The Higher Critics Criticized
By C. H. Bliss
THE Bible says, "The Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is." This statement is generally accepted as true even by those who deny the inspiration of the Bible. But as to the manner in which this creation was wrought, men differ. However, those who accept the Bible record of creation have no trouble on this point. But does it not seem strange that the higher critics find it easier to believe that God created an ape, or a still lower order of animal life, and evolved a man out of it, perhaps gradually dropping off the hair, shortening the tail, and changing the nose, ears, and mouth, and finally training it to walk upright as a man, thus evolving the man through the countless ages of evolutionary changes, than to believe the Bible record that man was created in the beginning an upright, intelligent being? As to the fall of man, all skeptics are forced to admit that sin and death are universal. As to the fruit that Adam ate, whether it was an apple, or a peach, or a plum, or whether it is used to illustrate sin of any kind, the Bible does not say; but sin and death reign, and without divine revelation we know nothing of what awaits us beyond this life. As far as human knowledge goes, death ends all. But the Bible reveals a life beyond, and the Christian's faith is based not simply on Bible promises, but on a Bible fact. That fact is the resurrection of Christ, which is backed up not only by the testimony of twelve men who were willing to die rather than yield the point, but by the seeing of him alive after his resurrection by more than five hundred men at one time. With this fact admitted, it is easy to believe what the Bible says: "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." The higher critics tell us that Christ was a very good man, but that he was like all other men; that all other men are divine in the same sense that he was. They not only deny his miraculous birth, but endeavor to throw discredit on the record of his miracles, or seek to harmonize them with natural law. Now, herein is a strange thing. Christ says, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father." He also represents himself as existing before the world was, and as the Son of God. He says, "If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins," thus making salvation dependent upon receiving him as the Messiah. Now, if all this is false, and Christ is simply human like any other man, then instead of his being a very good man, as the higher critics tell us, he is a false prophet. All others that have arisen pale into insignificance compared with him. Surely there can be no compromise here. Moreover, Christ commanded his disciples to carry the good news of salvation to all nations; and their labors were accompanied by a power that changed men's lives. It changed the cowardly Peter, who denied his Lord, and made him as bold as a lion. It changed Paul the persecutor into Paul the apostle, and made him willing to die for his Master. This is the power in the gospel, and it is in the world to-day, as thousands can testify by a living experience. Without this power the gospel is not a saving gospel. But those who fully surrender to God, and accept Christ as a living, personal Saviour, experience this power in their lives. It is the power of the Holy Spirit, and is the only power that can keep men from sin. "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."