The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1914-03-26


I to test the teach.
ings aud doctrines offered to her. for
there always have been. and always
will be. men Who are DESTROYS to utter
any new fancy that seizes them. or to
dispute any accepted doctrine Of faith
which they themselves are not willing
10 accept There Is need OF caution.
therefore against a too ready accept
ance OF any prophet or teacher. Sin
certify In teacher In not sufficient:
earrestness and feryor are no guaran-
tee OF the truth OF the message deliv.
cred. perspiration Is not inspiration.
and IL is not a sufficient ground OF nc.
ceptance OF man to simply say. lie
believes what he breaches
Fortunately. II is possible for tho
true Christian to make such discern.
ment Paul In | Cor i2. and John. In
| his first cpistle. second chapter. clear.
| ly state this fact II may be true that
some Christians have the gift OF the
disc.rnmcnt OF spirits in special
Nay: II is nevertheless true that all
Christians may be able to discern the
false from the true
Not only IL such a test possible. but
IL IL obligatory. 4 careful study OF the
seven letters in the book OF Revels-
ton enforces this truth In apostolic
days false teachers went out" from
the church. but In these days they
stay In the church when Outlines
they should be put out We should be
Al - 4. Il 4.
pitable To all truth We entertain the
devil unawares.
In the chapter We are considering,
The apostle tells us that the point to
be proven about teachers Is. Are thoy
of God? That means from whence IL
their message derived. from God or
from the world Satan Is an imitator.
lie has a church REV. 2sl. a minis.
try % Cor. ll:i3l5): a membership
Il John 3:l0b and gives power TO
work signs t2 Thess 2;9D
The proof that mans teaching IL
divine In It's origin is settled by his at.
t'tude towards Jesus Christ Q:2.6). In
all things he must hold to the Head
tCol 40. Names and sects and par
ties fall. Jesus Christ is all la all. All
processing Christian teaching must be
Judged by It's relation TO Jesus Christ
Belief In the incarnation or Virgin
birth is sign that a mans teaching
is from God Ca 20. SD. There must
be the belief that the historical Jesus
In the anointed Savior OF the world:
this fact OF history must be also fact
OF faith There can be- no lodging this
question: Jesus is anathema" or else
Jesus is Lord" We may make all the
progress In the doctrines OF Christ pos.
sible. but we must be careful that our
progress Il In the truth. and not away
from the truth. There ls an advance.
even In the doctrine OF Christ. which
Is not progress but apostasy C2 John
81.
The next point to be settled with re.
gard to Christ is the acceptance OF
his Deity (2:is2s. 40. IS. l6: $50. 20).
True Christian doctrine acknowledges
Jesus Christ not merely as Divine but
as Deity, and as such he is worshipped
The Babe In Bethlehems manger was
God manifest In the flesh. in him dwelt
all the fullness OF the Godhead. That
teaching In false which separates the
Christ from Jesus This Is he that
came by water and by blood"-these
words deny that teaching which states
that some form OF Deity came on
Christ at his baptism and left him at
the cross. Jesus Christ cannot be- dl.
yided; he is the same. yesterday. to
day and forever"
II Is vital that a teacher from God
be sound with regard to the nature OF
the redemptive work OF Christ. John
Is emphatic about this compare ala:
i:5, 4:9.lOlf: $50. Jesus Christ gave
his life as ransom for our sins; We
are reconciled to God by the death Of
his son; Jesus Christ is the propitia.
lion for our sins. he Ia the Savior OF
he world. All this means that Jesus
Christ took our place and our sins up
IN himself, that his death was In our
stead. II is not enough to say that
Ibrist's death exerted a moral infiu.
'nce upon mankind. or that Il was an
example OF self.sacrificing love, or
wen that God needed, by such
ragedy, to give the world an illustra.
Ion OF his anger against sin. or
curse. Christ's death 10 the supreme
manifestation OF Gods love. and II does
how his anger towards sin. but II goes
urther than that. II has a relation TO
he sin OF man Christ In his death
aid the wages OF sin: the atonement
cities the question OF sins guilt and
edemption Who. his own self. bare
ur sins In his own body on the tree,
hat We. being dead to sins. should
I've unto righteousness; by whose
tripes We are healed"