Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1919-12-08
DEITY Of JESUS
SUBJECT PLEASES
LARGE AUDIENCE

The Sunday services of the Cen
trail Christian church were greatly en-
5oyed by two large audiences yester-
day. The evangelistic meeting con-
Quoted by the Sunshine evangelists,
Kellems and Richards, were interest
ing. DIR. Kellems is but q years Of
age and has been preaching for IL
years. He is at The present time
holding the largest meetings in the
Christian church He has been hold
mg campaigns in the east during the
past two years. He is of north Irish
descent and his wit and good humor
keeps the audience in q joyous mood
from the beginning to the end. He
has a pleasing personality and deliv
ers his sermons in a powerful way
Mr.. Richards is the singer of the team.
He also is a young man, being but q
years of age, and has had a large ex-
perience in his work. He has already
builded up a choir of close to 100
voices and the music already is the
talk of the whole church. The cam
paign will continue indefinitely. The
service begins each evening at 1880
o'clock
Last night DR.. Kellems spoke on the
theme, THE Deity of Jesus
There have been in reality" he
said, "only two views OF Christ. First.
that he was just a man, and second,
that he was the son of God-God in
flesh. The first view contends that
he was just a great man, truly won
deful but only a man; a bright and
shining light like John the Baptist;
a sensitive and tender hearted pa
triot like jeremiah; an intrepdid mes
senger from the courts of heaven like
Elijah-very great, very wonderful,
but still only a man. If Christ was
only a man we are duty bound by
the categorical imperative to surpass
him. If he was more than man we
are bound to obey him. Can we sur
pass his teachings? The church and
the world have never mastered him.
To Peter he said: Flesh and blood
hath not revealed it unto thee but
my father who is in heaven Horace
Bushnell well said that the character
of Jesus forbids his possible classifi-
fication with men. II he was only a
man why are not the colleges of the
world now turning out better men?
In Every Century
THE second view, that he was the
son of God-God revealed in flesh
is the conception that has been held
by the church in every century. 1t is
the only true conception; it is the only
scriptural conception. 1t has the only
scriptural conception. 1t has always
been the triumphant conception.
Can we explain Jesus by the first
view? Did the love of his disciples
cause them to invent his deity? Tx
have invented Christ they would hav;
needed breadth. depth and elevation
of intellect capable Of thinking GU
| the mighty doctrines that Jesu:
taught To invent him they would
also have had to think up some on,
who could have lived these doctrines
This could not be. Neither can W,
explain Jesus by taking the view thai
he was myth. According to the law!
under which myths grow this expla,
nation applied to Jesus is ridiculous
| Myths originate and as conceptions
are complete before written history
and Jesus appears after the most i'm
portant and eventful history Of tn,
Hebrew race had been recorded. Abou
all myths there is something grotes
que II not monstrous. In other word.
| they are exaggerations. Myths reflec
the coloring of their time, place anC
the race. Jesus has no coloring o
Hebrew history. In all nations myths
are without chronology. they are with
out dates. OF Jesus, the definite tim,
of his appearance is given.
Defy Topography
Myths defy topography as they d.
chronology. They are not only with
out dates but they are without def
mite locations. Their origins ar
shrouded in mystery OF Jesus 1t wa
said, AS to this man we know from
whence he came The places of tn
Bible are exact. Myths are not com
pleted at once or in one telling. TIL
story of Jesus is completed in tn
New Testament.
1.-THE results of Christs life in tn
&. world would never have come fror
a myth but could have resulted onl
from a wonderful fact. The churc
Of Christ with all its power was bull
on the divine view founded upon tn
story that he arose from the deat
The church began in the same cit
where Jesus had lived, taught, suf
fered and died. Had Jesus been
myth the church would not have be
gun right where the myth began.