given will assure the student that Satan\nis not a figment of the imagination, but a real being.\n\n2. HIS PERSONALITY.\n\nJohn 8:44--\"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your\nfather ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode\nnot in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh\na lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the father\nof it.\" 1 John 3:8--\"He that committeth sin is of the devil; for\nthe devil sinneth from the beginning.\" Satan is here set forth as\na murderer, a liar, a sinner--all elements of personality. He had\nthe \"power over death\" (Heb. 2:14), and is the \"prince of this\nworld\" (John 14:30).\n\nThe narrative of Satan in Job. (cc. 1, 2) strongly emphasizes his\npersonality. He is as much a person as the \"sons of God,\" Job,\nand even God himself. Zech. 3:1, 2; 1 Chron. 21:1; Psa. 109:6 also\nemphasize the fact of Satan's personality. Throughout all these\nScriptures the masculine personal pronoun is used of Satan, and\nattributes and qualities of personality are ascribed to him. Unless\nwe veto the testimony of the Scriptures we must admit that Satan\nis a real person. How can any one read the story of the temptation\nof Christ (Matt. 4:1-11) and fail to realize both parties in the\nwilderness conflict were persons--Christ, a person; Satan, a person?\n\nSuch offices as those ascribed to Satan in the Scriptures require\nan officer; such a work manifests a worker; such power implies\nan agent; such thought proves a thinker; such designs are from a\npersonality.\n\nOur temptations may be said to come from three sources: the world,\nthe flesh, and the devil. But there are temptations which we feel\nsure come from neither the world nor the flesh, e.g., those which\ncome to us in our moments of deepest devotion and quiet; we can\naccount for them only by attributing them to the devil himself.\n\"That old serpent, the devil, has spoken with fatal eloquence to\nevery one of us no doubt; and I do not need a dissertation from\nthe naturalist on the construction of a serpent's mouth to prove\nit. Object to the figure if you will, but the grim, damning fact\nremains.\" --_Joseph Parker._\n\nThere can scarcely be any doubt as to the fact that Christ taught\nthe existence of a personality of evil. There can be but three\nexplanations as to the meaning of His teaching; first, that He\naccommodated His language to a gross superstition, knowing it to be\nsuch--if this be true then what becomes of His sincerity; second,\nthat He shared the superstition not knowing it to be such--then\nwhat becomes of His omniscience, of His reliability as a Teacher\nfrom God? third, that the doctrine is not a superstition, but\nactual truth--this position completely vindicates Christ as to His\nsincerity, omniscience and infallibility as the Teacher sent from\nGod.\n\nII. THE PLACE AND POWER OF SATAN.\n\n1. A MIGHTY ANGEL.\n\nHe was such, and probably is yet. Jude 8, 9--They \"speak evil\nof dignities. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the\ndevil, he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against\nhim a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.\" Daniel\n10 shows that Satan has power to oppose one of the chief angels (vv.\n12, 13 in particular). In Luke 11:21 Christ calls Satan \"a strong\nman armed.\" He is \"the prince of this world\" (John 14:30).\n\n2. PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR.\n\nEph. 2:2--\"The prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now\nworketh in the children of disobedience.\" Cf. 6:11, 12. He is also\nprince of the demons or fallen angels, Matt. 12:24; 9:34; Luke\n11:14-18. There is doubtless an allusion here to the fact that the\nworld of evil spirits is organized, and that Satan is at its head.\n3. THE GOD OF THIS WORLD.\n\n2 Cor. 4:4--\"In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds\nof them which believe not.\" He is \"the prince of this world\" (John\n12:31; 14:30; 16:11; cf. Eph. 2:1, 2; 1 John 5:19). Satan is not\nonly the object of the world's worship, but also the moving spirit\nof its godless activities.\n\n4. HE HEADS A KINGDOM WHICH IS HOSTILE TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND\nOF CHRIST.\n\nActs 26:18--\"To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to\nlight, and from the power of Satan unto God.\" Col. 1:13--\"Who hath\ndelivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us\ninto the kingdom of his dear Son.\" The kingdom of light is headed\nby a person--Jesus Christ; the kingdom of darkness, by a person--Satan.\nThe one is a person equally with the other.\n\n5. HAS SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE REALM OF DEATH.\n\nHeb. 2:14--\"That . . . . he might destroy him that had the power\nof death, that is, the devil.\" It would seem as if the souls of\nthe unregenerate dead are (or were) to some extent under Satan's\ndominion.\n\nIII. THE CHARACTER OF SATAN.\n\n\"We may judge of the nature and character of the evil one by the\nnames and titles ascribed to him.\"\n\n1. THE ADVERSARY, OR SATAN.\n\nZech. 3:1--\"And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before\nthe angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist\nhim.\" (See vv. 1-5.) 1 Pet. 5:8--\"Your adversary the devil.\" Luke\n10:18. See for use of the word: Num. 22:22. By adversary is meant\none who takes a stand against another. Satan is the adversary of\nboth God and man.\n\n2. THE DEVIL, DIABOLOS.\n\nMatt. 13:39--\"The enemy . . . . is the devil.\" John 8:44--\"Ye are\nof your father the devil.\" This name is ascribed to Satan 33 times\nat least in the New Testament, and indicates an accuser or slanderer\n(Rev. 12:9). He slanders God to man (Gen. 3:1-7), and man to God\n(Job 1:9; 2-4).\n\n3. THE WICKED ONE.\n\nMatt. 13:19--\"Then cometh the wicked one.\" Matt. 6:13 (R. V.); 1\nJohn 5:19 (R. V.). This title suggests that Satan is not only wicked\nhimself, but is also the source of all wickedness in the world.\n\n4. THE TEMPTER.\n\nMatt. 4:3--\"And when the tempter came to him.\" See Gen. 3:1-6.\nNone escape his temptations. He is continually soliciting men to\nsin.\n\nIn this connection we may speak of the cunning and malignity of\nSatan (Gen. 3:1). Satan transforms himself into an angel of light\n(2 Cor. 11:14). This phase of his work is well illustrated in the\ntemptation of Christ (Matt. 4:1-11), and the temptation of Eve (Gen.\n3). He fain would help Christ's faith, stimulate His confidence\nin the divine power, and furnish an incentive to worship. The\nScriptures speak of the \"wiles\" or subtle methods of the devil (Eph.\n6:11, 12). The \"old serpent\" is more dangerous than the \"roaring\nlion.\"\n\nSatan's subtlety is seen in tempting men in their weak moments\n(Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 22:40-46); after great successes (John 6:15,\ncf. vv. 1-14); by suggesting the use of right things in a wrong way\n(Matt. 4:1-11); in deluding his followers by signs and wonders (2\nThess. 2:9, 10).\n\nIV. OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS SATAN.\n\n1. SO FAR AS THE BELIEVER IS CONCERNED HIS POWER IS LIMITED.\n\nJob 1:9-12; 2:4-6. Satan had to ask leave of God to try Job. John\n12:31; 16:11. Satan hath been already judged, i.e., his power and\ndominion over believers was broken at the cross, by reason of Christ's\nvictory there. He had to ask permission to enter even swine (Matt.\n8:30-32). Satan is mighty, but not almighty.\n\n2. HE IS TO BE RESISTED.\n\n1 Pet. 5:8, 9--\"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the\ndevil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour;\nwhom resist steadfast in the faith.\" James 4:7--\"Resist the devil,\nand he will flee from you.\" This resistance is best accomplished\nby submitting to God (Rom. 6:17-33; James 4:7), and by putting on\nthe whole armor of God (Eph. 6:10-20).\n\nV. THE DESTINY OF SATAN.\n\n1. HE IS A CONQUERED ENEMY.\n\nThat is, so far as the believer is concerned; John 12:31; 16:9,10;\n1 John 3:8; Col. 2:15.\n\n2. HE IS UNDER A PERPETUAL CURSE.\n\nGen. 3:14, cf. Isa. 65:25. There is no removal of the curse from\nSatan.\n\n3. HE IS FINALLY TO BE CAST ALIVE INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE, THERE TO\nBE TORMENTED FOR EVER AND EVER.\n\nMatt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10--\"And the devil that deceived them was\ncast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the\nfalse prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever\nand ever.\"\n\nVI. DEMONS.\n\n(See under \"Fallen Angels,\" p. 217.)\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOCTRINE OF THE LAST THINGS.\n\nA. THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.\nB. THE RESURRECTION.\nC. THE JUDGMENT.\nD. THE DESTINY OF THE WICKED.\nE. THE REWARD OF THE RIGHTEOUS.\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOCTRINE OF THE LAST THINGS.\n\nUnder this caption are treated such doctrines as the Second Coming\nof Christ, the Resurrection of both the righteous and wicked, the\nJudgments, Final Awards, and Eternal Destiny.\n\n\n   A. THE SECOND COMING OF CHEIST.\n\nI. ITS IMPORTANCE.\n   1. PROMINENCE IN THE SCRIPTURES.\n   2. THE CHRISTIAN HOPE.\n   3. THE CHRISTIAN INCENTIVE.\n   4. THE CHRISTIAN COMFORT.\n\nII. ITS NATURE.\n\n   1. PERSONAL AND VISIBLE COMING TO THE EARTH.\n   2. DIFFERENT VIEWS.\n   3. DISTINCTIONS.\n\nIII. ITS PURPOSE.\n WITH REFERENCE TO--\n   1. THE CHURCH.\n   2. THE UNREGENERATE.\n   3. THE JEWS.\n   4. THE ENEMIES OF GOD.\n   5. THE MILLENNIUM.\n\nIV. ITS DATE.\n\n   1. DAY AND HOUR UNKNOWN.\n   2. RECOGNIZING THE \"SIGNS.\"\n   3. IMMINENT.\n\n\nA. THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.\n\nI. ITS IMPORTANCE.\n\n1. ITS PROMINENCE IN THE SCRIPTURES.\n\nIt is claimed that one out of every thirty verses in the Bible\nmentions this doctrine; to every one mention of the first coming\nthe second coming is mentioned eight times; 318 references to it\nare made in 216 chapters; whole books (1 and 2 Thess., e.g.) and\nchapters (Matt. 24; Mark 13; Luke 31, e.g.) are devoted to it.\n\nIt is the theme of the Old Testament prophets. Of course, they\nsometimes merge the two comings so that it is not at first sight\napparent, yet the doctrine is there. (1 Pet. 1:11).