narratives are derived from hearsay or secondary evidence. They are to all appearance the testimony of witnesses speaking from their own knowledge, and they bear on every sentence the impress of truth, as even unbelievers have hardly ventured to deny.

In short they have all the characteristics of reports written by eye-witnesses directly after the events happened; and none of the characteristics of traditions or recollections written after a long lapse of time.

Chapter X

NON-USE OF TITLE "CHRIST" AS A PROPER

A

NAME

VERY strong proof of the early origin of the substance of the Gospels is found in the non-use, by the writers of the title Christ as a proper name. This fact, together with the usage of the New Testament generally respecting the names by which our Lord is designated, is very significant and demands careful consideration.

It is hardly necessary to remind the reader that the word "Christ (Xplorós) is the verbal adjective of the Greek word Xpíw to anoint and means "the Anointed One." It is the exact equivalent of the Hebrew word Messiah from the verb mashach to anoint. In Old Testament times it was customary, when any one was set aside by divine command to hold one of the great offices of the old dispensation, to pour olive oil, sometimes mingled with spices, on the head. Thus Aaron, David and Elisha, the three men who in a special sense were types of Christ in their respective offices of priest, king, and prophet, were each anointed. This anointing was typical of the bestowment of the Holy Spirit. Our Lord's anointing took place at His baptism, when the Holy Ghost was seen by John to descend in bodily form as a dove and rest upon Him.

The word Messiah is used in the Old Testament to denote the promised Deliverer of Israel and of the world. We first find it so used in Psalm ii. 2 :—

"The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,

Against the Lord and against His Anointed."

It is found again in Daniel ix. 25 and 26, where the exact time is foretold at which the Messiah was to appear. Consequently the Jews were accustomed to speak of the "Hope of Israel," whose coming they looked forward to with such passionate desire, as "the Anointed One," "the Messiah," "the Christ." Owing to the maturity of the period mentioned in the prediction in Daniel, and to other signs of the times, there was, at the time when our Lord actually came, a general belief that the fulfilment of the prophecies was at hand, and that the Messiah, the Christ, was about to appear. So, when John the Baptist made his appearance, "all men reasoned in their hearts concerning John whether haply he were the Christ" (Luke iii. 15), and the Jews sent unto him from Jerusalem priests and Levites to ask him, "Who art thou?" to whom he replied, "I am not the Christ" (John i. 19, 20).

Our Lord's ministry had scarcely begun when it was perceived by some that He was indeed the Christ. Andrew had no sooner had his attention directed by John the Baptist to the Lamb of God, than he found his brother Simon and told him the good news, "We have found the Messiah” (John i. 41). The first recorded assertion by our Lord that He was the Christ was made in His conversation with the woman of Samaria. But His claim to the title must already have come to be understood by His disciples and the people generally; for, not long after, the followers of John the Baptist, reporting His works to their master in prison, spoke of Him as "the Christ." There could be no mistaking the meaning of the answer which Jesus gave to the messengers whom John sent to Him in consequence. Simon Peter was the first among the disciples boldly to declare his belief that Jesus was the Messiah. Later on, when asked by the Jewish authorities to say plainly whether He were the Christ or not, our Lord answered that He had already told them, but yet they had

not believed, and then proceeded to declare Himself in such distinct terms, that the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. It is manifest from the honours paid to Him at His entry into Jerusalem on His last visit to that city, from the action of the rulers, and from other indications (see for instance John xii. 34) that before His death everyone well knew that He claimed to be the Christ. In fact, it was because of His assertion of that claim that the Jewish Elders determined that He must die.

use as a name.

Bearing these facts in mind let us now look at the manner in which the word "Christ" is used. And first it is necessary to mark the distinction between its use as a title and its When used as a title it is preceded by the definite article: "the Christ" (ô Xploтós). When used as a name the article is absent and it stands alone or joined with the name "Jesus."

Now the striking fact is this, that the word is never used as a proper name, that is without the article, by the writers of the narrative parts of the Gospels. In these He is usually spoken of by the name of "Jesus." It would seem that during His life upon earth the sublime import of the name Jesus as applied to Him was not recognised. It could not then have been generally known even by His disciples that the name had been given Him by the direct command of God to Mary and Joseph. It was a name that was in common use among the Jews. We read in the Acts of one Simon Bar-Jesus," and in Colossians of "Jesus which is called Justus." Josephus mentions at least twelve men bearing the name. It was applied to our Lord, therefore, during His earthly life as a matter of course just as other men were spoken of by the names they bore.

By the time the Epistles were written it was well-known by believers that the name "Jesus" had been given to Him by God, as suitably describing the purpose for which He came into the world, and it was recognised as the Name that is above every name, the Name at which every knee should bow.

Moreover, Christ's abasement was Christ's glory, and the name by which He was known as He walked among men was the more honourable by its very homeliness. Hence the name "Jesus" came to be regarded with peculiar reverence, and was seldom used except in conjunction with that other name which denoted the dignity of His office. In the Epistles and Revelation the name "Jesus" alone occurs but seldom ; but "Jesus Christ," "Christ Jesus" and "the Lord Jesus Christ" occur frequently. The word "Christ" alone and without the article occurs oftener still, showing that the use of this appellation as a proper name was now a settled thing in the Church.

Although during our Lord's ministry the disciples did not thus use the word "Christ" as a proper name, He Himself so used it twice (Mark ix. 41; John xvii. 3). And the people seem also to have begun in this way to make use of it. For He was in mockery addressed by that name in the house of Caiaphas (Matt. xxvi. 68), and Pilate twice spoke of Him to the multitude as "Jesus, which is called Christ" (Matt. xxvii 17, 22).

After the Ascension this use of the word soon became general, although the use singly of the name "Jesus" continued also for a time to be not infrequent. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter declared to the multitude the Messiahship of Jesus; "Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God hath made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified" (Acts ii. 36). The same day, when the people asked what they should do, Peter replied, "Repent ye, and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ." From this time forward, Peter continued so to use the word. Speaking to the lame man at the Temple gate, he said, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk" (iii. 7). Addressing the rulers, elders and scribes, the next day, he used the same designation (iv. 10). Speaking to Æneas, he said, "Jesus Christ healeth thee" (ix. 34), and in the house of Cornelius he spoke of the "good tidings of peace by Jesus