Chapter 2
If the theory of Atonement for sin by the sacrifice of the innocent was not ethical and if Jesus taught that doctrine, he was in error, was he not?
The sacrifice of Jesus was not so great as often made by men. Jesus was sustained with the thought that he was saving the world; his physical suffering was not long continued; on the night of his crucifixion he was in paradise.[34] He endured a few hours of pain compared to weeks of suffering by wounded soldiers, or years spent in prison by the proponents of an ideal.
Jesus not only claimed the power to remit sins but also said to his disciples: "Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained."[35]
Is that true? Surely it is proper to ask that blunt question. Here is a definite statement concerning the power of certain men to remit sins. If those men did not have the power deputed to them, must we not doubt the accuracy of Jesus?
Jesus made a distinction between himself and the Comforter: "It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart I will send him unto you ... And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever."[36]
It must surprise some Christians that the Comforter could not be present at the same time with Jesus.
_Angels and Devils_
Jesus believed in angels and devils, often referring to these imaginary supernatural beings as if they existed. "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?"[37] "So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth."[38]
The devils were among the first to recognize Christ's divinity: "What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God?"[39] "Let us alone, thou Jesus of Nazareth; art thou come to destroy us? I know thee, who thou art, the Holy One of God."[40] "And unclean spirits when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God."[41]
Jesus believed in demoniacal possession, casting out devils on several occasions.
Jesus frequently referred to heaven as a place above the earth: "And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory."[42] "And ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."[43] "Verily, verily, I say unto you, hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of man."[44]
When Jesus was transfigured and talked with Moses and Elias, he charged his disciples, saying, "Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead."[45]
According to the creeds based upon the Bible, Jesus rose from the dead, descended into hell, and ascended bodily into heaven. According to the gospels he stilled the storm, walked on the water and told Peter to do so and to find money in a fish's mouth and catch a large draught of fishes. These and other miracles connected Jesus with God and were part of his theology.
Every fair-minded person should re-read the gospels and refresh his memory regarding the theology of Jesus. Then a decision must be reached as to the correctness of the views expressed. Either conditions on earth were different in the first century from those of the twentieth, or Jesus was mistaken in his conception of God, heaven, hell, angels, devils and himself.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Matt. i; Luke iii.
[2] Luke ii, 22.
[3] John x, 30.
[4] Matt. xi, 27.
[5] Ezek. xiv, 9; Num. xiv, 30-34.
[6] Ex. iii, 21-22.
[7] Deut. xiv, 21.
[8] Num. xxxi et al.
[9] Ex. xxxii, 27.
[10] Deut. vii, 16 et al.
[11] Jer. xix, 9 et al.
[12] Ex. xxii, 18.
[13] Lev. xxv, 44-46.
[14] Deut. xxi, 18-21; xiii, 6-9.
[15] Lev. i, 14-15.
[16] See the Old Testament.
[17] Luke iv, 16.
[18] Matt. xxvi, 63-64.
[19] Mark xv, 61-62.
[20] Luke xxii, 70.
[21] John iv, 25-26.
[22] John iii, 16.
[23] John viii, 24.
[24] Matt. xxv, 31-46.
[25] Mark iii, 29.
[26] Luke xiii, 3.
[27] Mark ix, 43.
[28] Matt. xxiii, 33.
[29] Mark xvi, 16.
[30] Matt. xxvi, 28.
[31] Matt. xxii, 14.
[32] Matt. vii, 14.
[33] Luke xiii, 24.
[34] Luke xxiii, 43.
[35] John xx, 23.
[36] John xiv, 16.
[37] Matt. xxvi, 53.
[38] Matt. xiii, 49.
[39] Matt. viii, 29.
[40] Luke iv, 34.
[41] Mark iii, 11.
[42] Mark xiii, 26.
[43] Mark xiv, 62.
[44] John i, 51.
[45] Matt. xvii, 9.