\n\nJesus Christ bore constant testimony to His coming again (John\n14:3; Matt. 24 and 25; Mark 13; Luke 21; John 21:22).\n\nThe angels, who bore such faithful testimony to Christ's first\nadvent, bear testimony to His second coming (Acts 1:11; cf. Heb.\n2:2, for the faithfulness of their testimony).\n\nThe apostles faithfully proclaimed this truth (Acts 3:19, 20; 1\nThess. 4:16, 17; Heb. 9:28; 1 John 2:28; Jude 14, 15).\n\n2. THE CHURCH OF CHRIST IS BIDDEN TO LOOK FORWARD TO CHRIST'S\nSECOND COMING AS ITS GREAT HOPE.\n\nTitus 2:13--\"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing\nof the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.\" 2 Pet. 3:12. The\none great event, that which supersedes all others, towards which\nthe Church is to look, and for which she is to ardently long, is\nthe second coming of Christ.\n\nG3. IT IS SET FORTH AS THE DOCTRINE WHICH WILL PROVE TO BE THE\nGREATEST INCENTIVE TO CONSISTENT LIVING.\n\nMatt. 24:44-46; Luke 21:34-36--\"And take heed to yourselves,\nlest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and\ndrunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you\nunawares. . . . Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may\nbe accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to\npass, and to stand before the Son of man.\" 1 John 2:28; 3:3. The\ntest which the church should apply to all questions of practice:\nWould I like to have Christ find me doing this when He comes?\n\n4. IT IS A DOCTRINE OF THE GREATEST COMFORT TO THE BELIEVER.\n\n1 Thess. 4:14-18. After stating that our loved ones who had fallen\nasleep in Christ should again meet with us at the coming of our\nLord, the apostle says, \"Wherefore comfort one another with these\nwords.\"\n\nWhy then should such a comforting and helpful doctrine as this be\nspoken against? Many reasons may be suggested: the unreadiness of\nthe church; preconceived views (2 Pet. 3:4); extravagant predictions\nas to time; lack of knowledge of the Scriptures. May not the guilt\non our part for rejecting the second coming of Christ be as great\nif not greater than that of the Jews for rejecting His first coming?\n\nII. WHAT IS MEANT BY THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.\n\n1. A PERSONAL AND VISIBLE COMING.\n\nActs 1:11--\"Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?\nThis same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so\ncome in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.\" 1 Thess.\n4:16, 17--\"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven.\" Rev.\n1:7. From these scriptures we learn that by the second coming of\nChrist is meant the bodily, personal, and visible coming of our\nLord Jesus Christ to this earth with His saints to reign.\n\n2. ERRONEOUS VIEWS CONCERNING THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.\n\na) That the Second Coming Means Christ's Coming at Death.\n\nThis cannot be the meaning, because--\n\nDeath is not attended by the events narrated in 1 Thessalonians 4:16,\n17. Indeed the second coming is here set forth as the opposite of\ndeath for \"the dead in Christ shall rise\" from the dead when Christ\ncomes again. According to John 14:3, Christ comes for us, and\nnot we go to Him: \"I will come again, and receive you unto myself.\"\n\nJohn 21:21-23--\"Peter seeing him (John) saith to Jesus, Lord, and\nwhat shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he\ntarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me. Then went\nthis saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should\nnot die; yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, if I\nwill that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?\"\n\n1 Corinthians 15:50-57 declares that at the second coming of Christ\nwe overcome, not succumb to, death. See John 8:51; Matt. 16:28.\n\nThe foolishness of such interpretation is seen if we substitute the\nword \"death\" for the second coming of Christ in such places where\nthis coming is mentioned, e.g., Phil. 3:20; Matt. 16:28--\"Verily\nI say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste\nof death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.\"\n\nb) That the Second Coming Means the Coming of the Holy Spirit.\n\nThere is no doubt but that the coming of the Holy Spirit is a coming\n(John 14:21-23), but it is by no means _the_ second coming,\nand for the following reasons:\n\nMany of the testimonies and promises of the second coming were\ngiven _after_ Pentecost, e.g., Phil. 3:21; 2 Tim. 4:8; 1 Thess.\n4:16, 17; 1 Cor. 15:51, 52.\n\nChrist does not receive us unto Himself, but comes to us, at\nPentecost. In the second coming He takes us, not comes to us.\n\nThe events of 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17 did not occur on the day of\nPentecost, nor do they occur when the believer receives the Holy\nSpirit.\n\nc) That the Second Coming refers to the Destruction of Jerusalem.\n\nReply: The events of 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17 did not take place\nthen.\n\nJohn 21:21-23, and Rev. 22:20 were written _after_ the\ndestruction of Jerusalem.\n\nFrom all that has been said then, it seems clear that the second\ncoming of Christ is an event still in the future.\n\n3. THE NEED OF RECOGNIZING THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN CHRIST'S COMING\nFOR HIS SAINTS AND WITH HIS SAINTS.\n\nThere is a distinction between the _presence_ and the\n_appearing_ of Christ: the former referring to His coming\n_for,_ and the latter _with_ His saints. We should\nremember, further, that the second coming covers a period of time,\nand is not the event of a single moment. Even the first coming\ncovered over thirty years, and included the events of Christ's\nbirth, circumcision, baptism, ministry, crucifixion, resurrection,\netc. The second coming will also include a number of events such as\nthe rapture, the great tribulation, the millenium, the resurrection,\nthe judgments, etc.\n\nIII. THE PURPOSE OF THE SECOND COMING.\n\n1. SO FAR AS IT CONCERNS THE CHURCH.\n\n1 Thess. 4:13-17; 1 Cor. 15:50-52; Phil. 3:20, 21, R. V.; 1 John\n3:2. When Christ comes again He will first raise the righteous\ndead, and change the righteous living; simultaneously they shall\nbe caught up to meet the Lord in the air to be with Him for ever.\n\nEph. 5:23, 32; 2 Cor. 11:2; Rev. 19:6-9; Matt. 25:1-10. The Church,\nthe Bride of Christ, will then be married to her Lord.\n\nMatt. 25:19; 2 Tim. 4:8; 1 Pet. 5:4; 1 Cor. 3:12-15; 2 Cor. 5:10.\nBelievers will be rewarded for their faithfulness in service at His\ncoming. (See under The Final Beward of the Righteous, page 266.)\n\n2. SO FAR AS IT CONCERNS THE UNCONVERTED NATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS.\n\nMatt. 24:30; Rev. 1:7; Matt. 25:31, 32; Rev. 20:11, 12; Isa.\n26:21; 2 Thess. 1:7-9. A distinction must be recognized between\nthe judgment of the Living Nations, and that of the Great White\nThrone. These are not the same, for no resurrection accompanies\nthe judgment of the Living Nations, as in the case of the throne\njudgment. Further, one thousand years elapse between these two\njudgments (Rev. 20:7-11). Again, one is at the beginning of the\nMillennium, and the other at its close.\n\n3. WITH REFERENCE TO THE JEWS.\n\nThe Jews will be restored to their own land (Isa. 11:11; 60) in an\nunconverted state; will rebuild the temple, and restore worship\n(Ezek. 40-48); will make a covenant with Antichrist for one week\n(seven years), in the midst of which they will break the covenant\n(Dan. 9:27; 2 Thess. 2); they will then pass through the great\ntribulation (Matt. 24:21, 22, 29; Rev. 3:10; 7:14); are converted\n(as a nation) at the coming of Christ (Zech. 12:10; Rev. 1:7);\nbecome great missionaries (Zech. 8:13-23); never more to be removed\nfrom the land (Amos 9:15; Ezek. 34:28).\n\n4. WITH REGARD TO ANTICHRIST, AND THE ENEMIES OF GOD'S PEOPLE.\n\n2 Thess. 1:7-9; Rev. 19:20; 20:10. These shall be destroyed by the\nbrightness of His coming; will be cast finally into the bottomless\npit.\n\n5. TO SET UP THE MILLENNIAL REIGN ON THE EARTH.\n\nThe Millennium means the thousand years reign of Christ upon the\nearth (Rev. 20:1-4). Some think that it is the continuation of the\n_Kingdom Age_ broken off by the unbelief of the Jews at the\ntime of the Apostles.\n\nThe Millennium begins with the coming of Christ with His saints;\nwith the revelation of Christ after the great tribulation (Matt.\n24:29, 30); at the close of the seventieth week of Daniel. For\nillustration, see Rev. 19:11-14; Dan. 7:21, 22; Zech. 14:3-9.\n\nThen comes the destruction of Antichrist, the binding of Satan,\nand the destruction of the enemies of God's people (Rev. 19:20;\n20:1-3, 10).\n\nThe Judgment of the Living Nations (Matt. 25).\n\nThe conversion and missionary activity of the Jews (Zech. 8:13-23;\ncf. Acts 15:14-17). Then, we may have a converted world, but not\nnow, nor in this age; Israel, not the Church, then concerned.\n\nThe nature of the Millennium:\n\nIt is a Theocracy: Jesus Christ Himself is the King (Jer. 23:5; Luke\n1:30-33). The Apostles will, doubtless, reign with Christ over the\nJews (Isa. 66; Matt. 19:28); the Church, over the Gentile nations\n(Luke 19:11-19; Heb. 2:6, 7).\n\nThe capitol city will be Jerusalem (Isa. 2:1-4). Pilgrimages will\nbe made to the Holy City (Zech. 14:16). The reign of Christ will\nbe one of righteousness and equity (Isa. 11:4; Psa. 98:9).\n\nA renovated earth (Rom. 8:19-31; Isa. 65:17; c. 35).\n\nThe events closing the Millennium are apostasy and rebellion (Rev.\n20:7-9); the destruction of Satan (Rev. 20:10); the Great White\nThrone judgment (Rev. 20:11-15); a new heaven and a new earth (Rev.\n21 and 22).\n\nIV. THE TIME OF CHRIST'S SECOND COMING.\n\nWe need to carefully distinguish between Christ's coming _for_\nHis saints--sometime called the \"rapture\" or \"parousia\"; and His\ncoming _with_ His saints--the \"revelation\" or \"epiphany.