The Wave of Scepticism and the Rock of TruthHabershon, M. H. (Matthew Henry)
Religion
The Wave of Scepticism and the Rock of Truth
Habershon, M. H. (Matthew Henry)
Bible. New Testament -- Evidences, authority, etc.; Cassels, Walter Richard, 1826-1907. Supernatural religion
There is nothing in the Fourth Gospel, nor in any other part of
Scripture, that more emphatically proclaims the Godhead of Jesus
Christ than this worship of Him by the whole host of heaven. The
whole creation, as twice described in the second commandment, fall
down and worship Him. It is identical with the language Paul uses in
his letter to the Philippians: "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted
him, and given him a name that is above every name, that in the name
of Jesus _every knee should bow_, of things in heaven, and things in
earth, and things under the earth; and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ _is Lord_, to the glory of God the Father."
This sort of language pervades the whole book. The allegory of a Lamb
slain to wash away sin by the shedding of His blood occurs a score
times.
It is not possible to read it and believe what our author insinuates.
He wants some proof that the four Gospels are not religious romances
written long after the events occurred which they record. I point out
that the author has the proof in his own argument that John wrote the
Apocalypse, and that the evidence therein given to the miracles is not
affected by any uncertainty whether the Gospels were produced by
eye-witnesses, or constructed on second-hand evidence, by such
disciples as Mark and Luke.
No criticism ever questions that Paul preached a miraculous gospel,
or ever doubts the genuineness of certain of his epistles in which the
doctrines are fully stated.
There are, at least, four which have never been questioned--viz., the
First of Thessalonians, written about the year 50; the Epistle to the
Galatians, A.D. 52; the First of Corinthians, A.D. 57; and the one to
the Romans, A.D. 58; and in all those letters the miracles and
doctrines are referred to which, years before, when he first went
forth to preach, were the themes of his ministry. His insight into
spiritual matters increased as he grew older, as his later writings
indicate; but from first to last it was the same gospel.
He writes to the Corinthians in the year 57, to remind them of the
gospel he had preached unto them. He says, "I delivered unto you first
of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins,
according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose
again the third day, according to the Scriptures; and that he was seen
of Peter, then of the twelve; after that he was seen of five hundred
brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain unto this present,
but some are fallen asleep. After that he was seen of me also, as of
one born out of due time." Now as Paul's written version of the
gospel at this time was in the main identical with John's, we get from
the evidence that John wrote the Apocalypse a very definite
conclusion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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