The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-04-28


llASI0R RUSSELDl ed that while the
Bible everywhere
declares the importance of the death
Of Jesus, Christian people in recent
times seem to be perplexed upon the
subject. Some dispute the Bible state
ment Of the necessity for Jesus death,
and claim that His life was no differ
ent from that Of other men, and His
death was no different from that of
others. Some claim that Jesus came
into the world, and passed through va
rious trying experiences, not in order
to redeem mankind from anything, but
In order to show His followers how
they should live and die for a good
cause. Others in bewilderment de-
tween Jesus death and what they have
been taught is the penalty for sin;
namely, eternal torment.
In general, said the Pastor, there is
confusion upon the subject, and only
those who get the proper S%criptural
focus on the question Of why Christ
died can be mentally at rest, and able
to enter alphabetically into the vari-
Gus features of the great Plan of God,
of which the death Of Jesus for human
redemption is a part.
The Pastor protested against the too
common practise of accepting a portion
of the Bible, and rejecting the remain
der. He declared that any man wise
enough to criticise the inspired Word
should be accepted as an inspired au-
thority capable of writing a bettss
statement Of the Divine Plan. For his
part, he believed that the Holy Scrip
lures, as st. Paul declares, were writ
ten aforetime by holy men for the ad-
monition of the Church. He believed
that this was done because God wish
ed His people to understand His Divine
purposes and arrangements, and SYM
pathetically to enjoy them and cooper
crate in their fulflment. We should
hold fast '"the faith once delivered to
the saints" and should not allow our
own wisdom or the wisdom of other
men to make the Word of God OF none
effect. He reminded his hearers Of
how Jesus had reproved the Pharisees
for their neglect of Gods Word and
for taking instead Of it the traditions
of men.-Mark. 7:6, z.
However, the Pastor declared that
our English Bible does not profess to
be the Word of God. but merely a
translation of it. If, therefore, we find
some passages of Scripture which
have been mistranslated, and thus mis-
represent the original Scriptures, we
should make haste to correct these, and
to admit that the translations were not
inspired. Additionally, he reminded
us that all old manuscripts show that
during the long period of eighteen GEN.
turtles errors had crept in-additions to
the words of Jesus and the Apostles.
He stated that at the time of the pres
e~ntation Of u Common Version Eng
1ish Bible the number of Greek manu-
scripts was only seven, whereas now
there are several hundreds. Three Of
them in particular are very old-the
Sinaitic. the Vatican 1909. and the Alex
andrian Manuscript.
The people of God are to so hunger
and thirst for their Heavenly Fathers
words that they will spare no pains to
know exactly what He said to them
and what He did not say, and to base
their faith upon the living Word,
which surely will abide forever. So
doing. the Pastor declared. the Bible
becomes more beautiful and more rev.
erenced by Bible Students every day.
jesus Died to Meet Mans Penalty.
There is no dispute among the va
rious orthodox creeds that there was
a penalty against mankind which need
ed to be met, before the Divine bless
Ing could come to any Of u race.
These creeds all agreed, he said. that
Adam, the father of the race, was Gre
ated perfect, In the image, in the
moral likeness, of his Maker, but that
he had sinned. and come under a pen
atty, or curse. on account of sin.
Hence all Of his race inherited life
from him, sharing his weaknesses and
his condemnation to death.
God, having sentenced man to death
as unworthy of life. could not con-
sistently have any dealings with him,
while still condemned. Hence Gods
provision that Jesus as the Son of God
should recover Adam and his race
from the sentence Of death-in order
$50. 80. -. -. : SG.4,..g -
return to harmony with God, and thus
to everlasting life.
This, said the Pastor. is clearly set
forth in both the Old Testament and
the New. If we would forget our
creeds and rid our minds of she false
theories which they inculcate. these
Scriptures would now guide us with
out difficulty. Christendom is handi-
capped by the creedS of the Dark
Ages. which confuse us. On this sub-
ject. for instance. of Christ's redeem
ing work. we are met with the propo-
sition of the creeds that the curse of
God against our ace is eternal torture
10 some far-off place, we know not