The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1896-06-10
Christian ENDEAvOR.
topic For the Week beginning june Ia.
Comment by Rev. s. III. Doyle.


Sopic For the Week Beginning June Ia.
Comment by Rev. s. III. Doyle.
TopIc.-What thirk ye of Christ?-Math. xvi,
1910
In the topical reference Jesus, in the
region of Cesarea Philippi, asks His
disciples, "Who do men say that l, the
Son of Man, ann" and then, Whom
saw We that amp" and Peter answers,
'Thou art the Christ, the Son Of the
living God. "
Jesus Christ claimed to be the Son OF
| God in a special sense-divine. This
cannot be denied. Because Of this claim
he was prosecuted and crueifed. In
view of the claim to divinity, He was
one of three things: (1) fanatic, one
who really thought He was divine be-
cause of some arrangement of his mind,
though He was not; (2) an impostor, or
(3) diyine-what he claimed to be.
Which was He?
1. Was Christ a fanatic? Was He
religious enthusiast, whose mind was
unbalanced and who falsely thought He
was Gods SOM This has been charged.
His family said, HE is beside Him.
demon and is mad, and many modern
critics look upon Christ as a religious
fanatic. This charge is false, as can be
proved by considering the characteris-
tics of fanatic with Christ. l. A man
with q deranged mind seizes upon and
magnifies one idea at the expense of all
others. Christ did not do so. He taught
duty TO God, duty TO state and duty 10
fellow men, the broadcast idea of the
duties of life that can be taken. 2. A
fanatic makes extravagant claims which
can never be fulfilled Christ made APP
parently extravagant claims, but that
they were not the claims of fanatic
has been proved by their fulfillment
Christ was not a fanatic.
Q. Was Christ an impostor? This
charge has been made, but it is false l.
The character of the kingdom He found
ed proves He was not an impostor. He
founded His kingdom upon cross. If
any man will come after me, let him
deny himself and take up his cross and
follow me. +" Impostors do not try to
found kingdoms upon crosses, but upon
the promises of crowns. 2. Christ's sue
cess proves He was not an impostor. An
impostor might have deceived the ig-
norant and superstitious, or even the
wise and learned, for time, but it is
not probable that the shrewdest OF
men could for 10 centuries have been
deceiving the wisest of the world g wise
men. 8. Christ's fidelity to His claims
proves He was not an impostor An i'm
poster always deserts sinking ship If
Christ had been one, He never would
have died on Calvary, for when He saw
that all was lost and the shadow of the
cross was upon Him He would have
given up his claims and been the first
one to swear eternal allegiance both to
Phariseeisin and Romanism. Christ was
not an impostor.
8. Was Christ divine? Christ claimed
to be divine. He must have been then
either a fanatic, an impostor or what
He claimed to be. He was neither
fanatic nor an impostor, and hence
must have been divine Let us accept
Him as the divine Son of God. Let us
confess Him to be the Son Of God. Let
us love Him before the world as the Son
of God
Bible Readings. lisa. lii, IT; Math.
iii, 1917; xi, $3.50; xiv, /, 2; Mark
tx, 1-8; Luke tx, 10; xiii, 44-47;
John i, 10; vi, 47-51; x, oil; Acts
XXX, %; II Cor xiii, IA; Phil ii, oil;
Col. i, 1918; I Pet. V, d; l John Nv,
o, 10; V, 1; Rev. i, 8.