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Berean Expositor Volume 2 & 3
The Doctrine of Christ.
pp. 21-25
"And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying,
`Answerest Thou nothing? What is it which these witness against
Thee?' But He held His peace and answered nothing. Again the high
priest asked Him, and said unto Him, `Art Thou the Christ, the Son of
the Blessed?' And Jesus said, `I am'" (Mark 14: 60, 61).
Some of our readers may have received during the month of September, 1911, an
"Open Letter" addressed to the writer, having reference to the important subject, "The
Deity of Christ."
Several reasons prevented us from answering the "Open Letter," one being that in our
estimation an Open Letter is a most unfair means of dealing with a fellow worker, and
that in many instances it savours of the hand of Sanballat (Neh. 6: 5). Our reply may be
summarised in the words of Nehemiah, when he declined a conference, "I am doing a
great work, so that I cannot come down, why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and
come down to you?" Or, in his prayer after he had received the Open Letter, "Now
therefore O God, strengthen my hands."
We desire no personalities to mar our service, but would seek to answer or refrain, in
harmony with the silence or answer as recorded in the above quotation from Mark 14:
We shall not advertise the name of the writer of the Open Letter, but knowing that the
question of the Deity of Christ is exercising the minds of so many, and that, moreover,
the definitions and creeds of Christendom in their wording often exhibit human folly
rather than Divine wisdom, we have felt it right to seek to exhibit the teaching of the
Word itself, giving as little argument as possible, so that the reader may see for himself
what the Scriptures really teach concerning this tremendous theme. In II John 9 we
read:--
"Whosoever leadeth forward (proagõn) and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath
not God! He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house,
neither greet him, for he that biddeth him rejoice hath fellowship with his wicked works."
Some teach that by the words, "the doctrine of Christ," we are to understand all that
Christ taught. If this be the meaning, there is not a single believer living who comes up
to the standard, none fully abide in the teaching, or even a part of that teaching (for
example, the Sermon on the Mount). If this be the meaning, fellowship with any saint is
at an end, we should have to excommunicate ourselves. Worse than this, the dreadful
words, "hath not God," would be uttered over every believer. The words, "the doctrine
of Christ," however, do not mean the teaching which Christ gave, but the doctrine of the