# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1851 09 30_S20
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

20

We will now, in the examination of that assertion, that it is contrary to reason to hold the doctrines of the Christian religion to be true and the Bible to be God's Word, proceed in this way: that we set forth the proof resting upon the fulfilment of the Messianic prophecies, and hear what the opponents say in order to invalidate or set it aside, that we may thereby see who then in truth acts contrary to reason: the Christians, who accept the proof, or the opponents, who reject it. And it will be shown that it is not the Christians who act contrary to reason, but the opponents of Christianity: not the believers are the unreasonable, but the unbelievers are the unreasonable.†)

†) This truth is by no means only now recognized, or here for the first time pronounced. A famous French clergyman, A. Monod, in particular, has set it forth in a sermon in a comprehensive and telling manner.

But we thank Thee, dear heavenly Father, that Thou hast given us such high gifts of body and of soul, especially reason, and we beseech Thee, that Thou wouldst forgive us that we have often misused them, and just the higher the gift, the more. Wash us in the blood of the Lamb, and grant that what Thou hast given us we may henceforth use only to the honor of Thy name and to our own and our brethren's salvation. Mayest Thou also rescue those who are still in the service of sin and are working at their own destruction, that they may become one with us, and that we all together may present ourselves to Thee with all that we are and have, as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto Thee. To this end give also, Father in heaven, for the sake of Thy dear Son our Lord, Thy further blessing to our devout meditation. Amen.

All that has been adduced against the fulfilment of the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament, this proof for the truth of the Christian religion, and all that possibly can be adduced against it, can be summed up in three points, which we will now briefly go through together in the presence of the opponents.

1.

It has been said, the prophecies which are found in the Old Testament were indeed spoken just as they stand there and at the alleged time; likewise the events which are reported in the New Testament really happened; with both it is correct. But that proves nothing for the divinity of Christianity. For the agreement of the prophecies in the Old Testament and of the events in the New Testament is accidental. Many a man says or writes a word which has reference to the distant future, and which also comes to fulfilment; yet no one on that account holds him who made such an utterance to be a prophet, and his writing to be inspired of God, and the event that came to pass to be a divine and supernatural work. Thus there is found in an ancient Latin philosopher and poet,*) who lived some time after Christ, a passage which one might well allow to pass for a prophecy of the discovery of America, and another Roman,**) who lived about 100 years before the birth of Christ, pronounced the plain words that the Roman Empire would last 12 centuries, which also really came to pass, inasmuch as it took its beginning 753 or 754 before the birth of Christ, and received its deathblow 455 after the birth of Christ at the time of the sack of Rome, and wholly perished 475 after the birth of Christ. But for that reason you Christians do not hold those men to be prophets, nor their words God's words, nor those events divine and supernatural works. Why should it then be otherwise with the prophecies of the Old Testament? — Christians answer thereto according to Deut. 18, 22. When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken; the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him. So also: had those men spoken in the name of the Lord, and it had then come to pass; we should in these cases also allow everything that we assert of the prophecies of the Old Testament. But this they have not done, yea, they have, to all appearance, not even known the Lord; therefore we hold the coming to pass of their words indeed to be something natural, or, as one says in common life, accidental; since in the course of things it may well happen once that something which a man said or wrote down long before comes to pass; while it might just as well have failed to occur. It is otherwise with the prophets of the Old Testament; they prophesied in the name of the Lord, and it has come to pass. Yet the opponents will say: That is a rule from the Bible, by which you Christians direct yourselves; but we hold to reason, and proceed according to the rules of common sense. Well then! you who would hold merely to reason, and proceed according to the rules of common sense, let yourselves be reminded that there is also otherwise quite a different state of things with the prophecies of the Old Testament than with the examples adduced from the history of the world. In the latter a single event is stated, but in the former a chain of events. For in the Old Testament it is not merely prophesied, say, that at a certain time a man named Jesus would live and do great deeds and wonders, or the like; but in the Old Testament the whole holy history of the New Testament is prophesied in its main substance: that John the Baptist should be the forerunner of the Messiah, that He Himself should be born of the house of David of a virgin at Bethlehem in lowliness, flee into Egypt, grow up in Nazareth, and in the 70th week of years after the return of the people of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity declare to them God's will, and perform great deeds and wonders, but that the world would set itself against Him and judge Him unjustly and condemn Him, but that He, innocent, would suffer much and at last be crucified; then the soldiers would divide His garments among them, and cast lots for His coat, His enemies would even then still mock Him, but He would be patient as a sheep that is dumb before his shearer, and they would break no bone of Him, and a grave be given Him with the rich; and on the third day He would rise again and now live and reign for ever, until all enemies were laid as a footstool of His feet; as all this and much more is to be found in the Old Testament, particularly in the 22nd Psalm and in the 53rd chapter of the prophet Isaiah, which has been called a fifth Gospel, and any one can read it over. This we would remind those of who say that the agreement of the prophecies of the Old Testament and of the events of the New Testament is accidental, and in so saying appeal to the rules of common sense. No reasonable man holds such things to be accidental, as every one will testify, and as moreover results, to superabundance, from the following example. Imagine, you opponents, you find one day upon a tablet, or somewhere else in your room, a letter written. The question is asked: From whom does it come? from a little child, which cannot write the letters, yea, does not even know them, or from one who knows them, who can write, and has wished to write the letter? Every one who reflects will say, the latter is indeed more probable, yet the former also is possible, especially if the letter is not perfectly distinct; for a child may also in playing with chalk or the like make by chance a figure which looks like a letter. But how is it, if instead of a letter you find a whole sentence written on the tablet? e. g. This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. Could one then still ask: Did a child do it, which does not know the text and cannot even write; or someone who knows the text, can write, and has wished to write these words, in a word, is it chance or not? No one who uses reason will say that it is chance; least of all should one expect it of those who appeal to reason. But quite just so is it with the foretellings of the Old Testament. Yea, were only a single event foretold and come to pass, then it might be chance, but it is a whole chain of events, a whole history with its several circumstances foretold and ful-

*) Seneca.

**) Vettius Valens, according to Censorinus.