FALSE IMPRESSIONS
Jesus not only held mistaken ideas about theology, as anyone but a Fundamentalist must admit, but he often gave impressions about earthly affairs that were unreliable to say the least. Occasionally his statements were actual misrepresentations of fact.
_Jonah and the Whale_
"For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."[1]
Evidently Jesus believed the story of Jonah and the whale, as well as the tale of Noah's ark[2] both of which are now generally discredited. Moreover, his prophecy regarding his entombment was inaccurate, for he was only two nights and one day in the heart of the earth, from Friday night to Sunday morning.
_End of the World_
Jesus was decidedly mistaken in his theory of the approaching end of the world.
"Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."[3] "Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come."[4] "There be some standing here which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom."[5] "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come ... Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled."[6] "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand."[7] "So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done."[8] "The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."[9]
Jesus was confident that the day of judgment was coming in the first century, but it has not come yet, nineteen hundred years later. This erroneous belief in the imminent end of the world had an important bearing upon his entire philosophy; for if the end of the world was so near it was far more important to prepare for life hereafter than to be concerned over mundane affairs. May we not view with doubt any of Jesus' teachings that depended upon his mistaken conception of the duration of the world?
_Miracles_
Jesus is reported to have fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fishes, and again 4,000 with seven loaves and a few small fishes. He walked on the water, calmed the seas, raised three persons from the dead and performed other miracles contrary to natural laws. These wondrous acts were depended upon by him to convince the people that he was the expected Messiah: "Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them."[10]
Jesus assured his disciples that they too would be able to perform miracles: "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover."[11] "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do."[12]
Jesus set great store by these marvels that only magicians attempt nowadays. Ministers of the apostolic succession cannot cast out devils or take up serpents, and they are affected by deadly drinks the same as others. Jesus had a primitive idea of the value of such magic. Either he sought to deceive the gullible, or, as is more likely, was himself overcredulous. It is important to remember that Jesus stressed the value of enchantment and advised his successors to conjure in his name.
If the miraculous had not been connected with the name of Jesus, it is probable that he never would have been heard of. His ethical teachings alone would not have won for him the exalted position that has come from the stories of his miraculous birth, life and ascension. In other words, his fame rests upon the supernatural side of his life that is now discredited by many of his followers.
_Eternal Life_
The remarks of Jesus on the subject of death were not accurate. "If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death."[13] "Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die."[14]
Apparently Jesus referred to natural death, in which case he was utterly mistaken; but if he meant that believers in him should live forever in heaven, even so he gave a false impression; for there is no evidence that life after death is assured to Christians more than to others. Unbelievers were also to have eternal life, though in torment.
_Raising Lazarus_
Jesus took advantage of opportunities, even of death, to create dramatic effects. The eleventh chapter of John shows that when Lazarus was reported ill, Jesus said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby." So Jesus let Lazarus, one of the believers whom he loved, die[15] in order that he might have the triumph of raising him from the dead. "Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe."
The confusion between earthly death and loss of eternal life was shown in the remark of Jesus to Martha: "I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." This might be construed to mean that believers should have eternal life hereafter, but Jesus evidently had reference to life on earth for he proceeded to raise Lazarus from the dead and cause him to live again on earth with his sisters.
When Martha reminded Jesus that Lazarus had been dead four days, Jesus replied, "Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" But Jesus himself had doubts of his ability to bring back Lazarus to life, as shown by his spontaneous prayer of thanks: "Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me." Then he revealed again his desire to dramatize the occasion, saying, "And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me."
"Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him." Do the followers of Jesus, who claim that he made no mistakes, believe on him? If so, they must believe that he raised Lazarus from the dead as he claimed to have done. Do they believe that they can also raise people from the dead? Jesus so assured them when he promised that believers could do greater works than he performed. No, Jesus gave a false impression of his power.
