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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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We may as well here complete our critical notices,<br />

at least as concerns those views which have <strong>of</strong> late<br />

been propounded. <strong>The</strong> extreme school <strong>of</strong> negative<br />

critics seems here involved in hopeless selfcontradiction.<br />

For, if this narrative <strong>of</strong> a Jewish<br />

courtier is really only ano<strong>the</strong>r recension <strong>of</strong> that <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> hea<strong>the</strong>n centurion, how comes it that <strong>the</strong> '<br />

Jewish' Gospel <strong>of</strong> St. Mat<strong>the</strong>w makes a Oentilsy<br />

while <strong>the</strong> so-called ' anti-Jewish,' ^ Ephesian'<br />

Gospel <strong>of</strong> St. John makes a JeWy <strong>the</strong> hero <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

story ? As signally does <strong>the</strong> * mythical' <strong>the</strong>ory<br />

break down. For, admittedly, <strong>the</strong>re is no Rabbinic<br />

basis for <strong>the</strong> invention <strong>of</strong> such a story; <strong>and</strong> by far<br />

<strong>the</strong> ablest representative <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> n^ative school ^ has<br />

conclusively shown, that it could not have<br />

originated in an imitation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Old Testament<br />

account <strong>of</strong> Naaman's cure by Elisha <strong>the</strong> prophet.*<br />

But, if Christ had really spoken those words to <strong>the</strong><br />

courtier, as this critic seems to admit, <strong>the</strong>re<br />

remains only, as he puts it, this ^ trilemma: * ei<strong>the</strong>r<br />

He could really work <strong>the</strong> miracle in question; or.<br />

He spoke as a mere fanatic; or else. He was<br />

simply a deceiver. It is a relief to find that <strong>the</strong> two

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