River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-03-11

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died for our sins, and was afterward
| highly exalted to the Divine nature.
believe in the Holy Spirit, the Spirit
| Of the Truth, the Spirit Of God, the
/ Spirit of Christ. My crime is that do
| not believe that the Father, the Son.
| and the Holy Spirit are lone in person.
equal in power and glory" neither one
existing before the others, neither one
the Son and neither one the Father.
really. The Bible says nothing Of this
| kind; and l am glad that my head is
not so illogical as to lead me to deny
| the Bible and common sense for the
sake of being in harmony with creeds
made in the Dark Ages.
"Wno Art Thou, Lord?" "Jesus!"
The Bible makes no mystery Of who
Jesus is; and we would not have been
in confusion had we relied solely upon
the testimony of Jesus, the Apostles
and the Prophets. Our misleading
came during the twelve hundred years
when the Bible was ignored, because
it was believed that the living bishops
were Apostolic and had the plenary
powers Of the original Apostles. This
serious error Jesus emphatically warn
ed against in misunderstanding %.
The Bible tells Of Jesus present glo-
rious station, "far above angels" ''par-
taker Of the Divine nature" But many
ignore this, and claim that Jesus is a
man in Heaven, completely out of
touch with His surroundings; for a
man, according to the Bible, Is "a lit
tie lower than angels" whereas the
Apostle declares that Jesus, at His res
direction, was exalted far above an
gels. This glorious One, although Of a
different nature, is the same One who,
while on earth, was "the Man Christ
Jesus" "a man Of sorrows and ac-
quainted with griei." st. Paul tells
us how Jesus left the Heavenly glory,
how He humbled Himself to take a
bOndman's form-to take the same ma
ture as humanity, which had come into
bondage to sin.
The Bible explains how Jesus could
be Of our race, and yet be "hOly, harm
less, undefiled separate from sinners"
It tells US plainly that Jesus had a hu-
man mother, but that His life came
not from q human father; and that
therefore He was perfect, and able to
be the Ransomer Of the race by giving
to God specifically a full correspond
ing price for Adam, whose life was
forfeited because Of sin. Thus the Bi-
bic explains that Jesus death is suffi-
cient for Adams sin and the sins of
the whole world; for the world was
not condemned individually, but mere
~ partook Of Adams condemnation to
death.
Whoever thinks Of Jesus as being the
Father and also the Holy Spiritual
one in person-must be confronted with
n0nsensical errors such as these: How
did the Universe manage to progress
during the period leading up to Jesus
birth and on to manhood? How did
the affairs Of the Universe prosper dur
ing Jesus ministry, when He was fully
engaged with earthly affairs to the ex-
tent of WEAKNESS? How did the Uni
verse get along when Jesus died, and
until He arose from death?
Some even go to this absurd length:
to wit, that Jesus raised Himself from
death; whereas the Apostle declares
positively that the Father raised Him
from the dead on the third day. How
refreshing it is to get out Of the fog
into the clear statements Of Gods
Word, which declare % ''To us there
is one God, the Father" (2) "and one
Lord, Jesus Christv'-1 Corinthians SO.
"Beginning of Gods Creation"
1t seems astounding if my opponents
have never read the plain Bible state
ments that our glorious Redeemer was
''the First-born Of all creation (Colos-
SLAMS 1:15), "the beginning Of the crea-
ton of God" Revelation $40. If
they have read these simple, plain Bi-
bic statements, why do they prefer
the confusing views of the Dark Ages
respecting a Trinity Of three persons,
vet one person? Some say one God
in three persons; others say three Gods
in one person. Both propositions are
alike unscriptura1 and absurd.
Jesus Himself in His last Message
to His Church, declared, u am the Al
)1d dI4lL llt OI1GSctS LLO DGi51L1l1Al&9 GA41NA
the ending, the fist and the last" (Rey-
elation 1:8, III Thus He clearly diff
ferentiates between Himself and the
Father; for the Father had no begin
ming ''From everlasting to everlasting
Thou art God"
Do our opponents claim that Jesus is
God? We agree most heartily, provid
ed the word God is understood in the
sense in which the Bible uses it.
Throughout the Old Testament the
word for God is el0hin1-mighty one.
1t is applied to Jehovah, the Almighty
One; 1t is also applied to angels and
to men whom He sent as His messen-
gers. According to this view, our Lord
Jesus Christ is a God. The Bible clear
~ indicates that He is above all 9TH
er gods except Jehovah.
In harmony with this we read re
specting Messiah and His Kingdom: