strong contrast and assumes a reformative character. Yet He himself doubtless would fail to take this fully into account, for He seems to have been unaware of the Rabbinical movement we have mentioned, a movement which dominated the theological circles only. He, on the contrary, had always lived in the midst of the populace and in the main shared its chief ideas, all the more so because His spiritual sustenance was principally the reading of the Psalms and the best of the prophetical books of the Old Testament, expressed for the most part in the language of Israel of old, within the comprehension of every Jew. His ideas, therefore, would centre mainly, though not entirely, upon the God of the Scriptures and of tradition. Another fact should be noted here. If the Jewish theologians, giving themselves up to abstruse and subtle speculations concerning the nature of God, indulged in a train of thought which robbed the religion of their fathers of its simplicity, the people also were influenced by certain fresh movements, notably by the belief in the ministry of angels and demons, which was for the most part imported into Judaism from foreign sources. Demonology, in particular, spread rapidly among the Jews while under the Persian rule and subject to its influence. Both angelology and demonology having penetrated to the very midst of the Jewish people at the time of Jesus, made a profound impression upon them, as indeed we have already seen in the case of the latter. If Jesus considered it the chief task of His ministry 1 Piepenbring, Théologie, §28-9; Bousset, chap. xvi-xvii; Holtzmann, i, pp. 57-63; Felten, ii, pp. 70-103; Bertholet, pp. 374-932 Vide infra, pp. 33-4. to proclaim the near approach of the Kingdom of God, it was because He desired with His whole heart and soul to overthrow the rule of Satan, and substitute that of God.' When we consider attentively the genuine statements made by Jesus about God, we soon see that He explicitly declared His belief in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the sole ruler of heaven and earth, the great King who alone is perfectly good. Since God is thus the sovereign Master of the world, men must be His humble and obedient servants, as Jesus never ceases telling them over and over again, especially in certain of His parables.3 He regards God as governing the whole world, even in its most insignificant details.4 He knows our inmost feelings, even before we are aware of them ourselves.5 He terminates our life on earth when it pleases Him. He is able to destroy body and soul in Gehenna. He will execute judgment rigorously upon all who shew themselves disobedient to His will. All these and similar characteristics are in complete conformity with the primary idea of God in the Old Testament, where He is continually presented in many widely differing forms as an essentially just God who rewards every one according to his deserts. But the God of Jesus is not merely just; He is ■ Vide infra, i, p. 44. 2 Mark xii, 26, 29; x, 18; Matt. v, 34-5, 48; xi, 25; Luke vi, 35-6; xi, 21. 3 Matt. xviii, 23 et seq.; xx, 1 et seq.; xxv, 14 et seq. 4 Matt. v, 45; vi, 28-30; x, 29-30; Luke xii, 6-7, 24. 6 Luke xii, 20. Mark x, 27; xiv, 36; 8 Matt. v, 21-6; vii, 21-7; Luke vi, 46-9; xii, 58–9; xiii, 27–8. also, and above all, good, a point which the Old Testament does not overlook, but upon which it lays little stress. In the Scriptures, moreover, God's goodness often appears to be very exclusive in its tendency, and exercised wholly in favour of Israel, not manifested towards mankind in general. In the Gospel view of it, however, the love of God is vastly more extended, and if its particularism is not entirely obliterated therein, in some passages at least it is lacking, and considerably subdued in others. It has often been thought that the name of "Father", so frequently used for God in the discourses of Jesus, was a visible sign distinguishing the religion of the Gospel from all others. But this is not so. We have already seen that the Jews gave the name of Father to their God, and it is the same in many other ancient religions. Moreover, the Evangelists have put this name into the mouth of Jesus far more often than it actually was uttered; they have also formulated it in their own way in many cases, notably in the First and the Fourth Gospels. Now here we find ourselves confronted with data which are of later growth and of doubtful authenticity. These same Gospels often portray Jesus using the words "My Father" in speaking of God, so that they may reserve the title of "Son of Man" exclusively for Him. Such characteristics betray the influence of the Apostolic Christology. John's anti-Judaism even led him to maintain that God is in no way the Father of the Jews, who have the Devil for their father.1 In this respect the original, authentic Gospel must be carefully distinguished from its later forms." John viii, 38-44. › For details, consult Weinel, pp. 130-5. Cf. infra, p. 42. The title of Father, often given to God by Jesus, already proves that He considered Him chiefly as a God of love, and this first impression is moreover confirmed by many details set forth in the Gospels. We may first note the fact that Jesus, following the example of certain of the Psalms, extends the Fatherly love of God and His providential care to all His creation, even in the most insignificant circumstances of life, so that His children may be raised above worldly cares. Again, He lays special stress upon God's compassionate love towards sinful and repentant man, as is most clearly expressed in the parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Piece of Silver, and the Prodigal Son. The parable of the Husbandmen hired at different hours of the day also shews that the goodness of God exceeds justice pure and simple.3 If the Old Testament does already contain some fine passages on the pitying love of God and His pardon of sinful and penitent man, they are nevertheless somewhat isolated cases, whilst God's unwavering justice, His severity and even His anger are accentuated in innumerable instances. This is the reason why the fear, and not the love, of God is the feeling which dominates Israelitish godliness. It is evident that it is in what we have just been considering, that we can best discern Jesus' fresh and personal outlook. In the passages in which He speaks of the impartial justice of God, who recompenses every man according to his deeds, on the other hand, He is but echoing the current ideas of the Judaism in which He was brought up. It is, then, the affirmation of the Fatherly love of God which consti ' Matt. vi, 25-34; x, 29-31; Luke xii, 6-7, 22–30. 2 Luke xv; Matt. xviii, 12-14. 3 Matt. xx, 1-16. tutes the essence of the authentic Gospel, and is the most direct response to the spiritual need of all who take into account our true position with regard to the thrice holy God. For God alone is supremely good,1 whilst men are guilty sinners. There is not one among even the best of them who is perfect, not a single one. But God, who maketh the sun to rise, and sendeth rain upon the evil and the good indiscriminately,3 surpasses the bounds of strict justice, for He is full of love and compassion for all sinners who repent and are troubled in mind on account of their sinful state. We ought to add that Jesus expresses these consoling and cheering views without any thought or theory of expiation, for all features of that sort have been added under the influence of Apostolic theology.4 Nevertheless Our Lord is deeply convinced of the compassionate love of God and His pardon of all penitent sinners, as we see from His whole conduct, and from His treatment of the woman taken in adultery,5 and other instances already mentioned. Thus He attributes to God His own noble and generous sentiments. Allowing Himself to be guided, not by merely logical concepts and reasoning, but by His own personal ideals and impressions, He feels no need to try and reconcile His Jewish, traditional ideas about Divine justice with the Gospel conception of the pardon of God; He contents Himself with placing the two side by side, which is quite natural. For Divine justice is postulated throughout the Old I Mark x, 18. 2 Matt. vi, 12; vii, 11; Luke xi, 4, 13. 3 Matt. v, 45; Luke vi, 35. 4 Cf. Piepenbring, Christologie, pp. 106 et seq. |