Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-10-01
The Times-Dispatch Sunday
Sermon
TESTIMONY OF THE SCRIPTURES.
by j. a. l:ubnnk.

S'''''H Nc nave eternal life: and they they
Which testify OF Me."-John V. 81.
And there are also many her things which
Jesus did, The which. II they should be writ
ten every one. suppose that even the world
''7'I' could not ""utaiu the books that should
l." written. John Mi. -.
Jesus in the first OF the quoted texts i
directing Ills Jewish prosecutors where to
una testimony concerning His mission and
"u'hoF''F L" teach II Will be noted that H."
''tes them To the then existing Scriptures
'"' sacred canon constituting the foundation
"i the Jewish system Of religion. In all OF
HIS recorded uttcranccs. we do not nnd Him
advising to go elsewhere for a rule OF
'"''h' In HIS view. it was sufficient,
i'c''Y interpreted for instruction in right
cousncss"
I"hn' VIII" was closes; to Him during Ills
MINISTRY. being called the beloved disciple
iestincs as to the great activity of tina, min
lstFE' Affirming In the text that besides the
Things he had recited being done by Jesus
thtr' were so many other things which IIc
ala. that If they should be recorded he sup
pose" that even the world Itself could not
contain the books that should he written"
RMS testimony Of John. them clearly
places Jesus as one who proved Ills ministry
h% "vtHe"cinE the good works OF a lively
faith; h" magmincd Ills calling. |; is no;
rossib'c. then. that after all. We have only
trAHWentary history Of the Galilcan
Teacher
As 4 matter or fact. tho early Christians
W"r" not much given to writing. Even the
remembered sayings OF Jesus were not re-
corded until years after His death and since
'h"F expected tho speedy end OF the world
and never dreamed OF n pos.erity that would
'h'F'Sh every scrap OF Information about
themfelves and tho times In which they
hNcu' Whatever was written was to serve
some Immediate and passing occasion and
IN writing Of that sort. Il has been correct
~ affirmed. the most important Facts which
''a'F max" up the bulk OF the common life
ar" "'i"h not even mentioned because they
are 50 we'll understood by all parties con
'"rn"d That they go without saying. Hence
Il comes about that have no writing
whatever which sets out to furnish a Co
"tr"nt account of the moral or social life
"f the 'ariy Christian communities More
over ne survival OF a book depended. no;
on IN" interest Il; awakened In the first cen
fury. nor on tn" interest II would awaken
t"dhy' hut on tho interest which the third or
fourth century took in it,
Therefore, we take Il that the social teach
'hES "i Jesus have not been emphasized In
proportion To their Importance by the utera-
'u'e "i the carly times that survived and
has been handed down to later generations
IAe Jewish Christian communities" SAYS
Walter Rauschcnbusch author of "Christian-
i;y and III" Social Crisis were numerical
~ and spiritually important Part of ear
nest 'hr!stianity In many respects they
most faithfully preserved the direct Impress
81 Jesus. for they were the product o: the
same moral environment which had nnrturcd
HIS mind. But the main current Of Christian
life, which finally resulted In Catholic Chris
thHity. followed other channels and LETT
Jewish Christianity like a lamd-locked bay
and Of It's literary products only a few rem
nauts were preserved Consequently the So
cial spirit which glowed in tina, part OF the
Christian Church Is not adequately repre-
scented in early Christian literature as We
now know II. and general impression OF
the social impetus in primitive Christianity
is TO that extent weakened and Imperfect,
!, Is not al all unlikely that n similar fate he
fen other writings which shared the same
qualities"
Furthermore Of those writings which ala
survive only limited number were en-
bodied in the canon of the New Testament.
ANA only those that were embodied arc
known to the great majority Of Christian
readers today. The latter. therefore. have
I" form their Judgment of tho nature Of orig
iual Christianity solely from their Impressions
of tn" New Testament.
That an impression based only on that ma
t"rial is bound 10 be ouc-sidcd when re
N"ct that If the writings of one man. Paul.
were eliminated from the New Testament tho
compass OF what remains would be very Slight
Is evident. HccaUs" paul immensely prepon-
dcratcs in the bulk Of the material that has
been preserved for religious instruction. We
got tho impression that his ideas and points
Of view were tbos" generally prevailing in
the apostolic age. which is probably far from
true.
In many respects" says the author
quoted above. Paul was a free lance. the
rropaEandist Of a now theology. a great dis
scnter ana uunconformist. who was viewed
With distrust or hostility by the representa-
t.vcS OF older theology and more au-
thori'aiivc organization. lie was mind Of
immense stature and virility. bu; 1t i'm
possible that intense a spirit should en-
body all sides of Christianity with equal