Higher Criticism and Faith
The “higher criticism,” which has thoroughly dissected the Old Testament, is now putting the same sort of effort upon the New Testament. In the January Contemporary Review, Dr. James Stalker says that “even orthodox German writers do not hesitate to characterize a saying of Christ as unauthentic, if it does not square with their own opinions;” and that “it is more than possible that within the next decade the Gospels may be issued from the press, printed in all the colors of the rainbow to indicate the different documents of which they are composed, as is happening to the books of the Old Testament at the present hour. The materials already exist in abundance for such an effort; and only a bold hand is required to appropriate them.” Since faith comes by the word of God, and since the word of God throughout is thus treated, did not Jesus do well to inquire, “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” Preach the Word. The study on “The Return of the Jews” is crowded out this week.