\"\n\nIn considering the matter of the \"signs\" of Christ's coming we\nneed to pay particular attention to and distinguish between those\nsigns which have been characteristic of and peculiar to many\ngenerations, and have, consequently, been repeated; and those which\nare to characterize specifically the near approach of the coming\nof Christ. Christians are not altogether in the dark concerning\nthese facts: Luke 21:29-33--\"So likewise ye, when ye see these\nthings come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at\nhand\" (v. 36). Also 1 Thess. 5:1-8--\"But ye, brethren, are not in\ndarkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief\" (v. 4).\n\n1. NO ONE KNOWS THE DAY NOR THE HOUR.\n\nMatt. 24:36-42--\"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not\nthe angels of heaven, but my Father only\" (v. 36). Mark 13:32, cf.\nActs 1:7.\n\nThe Scriptures tell us enough regarding the time of Christ's coming\nto satisfy our faith, but not our curiosity. These statements of\nthe Master should be sufficient to silence that fanaticism which\nis so anxious to tell us the exact year, month, and even the day\nwhen Christ will come. This day is hidden in the counsels of God.\nJesus Himself, by a voluntary unwillingness to know, while in His\nstate of humiliation, showed no curiosity to peer into the chronology\nof this event. We should not nor ought we to want to know more\nthan Christ did on this point. Can it be that \"that day\" was not\nyet fixed in the counsels of the Father, and that its date depended,\nsomewhat at least, upon the faithfulness of the Church in the\nevangelization of the world? We know not certainly. The Revelation\nwhich Jesus gave to John would seem to teach that \"that day,\"\nwhich was at one time hidden from Christ, is now, in His state of\nexaltation, known to Him.\n\n2. YET, WE MUST NOT FOEGET THAT WHILE WE MAY NOT KNOW THE EXACT\nDAY OR HOUR OF CHRIST'S COMING, WE MAY KNOW WHEN IT IS NEAR AT\nHAND. (Matt. 24:36-42; 1 Thess. 5:1-5.)\n\nThere are certain \"signs\" which indicate its nearness:\n\nGeneral apostasy and departure from the faith (1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Tim.\n3:1-5; Luke 18:8).\n\nA time of great heaping up of wealth (James 5:1-9).\n\nA time of great missionary activity (Matt. 24:14). Consider the\nmissionary activity of the last century. Is it not marvellous? Is\nit a \"sign\" of His coming?\n\nThe modern history of the Jews throws much light on the question of\nthe nearness of Christ's coming. The following facts are interesting\nin this connection: The large number of Jews returning to Palestine;\nthe waning of the power of the Turkish government, which has held\nPalestine with an iron hand and has excluded the Jew; the plans\nalready before the nations to give the Holy Land to the Jews\nby consent of the powers; the early and latter rain in Palestine;\nrailroads, electric lights, etc., now in the land long desolate--the\nfig-tree is budding, and the hour of the coming is at hand.\n\nIt should not be forgotten in this connection that many of the signs\nmentioned refer primarily to the coming of Christ _with_ His\nsaints. But if that stage of the coming be near then surely the\nfirst stage of it must be. Other signs have reference to the first\nstage in the one great event of His coming, which is known as the\n\"rapture\" or Christ's coming _for_ His saints.\n\n3. IT SEEMS CLEAR FROM THE TEACHING OF THE SCRIPTURES THAT THERE\nIS NOTHING TO PREVENT THE COMING OF CHRIST FOR HIS SAINTS AT ANY\nMOMENT.\n\nBy this is meant that there is nothing, so far as we can sea from\nthe teaching of the Scriptures and the signs of the times, to hinder\nthe introduction of the Day of the Lord, or the Second Coming of\nChrist looked upon as a great whole--a series of events, by Christ's\ncoming to take His own people unto Himself. In other words, there\nis nothing to hinder the \"rapture\" or \"parousia\"--the \"epiphany,\"\n\"manifestation,\" or \"revelation\" is something for a later day.\n\nSome objections are offered to this view, the which it will be well\nto examine and answer even though briefly.\n\nFirst, That the Gospel has not been preached into all the world\n(Matt. 24:14), therefore the coming of Christ is not imminent.\n\nReply: We must understand the emphatic words of the text: By \"end\"\nis meant the end of the age; but the rapture, or Christ's coming\n_for_ His saints, of which we are here speaking as being imminent,\nis not the end of the age. By \"world\" is meant the inhabited earth;\nby \"Gospel,\" good news; by \"witness,\" not conversion but testimony.\nEven if these events are to precede the \"rapture,\" have they not\nall been fulfilled? See Acts 2:5; 8:4; Rom. 10:18; Col. 1:6, 23,\nfor the answer, which is certainly in the affirmative. We must\ngive the same meaning to the word \"world\" in Romans and Colossians\nthat we do to Matt. 24:14. Further, is the Church the _only_\nwitness? See Rev. 14:6. If the rapture is not the end of the age,\nand if an angel can proclaim the Gospel, why cannot part of the\nwork of witnessing be carried on after the rapture?\n\nSecond, Peter, James, and John were told that they should not taste\nof death until they had seen the coming of Christ's kingdom (Matt.\n16:28; Mark 9:1; Luke 9:27).\n\nReply: True, but was not this fulfilled when they saw Christ on the\nTransfiguration Mount? Peter, who was there, in his second epistle\n(1:16-18) distinctly says it was thus fulfilled.\n\nThird, The disciples were told that they shall not have gone over\nall the cities of Israel until the Son of Man be come (Matt. 10:23).\n\nReply: Mark 6:30, Luke 9:10 shows that they did not finish all the\ncities, nor is there evidence anywhere that they ever did, for Israel\nrejected the message of the kingdom. May it not be that under the\nrestoration of the Jews and the preaching of the \"two witnesses\"\n(Rev. 11) this shall be accomplished?\n\nFourth, Christ said \"This generation shall not pass, till all these\nthings be fulfilled.\" See Matt. 24:34; Luke 21:32; Mark 13:30.\nReply: What is meant by a \"generation\"? Some would say \"forty years,\"\nconsequently the Master referred to the destruction of Jerusalem,\nwhich event was the second coming of Christ. But this is not\nnecessarily the case. The word \"generation\" may refer to the Jewish\n_race;_ cf. the use of the same Greek word in Matt. 11:16;\n16:4; Mark 8:38; Luke 7:31; 16:8; 17:25; Phil. 2:15; Psa. 22:30;\n24:6. And in this connection consider carefully the wonderful\npreservation of the Jewish race. Other nations have passed away,\nhaving lost their identity; the Jew remains--that generation (race)\nhas not yet passed away, nor will it \"till all these things be\nfulfilled.\" [FOOTNOTE: _Jesus is Coming,_ by W.E.B., is heartily\nrecommended as an exceedingly helpful book on this subject. The\nauthor is indebted thereto.]\n\nB. THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.\n\nUnder this caption is included the resurrection of both the righteous\nand the wicked, although, as will be seen later, they do not occur\nat the same time.\n\n\nI. THIS DOCTRINE CLEARLY TAUGHT IN THE SCRIPTURES.\n\n   1. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.\n   2. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.\n\nII. THE NATURE OF THE RESURRECTION.\n\n   1. LITERAL RESURRECTION OF THE BODIES OF ALL MEN.\n   2. RESURRECTION OF THE BODY NECESSARY TO COMPLETE SALVATION.\n   3. THE NATURE OF THE RESURRECTION BODY.\n      a) In General.\n      b) The Body of the Believer.\n      c) The Body of the Unbeliever.\n\nIII. THE TIME OF THE RESURRECTION.\n\n   1. OF THE RIGHTEOUS.\n   2. OF THE WICKED.\n\n\nI. THE DOCTRINE OF A RESURRECTION CLEARLY TAUGHT IN THE SCRIPTURES.\n\n1. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.\n\nIt is set forth in various ways:\n\n_In Word:_ Job 19:25-27--\"For I know that my redeemer liveth,\nand that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though\nafter my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see\nGod: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and\nnot another; though my reins be consumed within me.\" Also Psa.\n16:9; 17:15; Dan. 12:1-3.\n\n_In Figure:_ Gen. 22:5 with Heb. 11:19--\"Accounting that God\nwas able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he\nreceived him in a figure.\"\n\n_In Prophecy:_ Isa. 26:19--\"Thy dead men shall live, together\nwith my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell\nin the dust.\" The words \"men\" and \"together with\" may be omitted--\"Thy\ndead (ones) shall live.\" These words are Jehovah's answer to Israel's\nwail as recorded in vv. 17, 18. Even if they refer to resurrection\nof Israel as a nation, they yet teach a bodily resurrection. See\nalso Hosea 13:14.\n\n_In Reality:_ 1 Kings 17 (Elijah); 2 Kings 4:32-35 (Elisha\nand the Shunamite's son); 13:21 (Resurrection through contact with\nthe dead bones of Elisha).\n\nThe Old Testament therefore distinctly teaches the resurrection of\nthe body. Mark 9:10, which might seem to indicate that the apostles\ndid not know of a bodily resurrection, is accounted for by their\nunwillingness to believe in a crucified Christ.\n\n2. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.\n\n_In Word:_ Note the teaching of Jesus in John 5:28, 29; c. 6\nentire, note especially vv. 39, 40, 44, 54; Luke 14:13, 14; 20:35,\n36. The teaching of the apostles: Paul, Acts, 24:15; 1 Cor. 15; 1\nThess. 4:14-16; Phil. 3:11; John, Rev. 20:4-6; 13.\n\n_In Reality:_ The resurrection of saints (Matt. 27:52,\n53); of Lazarus (John 11); of Jesus Christ (Matt. 28). Our Lord's\nresurrection assured them of what till then had been a hope\nimperfectly supported by Scriptural warrant, and contested by the\nSadducees. It enlarged that hope (1 Pet. 1:3), and brought the\ndoctrine of the resurrection to the front (1 Cor. 15).\n\nII. THE NATURE OF THE RESURRECTION.\n\n1. A LITERAL RESURRECTION OF THE BODIES OF ALL MEN--A UNIVERSAL\nRESURRECTION.\n\nJohn 5:28--\"Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the\nwhich all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall\ncome forth.\" 1 Cor. 15:22--\"For as in Adam all die, even so in\nChrist shall all be made alive.\" The apostle is speaking of physical\ndeath in Adam, and physical resurrection in Christ.