Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-08-08

= AuiiStMu ucul II pt"ttluits uepieteN'
Pastor Russell preached today from
the text, Woe unto you, lawyers! for
ye have taken away the Key OF
Knowledge; ye entered not In your.
selves, and them tint were entering
IN We hlndered." luke 1l:52.l He
said 10 part:
Tn the New Testament the word
lawyer has a very different meaning
from our general usage. Il applied 70
those religious teachers Of the Jews
who made special professions Of sane
tity and earnest desire to know Gods
win. as expressed IN the Mosaic Law.
and to teuch 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 Di-
vlnIty. for We have taken away the
Key OF Knowledge: ye entered not In
yourselves. and them that were enter.
ing in ye hindered."
Common People Heard Jssus Gladly.
IL was the custom amongst the Jews
that lessons from the Law aud the
Prophets should be read every dny in
their synagogues. The people were
thus familiar with the letter OF the
Divine Law nnd promises. The ma.
jority OF them were, OF course. Hitter
late; for educational facilities were not
then what they are now. AS n result.
only few claimed to have knowl-
edge 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 Gods will and plan
AS an Illustration: When the common
people heard Jesus gladly, they were
unwilling to trust their own judg
ments, but inquired, Have any OF the
Scribes and Pharisees believed or
HimT' Have the Doctors Of the Law
the Doctors of Divinity, endorsed Him
They have made a study Of these
things, and we would rely more upos
their Judgment than upon our own
But not one OF the Scribes and tht
4 Pharisees endorsed Him. and hence
few OF the people believed on Him ant
became His disciples.
4 Tile common people were hungry fol
the Message which Jesus brought. i
is recorded that they said Of Jesus
teachings, "Nerer man spake like thii
man" The nation would have gon,
over promptly to Jesus had the Scribei
and the Pharisees, Doctors of the Law
set the example and given the word
Moreover. the teachings Of Jesus har
monized the message of the Law ant
the Prophets, over which the Scribei
and Pharlsees and the Sadducees hat
: long wrangIed and disputed. Had th'
Doctors Of the Law been as hungry 10
the Truth as were the people, undoubt
edly all Of their differences Of inter
probation Of the Old Testament Scrip
lures would have been speedily remov
ed in the light Of the then Presen
Truth and knowledge Of God, whicl
was shining upon the Bible througl
the Holy Spirit, Jesus and the Apos
ties being Jehcvah's mouthpieees.
The Key of knowledge Buried,
In our text Jesus charged the Jew
ish Doctors of Divinity with the re
sponsibillty OF having taken away tn
Key Of Knowledge. refusing to use
themselves to enter into appreciation
uf the great blessings due, and hidin
It from the common people, who trust
ed them implicitly. We charge tha
the same thing is true today.
Not only were the Jewish peopl
typical Of Spiritual Israel. and thel
Age typical Of this Age. and thel
Harvest typical OF the Harvest, Q
closing time, Of, this Age. but add
tionally. now as then, Gods peopl
perish for lack Of knowledge (Hose
4GJ Now, as then, the Doctors Of D
vinity viii not use the Key Of Know
edge themselves. to enter heartily int
the wonderful privileges and blessing
now due, and additionally they bas
buried the Key Of knowledge. hidln
1t from the people under a mass
forms and ceremonies.
But 10 Knowledge Necessary
In our Lords day the Jewish Do
tors Of Divinity. or Rabbis. contente
themselves with telling the pop
what they should do and what the