Popular Views of Jesus Christ
Among those who have played an important part on the world’s stage, no one has exerted such a mighty influence on the subsequent course of human affairs, as he who is known by the name of Jesus Christ.
Whether we look into the domain of politics, religion, literature, or art, we see a complete change since the brief career on this earth of him who “spake as never man spake”. When he was manifested to mankind, the Jews were living in their own land as a separate nation, though in a degenerate condition, and partly under the Gentile yoke; but, shortly after his crucifixion, which was effected at their instigation, they were punished for thus rejecting him, by the destruction of their capital, and their dispersion among the other nations of the earth; and in this condition they have continued to the present day.
But, though despised by his own countrymen, the name of Jesus Christ was received with gladness by multitudes of Gentiles. At that time the whole Gentile world was in a state of idolatry; paganism reigned supreme, alike among savage barbarians and the most refined classes of Greece and Rome. Scarcely three centuries, however, had elapsed, before the temples devoted to the worship of gods of wood and stone were either transformed into avowedly Christian temples, or abolished, and their space supplied by buildings professedly designed for the worship of the Father of Jesus Christ.
A Humble Jew
The state-religion of the Roman empire was changed, by decree, from paganism to what was supposed to be the religion of Jesus. And when that empire was broken up, its religious institutions were transferred to the several kingdoms into which it was divided, and have continued to exist in connection with those kingdoms down to the present time. So that for upwards of fifteen centuries the greater portion of the continent of Europe has professed allegiance in some form or other to this humble Jew, who suffered an ignominious death with the sanction of that power which afterwards paid homage to him.
During that time he has afforded a theme, on innumerable occasions, for the eloquence of the orator, the panegyric of the poet, the imagination of the painter, the song of the musician, the admiration of the moralist, the exhortation of the preacher, the study of the philosopher, the guidance of the statesmen, the narrative of the historian, the description of the biographer, and the discussions of theologians. Avowedly on his behalf wars have been waged, kings overthrown, subjects oppressed, and multitudes of persons put to death.
Traditional Reverence
The whole of the civilised world is so thoroughly imbued with the traditional reverence of his name, that it is impossible to draw a line of demarcation as to where his influence begins and ends. Especially is this the case with those speaking the English tongue, among whom his name is not only the basis of nearly every religion, but where his moral precepts influence, to some extent, the education, legislation and literature of the day. The immense circulation which has been given to the Scriptures during the last two centuries has, in fact, rendered the name of Jesus Christ a household word.
The great majority of people, looking at these facts, rush to the conclusion that they prove the existence of an equally extensive acquaintance with the scheme of salvation of which Jesus is the cornerstone; that because the name of Jesus Christ is so familiar, and so much regard apparently manifested towards him, the work of redemption effected by him, and the religion which he taught, are universally understood and believed. The mere fact of being born in what is called a Christian land, or of living in what Shakespeare describes as “a Christian climate”, is in itself almost supposed to confer a right to the title “Christian” or disciple of Christ.
Mistaken Views
Never was a greater mistake made. By far the greater portion of the existing knowledge about him is of the most superficial kind; and the remainder is largely adulterated with the most erroneous views respecting both his teaching and his mission. Even among those who devote their whole time to the office of public teachers professedly on his behalf, there exist totally antagonistic ideas as to who he was, and why he appeared amongst mankind. Hence it becomes a matter of importance that all who would have an accurate conception of Jesus Christ, should study the matter for themselves, with an independent and impartial mind, unbiassed by pre-conceived notions inculcated from childhood. There being now no inspired men upon the earth, to whom to apply for an infallible decision, the only mode by which this can be done is to search and examine the writings which inspired men have left us.
Thanks to God, those writings are now to be had in such a compact and cheap form, that they can be consulted and studied by every one able to read his mother tongue. They contain predictions concerning Jesus which were given previous to his birth, a record of his sayings and doings while upon earth, and promises of what he will do in the future. They are as complete as is necessary to give to any one a comprehensive and exact knowledge of the mission of Jesus Christ, and a share in the blessings he is destined to bestow. This knowledge cannot, however, be obtained by an occasional glance at the writings of the prophets and apostles; or by listening to two or three chapters and one or two sermons once a week; or even by reading a chapter every day, if such reading be not accompanied with an intelligent apprehension thereof. It is necessary to imitate the example of the Bereans of old, who, not content with the statements even of an inspired apostle, “searched the Scriptures daily” to see “whether these things were so” — (Acts 17: 11).
