The King’s Business
Yol. 5
JULY, 1914
No. 7
A Kind and Scholarly Reply to aji Unkind, Unscholarly and Stupid Sneer T HE California Christian Advocate says under the caption of. “A Pathetic Conference” : “This would be a proper description of the Prophetic Conferences which are being held, if half the things reported were true. It is difficult for a hobbyist not to wrest Scripture to his own hurt to prove his hobby., One of the most remarkable illustrations of which we have heard is the exegesis of the Rev. W. B. Riley, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Minneapolis, in his teaching upon the doctrine of the nature of the resurrec tion body: It is certainly strangely and wonderfully made. He says that Christ’s body lost all its blood on the cross. Since it was buried without blood, his resurrection body was bloodless and his heart did not beat. This he bases oh the statement, ‘Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.’ He takes his argument further, thus: Jesus said, “A spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have’—with the conclusion that our resurrection bodies will have flesh and bones, but not flesh and blood. If there is an exhibition of exegetical stupidity by a teacher of the church which equals this, it has not been our misfortune to learn it.” Some one sent this very bitter exhibition of theological hatred to Dr. Riley. Dr. Riley replied to the Christian Advocate as follows: . “In connection with the Prophetic Conference, held in the Immanuel Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles, Calif., in March, I spoke of the risen body of Jesus Christ. I claimed, as the Christian Advocate in its invective charged, that Christ’s body in the death of the cross, lost all its blood and having been buried without blood, His risen body was bloodless and His heart did not beat. | “This your Editor characterizes as an exhibition of ‘exegetical stupidity’ not surpassed within his knowledge. “May I propose for the consideration of your Editor and your readers alike, á few questions? “1. Did Christ she'd His blood? And if so, how much of it? Dr. How ard Kelly, of Baltimore, a scientist of whom the best are not ashamed, contends that, the four Gospels prove past dispute that Christ’s heart broke, and poured the entire content of blood into the pericardium; and that, with the thrust of the soldier’s sword, all His blood was shed: “2; If Christ’s heart beat, and His blood circulated after His resurrection, will the Editor explain for us the significance qf Christ’s statement to Thomas: ‘Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless but believing’? “3. If the wound remained an open one, and still the heart beat and the •blood circulated, arid Christ suffered rio ill effects from it, will the Editor explain to us how this fact comports with,the denial of miracles now common to scientific and advanced thinkers ? Possibly the Editor has reached the point,
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