Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-16
Religious Questions
DR.. S. Pdrkes Cadman.

@. Why does the New Testament say
of Christ, "He was tempted in all points
like as we are" when obviously He was
not and could not have been. He was
not a husband or father; accordingly
no temptations peculiar to those reSpec-
tive relationships could have come to
Him, and so on ad inflnitum.
I admit He was perfect example to
us by the way He looked at life and His
love for mankind, but that He was
tempted as we are seems to me not only
untrue, but impossible.
How does it appear to YOU
A. Exactly as the writer Of the Epistle
to the Hebrews states the case. The
passage you quote should be given in
its completeness: zone that hath been
tempted in all points like as We are,
yet without sin" 1t clears the ground
to stipulate that temptation Is not sin,
and again that resistance to temptation
is of the essence of Righteousness. If the
qualifying clause Of this text be read
as without yielding to SIM" it helps you
to interpret the phrase "in all points"
Many of our worst indictments to evil
arise out of sins already committed, the
lingering destinations of which lure our
lower nature.
But though no such foul memories
polluted Jesus, His glorious being was
exposed to extraordinary temptations.
You understand that the higher we
rise in the scale Of life the more keenly
we resent the suggestions Of evil. Saints
mourn over overtures to ng-do1ng at
which profiigates laugh in derision. SO
was it with the Master. He became the
shining mark for SINS maSSed attacks.
The conflict ragged in His susceptible
spirit. His loyalty to His mission was
assailed the authority Of temporal
sovereignty was offered to His marvel
Gus genius. At every step of His lonely
way He had to Withstand the menace
of a fearful death and find consolation
and suStenance in His fellowship with
the Father.
His reading of the human hearts
tragic story was another source of
spiritual pressure. He bore the sin Of
the world in His personal consciousness
till 1t crushed out His life on the Cross.
What did this mean for the believers
to whom the Epistle was addressed?
They, too, were sorely haraSsed, perse-
cuted and driven. Some among them
were on the verge of recreancy.
Look to your great high priest,
urged the writer of this letter. "He,
too, was tried as you are tried and
made perfect through that trial in
order that He might uphold you in all
things pertaining to God. ForSake not
your confidence, for 1t has rich rec
ompenSe of reward. Christ Sympathizes
with your struggle, He has descended
to its deepest depths and surmounted
its flercest obstacles. Therefore He will
succor you who are similarly tempted"
This is the Interpretation of great
Scripture, which also shows that Jesus
was most divine when He was most
human.
@. What is the doctrine of the Holy
Spirit and His mission as taught in the
New Testament? cannot formulate
any clear conception of this matter.
A. The question cannot be answered
categorically because the teaching on
the Holy Spirit in the New Testament
is not consistent or uniform. To make
this plain would require much space
and must refer you to the literature.
For brief discussion. however, see the
chapter on 1.-THE Holy Spirit" in Prof.
Edwin Lewis Manual Of Christian
Beliefs" For more detailed discus
sion see Prof. E. F. SCOTS "The Spirit
in the New Testament"
The Jewish people seem to have re-
garded the spirit as a quasi-physical
Substance which could be given" %
man or taken" from him. This is the
significance of such expressions as II
Will pour out my spirit upon them;
and the PRAYER, take not thy holy
spirit from mel" The early Christians,
who were chiefly Jews, naturally carried
on this idea. We find it even In the
Gospels, where we read that "the spirit
descended on Jesus like @ dove"
But this Is not the only New Tesla
meHt teaching on the question. Both
st. Paul and. st. John, who were the
theologians of the Apostolic Church,
speak Of the Spirit as the realized
presence of God with men. Thus. st.
John quotes Jesus as saying that "the
Comforter (the Holy Spirit) shall be
sent to the disciples by the father" and
a moment later that He Himself would
come to them In the form Of q spiritual
presence. These authoritative words
agree with that part In st. Paul's teach
ing. which Identifies the Holy Spirit
with the Christian mans experience of
the presence of Christ. 1.-THE Lord"
writes the apostle, "is the Spirit"
The final form of the New Testament
teaching wou,% therefore seem to be
that the Holy Spirit means God with
man Cor ImmanueD and that the more
men understood God In the terms OF
our Lords revelation the more God