Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-05-11

Nseazlslss sslssssssa s@sSSz= ger has very DIFF
ferent meaning
from our general usage. 1t applied to
those religious teachers Of the Jews
who made special professions Of sane
tity Of heart and earnest desire to
know Gods will, as expressed In the
Mosaic Law, and to teach the same to
the people. The corresponding class
OF today are designated Doctors Of
Divinity. Our text, therefore, with
this correction reads Woe unto you,
Doctors of Divinity, for ye have taken
away the Key of knowledge; you en-
tered not in yourselves, and them that
We're entering ye hlndered."
"The Common People Heard JsSus
Gladlyp
II was the custom amongst the Jews
that lessons from the Law and the
Prophets should be read every day in
their synagogues. The people were
thus familiar with the letter Of the
Divine Law and promises. The ma
jority Of them, of course, were litter
ate, for educational facilities we're not
what they are now. AS result only
a few claimed to have an understand
ing Of the spiritual part of the Law
and the Prophets. These were chiefly
OF the literary and wealthy classes
To these the common people looked
for guidance respecting the Divine
will and plan.
AS an Illustration. When the com
mon people heard Jesus gladly they
were unwilling to trust their own judg-
ments, but inquired Have any Of the
Scribes and Pharlsees believed on
HlmT Have the Doctors Of the Law,
the Doctors Of Divinity, endorsed Him?
They have made study of these
things and we would rely more upon
their judgment than upon our own
But none Of the Scrlbes aud Pharlsees
endorsed Elm, and hence comparative
ly few Of the people believed Him and
became His disciples
The common people were hungry for
the Message which Jesus brought 1t
is recorded that they said OF Jesus
teachings "Neyer man spake like this
Man" The nation would have gone
over promptly to Jesus had the Scrlbes
and Pharsees, the Doctors Of the Law,
set the example and given the word.
Moreover the teachings Of Jesus har.
monlzed the message Of the Law and
the Prophets over which the Scribes
and the phnrisees and the Sadducees
had long wrangled and disputed. Had
the Doctors Of the Law been as hun.
cry for the Truth as were the people,
undoubtedly all Of their differences Of
Interpretation Of the Old Testament
Scriptures would have speedily been
solved In the light Of the then present
Truth and knowledge Of God, which
was shining upon the Bible through
the Holy Spirit, Jesus and the Apostles
being Jehoyah's mouthpeces,
The Key Of Knowledge Buried.
In our text Jesus charged tho Jewish
Doctors Of Divinity with the responsl.
bllIty Of having taken away the Key Of
Knowledge refusing to use II them.
selves to enter into the great apprecia.
don OF the blessings then due, and hid.
Ing It from the common people who
trusted them 40 implicitly. We charge
that the same thing Is true today. Not
only were the Jewish people typical Of
spiritual Israel, and their Age typical
Of this Age, and their Harvest typical
Of the Harvest or closing time OF this
Age, but additionally, now as then,
Gods people perish for lack Of knowl-
edge" QHosca lv, o. Now, as then. the
Doctors Of Divinity win not use the
Key OF knowledge themselves, to en-.
ter heartily into the wonderful prlvl
leges and blessings now due, and addi.
honally they have buried the Key Of
knowledge, hiding it from the people
under a mass Of forms and ceremonies,
But 10 Knowledge Necessary
In our Lords day the Jewish Doctors
Of Divinity, or Rabbls, contented them.
selves with telling the people what
they should do and what they should
not do, but they did not teach the peo.
ple-they did not help them to any un.
derstandlng Of the deep meaning OF the
Law and the Prophets. In our text
Jesus said to the ID. D.'s," "You bind
heavy burdens on the people, grievous
to be borne" but you do not attempt to
carry those burdens yourselves.
II is so to this day with the Jewish
Rabbis, as we'll as with other Minis.
tersi for instance. minister standa as
a representative and mouthpiece OF the
church creed. which In roundabout
terms declares that whoever does not
live a sanity life will sulfer an eter.
nifty Of torment IL not this griev.