\n\nRevelation 20:12, and 2 Corinthians 5:10 both show the necessity\nof the raising of the body in order that judgment may take place\naccording to things done in the body. See also Job's hope (19:25-27);\nDavid's hope (Psa. 16:9).\n\nAn objection is sometimes made to the effect that we literalize\nthese scriptures which are intended to be metaphorical and spiritual.\nTo this we reply: While the exact phrase, \"resurrection of the\nbody,\" does not occur in the Bible, yet these scriptures clearly\nteach a physical rather than a spiritual resurrection. Indeed John\n5:25-29 draws a sharp contrast between a spiritual (v. 25) and a\nliteral (v. 28) resurrection. See also Phil. 3:21; 1 Thess. 4:13-17.\n2 Tim. 2:18--\"Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the\nresurrection is passed already,\" indicates that the early church\nbelieved in a literal resurrection. Surely there is no reference\nhere to a spiritual resurrection such as we read of in Ephesians\n5:14. Acts 24:15 speaks of a resurrection of the just and the\nunjust--this cannot refer to a spiritual resurrection surely. If\nthe resurrection were spiritual then in the future state every\nman would have two spirits--the spirit he has here, and the spirit\nhe would receive at the resurrection. The term \"spiritual body\"\ndescribes, not so much the body itself, as its nature. The \"spiritual\nbody\" is body, not spirit, hence should not be considered as defining\nbody. By the term \"spiritual body\" is meant the body spiritualized.\nSo there is a natural body--a body adapted and designed for the\nuse of the soul; and there is a spiritual body--a body adapted for\nthe use of the spirit in the resurrection day.\n\n2. THE REDEMPTION OF THE BODY IS INCLUDED IN OUR COMPLETE REDEMPTION.\n\nRom. 8:11-23--\"And not only they, but ourselves also, which have\nthe first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within\nourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of\nour body\" (v. 23). See also 1 Cor. 6:13-20. In John 6:39 and Job\n19:25-27 we are taught that the dust into which our bodies have\ndecayed will be quickened, which indicates a physical resurrection.\n\nThis conception of the value of the body is doubtless what leads\nto the Christian's care for his dead loved ones and their graves.\nThe believer's present body, which is called \"the body of his\nhumiliation\" (Phil. 3:21) is not yet fitted for entrance into the\nkingdom (1 Cor. 15:50). Paul's hope is not for a deliverence from\nthe body, but the redemption of it (2 Cor. 5:4).\n\n3. THE NATURE OF THE RESURRECTION BODY.\n\na) In General.\n\nBecause the Scripture teaches a literal resurrection of the body\nit is not necessary to insist on the literal resurrection of the\nidentical body--hair, tooth, and nail--that was laid under the\nground. The idea that at the resurrection we are to see hands flying\nacross the sea to join the body, etc., finds no corroboration in\nthe Scriptures. Such an idea is not necessary in order to be true\nto the Bible teaching. Mere human analogy ought to teach us this\n(1 Cor. 15:36, 37)--\"thou sowest not that body which shall be.\"\nThe identity is preserved--that is all that we need to insist upon.\nWhat that identity tie is we may not yet know. After all it is not\nso much a question of material identity as of glorified individuality.\nThe growth of the seed shows that there may be personal identity\nunder a complete change of physical conditions.\n\nFour things may be said about the resurrection body: first, it\nis not necessarily identical with that which descended into the\ngrave; second, it will have some organic connection with that which\ndescended into the grave; third, it will be a body which God, in\nHis sovereignty, will bestow; fourth, it will be a body which will\nbe a vast improvement over the old one.\n\nb) The Body of the Believer.\n\nPhil. 3:21 (R. V.)--\"Who shall fashion anew the body of our\nhumiliation, that it may be conformed to the body of his glory,\naccording to the working whereby he is able even to subject all\nthings unto himself.\" See also 1 John 3:2; 1 Cor. 15:49.\n\nWhat was the nature and likeness of Christ's resurrection body\nwhich our resurrection body is to resemble? It was a real body\n(Luke 24:39); recognizable (Luke 24:31; John 20:16); powerful (John\n20:19).\n\nSumming up these passages, we may say that the resurrection body\nof the believer will be like the glorified body of Christ.\n\nCharacteristics of the believer's resurrection body as set forth\nin 1 Cor. 15: It is not flesh and blood (vv. 50, 51; cf. Heb.\n2:14; 2 Cor. 5:1-6; Luke 24:39)--\"flesh and bones,\" so not pure\nspirit; a real body.\n\nIt is incorruptible (v. 43)--no decay, sickness, pain.\n\nIt is glorious (v. 43), cf. the Transfiguration (Matt. 17); Rev.\n1:13-17. It has been said that Adam and Eve, in their unfallen\nstate, possessed a glorious body. The face of Stephen was glorious\nin his death (Acts 6:15). 2 Cor. 3:18.\n\nIt is powerful (v. 43)--not tired, or weak; no lassitude; cf. now\n\"spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak\"; not so then.\n\nIt is a spiritual body (v. 44). Here the soul is the life of the\nbody; there the spirit will be the life of the body.\n\nIt is heavenly (v. 47-49).\n\nc) The Resurrection Body of the Unbeliever.\n\nThe Scriptures are strangely silent on this subject. It is worthy\nof note that in the genealogies of Genesis 5 no age is attached\nto the names of those who were not in the chosen line. Is there\na purpose here to ignore the wicked? In the story of the Rich Man\nand Lazarus no name is given to the godless rich man; why?\n\nIII. THE TIME OF THE RESURRECTION.\n\n1. THE RESURRECTION OF THE RIGHTEOUS.\n\nJohn 6:39, 40, 44--\"The last day.\" This does not mean a day of\ntwenty-four hours, but a period of time. It will be safe, usually,\nto limit the word \"day\" to a period of twenty-four hours only where\nnumeral, ordinal, or cardinal occurs in connection therewith, like\n\"fourth day,\" etc. When the \"day of grace,\" \"day of judgment,\"\n\"this thy day,\" etc., are mentioned, they refer to periods of time\neither long or short, as the case may be.\n\n1 Cor. 15:23--\"But every man in his own order: Christ the\nfirstfruits; afterwards they that are Christ's at his coming.\" 1\nThess. 4:14-17. In both these passages the resurrection of the\nbeliever is connected with the coming of Christ. This event ushers\nin the last day; it is treated as a separate and distinct thing.\n\n2. THE RESURRECTION OF THE WICKED.\n\nAs there is a difference in the issue (John 5:28, 29; Dan. 12:2,\ncf. literal Hebrew rendering below) so there is as to time between\nthe resurrection of the righteous and that of the wicked. Phil.\n3:11--\"If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of\n(lit. out of) the dead.\" It was no incentive to Paul simply to be\nassured that he would be raised from the dead; for he knew that\nall men would be thus raised. What Paul was striving for was to be\ncounted worthy of that first resurrection--of the righteous from\namong the wicked. The resurrection \"out from among\" the dead is the\nresurrection unto life and glory; the resurrection \"of\" the dead\nis to shame and contempt everlasting.\n\n1 Cor. 15:21-24. Note the expressions used, and their meaning:\n\"Then,\" meaning the next in order, the Greek denoting sequence, not\nsimultaneousness--each in his own cohort, battalion, brigade (cf.\nMark 4:28--\"First the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn\nin the ear\"). Nineteen hundred years have already elapsed between\n\"Christ the firstfruits\" and \"they that are Christ's.\" How many years\nwill elapse between the resurrection of \"they that are Christ's\"\nand that of the wicked (\"the end\") we may not be able to definitely\nstate, but certainly long enough for Christ to have \"put all enemies\nunder his feet\" (v. 25). Three groups or ranks are here mentioned:\n\"Christ,\" \"they that are Christ's,\" \"the end\" (the resurrection of\nthe wicked). (Cf. vv. 5, 6, 7--\"Seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:\nafter that . . . after that . . . then . . . and last of all he\nwas seen of me also.\") First Christ, afterwards (later than) \"they\nthat are Christ's\" then (positively meaning afterwards, a new era\nwhich takes place after an interval) \"cometh the end.\"\n\nDan. 12:2--\"And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth\nshall awake, some (lit. those who awake at this time) to everlasting\nlife, and some (lit. those who do not awake at this time) to shame\nand everlasting contempt.\" Some of the most eminent Hebrew scholars\ntranslate this passage as follows: \"And (at that time) many (of thy\npeople) shall awake (or be separated) out from among the sleepers\nin the earth dust. These (who awake) shall be unto life eternal,\nbut those (who do not awake at that time) shall be unto contempt\nand shame everlasting.\" It seems clear from this passage that all\ndo not awake at one (this) time, but only as many as are written\nin the book (12:1).\n\nEevelation 20:4-6 shows that at least a thousand years--whatever\nperiod of time may be thereby designated--elapses between the\nresurrection of the righteous and the wicked.\n\nJohn 5:28, 29; Dan. 12:2; Rev. 20:12 all show that the resurrection\nof the wicked is always connected with the judgment, and that takes\nplace at the close and not at the beginning of the Day of the Lord.\n\nWhatever difficulties may present themselves in connection with the\nresurrection, whatever obstacles of a miraculous or supernatural\nnature may present themselves in connection therewith are to be\nmet by remembering the truth enunciated by Christ in connection\nwith this very subject: Matt. 22:29--\"Ye do err, not knowing the\nscriptures, nor the power of God.\" (Cf. v. 23.--\"The same day came\nto him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection,\"\netc., and the following verses for the setting of v. 39.)\n\nC. THE JUDGMENT.\n\nI. THE FACT OF THE JUDGMENT.\n\n   1. AS TAUGHT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.\n   2. AS TAUGHT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.\n   3. THE TESTIMONY OF CONSCIENCE.