EXPECTATION OF THE FIRST COMING OF CHRIST. 97 



Other passages quoted by the lecturer were similarly misapplied. 

 Such as those on page 86, where we are told in Isa. xlix, 2,, 

 " that God had made His mouth like a sharp sword " ; and again 

 in Isa. xi, 4, " with the breath of His mouth He shall slay the- 

 wicked." 



Surely these prophecies cannot apply (as the lecturer would have 

 us believe), to the manner in which Christ, when on earth, so often 

 silenced His adversaries in debate ! But rather to that Day when, 

 coming a second time in judgment, " He will speak unto them in 

 His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure " (Ps. ii, 5). 



I would venture humbly to add that it is quite impossible to 

 understand or interpret Scripture aright unless we keep these two 

 classes of prophecies, which relate to different periods and events, 

 quite separate in our minds, and thus " rightly divide the Word 

 of Truth." 



Mr. Theodore Koberts said it was one of the infirmities of the 

 human mind, while recognizing the accomplishment of a change, 

 to overlook the means by which it had been effected. He pointed 

 out that the conversion of the Jews (a peculiarly difficult people to 

 persuade) to form the nucleus of the Christian Church appeared to 

 have been brought about by the argument from the fulfilment of 

 prophecy. He instanced Peter's quotation in his sermon on the 

 Day of Pentecost of Ps. xvi and cx as prophesying the Eesurrection 

 and Ascension respectively. He also mentioned Paul's quotation 

 of Ps. ii and xvi as prophesying the Incarnation and Resurrection 

 in his first recorded sermon and also the statements in the Acts, of 

 Paul's use of the Scriptures at Thessalonica, and Apollo's use of 

 them at Corinth to convince the Jews. 



He referred to Professor Rendel Harris's two small volumes 

 entitled Testimonies which showed the circulation in the Christian 

 community before the Gospels were written of books bearing this 

 name, comprising quotations from the Old Testament intended for 

 use in controversy with Jews. 



He considered we were justified in speaking of our Lord as a 

 carpenter (Mark vi, 3), and thought it important to know that up 

 to thirty years of age He showed Himself an example to us of working 

 with His hands. He thought the spiritualizing of certain prophecies 

 by applying them to the present time, from which the lecturer was 



H 