Orthodox Allegiance
Since the commencement of the last century, there has been a gradually increasing desire to adopt this course, which has manifested itself in the establishment and rapid growth of numerous religious organisations dissenting more or less from “the church by law established”, either as to its teachings or constitution. But the majority of people have been so long accustomed to trusting others for religious guidance and instruction, whereby they have been confined in certain grooves of thought marked out for them by their leaders, that they have found it extremely difficult to release themselves, to any appreciable extent, from the trammels of long-established and universally-revered traditions, popularly designated “orthodoxy”. Hence they have failed to re-establish the teaching and practice prevalent in apostolic times.
Jesus Christ is regarded by both Protestants and Roman Catholics, and very justly so, as the Alpha and Omega of God’s plan of salvation. For this reason he is constantly held up by the religious teachers of the day as the sole object of faith, hope, and love, to those who wish to find favour with the Almighty. He is supposed, and correctly so, to be the only being through whom salvation can be obtained; a truth stated by Peter when he declared that “there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” — (Acts 4: 12). Accordingly the people are told to look only to him. But, unfortunately, the way in which this is to be done is not so clearly pointed out. This is like telling a man to look at a distant object, beyond the ordinary range of vision, without providing him with a telescope. And even when a telescope is provided, it contains such dim or creed-coloured glasses, as to present it in a very distorted form; so that “another Jesus” is seen (II Cor. 11: 4), instead of him who is “the way, the truth, and the life” — (John 14: 6).
Knowing Jesus
People are constantly exhorted to have “faith in Jesus”, to “hope in Jesus”, “trust in Jesus”, “believe in Jesus”, “come to Jesus”, and “love Jesus”; but little or nothing is said about knowing Jesus. And yet this is a most essential element of the things required. The above exhortations are very good in their place; but in order to be carried into effect, they must be preceded by knowledge. A person must know really and truly who and what Jesus is, before he can manifest solid faith, hope, trust, belief, or love, towards him. Knowledge is the primary requisite to the exercise of all the faculties of the human mind, whether in things temporal or in things spiritual. Hence Jesus says, “This is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” — (John 17: 3). To know a human being is not simply to know that a person of such and such a name exists, but to know something of his position and character. And so, in like manner to know God and Jesus Christ is not simply to be aware of their existence, but to know the attributes and purposes of the former, and the nature, character, and mission of the latter.
It is quite evident that Jesus did not share in the ideas of those who look upon knowledge as of little importance in religious matters, or of those who denounce it as positively dangerous, and, in support thereof, improperly quote Paul’s statement, that “knowledge puffeth up” (I Cor. 8: 1); for Jesus expressly states that eternal life is predicated upon a knowledge of “the only true God and Jesus Christ”.
Head and Heart
Without entering upon the question as to what kind of knowledge Paul refers to in the above quotation, it is sufficient to observe that he could not have meant a knowledge of revealed truth; for he tells the Ephesians that unbelieving Gentiles were “alienated from the life of God through the IGNORANCE that is in them” (Eph. 4: 18), and he prays that the Colossians might be “filled with the KNOWLEDGE OF GOD’S WILL in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” — (Col. 1: 9). This knowledge of God’s will and of Jesus Christ, is of course limited by that which has been revealed. It therefore behoves all who desire to obtain eternal life to study that revelation, that they may learn of what that knowledge really consists. Religion is not, as supposed by many people, a matter only of the heart or affections; it has to do with both the head and the heart; the latter must be reached through the former; the intellect must first be enlightened before the affections can be directed into the proper channel. It is just as likely for Gentiles in the twentieth century to have a “zeal of God, but not according to knowledge” (Rom. 10: 2), as it was for the Jews in the first century.
Meaning of the Names
The superficiality of the existing knowledge regarding Jesus Christ is strikingly illustrated by the ignorance there is, even among those who profess to be his followers, respecting the meaning of his names; and the widespread misconception as to the nature of his mission is shown by the erroneous notions prevalent concerning the reasons for giving him those names.
