The Teachings of Christ Incarnate Part 1: The Sermon on the Mount -- By: Lewis Sperry Chafer

Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 108:432 (Oct 1951)
Article: The Teachings of Christ Incarnate Part 1: The Sermon on the Mount
Author: Lewis Sperry Chafer


The Teachings of Christ Incarnate
Part 1: The Sermon on the Mount

Lewis Sperry Chafer

Throughout the Bible the prophet may win his title either by foretelling or by forthtelling. Christ was in both respects a Prophet. He was the One of whom Moses spake (cf. Deut 18:15, 18–19; John 1:21), and none ever answered more completely to all that belongs to the perfect service of the prophet than did the Christ of God. He taught and ministered the Word of God accompanying it with His mighty works, and He also gave the most direct and determining predictions of any prophet who ever walked on the earth. In truth, the predictions of Christ should be studied closely by every student of Eschatology, remembering that these are the infallible words of the Son of God. It is also important that the merest fraction of all that Christ said in three and a half years has been recorded in the Gospels; for that recorded may be read in as many hours as there were years of His ministry. Of this John writes, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written” (John 21:25). However, that which is presented in the Sacred Text has been selected by the Holy Spirit with that divine wisdom and perfection which characterizes all the works of God. These chosen records serve to tell all that it is God’s purpose to disclose to succeeding generations and are, therefore, all that is needed for a right understanding of every aspect of the truth which belongs to the sphere of the four Gospels. Matthew, guided by the Spirit, has selected such records as present Christ as the King of the Jews. Mark, thus guided, has selected such records as present Christ as

Jehovah’s Servant. Luke, in turn, has been led to present Christ in His humanity, while John, by the same divine Spirit, portrays Christ in His essential Deity. It is probable that no uninspired writer having the story to tell that presented itself at the close of Christ’s ministry—including His supernatural birth, His childhood, His teachings, His mighty works, His death, and His resurrection—could have compressed his message into the limits which are claimed by the four Writers. In this there is evidence of the working of the divine hand as the Author of these marvelous and priceless documents. While much vital truth is found in those snatches of conversation which are recorded and in the brief sayings reported in the later portions of the New Testament (cf. You must have a subscription and be logged in to read the entire article.
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