The call of the North. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1923-1924, 1923-08-10
A srENoGRAPHIc COPY

A 9TENOGRAPHIC COPY
at first did not cease loving him; for
he appeared to them alive again the
third day, as indeed the divine proph-
cts had foretold these and ten thou
sand other wonders concerning him.
And even to this day the race Of
Christians named from him is not
extinct" s..=--
Testimony of Josephus
In vain have atheists, infidels and
new theology folk endeavored to ex-
plain away the testimony Of Josephus.
The exaggerations possible in the
Slavonic version of Josephus are
made the basis of attack upon the
passage, and, with Eusebius brushed
aside, Origen is brought forward to
announce that in his opinion the
statement, "This was the Christ"
should read: ~This was the so-called
Christ" With Origen, Goethals,
Weiss and others, who have written
upon the subject, agree. They are
perfectly willing for Josephuss to tes-
tify that Jesus lived, but to let
Josephus testify that Jesus was the
Christ and miracle worker-never!
Let it go at that. Personally, /
accept the miracles attributed to
Jesus by both Josephus and the New
Testament, but I shall not offer them
as evidence in this discussion. If
my contention that Jesus of Nazareth
was, and is, more than man cannot
stand without an appeal to the Virgin
Birth, the feeding Of the multitudes,
the quelling Of the storm, the healing
Of the sick, the raising of the dead,
and the bodily resurrection, let it
fall. Strip the references in Josephus
to Jesus of the miraculous, and cut
out the phrase, "The Christ" entire
ly. I do not wish to prove by
Josephus that Jesus was the Christ,
or that he was in any sense divine.
Let Josephus testify to only one
thing, the fact that Jesus lived. This
is all that is necessary. It may be
remarked, just here, that men of
scholarly attainment today do not
risk their reputation in argument
against the historicity of Jesus.
They all, without exception, accept
Jesus of Nazareth as fact, although
many Of them endeavor to explain
away his Deity.
In his lecture, "The Ethics of Jesus
of Nazareth" Dr.. Lyman Abbott. at
firmed that the young man from Naz-
areth, being familiar with the Old
Testament prophecies and the Jewish
hope, decided to be the Messiah. The
meaning of this is quite clear-the
young Nazarene, a mere man, follow
ed. a sef-developed vision. In this
sweeping statement, the distinguished
editor of the "Outook" mirrored the
entire modernistic viewpoint. It
has been said that there is a reason
for everything. The way must be
paved for the theory Of evolution, at
all hazards. Every scientist knows,
and will admit, that if single mir
acle in all history stands, the theory
of evolution must fall. Hence, the
strenuous effort in certain circles to
eliminate the Deity Of Jesus. In new
theology literature, Jesus of Naz-
areth, admitted as fact. is re-
presented as a man, and only man,
who followed fine vision and uttered
great truths, and who, therefore,
should be classed with the worlds
great teachers. This is the compli-
ment they are forced to pay Him.
And be it remembered that among
the leading lights in the school which
thus disposes of Jesus Of Nazareth,
are such men as Welhausen, Strauss,
Ewald, Kuehne, Hitzig and, Renan--
all said to be Jews. Think Of it! A
Jewish ultimatum concerning Jesus
of Nazareth, heralded from numerous
Christian pulpits and Bible Chairs il
Christian Colleges and through some
Christian journals. What strange
bedfellows the New Theology makes!
It is generally, conceded that Jesus
Of Nazareth enjoyed no superior edu-
cational advantages, that he Travelled
in limited territory, no larger than
Texas county, and that he died
young, at an age when the average
man is still casting about for his
field of life activities. It is positive.
ly known that If he left any writ.
ing, it was not preserved. AZ any
rate, not line from his pen has even
been discovered. Nevertheless, The
young Nazarene is the only man, IN
all history who wields q universal
sceptre in any sphere.
Jesus is master in the realm o.
music. II would Require lonS and
tedious rsssA.sh 10 satalouaa a.
songs that bear his name. Suei
masters as Bach, MsndeIsohns Haydz