\n   4. THE TESTIMONY OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION.\n\nII. THE JUDGE--CHRIST.\n\nIII. THE NATURE OF THE JUDGMENT.\n\n   1. JUDGMENT AT THE CROSS.\n   2. THE DAILY JUDGMENT.\n   3. FUTURE JUDGMENT.\n      a) Of the Saints.\n      b) Of the Living Nations.\n      c) Of the Great White Throne.\n      d) Of the Fallen Angels.\n      e) Of Israel.\n\nC. THE JUDGMENT.\n\nI. THE FACT OF THE JUDGMENT.\n\n1. DISTINCTLY TAUGHT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.\n\nPsa. 96:13--\"For he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he\nshall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his\ntruth.\" While this passage refers more particularly to the rewarding\nof the righteous, yet the idea of judgment is here. Both reward\nand punishment are involved in the idea of judgment.\n\n2. THE NEW TESTAMENT.\n\nActs 17:31--\"Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will\njudge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained;\nwhereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath\nraised him from the dead.\" Heb. 9:27. Just as it is \"appointed unto\nmen once to die\" so it is appointed unto men to appear before the\njudgment. There is no more escape from the one than from the other.\nIt is part of the burden of both the Old and New Testament message\nthat a day of judgment is appointed for the world. God's kingdom\nshall extend universally; but a judgment in which the wicked are\njudged and the righteous rewarded is necessary and in order that\nthe kingdom of everlasting righteousness may be established upon\nthe earth.\n\n3. THE CONSCIENCE OF ALL MANKIND CORROBORATES THE TEACHING OF THE\nSCRIPTURES WITH REGARD TO THE CERTAINTY OF A COMING JUDGMENT.\n\nThis is true of both the individual and universal conscience.\nThe discoveries of tablets as well as the history of all peoples\nestablish this fact. This is enforced by Eccl. 11:9; 12:14--a\nbook which is in a very real sense a book of worldly philosophy,\nnarrating, as it does, the experiences and observations of a man\nwho judged all things from the view-point of \"under the sun,\" i.e.,\nwithout special reference to any revelation from above.\n\n4. THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST IS A SURE AND CERTAIN PROOF\nWHICH GOD HAS GIVEN TO MEN OF A COMING JUDGMENT.\n\nActs 17:31 (quoted above). Here is \"assurance\" in the sense of\nproof or ground of evidence. The context is suggestive: God had\nlong borne with the sins of men, and in a sense, overlooked them.\nTherefore men have thought that God would continue to do so. But no,\nthis shall not be; there is a day of judgment coming, the evidence\nof which lies in the fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.\n\nII. THE JUDGE--CHRIST.\n\nJohn 5:22, 23, 27; 2 Tim. 4:1; 2 Cor. 5:10; Acts 10:42; 17:31.\nThe Man of the Cross is the Man of the Throne. Note the expression\n\"Because he is the Son of Man.\" That indicates His fitness to\njudge: He can sympathize. But He is equal with the Father. This\ntoo indicates His competency to judge, for it implies omniscience.\nThe texts which speak of God as judging the world are to be understood\nas referring to God the Son. No appeal can be made from the Son to\nthe Father.\n\nIII. THE NATURE OF THE JUDGMENT.\n\nThe erroneous idea that there is to be one great general judgment\nwhich is to take place at the end of the world, when all mankind\nshall stand before the great white throne, is to be guarded against.\nThe judgments of the Bible differ as to time, place, subjects, and\nresults.\n\n1. THERE IS A JUDGMENT THAT IS ALREADY PAST--THE JUDGMENT AT THE\nCROSS.\n\nJohn 5:24; 12:31; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13; 1 Pet. 3:24. At this judgment\nbar Satan was judged and his power over the believer broken. Here\nalso the sins of the believer were judged and put away.\n\n2. THERE IS A PRESENT JUDGMENT WHICH IS TAKING PLACE DAILY IN THE\nLIFE OF THE BELIEVER.\n\n1 Cor. 11:31, 32; 5:5; 1 Tim. 1:20; cf., for illustration, 2 Sam.\n7:14, 15; 12:13,14. This continual judgment must be going on in\nthe life of the believer or there will be judgment from God because\nof the consequent failure to grow in grace. There must be constant\nand continual judging of sin as it comes up in the believer's life\n(1 John 1:5-7).\n\n3. THERE IS A FUTURE JUDGMENT.\n\na) Of the Saints.\n\n1 Cor. 3:8-16; 2 Cor. 5:10; 1 Cor. 4:5. This is to be a judgment\nwith reference to the works, not the salvation, of the believer.\nIt is called \"the judgment seat of Christ.\" That the saints are\nhere referred to is clear from 2 Cor. 5:1, 5, 7, 9; also 1 Cor. 4:5\nwhich says that those who are judged \"shall have praise of God.\"\nThis is not true of the wicked. This is a judgment, not for destiny,\nbut for adjustment, for reward or loss according to our works, for\nposition in the kingdom; every man according as his work shall be.\n\nb) Of the Living Nations.\n\nMatt. 25:31-46. This judgment will take place at the coming of\nChrist with His saints. Note three things in this chaper: first,\nthe marriage supper of the Lamb (w. 1-13); second, the judgment of\nthe saints (vv. 14-30); third, the judgment of the living nations\n(vv. 31-46). This is not a general judgment of good and bad, for\nthere are three classes here. \"My brethren\" can hardly refer to\nthe saints, for then it would be \"inasmuch as ye have done it unto\nyourselves, ye have done it unto me.\" Nor is the Church in this\njudgment, for she is already translated and rewarded as we have\nseen. The Church no more belongs to the nations than does Israel.\nThe nations are those who deal with Israel through the great\ntribulation. The \"brethren\" are probably the Jewish remnant who\nhave turned to Christ during the great tribulation and whom the\nAntichrist has severely persecuted as also have many of the wicked\nnations, like Russia today. This is a judgment of nations that are\nliving; there is no mention of the dead.\n\nc) Of the Great White Throne.\n\nRev. 20:11-15. It is called the final judgment and takes place\nat the close of the millennium, after the judgment of the living\nnations (Matt. 25). It is a judgment of \"the dead\"; no mention is\nmade of the living in connection therewith.\n\nNote the difference between the judgments of the Living Nation and\nof the Great White Throne: the former at the beginning, the latter\nat the close of the millennium; one deals with the living, the other\nwith the dead; one deals with conduct towards \"the brethren,\" the\nother with general sins recorded in the books.\n\nd) Of Israel.\n\nEzek. 20:33-44; Psa. 50:16-22. Takes place probably at the end of\nthe great tribulation.\n\ne) Of the Fallen Angels.\n\nJude 6; 2 Pet. 2:4. Believers are associated with Christ in this\njudgment (1 Cor. 6:3).\n\nD. THE FINAL DESTINY OF THE WICKED.\n\nI. PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS.\n\n\n   1. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FUTURE OF THE RIGHTEOUS AND WICKED.\n   2. DIFFICULTY OF FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE.\n   3. DISPARITY IN NUMBER OF THE SAVED AND LOST.\n   4. PROPHECY VS. HISTORY.\n\n\nII. THE WICKED DIE IN THEIR SINS.\n\nIII. THE WICKED ARE NOT ANNIHILATED.\n\nIV. THE WICKED ARE RAISED FROM THE DEAD FOR JUDGMENT.\n\nV. THE PUNISHMENT DESCRIBED.\n\n\n   1. DEATH.\n   2. ETERNAL.\n   3. PUNISHMENT.\n   4. FIRE.\n   5. DARKNESS.\n\n\nD. THE FINAL DESTINY OF THE WICKED.\n\n\"Every view of the world has its eschatology. It cannot help raising\nthe question of the whither, as well as of the what and the whence?\n'0, my Lord,' said Daniel to the angel, 'what shall be the end of\nthese things?' (12:8). What is the end, the final destiny of the\nindividual? Does he perish at death, or does he enter into another\nstate of being; and under what conditions of happiness or woe does\nhe exist there? What is the end, the final aim of the great whole,\nthat far-off divine event towards which the whole creation moves?\nIt is vain to tell man not to ask these questions. He will ask\nthem, and must ask them. He will pore over every scrap of fact, or\ntrace of law, which seems to give an indication of an answer. He\nwill try from the experience of the past, and the knowledge of the\npresent, to deduce what the future shall be. He will peer as far\nas he can into the unseen; and, where knowledge fails, will weave\nfrom his hopes and trusts pictures and conjectures.\n\n\"The Christian view of the world also has its eschatology. The\nChristian view, however, is positive, where that of science is\nnegative; ethical, where it is material; human, where it is cosmogonic;\nending in personal immortality, where this ends in extinction and\ndeath. The eschatology of Christianity springs from its character\nas a teleological religion--it seeks to grasp the unity of the\nworld through the conception of an end or aim.\"--_James Orr._\n\nThis is probably the hardest of all the doctrines of Christianity\nto be received. If we ask the reason why, we receive various answers.\nSome would tell us that this doctrine is unwelcome to many because\nthey feel themselves guilty, and their conscience tells them that\nunless they repent and turn to God this awful doom awaits them.\nOthers believe that it is because the thought of future punishment\nstrikes terror to people's hearts, and therefore this doctrine is\nrepulsive to them. To others again, the thought of future anguish\nseems utterly incompatable with the fatherly love of God. Yet it\nis acknowledged to be a remarkable fact that both Jesus and John,\nwho more than any one else in the New Testament represent the\nelement of love in their lives and teaching, speak most of the\nfuture anguish of the wicked.\n\nThat future punishment of the wicked holds a prominent place in\nthe teachings of the Scriptures there can be no reasonable doubt.\nWhat is between the covers of the Bible is the preacher's message.\nYet great care must be exercised in the teaching or proclamation of\nthis doctrine. After all it is not the saying of hard things that\npierces the conscience of people; it is the voice of divine love\nheard amid the thunder.