Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1911-01-24

- - and the Word 10
95.S7oR fSl5sEkLJ gos) was a God.
The same was in
the beginning with the God. BY him
were all things made and without him
was not anything made that was
made" John /, 1, p lie said:
A week ago we considered the time
when God was alone Today let us
discuss the first creative act as re-
spects intelligent beings. Long before
man was created, or our earth was
brought from It's chaotic condition,
long before angels and cherubim were
created, Divine power brought forth
Son on the spirit plane-Jehovahs First
Begotten-glorlous. perfect, beautiful,
his own image and likeness.
This glorious One IS in our text
designated the Logos, the Word. the
Message. the Expression Of God. In
the Old Testament he is symbolically
referred to as "Wlsdom" in the words.
Jehovah possessed me in the begin
ming Of his way. before his works Of
old. 49, Then was by him. as one
brought up with him. and was daily
his delight. rejoicing always before
him" Proverbs viii. 22-30i.
This mighty one, personlfed as Wis
dom. Is declared by st. Paul to be the
hrst-born OF all creation CColossians l.,
1919. The Psalmist similarly refers
to him as .Iehovnh's "tirst-bOrn, high
er than the kings Of earth" psalm
xxxix. 27I Jesus thus refers to him
self as one who had prehuman ex-
istence. saying, Before Abraham was,
am" John wifi. II. %, 42-58D. The
glorihed. ascended Christ, In Apoca-
lptlc vision. declared the same great
truth. that he was "the beginning Of
the creation Of Cod (Revelation i'll,
IA. And again he declared, II am the
First and the Last" lRev, /, II; II. 81.
All Of these Scriptures fully corrobO-
rate the statement of our text that he
who subsequently became the worlds
Redecmer was long before the primary
Son OF God He ranked first. not only
In seniority, but also In honor, dignity
and station. above all other sons OF
God. not one Of whom was like him
self--the direct creation Of Jehovah.
"For all things we're made by the Lo-
gos, and without him was not one
thing made that was made He was
not the creator In the primary sense
OF the word. but In the secondary
scnqc Tir wns the active agent OF
JeluvGh Ia all of his subsequent crea-
tive work; thus he was not only the
frst-born OF all creation. but, lndividu-
ally, he was also the last Of JehOvah's
creation, To this agrees the word OF
st. Paul, IAN lh.nss ure vi the Father
and all things are by the Son"
Surely many have failed to appreci-
ate not only the Divine personality
of Jehovah, but also the greatness OF
him who is styled THE Son of God"
In the Dark Ages.
There was time when Gods people
did not possess the Bible IN their owu
language. and when education to read
It was extremely limited. and when
nobody possessed such wonderful
Bibles with references and concord
ance9 as are common today 1t should
not surprise us that In that far-ofl
time confusing errors crept into the
traditional faith of the Church. The
contention Of the Jews was that Jesus
OF Nazareth was an lmpostor and that
his mighty works were done under
the influence of the fallen angel. BE
elzebub. Should we think Il strange
that In the heat Of discussion some OF
the followers Of Jesus would make ex
trayagOnt claims for him In their en-
deavor TO oppose the theory that mad,
Of Messiah a mere sinful man?
It does not surprise US, therefore
that early In the third century claim,
were put forward In the name oI
Christ and his Apostles which neither
he nor they ever authorized, The
Apostles declared him TO be ''the Sor
OF God With power and that he wa,
"holy, harmless, undenled and sepa
rate from sinners" CHehmws VIII 2M
The Master himself declared. "My
Father Is greater than l." "He /,
above nll;' "he sent me;' "l came I,
do the viii of my Futher In HEAVIER
aud not mine own will" 81 delight I,
do thy WILL oh my God, thy law /,
written In my heart"
True he also declared. ~ and my
Father are oneE but he showed II
what this oneness consisted that 4
wos oneness az win, OF purpose, or
work Because he had fully suhmitte,
his win TO the Fathers win and hat
made the Fathers will his own. there
fore they were one
The Master again Illustrated thi
oneness when he prayed for his dis
ciples that they all might be one
even as thon Father and are one
tJohn xvii n, 2l. 29l Evidently tn,
Master did not pray that his disciple,
should all brome one Ia person, bu
thai they should all become OF on,
mind, OF one heart, Of one disposition
through their loyalty aud obedience e
the Word Hnd 10 the spirit OF God
Ana THIS oneness he declared, was tn,
Kind which subsisted between the
Heavenly Enther and himself.