Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1910-12-29
waxed strong, filled with wisdom. !"

waxed strong, filed with wisdom"
Now, have related these two
stories of the birth of Jesus to show
that they cannot be records of actual
events. If they were, even though
the two evangelists who relate them
were men of widely differing points Of
view and temperaments,, there would
be at least some agreement as to what
events actually took place. But there
is absolutely no such agreement. The
stories are of different events. Not
only that, but neither of the stories
are cororborated elsewhere. Paul, the
earliest Christian writer, seems to
know absolutely nothing about them,
and the only indirect reference to the
birth of Jesus in Mark would tend to
show that in the only point on which
Matthew and Luke agree, that is the
place of his birth, they are both wrong,
according to that writer. For when
Jesus comes to Nazareth, Mark speaks
of him as coming to his "patris," his
native place, the place whee rhe was
born, indicating that the only birth
place of Jesus that Mark knew any
thing about was Nazareth. It is very
plain that we are not here dealing
with history, bdT>With legend.
But let us hot make the mistake of
calling them falsehoods. If we do we
will miss the real significance of those
beautiful stories; and above all we
will miss the meaning of Christmas.
For these stories were not the inven-
tons of the authors of the gospels in
which they are found. They were
simply attempts on the part of the
mass of those humble and lowly first
Christians, to give some idea of how
a great event took place. They simply
grew up, so to speak, out Of the soil Of
this wonderful spiritual awakening
which marked the first century Of our
era.
In order that we might understand
this more clearly, let us examine this
early spiritual movement. When we
do this, especially when we read the
letters of Paul to the little congrega-
lions scattered over the Gentle world,
we are struck by the mystical nature
of the movement-and especially the
mystical nature of the wonderful con-
ception that formed the very center of
the movement-the conception of
CHRIST. We find Immediately in the
letters of Paul that it is not so much
the man, Jesus of Nazareth, Of whom
he is preaching, as it is great spirit
ual power that is abroad in the world
"a world spirit, as it were, cosmic
Christ. It is the Christ that Paul met
on the road to Damascus that is al
ways in his mind, the Christ that
transformed his life and that he saw
all around him Transforming the lowly
and despised of the s1ums of the
Pagan world, into TRANSPORTED lives
| such as were the cause of much won
der among the decaying peoples of the
Roman Empire. It is risen Christ, a
living Christ of which he is always
speaking, and therefore it is the death
and resurrection Of Jesus that he is
most interested in, and not The details
of his birth and life. This is so true
that he exclaims "If Christ be moi
risen from the dead then our faith is
in vain" 1t is not the mere man
Jesus, that Paul thinks of in this con
nection, but the Christ that pre-exist
ed Jesus, that pre-existed all men. In
deed, Paul thinks Of this Christ as the
power through which the stern and
absolute God created the world. Ano
now it was abroad in the world saving
men. The world was in sin and
darkness in those days. Ancient
thrones were tottering. RIGHTEOUSNESS
Twas on all sides, ana yet here was a
Egreat light in that darkness, here was
la power thattwas ultimately destined
to rule the world, heer was a power
giving to the most loWly and licentious
absolute control of their passions and
showing to the world type Of trans
So