Bible. New Testament -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.; Christianity -- Origin; Paul, the Apostle, Saint
Bear the name of Jesus? so far, so good. But for this function no such
special and supernatural commission was necessary: without any such
commission, the name of Jesus had been borne to the people at large, if
in this particular the Gospel history is to be believed. Luke ix. 49,
50: "And John answered and said, 'Master, we saw one casting out devils
in thy name: and we forbad him, because he followed not with us.' And
Jesus said unto him, 'Forbid him not, for he that is not against us, is
for us.'" How inadequate soever, with reference to the professed end, to
wit, giving extension to the religion of Jesus, the promise was
perfectly adequate, and commensurate, to what we shall find to be Paul's
real design; to wit, the planting a Gospel of his own, as, and for, and
instead of, the Gospel of Jesus. The Gospel of Jesus was the Gospel of
Jesus: and the Gospel, which, availing himself of the name of Jesus, it
was Paul's design and practice to preach, was, as he himself
declares,--as we shall see him declaring in the plainest and most
express terms,--a Gospel of his own; a Gospel which was not the Gospel
of the Apostles, and which, for fear of its being opposed by them, he
kept studiously concealed from those confidential servants and real
associates of Jesus, as may be seen in the following passages: Gal. i.
9, 11, and 12; "As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach
any other Gospel unto you, than that ye have received, let him be
accursed.--But I certify you, brethren, that the Gospel which was
preached of me is not after man.--For I neither received it of man,
neither was I taught it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." Gal.
2:2: "And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that
Gospel which I preach among the Gentiles; but privately to them which
were of reputation, lest by any means, I should run, or had run, in
vain."
In the course of Paul's dialogue with the voice on the road--that voice
which we are given to understand was the Lord's, _i.e._ Jesus's--the
promise supposed to be made to Paul, it must be remembered, was--the
promise to tell him, when in the city, what he was to do. "What thou
must do," says the historian in his historical account:--"all things
which are appointed for thee to do," says the historian in the supposed
unpremeditated oratorical account, which, in this so often mentioned
first of the speeches, he is supposed by the historian to have
delivered.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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