The names “Jesus” and “Christ” were not, as is the general impression, given simply to distinguish him who bears them from other beings. They have a far higher signification; each has been given on account of some distinctive feature in his character or mission.
“Jesus” is synonymous with “Joshua”, which means a powerful one, or saviour, and was bestowed upon the child of the virgin because he was destined to fulfil the character of a powerful Saviour: “Thou shalt call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins” — (Matt. 1: 21).
The word “Christ” is not derived from the English language, but from the Greek. Instead of being translated it has merely been transferred, in an anglicised form, from the original manuscripts to the English version. Had it been translated, it would have been rendered Anointed. Evidence of this will be found by comparison of Psalm 2: 2 with Acts 4: 26. In the psalm David speaks of Jesus as God’s “anointed”; but in the Acts, where the passage is quoted by Peter, Jesus is denominated God’s “Christ”. Dr. John Pye Smith, writing on this subject, in his Scripture Testimony to the Messiah, after showing that the name originated from the ancient custom of using oil to anoint great personages, or special objects designed for religious purposes, says:
”Such was the origin, and such the primary signification of the sacred appellation Anointed; which, in its Hebrew and Greek forms Messiah and Christ, has been adopted into most other languages” (vol. I, p. 202).
The anointing of Jesus took place when he was thirty years of age, at his baptism by John — “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power” — (Acts 10: 38). It will be observed that it does not say ‘God anointed Jesus Christ’; to do so would be tautological; it would be like saying ‘God anointed Jesus anointed’, or ‘God Christed Jesus Christ’.
Jesus the Saviour
To know the mere verbal definition of these names is of no practical use to anyone, unless he understands the special reasons for which they were given. It is impossible to comprehend Jesus as the Saviour, unless the nature of the salvation effected by him is understood. In the announcement already quoted, it is defined to be that of “saving his people from their sins”. All believers of the Bible will accept this statement, because it is a Scriptural phrase. But by going to the root of the matter, by asking what the consequence of sin is, answers totally antagonistic will be obtained. The majority of theologians will tell us that it is eternal torments, i.e. endless life in misery; while a few will say that it is death, i.e. a cessation of all life. It is obvious that both these answers cannot be correct; if one be right the other must be wrong. And, whichever be the right one, the holding of the wrong one must produce a distorted and false conception of the character of Jesus as a Saviour, and of the nature of the salvation which is to be obtained through him; for if the punishment from which he saves is misapprehended, the deliverance which he effects must also be misunderstood.
Some professed followers of Jesus teach that this deliverance or salvation consists merely of happiness superadded to a never-ending life which all men are supposed to possess; while others contend that it consists of life itself. Is it, or is it not, important to know which of these is correct; as to whether Jesus is a Saviour to give men eternal happiness, or to give unending life conjoined with happiness? If the thoughtful reader appreciates the importance of such knowledge, he is invited to consider another question. Can those who hold ideas so diametrically opposite be considered at one and the same time to be Scriptural disciples of Jesus? If not prepared to say that they cannot, we ask his careful and impartial attention to the evidence and arguments about to be adduced.
“Anointed”
The character of Jesus as an anointed personage, i.e. as the Christ, is no less important than that of his office as a Saviour. It will, indeed, be found that the former includes the latter in all its aspects. It is not, therefore, surprising that the prevailing ideas respecting the objects for which Jesus was anointed, are quite as conflicting as are those concerning the deliverance he effects as a Saviour.
In the extract given from Dr. Pye Smith, it will have been seen that the New Testament word “Christ” is synonymous with the Old Testament name “Messiah”, both of which mean anointed. By the latter name the Hebrew prophets predicted his appearance; and it is recognised as the Scriptural appellation of Jesus of Nazareth, by Christians of all shades. They all agree also that it is indicative of Jesus being a king. But there exist among them differences of belief as to the nature of that kingship. Some believe that Jesus is a king simply to rule over his disciples in this life; others view him as a king simply to rule the redeemed in heaven, and hence they describe him as possessing “kingdoms in the skies”; while a third class assert that his kingship consists entirely of personal rulership over the earth at a future day. These three views cannot all be correct; whichever be Scriptural, the other two must be without any foundation; and consequently, those who hold either of the erroneous views must be ignorant of the Christship or Messiahship of Jesus. The questions which have been already asked with reference to those who hold diametrically opposite ideas respecting Jesus as a Saviour, are equally applicable to those who hold views so wide apart in relation to his kingship. Is it necessary, or is it not, to have correct ideas as to that office? If it is, are those who are in error on this point entitled to be called “Christians”?
