DIVINITY OF CHRIST
DIVINITY OF CHRIST
than the Synoptlsts see Him. It is truer to say that lie sees Clirist both as more Divine and more human tlian the Synoptists ; driven beyond tlieni by deepened experience of Christ on tlie one hand, and that richer retiexion on the other hand to which he was incited by the increasing; (Jnnstic licence of the age. Gnosticism was ,i sulithT fue than current Messianism. Its so|iliisiiis <i>uM Ijc met only by a simpler and ])rijlimiiilur— siiuplri because profounder — truth. The Fourth Gos]icl gives that truth. It attempts a portrait of Christ corresponding to the most intimate and overwhelm- ing sense of His power conceivable, at once wholly revealing God, and the Divine revelation of the whole nature, life, and destiny of man. Hence to the historian it is an enigma, to the devout a poem. Its outline is simple and free because so broad and high. Its structure is less of the his- toric than of the spiritual sen.se. The test (jf its genuineness, like that of art, is not in its teclini(iue but in the dim and powerful feeling of infinite meaning it throws upon the reader. It is in conse- quence the most fruitful of all the sources of subse- quent thought.
3. Divine properties attributed to Christ. — We may note, to begin with, the ascription to Christ of what had been ascribed by OT prophets to Jehovah (cf. Ps 45"- » with He l^-"; Is 7" Q"* with Mt 1^ ; Jer &■ " [where the ' Branch of David ' is called the ' Lord our righteousness '] 33'" with the NT term 'Root of David' applied to Clirist; Mai 3', where the messenger about to come to his own temple is called ' Lord,' with Mk 1-, Lk 1™). Again, the tempting of Jehovah (Nu 14=2P-<', Ps 95'-') is the tempting of Christ (I Co 10»). In He !"• " what is attributed to Jehovah in Ps 102=« is attributed to Christ. In Jn 12-'»-« it is asserted that the language of Isaiah (6"-'") eoiiccniiiiL; Jehovah refers to Christ. Is 45'-^, com pared \\illi Ro H'"- '', shows that the judgment-seat of God is that of Christ. From Jl 2^^ and Ro 10'^ the name of Jehovali is the name of Christ.
More impressive are the references to Christ's participation in Divine attributes. He has self- existence like the Father (Jn 5-'"), and therefore His life is eternal (Jn 1^ 11-"' 14", 1 Jn 1- 5"- >=). He has pre-existence ; cf. the Apostolic testimony (He 7\ Rev !» 22'^) with Christ's (Jn 8=« 17'). He cannot yield to death or see corruption (Resurrec- tion narratives, also Jn 10'^, Ro l"", He 7'", Jn 11-°, Ac IS^' 2"), He will come again (Jn 14'- =8, Ac 1", 1 Co 11=8 etc.). He gives life to others (Jn 5"-^--^ &", Pli 3i»- 11), He has all power (Mt IS'', Rev l», Jn 5", He 1^ Ph 2"), rnclutling power over nature and man (miracles and healings, cf. Lk G''-" 8^", Mt 9-8, also Ro 81""^), a power He can comiimnifatc to disciples (Ac 9" 3is 4i'>). St. Paul attiilmles to Him the Divine plenitude (Col 2''). I li' lias ^nyn-- human knowledge of God and supiiluiuiaii iiLsi-lit into man (Jn 16* 2-\ Rev 2=«), He is uiichanueablc as Jehovah (cf. Ps 102=8 with He !"• '=, also IS").
Of Divine nets asserted of f'lirist are the follow- ing :— Creation (Jn P, Col l'"-", He I--'"); Pro- vidence (He P, Jn .5", Col 1'"); K.-.l. in|i(in,i (A<- 20=8, Jn IS's-io-w, Mt 9", Kpli -V", la-a-s l,„, numerous to be specified) ; l''(>iuiMiic-s ,,i sins |M( 98, Mk 2i», Lk S"* etc.); Jud-ui.'iit (.hi .7--- -', Ac 17^1, Ro 14i», Mt 25^1-*) ; Restitution of all things (Ph 3=1, 1 Co 15=^-=8). Finally, the whole atmo- sphere of feeling and disposition toA^•ards Christ in the NT is one of worship. He claims it, and His disciples accord it. The faith given to God is given to Him (Jn 141 etc.). Exaniiiles of doxologies are 1 P 411, 2 Ti 41s, Rev l", 2 P 3'*, Rev 5". The honour of the Son equals that of the Father ( Jn 5=', Ph 2»- 1», He F). Tlie Blessing of God is invoked from Christ not less. Distinctively Christian wor- ship IS a calling upon the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ (1 Co 1=, Ac 9"). Distinctively Cliristian belief is the confession that Jesus is the Messiah, or that He is the Son of God (Ro 10», 1 Jn 41=). Baiitism is into His name ( Ac 9?^ 8"), the Lord's Su|pper is significant of His Death and its specific virtue, new life (1 Co lO'" 11=8).
A pal lent study of the texts cited in the two l>ie(i'(liii- si'ciions will set in relief several facts as to -\pii>iolic reflexion on Christ's Person. The begiiiuiiiys lie unquestionably in the Messianic hoiie and in Christ's claim to be the Messiah. The first proclamation of the gospel we have in the dis- courses ill Acts, the one burden of which is the Messiahshij. of the Master. The Apostles there speak Hill of an experience whose roots lie in the iiatidii's ]ia,s(, and which are renewed into fresh uiiiw (li ]<y Christ. The proof they ofier is the evi- ileiice of faets and of what the facts point to.