\n\nYet there must be no consciousness of cowardice in proclaiming the\ndoctrine of future retribution, however awful its delineation may\nbe. Fear is a legitimate motive to which we may appeal, and while\nit may be classed among the lower motives, it is nevertheless true\nthat it is the only motive that will effectively move some people\nto action.\n\nSOME RECOGNIZED FACTS.\n\nThere are certain preliminary facts which should be recognized in\nthe discussion of this subject:\n\n1. That it shall be well with the righteous, and woe to the wicked\n(Isa. 3:10, 11). That there is to be retribution for sin and a\nreward for the righteous must be held to be beyond question, and\nmust be recognized as an unchangeable law. One cannot very well\nmeddle with that truth without serious danger. So long as a man\npersistently, willingly and knowingly continues in his sin he must\nsuffer for it. That suffering the Bible calls eternal death.\n\n2. We must recognize that much of the language of the Scripture\ndealing with this condition is couched in figurative terms. But\nthe condition is none the less real because of that, for, generally\nspeaking, the reality is more severe than the figure in which it is\nset forth. Yet we need caution here, and must distinguish between\nthe things that are stated in clear unmistakable language and those\nthat are set forth in words symbolic and figurative.\n\n3. The disparity in the number of saved and lost. There is a danger\nlest we should be unmindful of the problems connected with this\ndoctrine, such as that seeming fewness of the saved; the condition\nof the heathen who have not had a chance to hear the Gospel; and\nthe difference in privilege and opportunity among those who live\nin so-called Christian lands.\n\n4. Prophecy vs. History. We must recognize that it is more difficult\nto deal with facts which lie in the future than with those lying\nin the past. Prophecy is always more difficult to deal with than\nhistory. The past we may sketch in details, the future but in broad\noutlines.\n\n\"Our treatment of themes that deal with the future must, in the\nvery nature of the case be very different than it would be were\nwe dealing with the things of the past. History and prophecy must\nbe handled differently. In dealing with the history of God's past\nrevelations--with the ages before the Advent, with the earthly\nlife and revelation of Jesus Christ, with the subsequent course\nof God's providence in the Church--we are dealing with that which\nhas already been. It stands in concrete reality before us, and we\ncan reason from it as a thing known in its totality and its details.\nBut when the subject of revelation is that which is yet to be,\nespecially that which is yet to be under forms and conditions of\nwhich we have no direct experience, the case is widely altered.\nHere it is at most outlines that we can look for; and even these\noutlines will be largely clothed in figure and symbol; the spiritual\nkernel will seek material investiture to body itself forth; the\nconditions of the future will require to be presented largely in\nforms borrowed from known relations. The outstanding thoughts will\nbe sufficiently apparent, but the thoughts in which these thoughts\nare cast will partake of metaphor and image.\"--_James Orr._\n\nII. THE WICKED ARE SAID TO \"DIE IN THEIR SINS.\"\n\nJohn 8:21, 24--\"Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and\nye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye\ncannot come. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your\nsins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your\nsins.\" Rom. 6:23--\"For the wages of sin is death.\" See Rev. 20:14,\n15; 21:8.\n\nThe \"death\" spoken of here does not mean cessation of existence any\nmore than eternal life means the beginning of existence. Eternal\nlife does not mean merely to live for ever, but to live in a state\nof blessedness for ever. Eternal life deals not so much with quantity\nas with quality of existence. Just so with eternal death. It is\na quality of existence, not cessation of being. Even in this life\ndeath can co-exist with life: \"But she that liveth in pleasure is\ndead while she liveth\" (1 Tim. 5:6); Eph. 2:1. What men call life\nGod calls death. There are two things which the believer gets: at\nhis regeneration, eternal life; at his resurrection, immortality;\nbut in both instances he already has life and existence. So it is\nin the case of the wicked: the second death does not mean cessation\nof existence, for he is dead already, now in this life (1 Tim.\n5:6; Eph. 2:1; John 5:24, 25). Rev. 21:8 describes what \"death,\"\nas here used, means: \"But the fearful, and the unbelieving... shall\nhave their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone:\nwhich is the second death.\"\n\nIII. THE WICKED ARE NOT ANNIHILATED.\n\nThe texts most strongly urged as teaching the annihilation theory,\nif rightly interpreted, will be seen to refer to removal from off\nthe earth, and not to future retribution. Here are the principal\npassages:\n\nPsa. 37:20--\"But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the\nLord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke\nshall they consume away.\" This psalm is written for the encouragement\nof Israel and against her enemies and their power on the earth. This\nearthly power shall be utterly broken, and be of no more account\nthan the smoke of a burnt sacrifice. The great truth taught here\nis that the earth is the inheritance of the saints, and that the\nwicked shall have no part in it.\n\nObadiah 16--\" . . . And they shall be as though they had not been.\"\nThese words are taken from the vision regarding Edom, and refer\nto the destruction of the Edomites and their land, and not to the\nfuture of the wicked in the next life.\n\nIn speaking of the \"everlasting punishment\" with which the wicked\nwill be visited, as recorded in 2 Thess. 1:9, the annihilationist\nwould say that reference is made to the \"results or consequences\"\nof that punishment and not to the punishment itself. But the\nScriptures state that it is the \"punishment\" itself, and not the\nconsequences, that is everlasting.\n\nNo such interpretation as that put upon these passages by those holding\nthe annihilation theory can be maintained by sound exegesis. What\nneed is there of a resurrection if the wicked are to be annihilated\nat death, or why should they be raised from the dead if only to\nbe at once extinguished for ever? Again, there is no such thing\nas \"unconscious\" punishment. You cannot punish anything that is\nunconscious. Can you punish a stone or a house? Punishment can\ntake place only where there is consciousness on the part of the\none suffering.\n\nIV. THE WICKED ARE TO BE PUNISHED.\n\nRom. 2:8, 9--\"But unto them that are contentious, and do not\nobey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,\ntribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil,\nof the Jew first, and also of the Gentile.\" \"Wrath\" indicates the\nsettled mind of God towards the persistently wicked (John 3:36);\n\"indignation,\" the outbreak of that wrath at the day of judgment;\n\"tribulation,\" severe affliction (Matt. 13:21; 24:9; Rev. 7:14);\n\"anguish,\" torturing confinement in a strait place without relief,\nas in a dungeon, or in stocks. God grant that we may never know\nwhat these terms fully mean.\n\nMatt. 25:41, 46--\"Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand,\nDepart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the\ndevil and his angels. And these shall go away into everlasting\npunishment.\" 2 Thess. 1:7-9--\"When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed\nfrom heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance\non them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord\nJesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction\nfrom the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.\"\nSee also Mark 9:43-50 which speaks of the wicked being cast into\n\"hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: where their worm\ndieth not, and the fire is not quenched.\"\n\nThere are certain important words in these scriptures which demand\nour attention, and which we need to understand in order to get right\nviews of the doctrine we are now considering. They are as follows:\n\n1. \"ETERNAL.\"\n\nWe read of \"eternal\" or \"everlasting\" punishment, \"everlasting\"\nfire. It is objected that the word \"eternal\" or \"everlasting\" does\nnot mean \"forever.\" This may be true. But we are all willing to\nadmit that when this word qualifies the condition of the righteous\nit means for ever, without end, e.g., the righteous shall go \"into\nlife eternal.\" The same word, however, qualifies the punishment of\nthe wicked, e.g., \"these shall go away into everlasting punishment.\"\nFairness demands that we make the joy of the righteous and the\npunishment of the wicked--both qualified as they are by the same\nGreek word--of the same duration. If there is an end to the reward\nof the righteous, there is also to the penalty of the wicked. The\none lasts as long as the other. If \"destruction\" means annihilation,\nthen there is no need of the word \"eternal\" to qualify it. Further\nthe Scriptures present the punishment of the wicked not only as\n\"eternal\" (or age-long) but as enduring \"for ever and ever,\" or\n\"unto the ages of the ages\" (Rev. 19:3; 20:10; 14:11, R. V.). Here\nis a picture of ages tumbling upon ages in eternal succession.\n\n2. \"PUNISHMENT.\"\n\nThe meaning of this word will be found under the previous division\n(III) dealing with the subject of Annihilation.\n\n3. \"FIRE.\"\n\nThis is one of the most constant images under which the torment\nand misery of the wicked is represented. Fire is a symbol of the\ndivine judgment of wrath (Matt. 5:22). In Matthew 3:10 the godless\nare represented as a tree hewn down and cast into the fire; in 3:12\nthe chaff (godless) is burned with unquenchable fire; in 13:42 the\nwicked are said to be cast into a furnace of fire.\n\nIs the \"fire\" spoken of here _literal_ fire? It is an accepted\nlaw of language that a figure of speech is less intense than the\nreality. If \"fire\" is merely a figurative expression, it must\nstand for some great reality, and if the reality is more intense\nthan the figure, what an awful thing the punishment symbolized by\nfire must be.