_God's Protection_
Jesus continued his deception of the world by promising protection that has never been accorded. "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows."[16]
These sayings may properly be taken as symbolical or allegorical; but the evident intention was to assure his followers that God would protect them in their daily life. Safety was promised for believers, a safety that has been lacking for everyone. There is no evidence that God does protect believers any more than unbelievers. When the Titanic went down, those who perished were not solely the wicked persons; there was no distinction in the terrible disaster between believers and unbelievers.
Jesus created in the minds of his hearers and his followers the idea that God was watching each individual to save him from danger, but this, unfortunately, is not a fact. It sounds comforting; it makes people feel nearer to God; but experience proves that no such close relationship exists. Jesus gave a false impression of God's loving care for men.
_Belief in Prayer_
Modern religious people may still consistently believe in prayer as a form of inward aspiration, but it is difficult to take literally the assurance given by Jesus of practical accomplishments by means of prayer in his name.
Jesus did not confine himself to promising spiritual results from prayer, but distinctly gave it to be understood that the physical world would respond to petitions to Jehovah. "Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven."[17] "If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."[18] "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."[19] "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove: and nothing shall be impossible unto you."[20]
These promises have not been fulfilled. Bishops, priests and deacons with strong faith have been unable to obtain, by means of the most sincere prayer, results similar to those indicated. They have followed Jesus in vain. No man living dare put his faith to the test by a public demonstration of prayer for physical changes. Christian prayers for rain are conventional, not being offered with confidence that rain will follow.
Jesus has misled us.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Matt. xii, 40.
[2] Luke xvii, 27; Matt. xxv, 38.
[3] Matt. iv, 17.
[4] Matt. x, 23.
[5] Matt. xvi, 28; Mark ix, 1.
[6] Matt. xxiv, 14-34; Luke xxi, 32.
[7] Mark i, 15.
[8] Mark xiii, 29-30.
[9] John v, 28-29.
[10] Matt. xi, 4-5.
[11] Mark xvi, 17-18.
[12] John xiv, 12.
[13] John viii, 51.
[14] John xi, 26.
[15] John xi, 6.
[16] Matt. x, 29-31.
[17] Matt. xviii, 19.
[18] Matt. xxi, 21-22.
[19] Mark xi, 24.
[20] Matt. xvii, 20.
OBSCURE TEACHINGS
Many of the sayings of Jesus lacked clarity. Various interpretations have been put upon them by scholars of distinction. No one is sure what was meant.
According to the gospels, Jesus was descended from David, but Jesus mystified his hearers on this descent, saying: "If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?"[1]
_Witnesses and Judge_
On the subject of witnesses there is great confusion. "If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true."[2] "Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true."[3] "It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me."[4] "I and my Father are one."[5] "My Father is greater than I."[6]
This and the following instruction regarding judicial procedure are far from clear. Jesus acknowledged the principle of law requiring more than one witness but said that in his case the only other witness necessary was his Father, although he and his Father were one.
Jesus is supposed to be the judge of the world, but his statement of the case leaves the issue ambiguous. "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son."[7] "I judge no man. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true."[8] "And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world."[9] "For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind."[10]
The quality of reasoning employed in these instances has naturally led to theological quibbling. If Jesus can argue in that fashion, so can his followers, at the expense of intellectual honesty.
_Cannibalism_
The Jews could not understand what Jesus meant when he said: "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life."[11]
_Religion Only for Children_
Nor are these sayings clear: "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes."[12] "Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein."[13]
This train of thought implies that education is of no importance where belief is concerned.
_Difficult or Easy?_
After enumerating the many hardships that must be endured by his followers, Jesus contradicted himself by saying, "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."[14]
_Charity_
There are apparent contradictions in his instructions regarding charity: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."[15] "Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven."[16]
_The Scriptures Upheld_
Jesus reverenced the Hebrew Old Testament.
"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled."[17]
And yet Jesus was the reformer, overthrowing ancient customs, renouncing the old principle of a tooth for a tooth, improving upon the Mosaic law. He was inconsistent.
_Illogical_
The logic of Jesus is often difficult to follow.
