The herald., 1895-04-29
Unity Church

At the Church of the Unity the pas
tor. J. S. Thomson, preached a sermon
from the words. The Father and l are
one-John, 1880. In Exodus judges are
called gods. In Psalm 81 God calls hui
man beings god. Herod is called god in
Acts r. Paul and Barnabas are called
gods in Acts II. Paul is called.a god in
acts IS. The ancents called distinguishes
leaders, teachers, prophets, kings and
Judges gods, because they represented di-
vinty Christ represented God in his
mission upon earth. and IN this same
sense he claimed that he had right to
be regarded and called god, and he
showed that he had the authority OF
Psalm 50 for his claim. Human beings to
whom the Almighty revealed his will
were called gods. and as God had revealed
his will to Christ so Christ had the same
right to be called god.
Prejudice will not allow some people to
accept Christs own explanation of his
claim to be one OF the gods. The Jews
regarded it as basphemy for Christ to as
sumo the position of a god. They did
not wish to stone him for sayin G he was
the infinite and eternal God, but be-
cause that thou, being Il man, makest
thyself god :" John 10 :33. This is the
correct translation of the verse. The in
definite article in the English translation
should be placed before the word god
as well as before the word man. The
article is omitted in the English version
for the sake of theological prepossessions.
In Genesis and Job men are called
''sons of Cod" In the genealogy of
Christ in Luke, Adam is called son of
Cod" Christ claimed that he was the
son of God and that on scriptural grounds
he had right to the title. So, according
to Christ himself. he is god. or the son
of God. In the text. The Father and
are one Christ is represented as being
one with God in purpose, method and
work. The word translated one, is neuter
in the Greek. Even John Calvin refused
to accent this verse as a proof of the trim
ity or of Christ's deity.
In John II IL. 21:23 Christ prays that
his friends may be one in him and in
God, as God and he are one. The same
unity is prayed for in these verses as is
mentioned in the text. In First CORN
thians, 3:s, it is declared that Paul and
Apollos are one, because they had the
same objects, spirit and gospel. Surely no
one would claim that Paul and Barnabas
were the same individual. Christ de-
cares in the tenth chapter of John that
he is inferior to God. We see Gods power
and wisdom in the earth and sea and sky.
We see his wisdom and power. plus life,
in the vegetable world. We see his wis
dom, power and life, plus love, in ami
mails. We see his wisdom. power, life,
love. plus spirit, in the human race. We
see his wisdom, power life, love, spirit,
Plus conscience, in the advanced races.
We see power, wisdom, life, love, spirit,
conscience plus genius in some families.
We see all these attributes, plus inspira-
ton, in some individuals.
In Christ we see as much of God as it
is possible for the human soul to see in
this life. In him dwelt the fullness of
the godhead bodily. "He that hath seen
me hath seen the Father in the highest
degree that he can be made visible in
human form. Christ is the complete and
absolute revelation of God in humanity
in this world.