80 The Fundamentals. quote the standard text-book of the cult) is that the Lord of Glory “held the current Jewish notions respecting the divine authority and revelation of the Old Testament.” But even if this conclusion—as portentous as it is profane—could be estab lished, instead of affording an escape from the dilemma in which the Higher Criticism involves its votaries, it would only serve to make that dilemma more hopeless and more terrible. For what chiefly concerns us is not that, ex. hyp., the Lord’s doctrinal teaching was false, but that in unequivocal terms, and with extreme solemnity, He declared again and again that His teaching was not His own but His Father’s, and that the very words in which He conveyed it were God-given. A few years ago the devout were distressed by the pro ceedings of a certain Chicago “prophet,” who claimed divine authority for his lucubrations. Kindly disposed people, reject ing a severer estimate of the man and his platform utterances, regarded him merely as a profane fool. Shall the critics be tray us into forming a similarly indulgent estimate of My pen refuses to complete the sentence! And will it be believed that the only scriptural basis offered us for this astounding position is a verse in one of the Gospels and a word in one of the Epistles! Passing strange it is that men who handle Holy Scripture with such freedom when it conflicts with their “assured results” should attach such enor mous importance to an isolated verse or a single word, when it can be misused to support them. The verse is Mark 13:32, where the Lord says, with reference to His coming again: “Of that day and hour knoweth no one; no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” But this fol lows immediately upon the words: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.” THE WORDS OF GOD. The Lord’s words were not “inspired” ; they were the words of God in a Still higher sense. “The people were astonished
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker