and in influence. Any honest man com paring the teachings of Christ with those of Confucius, the Buddha Sakya Mouni, Mohammed, or philosophers like Socrates and Plato should be ready to confess that all man’s wisdom con firms the words of Paul “ the world by wisdom knew not God” (1 Cor. 1:21). But the teachings of Christ have lifted millions into the very presence of God and have inspired them to holy lives and a living hope. The unique death of Christ evidences the uniqueness of His Person. Never man died as He died. He was sovereign even over death for He dismissed His own spirit (Matt. 27:50; John 19:30; 10:18). When He died, the sun blacked out and the earth trembled at man’s awful sin (Matt. 27:45-51). Men die for their own sins; the spotless Saviour died for the sins of others. The triumphant resurrection of Christ is conclusive proof of His Deity (Rom. 1:4). The resurrection of Christ is the best attested fact of history. Every effect must have an adequate cause. The only answerable cause of Pentecost (Acts 2), the world-wide dissemination of the church in a hostile empire, of the heroic record of martyrs, and the peren nial power of the gospel is the fact that Christ arose from the dead according to the Scriptures. The Church is a Fellowship Built by the Power and the Authority o f Christ Matt. 16:18 You will notice in this verse that our Lord said “ I will build my church.” It is strange that over the centuries men in the church have tried to steal it away from its Founder! A few brief centuries after the church was inaugu rated there arose men within the church itself who substituted human tradition for the infallible Word of God and ele vated man to the place of Jesus Christ. This was just as the inspired Apostle predicted (Acts 20:30). Surely Peter would never recognize today a church that claims to have been founded on him; most certainly it is not founded on his teaching (1 Pet. 2:1-9; 5:1-4; 2 Pet. 1:19-21; 2:1-3). Ever since Pentecost (Acts 2), when the Holy Spirit was given, our Lord has been building His church as He said. This does not mean that the Holy Spirit is leading people merely into some church organization. This never saves. The Holy Spirit brings men into the fellowship of the body of Christ through faith (Eph. 4:4-6; 11-16). Join ing a church and being baptized never save. The words of our Lord Himself were: “ Except a man be bom again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3, 5). The new birth is the work of the Holy Spirit (John 3:5-8). Many, even during the earthly ministry of Christ, were trusting in their water baptism to save them. Christ warned in the above passage that a man is not born by water, but by the Spirit. The whole emphasis of this passage is on the necessity of a spiritual rebirth. S E P T E M B E R , 1 9 5 2
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The modern-speech translation that retains all the religious depths of the Ring James Version jymouthfo nEUJTESTAIÏIEIlK
Dr. Weymouth 1 m s not edited the New Testament, but has, by use o f clear modern words, made complete understand ing possible for thousands of Bible readers. The beautiful narrative style achieves a high standard of literary art and scholarship. The minister, the teacher, the student —all will find Weymouth inspirational and indispen sable to the study of the New Testament. Available in the follow ing editions w ltlr Notes No. 1 — Cloth, Size 4 % x 7 ................. $3.50 'Cloth, Size 3 9 4 x 5 % " ................. 2.50 No. 1P-
Nearly 1,000,000 copies sold in England and America! HARPER & BROTHERS Publishers Established 1817
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