As for Jesus, it was a common name among the Jews long before the advent
of Christ. Josephus refers to seven or eight persons by that name, as
"Jesus, brother of Onias," "Jesus, son of Phabet," etc. Joshua in the
Greek form, Jesus, was in still more common use.
Again, was Jesus Christ "the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the
End?" so, likewise, Chrishna proclaimed, "I am the Beginning, the
Middle, and the End." Osiris and Chrishna were both proclaimed "Judge of
the Dead," as Jesus was "Judge of quick and dead." Isaiah represents the
Father as proclaiming, "I am Jehovah; besides me there is no Savior."
(Isa. xliii. 11.) With what consistency, then, can Christ be called
"_the Savior_," if there is but _one Savior_, and that is the Father?
And other divine titles besides those above named--in fact, all those
applied to Christ--are found used also in reference to the older pagan
gods, and hence prove nothing.
ORIGIN OF THE TERMS MEDIATOR, INTERCESSOR, ETC.
Several causes contributed to originate a belief in the offices
imaginarily assigned to divine God-descended Mediators, Redeemers, and
Intercessors.
1. In the first place, the Great Supreme God was believed to be too far
off and too aristocratic to be on familiar terms with his subjects,
or at all times accessible to their prayers. Hence, was gotten up a
"Mediator," or middle God, to stand midway between the Great Supreme and
the people, and transmit messages one from the other, and thus serve
as agent for both parties. Confirmatory of this statement is the
declaration of Mamoides, in his "Guide to the Erring," that "the ancient
Sabeans conceived the principal God, on account of his great distance,
to be inaccessible; and hence, in imitation of the people in their
conduct toward their king, who had to address him through a person
appointed for the purpose, they imaginarily employed a middle divinity,
who was called a Mediator, to present their claims to the Supreme God."
Here the whole secret is out, the whole thing is explained, and we now
understand why Christ is called a Mediator, Intercessor, "Advocate with
the Father," etc.
2. Again, the Supreme God was supposed to be frequently angry with the
people, and threatening to punish if not to destroy them. "I will punish
the multitude." (Jer. xlvi. 25.) "I will destroy the people." (Ex.
xxiii. 27). Hence, this middle divinity, this second person of the
trinity, stepped in to plead and intercede on their behalf, being, as we
must presume, a better-natured and more merciful being than the
Father. And thus interceding, he received the titles of Intercessor and
"Advocate with the Father." (1 John, ii. 1.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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