\n\nIt is contended that fire must necessarily consume; that nothing\ncould continue to exist in fire. Is it not remarkable that the\nBaptist uses the word \"unquenchable\"' (Greek, \"asbestos\") when\nspeaking of this fire? Is any light thrown on the question by the\nincident of the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace? Did\nthey consume, or did they withstand the fire? (Dan. 3:27). In the\nparable of the Tares (Matt. 13:36-43) our Lord speaks of the tares\nbeing burned up. When Christ retired to the house after delivering\nthe parable, his disciples asked Him to explain to them what He meant\nby the figures of speech He used in the parable. This request He\ngranted. He explained the figurative language of the parable; every\nfigurative word in it except that of \"fire.\" He said: \"The field\nis the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but\nthe tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed\nthem is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the\nreapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and\nburned in the fire, so shall it be at the end of this world. .\n. . And they shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall\nbe wailing and gnashing of teeth.\" Why did not the Master explain\nwhat he meant by the figurative word \"fire\"? He explained all the\nother figurative words, why not this one? Did He forget? Or did\nHe intend that His disciples should have the impression that He\nwas speaking of literal fire? Here was His opportunity to explain\nHis use of words, for the disciples were asking for just that very\nthing. Was there any significance in the fact that Jesus did not\nexplain the word \"fire\"? Whether we believe in literal fire or not,\nwe certainly ought to ask for a reason for the Master's failure to\nliteralize the figurative word \"fire.\"\n\n4. \"DARKNESS.\"\n\nThis word is used to describe the condition of the lost: \"Cast\ninto outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.\"\nSeven times these terms are found together: Matt. 8:12; 13:42, 50;\n22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Luke 13:28. The picture is that of a banquet\nwhich was usually held at night. The wicked are thrust out from\nthe light, joy, and festivity into the darkness and gloom without,\nas into the remote gloom and anguish of a dungeon in which are found\nagony, wrath, and despair. Is this a description of hell --absence\nof spiritual light; separation from the company of the saved;\nlamentation; impotent rage?\n\nE. THE FINAL REWARD OF THE RIGHTEOUS.\n\nI. THE BELIEVER NEVER DIES.\n\nII. THE BELIEVER GOES TO BE WITH CHRIST.\n\nIII. THE BODY OF THE BELIEVER IS RAISED FROM THE DEAD.\n\nIV. THE BELIEVER IS REWARDED.\n\nV. THE NATURE OF THE BELIEVER'S REWARD.\n\n\n   1. THE \"CROWNS\" OF SCRIPTURE.\n   2. THE SEVEN \"OVERCOMES\" (REV. 2 AND 3).\n\n\nVI. THE NEW CONDITION AND ABODE OF LIFE FOR THE SAINTS.\n\n\n   1. NEW SPHERE OF LIFE.\n   2. A NEW HOME.\n   3. NEW CONDITIONS.\n\n\nE. THE FINAL REWARD OF THE RIGHTEOUS.\n\nIf, says the Apostle Paul, in this present life we have a hope\nresting on Christ, and nothing more, we are more to be pitied than\nall the rest of the world (1 Cor. 15:19). The idea is that if this\nhope in Christ which the believer has is a delusive hope, with\nno prospect of fulfillment in the future, the Christian is indeed\nin a sad state. He has chosen a life of self-denial; he will not\nindulge in the pleasures of the world, and if there are no pleasures\nin the darkness into which he is about to enter, then he has\nmiscalculated, he has chosen a life that shall end in self-obliteration.\nIf he has no home to go to, no God to welcome him, no King to say,\n\"Well done, exchange mortality for life,\" then he is indeed in a\npitiable plight. But such is not the case. The hope of the Christian\nenters beyond the vail, into the very presence of God Himself, and\nendures throughout all the eternities.\n\nI. THE CHRISTIAN NEVER DIES.\n\n1 John 8:51--\"Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep\nmy saying, he shall never see death.\" 11:25, 26--\"Jesus said unto\nher, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me,\nthough he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and\nbelieveth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?\"\n\nWhat Jesus means here is not that the believer shall not pass\nthrough the experience that we call death, but that in reality it\nis not death, at least, not in the sense in which it is death to\nthe unbeliever. Jesus has taken the sting out of death. How sharply\nthe contrast between death and the experience through which the\nbeliever passes is presented in 1 Thess. 4:13, 14--\"But I would\nnot have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are\nasleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For\nif we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also\nwhich sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.\" Jesus \"died\"--He\ntasted the awfulness of death; the believer in Him \"falls asleep.\"\nCf. John 11:11--\"Our friend Lazarus sleepeth.\" We have no ground\nin these words for the modern doctrine of soul-sleeping. Christ\ndid not mean to say that the soul is unconscious between the time\nof death and the resurrection. For, when the disciples did not\nunderstand His _figurative_ language, He told them _plainly,_\n\"Lazarus is dead\" (11:11-15). What Jesus meant was that death is\nsomething like that which takes place when we go to sleep. What\ntakes place when we go to sleep? Surely the current of life does not\ncease, but flows on, and when we awake we feel better and stronger\nthan before. There is a shutting out of all the scenes of the world\nand time. Just so it is in the case of the believer's death. Three\nideas are contained in the word \"sleep\": continued existence,--for\nthe mind is active even though the body is still; repose--we lose\nour hold on and forget the things of the world; wakening--we always\nthink of sleep as followed by awakening.\n\nThe word \"see\" in John 8:51 means that the believer shall not gaze\nat death protractedly, steadily, exhaustively. Death is not the\nobjective of his gaze. The believer's outlook is that of life not\ndeath. The death of the body is to be reckoned no more as death\nthan the life of the body is life (1 Tim. 5:6). The believer's back\nis turned upon death; he faces and gazes upon life. The temporary\nseparation of the soul and body does not even interrupt, much less\nimpair, the eternal life given by Jesus.\n\nII. THE BELIEVER GOES TO BE WITH CHRIST.\n\n2 Cor. 5:6, R. V.--\"Being therefore always of good courage, and\nknowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent\nfrom the Lord.\" Phil. 1:23, R. V.--\"But I am in a strait betwixt\nthe two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ; for it is\nvery far better.\"\n\nThe experience (death-sleep) through which the believer passes ushers\nhim at once into the presence of Christ. It takes him instantly\nto be \"at home\" with the Lord. Surely there can be no hint of\nunconsciousness or the sleeping of the soul in these words. It\nwould seem from Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 5:1-5 that some kind\nof spiritual body is given to the believer during the period of\nhis waiting for the resurrection body. What Paul longs for is not\nto be in a bodiless state, but to put on another body which shall\nnot be subject to death. \"At home with the Lord\"--that is what\n\"death\" (?) means to the believer.\n\nIII. THE BODY OF THE BELIEVER IS RAISED FROM THE DEAD.\n\nSee under the Doctrine of the Resurrection for the full discussion\nof the believer's resurrection body, its characteristics, etc.\n\nIV. THE BELIEVER SHALL RECEIVE HIS FINAL REWARD IN THE FUTURE.\n\n1 Matt. 25:20-23--\"And so he that had received five talents came\nand brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto\nme five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents\nmore. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful\nservant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make\nthee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.\nHe also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou\ndeliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other\ntalents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and\nfaithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I\nwill make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of\nthy lord.\"\n\nLuke 19:12-19.--\"He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a\nfar country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And\nhe called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said\nunto them, Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent\na message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign\nover us. And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having\nreceived the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called\nunto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how\nmuch every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying,\nLord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto him,\nWell, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very\nlittle, have thou authority over ten cities. And the second came\nsaying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And he said likewise\nto him, Be thou also over five cities.\"\n\nMatthew 24 exhorts us to watch and wait for Christ's coming;\nchapter 25 shows us how we may obey this exhortation. Chapter 25\nillustrates to us, in the parable of the Virgins (vv. 1-13) the\nnecessity of caring for the inward spiritual life; while the parable\nof the Talents (vv. 14-30), emphasizes the necessity of activity\nfor Christ while awaiting His return.