The Truth of Christianity / Being an Examination of the More Important Arguments For and Against Believing in That Religion

by W. H. Turton

[419] Heb. 1. 3.

Thirdly, Christ claimed Pre-existence with God. He said that He had descended out of heaven; that He had come down from heaven; that He came out from the Father and was come into the world; and that even before its creation He had shared God's glory.[420] While in another passage, 'Before Abraham was, I am,'[421] He not only said that He existed before Abraham, but by using the words I am instead of I was, He seemed to identify Himself with Jehovah, the great I am, of the Old Testament.[422]

[420] John 3. 13; 6. 38; 16. 28; 17. 5.

[421] John 8. 58.

[422] Exod. 3. 14.

Turning now to the other side, there are four passages in which Christ seems to disclaim being Divine. The most important is where He says that the Son (i.e. Himself) does not know the time of the future Judgment;[423] and the present writer has never seen a really satisfactory explanation of this. But it may be pointed out that if we admit that Christ was both Divine and human, it is only fair to refer any particular statement to that nature, to which it is applicable; even though the wording seems to suggest the opposite. In the same way, the passage, that the Lord of Glory was crucified[424] can only refer to Christ in His human nature, and not in His Divine nature, as the Lord of Glory. And in His human nature Christ may have been ignorant of the time of the future Judgment, just as in His human nature He increased in wisdom and stature.[425]

[423] Mark 13. 32.

[424] 1 Cor. 2. 8.

[425] Luke 2. 52.

Then we have the passage where a ruler addresses Christ as 'Good Master,' and Christ demurs to this, saying that the word was only applicable to God.[426] And how, it is asked, could He have done so, if He had been both good and God? The best explanation seems to be that among the Jews, it was the custom never to address a Teacher (or Rabbi) as Good. They said God was 'the Good One of the world'; it was one of His titles.[427] Therefore as the ruler had no means of knowing that Christ was God, he was not justified in thus addressing Him as Good.