Threefold Office
To fulfil the office of a king was not the only object for which Jesus was anointed. Like Elisha (I Kings 19: 16), he was anointed to be a prophet; like Aaron (Exod. 40: 13), he was anointed to be a priest; like Saul (I Sam. 15: 1), and David (I Sam. 16: 1-12), he was anointed to be a king. Unlike them, however, he was not anointed with oil, but with its antitype, the Holy Spirit; thereby indicating that the functions which he would have to perform would be far superior to theirs. That Jesus was to fill these three offices was clearly foretold by Moses and the prophets, and was believed by faithful Jews, before his appearance. The writer already quoted, makes the following pertinent observation:
“That from the earliest time an expectation prevailed of a great personage to rise at some future period, and to be the Deliverer and Saviour of mankind from their mortal and natural miseries, is a fact well known to all who have studied primeval history, and is generally received by believers in revelation. This expected benefactor was the Messiah described in the Hebrew sacred books; who should unite in his own person the dignities of prophet, priest, and king, that he might confer salvation on our fallen world” (Scripture Testimony to the Messiah, by Dr. J. Pye Smith, vol. I, p. 203).
The New Testament having confirmed these predictions, it is customary to look upon Jesus as occupying this three-fold position. And hence, when the question is asked, “What is the sense in which persons desirous of salvation are to believe in Jesus?” an answer is sometimes given to the effect that they must believe in him as a prophet, priest and king. But, seeing that there exist very diversified views of the way in which Jesus filled, or is to fill, these offices, it must be evident to any thoughtful mind that the only value of such a belief consists in a person having a Scriptural knowledge of the functions performed by Jesus in each of these capacities: of the truths he taught as a prophet; of the sacrifice he offered up as a priest; and of the ruling he is to exercise as a king.
An Unscriptural Creed
If the leaders of that portion of the religious world which appropriates to itself the name of “The Orthodox” be applied to for a definition of the character and mission of Jesus, they will reply in some such terms as the following:
"Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, who always existed, and always will exist — being co-equal with the Father; he died to reconcile an angry God to sinful man, and thus save immortal souls from eternal torments, that at death they may be translated to heaven to reign with him in the skies.”
This, it will be acknowledged, is the substance of what is preached by ministers of all denominations, both in State Church and Dissent; and it is what they require to be believed by those who desire to join their religious communities. It is true they do not all enforce it by subscription to the formal creed; for in some cases such a thing does not exist. But it cannot be denied that it is a correct summary of what is constantly taught from the pulpit. And, as the members of the various churches are mostly drawn from the congregations, it is tacitly understood that they believe the most prominent doctrines inculcated by their religious teachers. The absence of any formal subscription to these doctrines is no proof that a belief in them is not required. The absence of any objection to them is considered sufficient in itself to constitute assent. Hence, when one of their members begins to disavow his belief in any of them, he is almost invariably looked upon as a “dangerous man”, and perhaps stigmatised as a “heretic”, or an “infidel”. This is owing to the fact that they regard a belief in them as necessary for salvation.
Thus, although they are so fond of defining saving faith by the phrase, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16: 31), they in practice very often require more than is contained in a surface view of these words — that there is such a person as Jesus Christ who is able to save men. They do not profess to derive these additional items from Paul’s answer to the Philippian jailor, but from other parts of the Scriptures. Believing implicitly that these doctrines are taught in God’s revealed Word, they think themselves justified in requiring others also to believe them. On the supposition that such is the case, it must be admitted that they are perfectly justified, not only in acting in this manner, but in looking suspiciously upon, or even withdrawing from fellowship with, anyone who repudiates them in whole or in part. For, if true, it is not only important, but necessary, that they should be believed, to enable anyone “to know Jesus Christ” as a prophet, priest, and king; and so to obtain salvation through him. On the other hand, if they are unscriptural, it becomes a duty not only to reject them but to substitute for them those truths which are taught in the inspired oracles of God. What those truths are will be seen from the following pages.