RELIGIOUS.                        499
                                        
 We do not agree with those who teach that John had changed his
opinion of Christ, when he sent his disciples to inquire whether he was
the Christ or not.  The information sought was to substantiate  the
belief of his disciples, who had grown weak in their faith because John
had been cast in prison.  It was they, not John who doubted the Mes-
siahship of Christ.  This doubt may have risen from their hope of
Christ's liberating John from prison by some miraculous deed, this not
being done, their faith faltered.  John could not doubt that he was the
Christ after having had such experience as he did at Christ's baptism,
when the Holy Ghost descended on Christ in the shape of a dove and a
voice from the clouds spoke saying, This is my Beloved Son in whom I
am well pleased.  It was a declaration by the Holy Ghost and by the
Father attesting the Messiahship of Christ.  To  us, it is not at all
probable that the faith of John in the Messiahship of Christ could be
weakened after such an open manifestation and declaration by  the
Father and by the Holy Ghost.  The very reading does not betray any
weakness in John's faith.  "Now when John had heard in prison the
works of Jesus, he sent two of his disciples to inquire of him, "Art
thou he that was to come or do we look for another?"  Matt. 11:2-3.
When he had heard what? Of the works of Jesus.  What works? These
are some of the works John doubtless heard of.   Now  when Jesus
heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee * * * *
From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand.  He soon called Peter and Andrew,
James and John.  And going about all Galilee teaching in the syna-
gogue and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, and healing all manner
of sickness and all manner of diseases among the people.          And his
fame went throughout all Syria and they brought unto him all sick
people that were taken with divers diseases and torments and those
which were possessed with devils and those which were lunatics and
those that had the palsy and he healed them.  Matt. 4:12-25.  What
works?  The sermon on the mount; healing the leper, Matt. 8:2-3; heal-
ing the centurion's servant, Matt. 8:5-13; Peter's wife's mother, Matt.
8:14-15; many possessed with devils and the sick, Matt. 8:16; rebuked
the winds, calmed the sea, Matt. 8:23-26; two possessed with devils,
Matt. 8:28-32; man sick of the palsy, Matt. 9:2; the woman with an
issue of blood, Matt. 9:20; the ruler's daughter, Matt. 9:25; two blind
men, Matt. 9:27-31; dumb man, Matt. 9:32; He had called and com-
missioned the twelve, Matt. 10.
  These are some of the works that John heard of in prison. These works
and what he had seen and heard at the Jordan were too con-
vincing for a candid, steady-minded man like John to have doubt of
Jesus being the Christ His disciples and not John were confused about
the Christ, a thing common even among Christ's own disciples. John's




			

OHS/National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center Serial Collection

African Methodist Episcopal Church Review, Vol. 28, Num. 1

Volume:  28
Issue Number:  01
Date:  07/1911