a. In Acts x. 36; 1 Cor. ii. 8, compare Ps. xxiv. 8–10; Heb. i. 8; John xx. 28; Rom. ix. 5; Rev. i. 17, compare Is. xliv. 6, we find several divine titles applied to Christ, the same titles being applied to Christ in the New Testament that are applied to Jehovah in the old.
b. In Heb. i. 10, 3, we find divine offices attributed to Christ.
c. In John v. 22–23, compare Rev. v. 13; Heb. i. 6; Phil. ii. 10, we find it taught that Jesus Christ should be worshiped as God.
d. In John v. 22–23 we find Jesus claiming the same honor as his Father, and either He was Divine or the most blasphemous impostor that ever lived. Drive it home that the one who denies Christ’s Divinity puts Him in the place of a blasphemous imposter. Mark xiv. 61, 62, can be used in a similar way.
e. 1 Jno. ii. 22, 23, compared with 1 Jno. v. 1, 5, shows that the one who denies the Divinity of Christ, no matter who he may be, is a liar and an antichrist. 1 Jno. v. 10–12, shows that he who does not believe that Jesus is divine makes God a liar, “Because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son.” Heb. x. 28–29, shows the folly, guilt and punishment of rejecting Christ as the Son of God. John viii. 24, shows beyond a question that no one who does not believe in the Divinity of Jesus Christ will be saved. Jno. xx. 31, shows that we have life through believing that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God.
(Note. It is best as a rule before taking up specific difficulties to deal with the inquirer with the passage under the head of “[Skeptics who are triflers],” or those under “[Serious minded skeptics].”)
Often times there is no need to take up specific questions as for example about future punishment until the inquirer has first settled the matter whether he will accept Christ as his Saviour.
CHAPTER IX.
DEALING WITH THE COMPLAINING
Many that you wish to lead to Christ will say something to the effect that God is unjust and cruel, Job. xl. 2, and Romans ix. 20, are very pointed passages to use with inquirers of this class and need no comment. It might be well to preface the reading of the passages with some remark like this; “Do you know of how enormous a sin you are guilty in accusing God of being unjust and cruel? Let me read what God says about it in His Word.” Then read the passages. Romans xi. 33 will serve to show the complaining that the reason God’s ways seem unjust and cruel is because they are so deep and unsearchable; and that the trouble is not with God’s ways but the limitation of their understanding. Heb. xii. 5, 7, 10, 11 are especially useful in cases where the inquirer complains because of his own misfortunes or sorrows. Is. lv. 8–9 will often times prove helpful. Not infrequently you will meet with one who will say that “God is unjust to create men and then damn them.” Turn such an one to Ezek. xxxiii. 11. This passage meets this complaint by showing that God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but desires their welfare and that the wicked bring damnation upon themselves by their stubborn refusal to repent. 1 Tim. ii. 3–4, shows that God, so far from creating man to damn him, desires that all men be saved. 2 Peter iii. 9, teaches that God is not willing that any should perish and is delaying His purposes in order that all may come to repentance. John v. 40, and Matt. xxiii. 37, show that the whole cause of man’s damnation is his own willful and persistent refusal to come to Christ. John iii. 36, and iii. 16, are also helpful in many cases.