"And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged."[18]
Jesus admitted his obscurity: "These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father."[19]
That time has never come.
_Parables Deceptive_
Jesus explained his obscurity in this way: "Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand."[20] "But unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them."[21]
In other words, Jesus, who said he came to save the world, concealed his meaning for fear some of his hearers should be converted and their sins be forgiven--which is exactly what he sought to bring about.
Obscurity in a teacher is a great defect, especially when he glories in his ambiguity. If any Christians wish that Jesus had been more clear, then Jesus does not appear perfect to them, and they should admit his imperfections.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Matt. xxii, 41-45.
[2] John v, 31.
[3] John viii, 14.
[4] John viii, 17-18.
[5] John x, 30.
[6] John xiv, 28.
[7] John v, 22.
[8] John viii, 16.
[9] John xii, 47.
[10] John x, 39.
[11] John vi, 53-58.
[12] Matt. xi, 25.
[13] Mark x, 15.
[14] Matt. xi, 30.
[15] Matt. v, 16.
[16] Matt. vi, 1.
[17] Matt. v, 17-18.
[18] John xvi, 8-11.
[19] John xvi, 25.
[20] Luke viii, 10.
[21] Mark iv, 11-12.
DEFICIENT INSTRUCTIONS
In a number of instances the teachings of Jesus are so incomplete, or so inappropriate, as to render no assistance in meeting similar situations in modern life. Either his meaning is not clear, or his instructions are too primitive to be applicable to our civilization.
_Labor_
The relation between employer and employee is one that requires practical guidance. Let us see what information Jesus gave on this important subject.
The parable of the laborers[1] relates that an employer hired men to work in his vineyard for twelve hours for a penny, and that he paid the same wage to other workers who toiled only nine, six, three and one hour. When those who had worked longest resented this treatment, as modern strikers would, the employer answered, apparently with Jesus' approval: "Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last."
This parable may be a comfort to autocratic employers, sustaining them in their determination to dominate labor, but the principles enunciated are lacking in social vision. Equal pay for unequal work is approved, and the employer is vindicated in regulating wages and hours as he sees fit without regard for justice or the needs of the workers. In the manner of modern employers, the "goodman" calls his worker "Friend" but treats him with contempt. Jesus taught that the workers were wrong in demanding justice, that the employer was justified in acting erratically, as the money paid was his. He presented the issues between capital and labor and sided with capital. He stated the fact that the first shall be last, but said nothing to remedy that unfortunate situation. He did not explain how workers could obtain proper compensation for their labor.
Jesus assumed a fair attitude when he said, "The labourer is worthy of his hire", and, "It is enough for the disciple to be as his master, and the servant as his lord", but he continued with doubtful logic: "If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household", implying that if an employer is worldly-minded his servants will be even worse.
Little respect is shown for employees in the remark, "The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep."[2] Probably in those days as now many an employee stuck to his post nobly to do his duty.
The meaning is obscure in his other comment upon an employer who told his tired servant to serve his master first, ending with the enigma, "We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do."[3]
_Usury_
In the parable of the talents the servant who did not put his money out at usury to make profits was condemned: "And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."[4] Punishment was to be severe in Jesus' program; the disobedient servant "shall be beaten with many stripes." Jesus did not advise leniency in such instances except that "he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes."[5] In his estimation the servant was a slave to be punished corporeally by his master, even if ignorant of his wrong-doing.
A Dr. Taylor, former Yale College theologian, is reported to have said: "I have no doubt that if Jesus Christ were now on earth he would, under certain circumstances, become a slaveholder." A Southern divine in 1860 could well maintain that slavery was approved in both Old and New Testaments, but no Christian would now impute slaveholding to Jesus. The standard of human relationships has improved since slaveholding days in America. The modern attitude toward servants, though by no means perfect, is superior to the relationships between master and servants accepted by Jesus. Slavery was the custom of the times and Jesus did not rise above it.