metimes
called historical, or constructive, we must not fail to discover its
bearing on the character of Christ. For the final conflict of all
skepticism of every grade and quality is in reference to the person and
work of Christ. The elimination of the supernatural from the Bible would
be an invalidation of Christ's claims and testimony. It would place him
before the world as a false teacher, a fraud, a charlatan. Loyalty to
the Word, and to the Incarnate Word, demands, therefore, that we should
clearly understand the end to which this rationalism is drifting. For
Christ's testimony concerning the Old Testament Scriptures, which will
be presented later in this discussion, is so thoroughly in conflict with
the modern critical assumptions that it must be disposed of by those
claiming expert scholarship. In the attempt to accomplish that feat,
they put our Lord under such limitations as would rob him of his
character as Teacher and Redeemer.

The "experts" are logically driven to one of two conclusions: either
that Christ did not know the facts of the Old Testament Scriptures,
which he believed and was sent to teach, or, knowing the facts, he
deemed it not important to teach them.

The first assumption puts our Savior on the basis of a fallible human
teacher, and nothing more. The second assumption contradicts all the
professions of the critics. For they affirm to-day that the professed
discoveries of the mistaken views of the Bible are of the utmost
importance, and as honest men they are in conscience obliged to make
them known, while claiming that Christ did not make them known.

Shall we assume that these views, which they deem so important to-day,
were of no importance when the Church of Christ first took form? We may
ask, what estimate should we have of Christ, who, knowing his people
were in error as to the authorship and origin of the Scriptures, would
leave them in darkness for more than eighteen hundred years? Is it to be
assumed that he would wait through the long centuries for the coming of
critics to enlighten his people? That is what we are logically asked to
accept at their hands. It is thus made clear that the issue of this
conflict, as in all the past, is narrowed down to the person and
character of our Savior. It is well to face the issue calmly, and with a
clear understanding of what is pending. Did Christ know truth? Was he
honest? Hence, the attitude of the Church should be taken in view of the
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