d v L e s t i o x i
claimed ttiat Jesus did not have a human body at all, and that His body was a phantom, a creation of mortal mind. This is also the teaching of certain present-day cults, such as Christian Science. The humanity of Christ is emphasized by Luke because the Spirit of God foresaw that at the end of the age there would be a denial of His humanity, as there would be also of His deity. Accordingly, Luke tells us that Jesus developed as other boys did. He was subject to Joseph and Mary. He ate, slept, grew in wisdom and stature. We must remember that He became Man in order to die for sinners. God cannot die, but He devised a plan, by which He could be, at the same time, both God and Man. As the Son of Man, He died that sinners might live. Read Heb. 2:14-18; 4:15. This is our Gospel message — that the Lord suffered, was tempted in all points like as we are, sin apart — He was not tempted to sin, because He was holy! But because He knew hunger and thirst and weariness and loneli ness; because He suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted. He is our sym pathizing Saviour. Moreover, when He became flesh, He laid aside His glory — not His deity. He became subject to His Fa ther’s will — as a Man. It is a great mystery, that “ God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.” “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness; God was mani fest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory” (I Tim. 3:16). What we cannot explain about the Incarnation, we leave to faith! Read Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:14- 19; II Corinthians 5:19; John 1:1-14. NOAH AND JONAH Q. I believe the whole Bible; but so many discredit the stories of the flood and Jonah that I should like some scriptural proof of the fact of these events.
A. The Lord Jesus verified the his toricity of both events during His earthly ministry. In Matthew 12:38- 42 He gave the Jews “ the sign of the prophet Jonah’3- as typical of His death and resurrection. “ For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea-monster. [Ameri can Revised Version, (1901) marginal rendering of the original Greek], so shall, the Son of man be three days and three nights ip the heart of the earth” (Matt. 12:40). (See also Luke 11:29-32.) Jesus also corroborated the story of the flood (Luke 17:27). BIBLE DISCREPANCIES Q. How do you explain certain dis crepancies in the Bible? A. There are no discrepancies, even though man has sought to make it appear so. Or should I say Satan has sought to make it appear so? Once we remember that “ the natural man (the unregenerated man) receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God” (I Cor. 2:14), we have the solution to many so-called discrepancies, that are not discrepancies at all. It is not in man to understand spiritual things; he must be taught by the Spirit of God. And the unregenerate man has not the Spirit of God. There may be faulty translations of certain words, such as “ world” in Matthew 28:20, which should be ren dered “ age” : “ Lo, I am with you al- way, even unto the consummation of the age.” But such translations are of little consequence, in so far as they touch the matter of sin, salvation, and eternal issues. Moreover, once the Spirit-taught man analyzes these passages cited by skeptical men, he always finds that apparent variations are explained in a most plausible way. Only man’s ignorance of what the Bible says; his repetition of hearsay; and his sin- darkened mind can account for what man may call a discrepancy. God does not make mistakes! And He has seen to it that His Word is inerrant!
CHRIST'S LOVE Q. Why is it so hard for us to under stand the love of Christ? A. We shall never fully understand or fathom that love. There are state ments in the Word of God concerning the love of God that stagger us, such as, “ I have loved thee with an ever lasting-love” (Jer. 31:3). And again, in Eph. 2:1 we read that, even when we were “ dead in trespasses and sins,” He loved us, and died to redeem us. A ll through the eternal ages there will be an unfolding of the marvels of His Person and of His love and grace. PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Q. Is the H oly Spirit an influence? I always believed Him to be a Per son, but our pastor speaks of Him as impersonal. A. The Holy Spirit is not just an influence, though rationalistic theo logians and various cults so describe Him. The Word of God makes it plain that He is a Person, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and with the Son. Moreover, the Ameri can Standard Revised Version of our English Bible always translates the pronoun referring to Him as “ He” or “Him” — never “ it.” So does the Authorized Version, except in one or two passages. Our Lord repeatedly called the Holy Spirit a Person, espe cially in His farewell message to the disciples in John 14-16. Read these chapters to find the verses for your self. And the entire New Testament is full of many references to the Holy Spirit of God, showing that He is one with the Father and the Son. CHRIST'S HUMANITY Q. How would you explain the state ment in Luke 2:52, that “Jesus in creased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” ? A. Luke i s emphasizing the real humanity of Christ. There was a cult in the beginning of the Christian era which denied the reality of His hu man body. The exponents of this cult
32
THE KING'S BUSINESS
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker