oday.

Jesus was in advance of his time. He declared that such revengeful
theories as an eye for an eye must be supplanted by forgiveness. But as
the world has evolved, Jesus has stood still. His teachings, superior as
they were to those of the ancient Israelites, are now found to be
inferior to the best ethics culled from the wisdom of the ages, brought
down to date. It is heartening to feel that we can appropriate the
superlative principles of all time instead of worshipping a deified
personality who was limited to the best that men of his own generation
could conceive.

This examination of the life and character of Jesus will be based upon
the accounts in the New Testament. Each passage will be construed as
appears to the writer to have been originally intended. The reader may
substitute his own interpretation, but should in no instance pass
lightly over a situation as immaterial. Every word or action of Jesus is
an important link in the chain of his divinity, or of his exalted
position as a moral guide. Each argument should be met by acceptance or
rejection, never with indifference. No reader of the following pages
should ever say, "What difference does it make?" Everything concerning
Jesus is of vast consequence in determining whether he is or is not a
divine Savior, or a perfect guide.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Chron. xxi.

ANTIQUATED THEOLOGY

The first event in the life of Jesus, the gospel story of his birth, is
now considered unauthentic by many scholars and some theologians. The
birth of a virgin, the visitation of an angel, the star in the East are
phenomena contrary to natural laws and rest on insufficient authority
for acceptance as credible. The probabilities are against exceptions in
the laws of the universe.

_The Virgin Birth_

The original evidence for the virgin birth is found only in the gospels
of Matthew and Luke, two unknown historians, and both these evangelists
implicitly deny their own tale when they trace the descent of Jesus from
David through Joseph.[1] The slaughter of the children by Herod, in fear
of Jesus as a rival, probably never took place. Mark, Luke and John do
not mention it; Josephus, who dwelt on the crimes of Herod, knew nothing
of this massacre. According to Luke, Mary and Joseph took Jesus to
Jerusalem openly soon after the supposed decree.[2]

There is dispute as to whether Jesus was born in Bethlehem or Nazareth,
and the date of his birth has been placed anyw