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The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

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emove a felt di£Sculty. BenavCs frivolous<br />

conceit scarcely deserves serious notice, that <strong>Jesus</strong><br />

went into <strong>the</strong> wilderness in order to imitate <strong>the</strong><br />

Baptist <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs, since such solitude was at <strong>the</strong><br />

time regarded as a necessary preparation for great<br />

things. We equally dismiss as more reverent, but<br />

not better grounded, such suggestions as that an<br />

interview <strong>the</strong>re with <strong>the</strong> deputies <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> SanhedriUi<br />

or with a Priest, or with a Pharisee, formed <strong>the</strong><br />

historical basis <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Satanic Temptation; or that it<br />

was a vision, a dream, <strong>the</strong> reflection <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ideas<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> time; or that it was a parabolic form in<br />

which <strong>Jesus</strong> afterwards presented to His disciples<br />

His conception <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Kingdom, <strong>and</strong> how <strong>the</strong>y<br />

were to preach it.^ Of all such explanations it may<br />

be said, that <strong>the</strong> narrative does not warrant <strong>the</strong>m,<br />

<strong>and</strong> that <strong>the</strong>y would probably never have been<br />

suggested, if <strong>the</strong>ir authors had been able simply to<br />

accept <strong>the</strong> Evangelic history. But if so it would<br />

have been both better <strong>and</strong> wiser whoUy to reject<br />

(as some have done) <strong>the</strong> au<strong>the</strong>nticity <strong>of</strong> this, as <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> whole early history <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> life <strong>of</strong> Christ, ra<strong>the</strong>r<br />

than transform what, if true, is so unspeakably

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