\n\nWhile both parables deal with the matter of the rewarding of\nthe saints, they nevertheless present the subject from different\nviewpoints. The parable of the Pounds was delivered before the entry\ninto Jerusalem; that of the Talents, three days after; the Pounds,\nto the multitudes; the Talents, to the disciples. The Pounds was\ngiven because the people thought that the kingdom would immediately\nappear, hence the idea of a long journey. In the Pounds there is\nopposition to Christ; in the Talents, none. In the Talents unequal\nsums are multiplied in the same proportion; in the Pounds, equal\nsums in differed proportions. The parable of the Pounds was uttered\nto repress impatience; that of the Talents, to stimulate activity\nuntil Christ should return.\n\nThe talents are distributed not capriciously but according to each\nman's ability to handle them. He who had five talents was able to\nuse five, and was therefore held responsible for the use of this\nnumber; so with the two, and the one. The question is not so much\n\"How many talents have I received,\" but \"To what use am I putting\nthem?\" The rewards for faithfulness are the same in each case--\"Be\nthou ruler over many cities.\" In the parable of the Pounds it is\ndifferent. All start out with the same number of pounds. As men\ndiffer in their use of them, in their fidelity, zeal and labor,\nso they differ in spiritual gains and rewards (ten cities, five\ncities). The reward of the believer will be in proportion to the\nfaithfulness of his service for God with the use of the talents\nwith which God has endowed him. The rewards therefore will differ\naccording to the faithfulness or unfaithfulness of our service and\nlife.\n\nFaith in Jesus Christ saves the believer, but his position in the\nfuture life together with the measure of his reward will depend\nupon his faithfulness in the use of the gifts with which he has\nbeen endowed by God. Thus it comes to pass that a man may be saved\n\"yet so as by fire,\" i.e., saved because of his faith in Christ,\nbut minus his reward. See 1 Cor. 3:10-15--\"In discharge of the\ntask which God graciously entrusted to me, I--like a competent\nmaster-builder--have laid a foundation, and others are building\nupon it. But let every one be careful how and what he builds. For\nno one can lay any other foundation in addition to that which is\nalready laid, namely, Jesus Christ. And whether the building which\nanyone is erecting on that foundation be of gold or silver or\ncostly stones, of timber or hay or straw--the true character of\neach individual's work will become manifest. For the day of Christ\nwill disclose it, because that day is soon to come upon us clothed\nin fire, and as for the quality of every one's work--the fire is\nthe thing which will test it. If any one's work--the building which\nhe has erected--stands the test, he will be rewarded. If any one's\nwork is burned up, he will suffer the loss of it; yet he will\nhimself be rescued, but only, as it were, by passing through the\nfire.\" (Translation from _Weymouth's New Testament._) While\nthis passage has its primary reference, probably, to Christian\nteachers and preachers, and touches the matter of doctrines that\nare taught, it nevertheless has a fitting and true application to\nthe life and work of every believer.\n\nV. THE NATURE OF THE BELIEVER'S REWARD.\n\n1. HE SHALL RECEIVE A CROWN.\n\nThe Scriptures speak of a number of crowns: The Crown of _Life_\n(James 1:12; Rev. 2:10, compare context which speaks of death); of\n_Glory_ (1 Pet. 5:4; cf. John 17:22; Heb. 2:9); of\n_Righteousness_ (2 Tim. 4:8), the full realization of the\nimputed and inwrought righteousness of Christ; of _Rejoicing_\n(1 Thess. 2:19), at the sight of converts that have been won by one's\nministry for Christ; of _Gold_ (Rev. 4:4); _Incorruptible_\n(1 Cor. 9:25), as compared with the perishable crowns of the Greek\ngames; _Thy_ crown (Rev. 3:11), that which is laid up for you,\nand which should not be lost by unfaithfulness; the summing up of\nall the previous expressions--all are characteristic of \"thy\" crown.\n\n2. THE SEVEN \"OVERCOMES\" IN REVELATION (cc. 2, 3.).\n\na) 2:7--\"Eat of the Tree of Life, Which is in the Midst of the\nParadise of God.\"\n\nThe tree of life, which has been practically unmentioned since Genesis\n3, where it was lost through sin, is here restored in accordance\nwith the restitution of all things in Christ. This figure expresses\nparticipation in life eternal--the believer shall die no more.\n\nb) 2:11--\"Shall Not be Hurt of the Second Death.\"\n\nHe who is born but once--\"of the flesh\"--dies twice: physically,\nand eternally. He (the believer) who is born twice--\"of the flesh\"\nand \"of the spirit\"--dies but once; that is, he passes through only\nthat physical dissolution of soul and body which is called death.\nThe \"second death\" means, to say the least, utter exclusion from\nthe presence of God. To say that the believer shall not be hurt of\nthe second death is equivalent to saying that he shall eternally\nbehold the face of the Father which is in heaven.\n\nc) 2:17--He shall Receive a \"Stone with a New Name Written\" Thereon;\nTo the Believer also will be Given to Eat of the \"Hidden Manna.\"\n\nThis figure may mean that to the believer is given the white stone\nof acquittal. In courts of justice in those days a black stone\nwas given to the condemned. Reference may here be made to the\nwhite stone (diamond?) which was not among the stones in the high\npriest's ephod, and thought by some to be the Urim and Thummim.\nThe partaking of the hidden manna may refer to the fact that they\nwho had resisted the eating of meat offered in sacrifice to idols\nwould, as a reward, be allowed to feast on the bread of God, the\ndivine food. The new name mentioned may stand for a new nature and\ncharacter which the believer will possess in that new country.\n\nd) 2:26, 27--Authority Over the Nations.\n\nThere is doubtless a reference here to the reign of the saints\nwith the Lord Jesus Christ on the millenial earth. Those that have\nsuffered with Him shall also reign with Him.\n\ne) 3:4, 5--He Shall Be \"Arrayed in White Garments,\" and His Name\nShall in No Wise be Blotted Out of the Book of Life.\n\n\"White garments\" undoubtedly refers to the righteousness of the\nsaints. In the Old Testament days to be blotted out of the book of\nlife meant to forfeit the privileges of the Theocracy--to be shut\nout forever from God's favor. Here the certainty of the believer's\neternal security is assured. Christ will rejoice over him and gladly\nconfess that He knows him as one who belonged to Him and served\nand confessed Him on the earth.\n\nf) 3:12--The Believer Will Be a Pillar in the Temple of God; He\nShall Go Out No More; God Will Write Upon Him His Own New Name.\n\nPhiladelphia, the place in which was situated the church to whom\nthese words were written, was subject to earthquakes, and quite\nfrequently the massive pillars of the temple were shattered. It\nshall not be so with the believer--he shall never be moved. He will\ngo in and out no more--no possibility of falling then. He will have\nthe name of God written upon him--no danger of anyone else making\nclaim to him. Then the believer's period of probation will have\npassed away; he shall have a permanent and eternal place in the\nkingdom of the Father.\n\ng) 3:21, R. V.--\"I Will Give to Him to Sit Down With Me in My\nThrone.\"\n\nNot \"on\" or \"upon\" but \"in\" my throne. Christ will exalt us with\nHimself. James and John wanted to sit by Christ's side in the coming\nkingdom. Here is something infinitely better--to sit with Him in\nHis throne.\n\nVI. THE BELIEVER WILL ENTER INTO A NEW CONDITION AND ABODE OF LIFE.\n\n1. A NEW SPHERE OF LIFE FOR THE SAINTS.\n\nNew Heavens and a new Earth: Paradise regained; new spiritual\nenvironment; new physical conditions. Not surrounded by the\ntemptations and defects of this mortal life. \"No more sea\"--to the\nJew a symbol of unmixed peril, trouble, and restlessness.\n\n2. A NEW HOME FOR THE SAINTS.\n\nRev. 21-22:5--A picture of the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, which\nis to be the final and eternal abode of the people of God.\n\nWithin the New Heavens and on the New Earth is the Holy City.\nNote some characteristics of the Holy City: Its _Name:_ New\nJerusalem--what music to the ear of the Jew, who for so long had\nbeen without a city of his own! Its _Walls_ (21:17): high,\nsecure, safe against all assaults. Its _Gates_ (21:15, 21):\nguarded by angels; names on gates; only saints enter. Its\n_Foundations_ (v.14): the Apostles of the Lamb; lustrous\n(18). Its _Citizens:_ of the nations that are saved (citizens'\ncharacteristics 21:6, 7; 22:14, R. V.; contrast with 21:8, 27).\nIts _Magnitude:_ 4800 stadia (the earthly Jerusalem being but\n33 stadia). Its _Glory_ (11-23): what costliness!\n\n3. NEW CONDITIONS OF LIFE FOR THE REDEEMED.\n\nGod's home is there (21:3); thus the believer has uninterrupted\ncommunion with God. Some things that used to be have all passed\naway: death, mourning, curse, tears, sorrow, night--all have gone.\nNew created things appear: the river of life, the tree of life,\nnew service, new relationships, new light (22:4).\n\n\n    \"AND AFTER THESE THINGS I HEARD A GREAT VOICE\n    OF MUCH PEOPLE IN HEAVEN, SAYING, ALLELUIA;\n    SALVATION, AND GLORY, AND HONOUR, AND POWER,\n    UNTO THE LORD OUR GOD:\n\n    \"AND THE FOUR AND TWENTY ELDERS AND THE\n      FOUR BEASTS FELL DOWN AND WORSHIPPED GOD THAT\n    SAT ON THE THRONE, SAYING, AMEN; ALLELUIA.\n\n    \"AND A VOICE CAME OUT OF THE THRONE, SAYING,\n    PRAISE OUR GOD, ALL YE HIS SERVANTS, AND YE THAT\n    FEAR HIM, BOTH SMALL AND GREAT.\n\n    \"AND I HEARD AS IT WERE THE VOICE OF A GREAT\n    MULTITUDE, AND AS THE VOICE OF MANY WATERS,\n    AND AS THE VOICE OF MIGHTY THUNDERINGS, SAYING,\n    ALLELUIA: FOR THE LORD GOD OMNIPOTENT REIGNETH.\n\n    \"LET US BE GLAD AND REJOICE, AND GIVE HONOUR\n    TO HIM: FOR THE MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB IS COME,\n    AND HIS WIFE HATH MADE HERSELF READY.\n\n    \"AND TO HER WAS GRANTED THAT SHE SHOULD BE\n    ARRAYED IN FINE LINEN, CLEAN AND WHITE: FOR\n    THE FINE LINEN IS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF SAINTS.\"","title":"The Great Doctrines of the Bible","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":80688}