The Mistakes of Jesus | Page 6

of the sacrifice that Jesus made, few were to be saved under his scheme
of salvation. "Many are called but few are chosen."[31] "Strait is the
gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be
that find it."[32] "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say
unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."[33]
If the theory of Atonement for sin by the sacrifice of the innocent was
not ethical and if Jesus taught that doctrine, he was in error, was he
not?
The sacrifice of Jesus was not so great as often made by men. Jesus was
sustained with the thought that he was saving the world; his physical
suffering was not long continued; on the night of his crucifixion he was
in paradise.[34] He endured a few hours of pain compared to weeks of
suffering by wounded soldiers, or years spent in prison by the
proponents of an ideal.
Jesus not only claimed the power to remit sins but also said to his
disciples: "Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and
whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained."[35]
Is that true? Surely it is proper to ask that blunt question. Here is a
definite statement concerning the power of certain men to remit sins. If
those men did not have the power deputed to them, must we not doubt
the accuracy of Jesus?
Jesus made a distinction between himself and the Comforter: "It is
expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter
will not come unto you; but if I depart I will send him unto you ... And
I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he
may abide with you forever."[36]
It must surprise some Christians that the Comforter could not be

present at the same time with Jesus.
Angels and Devils
Jesus believed in angels and devils, often referring to these imaginary
supernatural beings as if they existed. "Thinkest thou that I cannot now
pray to my Father and he shall presently give me more than twelve
legions of angels?"[37] "So shall it be at the end of the world: the
angels shall come forth."[38]
The devils were among the first to recognize Christ's divinity: "What
have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God?"[39] "Let us alone,
thou Jesus of Nazareth; art thou come to destroy us? I know thee, who
thou art, the Holy One of God."[40] "And unclean spirits when they
saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of
God."[41]
Jesus believed in demoniacal possession, casting out devils on several
occasions.
Jesus frequently referred to heaven as a place above the earth: "And
then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great
power and glory."[42] "And ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the
right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."[43] "Verily,
verily, I say unto you, hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the
angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of man."[44]
When Jesus was transfigured and talked with Moses and Elias, he
charged his disciples, saying, "Tell the vision to no man, until the Son
of man be risen again from the dead."[45]
According to the creeds based upon the Bible, Jesus rose from the dead,
descended into hell, and ascended bodily into heaven. According to the
gospels he stilled the storm, walked on the water and told Peter to do so
and to find money in a fish's mouth and catch a large draught of fishes.
These and other miracles connected Jesus with God and were part of
his theology.

Every fair-minded person should re-read the gospels and refresh his
memory regarding the theology of Jesus. Then a decision must be
reached as to the correctness of the views expressed. Either conditions
on earth were different in the first century from those of the twentieth,
or Jesus was mistaken in his conception of God, heaven, hell, angels,
devils and himself.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Matt. i; Luke iii.
[2] Luke ii, 22.
[3] John x, 30.
[4] Matt. xi, 27.
[5] Ezek. xiv, 9; Num. xiv, 30-34.
[6] Ex. iii, 21-22.
[7] Deut. xiv, 21.
[8] Num. xxxi et al.
[9] Ex. xxxii, 27.
[10] Deut. vii, 16 et al.
[11] Jer. xix, 9 et al.
[12] Ex. xxii, 18.
[13] Lev. xxv, 44-46.
[14] Deut. xxi, 18-21; xiii, 6-9.
[15] Lev. i, 14-15.

[16] See the Old Testament.
[17] Luke iv, 16.
[18] Matt. xxvi, 63-64.
[19] Mark xv, 61-62.
[20] Luke xxii, 70.
[21] John iv, 25-26.
[22] John iii, 16.
[23] John viii, 24.
[24] Matt. xxv, 31-46.
[25] Mark iii,