The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1889-06-29
REVIEW OF THE QUARTER.
LESSON KIN, SECOND QUARTER. M
TERNATI0NAL SERIES, JUNE so.

Alternative Possibilities of Happiness or
Misrepresentation and Population of Pal
e2tiHe-I sonian Inv.
The lessons for the second quarter Of this
year deal with the later teachings and most
u'oinentous prophecy Of Christ-that concern
ing the destruction OF tEc Temple, the end of
tho world and His second coming-aud with
the last scenes Of his life, and the thrilling
incidents attendant on his resurrection.
In all literature nothing is recorded that
VIII compare for one moment in interest with
these events. The statements are so import
ant that, il true all other truths are By com
parhon uniInportant; il false, all other false
hoods are by comparison harmless and insig-
nillcaat, If we could believe that the writer's
Of the New Testament and their immediate
successors had fabricated this impressive mar
ratiyo we should at once be driven TO the
conclusion that far beyond all men that ever
lived they discovered the art Of making
falsehooi far more vital in its spirit and
more powerful IN its effects than truth, for
all the admitted truths recorded il profane
history have had less effect on the subsequent
course Of tie world and today have less effect
upon the lives and consciences Of men than
this simple narrative We should III adopt
ing that theory, be compelled to the utterly
absurd conclusion that a little band Of Jews,
most Of them ignorant and nearly all poor,
had, with most marvellous ingenuity, with
skill IN fiction surprising all the masters in
that art, fabricated a story which revolutions
lied the civilized world, forged q theology
which survived all forms of government, and
announced a delIsiOn which has fred the
hearts Of hundreds Of millions Of people end
lcd them to despiso danger and welcome
death. Such theory is too Preposterous for
discussion.
On the other hand, admit the truth of this
narration and what awful conceptions 1T
once rise to impress the mind: God, eternity,
sin, moral accountability, rotribution and Il
ability to eternal woe, then an iacarnated
Saviour, free salvation, redemption, rcslr-
rection eternal happincss The bare posi-
Dility Of such alternative results shOgll, even
on the lowest principles Of self love, awaken
every man to earnest inquiry. That thero
arc points il the prophecy not yet determined
aad statements in the history not fully IN
deratool should not weigh for one moment
against the awful Importance Of what Is
clear. The teachings Of each lesson have
been noted in their turn; but l. may be well
to s3t forth few facts in history and lam
4 guago which aid in making clear the mean
f,g of the Gospel history.
First, it is to be noted that the four gos-
pels were written in the Greek language,
though thercis evidence that Matthew first
imposed his in Hebrew, and that they were
wrlaten after the Christians had become suf-
fcientlF numerous to create a demand for
complete record, each gospel being devised to
meet the needs Of a special clcss. These
Glasses arose as follows: The Jews had lost
the Hebrew language as popular speech,
and at the time Of Christ spoke the Syro-
Chaldaic, the country was ruled by tie Pc
mans, 50 the language of the laws was Latl,
while the scholars Of Palestine aad ad joining
countries wrote in Greek Tho Romans had
conquered all the civilized world west Of
Persia, including Greece, Egypt and Asia
Minor, whore the conquosts Of Alexander the
Great had made Greek a common vehicle Of
speech and writing, The Jews retained lie
brow as their sacred language, Hence we
see tl-at the inscription over the head Of
Christ upon thecross was in the Hebrew and
Gree. and Latin, to be read by the priests
AMI the people il Jerusalem who were not
Jews IS Wei as the residents,
Thus, too, those evaageiists who wrote for
! Gentile5 often add the Interpretation ola word
giving its name IS the Jews had il in Hebrew
ana tlen the Greek equivalent, which their
( readers understood Golgotha in Hebrew
was Calyaria in Latin Mark, Luke and
Paul were Greel, names though borne by
Jews. Simon, Levi, etc, were Hebrew
names, while in several cases the writer gives
the naH3e Cuc was kaown by in both lem
guagas, whether a totally different name or
! merely the same name translated. Simonis
Hebrew; Peter is Greek, from ''Pctros, q rock.
IS might be expected from their ace, nearly
all the towns retained their Old Hebrew
names, as Nazareth, Bethlehem, Caperu2vn;
but towns recently built had Latin names, Is
Casarea, Philippi
The government was in like manner com
posito 1t YVES the practice Of the Romans to
slaughter without mercy till country WAS
conquered. then grant universal amnesty,
take the leading men OF the conquered couu-
/ Try into the Roman service, interfere not at
all with religion and as little as possible with
local customs as long as government was re
spectel and the taxes paid. The Roman gov
! errors appointed for the conquered countries
were not only instructed, butit was obviously
their best policy, to be cols.dorate Of local
preulices, and they often yialded to what
they considered folly or injustice because
they feared se5liti0n of the people" Pi
late. whose Office included the functions Of
local governor and judge advocate, repeat
edly mtercedcd fer Jesus and declared that
be ''lolnl no fault il the man." nevertheless
he gave Him up to the Jewish council, and
they condemned Him under Jewish law.
The intarlocl of local and general law vGs
very similar TO that in British India and the
territories belonging 70 the United States:
For all oiicnaes against the ordinary law the
people retained their old courts and privi-
cges, but If the accused was q Roman citi-
zen or was charged with treason 10 Rome, he
had to go before the higher court. Plate dc
c!arcd that Jesus had done nothing that Ro-
mans cared to punish, and as to the rest he
was willing to please the Jews, but st.
Paul inherited Roman citizenship from his
father, so The local authorities dared not
leave him bound" nor could he be put to
death till he had had his appeal to LoIae.
Even when the inferior courts co0dcmHcd
the Romans often executed the Sentence IS
in tie case of Jesus; CTuciEZjo1 was q To
man method, as that Of the Jews would have
been ty stouing Despite Pilates anxiety to
please the influential Jews his troubles con-
stantIy increased Cor they svere FESTIVE under
Roman rulc) and he finally ordered mas
sacre in Eamaria, for which be was recalled
to Rome He was foGud Euilty and gauishcd
10 EieEuc, in Gaui (l'.aucg|, where lie died
nine years after the cruciIxion. IJis enc
mics in Rome Gyerral that lac committed sui
eide in consequence of his disgrace, and there
is an old tradition that be sank into & hope
loss melancholy, lived alone in a hut on Mt.
Pilatus, and finally drowned himself n the
lake there.