The Bible Echo was a missionary journal started by Stephen Haskell and J. O. Corliss as an adjunct to their pioneer preaching of the Seventh-day Adventist message in Australia. On November 2, 1885 they issued a trial edition by which they hoped to estimate its chances of success. Apparently satisfied, they began regular publication on a monthly basis in January, 1886. Eventually the journal became a bi-monthly, and then a weekly. Meanwhile its name metamorphosed from Bible Echo to Bible Echo and Signs of the Times to (finally) The Australasian Signs of the Times.
Since it appeared that some readers of this paper might wish to study the quotations from the Bible Echo separately, seeing the journal as part of the milieu in which W. L. H. Baker lived and worked, they are presented here in a section separate from the other quotations. It will be remembered that Ellen White was in Australia during the years 1891-1900.
1887
He who considered it not robbery to be equal with God, once trod the earth, bearing our suffering and sorrowing nature.[1]
The Romanists have been trying to get the human nature of Christ as far away from our humanity as possible, and hence have taught the immaculate conception of Mary. No so with the scriptures. They show that on His human side Jesus was the descendant of ancestors no better than other men; that among these ancestors were those who had been guilty of every vice and crime possible to humanity; that the blood which from the human side coursed through His veins had come down for centuries through the vilest of the vile. Yet in that humanity He had dwelt; His presence made and kept it pure and holy.[2]
1889
The God of the universe has given our cases in judgment into the hands of His Son, one who is acquainted with our infirmities. ... He has taken our nature upon Him.[3]
Christ came the first time, clothed with humanity, taking not upon Himself the nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham, that He might be made, like ourselves, subject to temptation, pain, and death, that by His connection with humanity He might sympathize with His fallen creatures. (Heb. 2:16-18 quoted)[4]
(Christ) laid aside His royal robes, clothed His divinity with humanity, stepped down from the royal throne, that He might reach the very depths of human woe and temptation, lift up our fallen natures, and make it possible for us to be overcomers, the sons of God, the heirs of the eternal kingdom.[5]
Very few of us realize how nearly the Divine nature approached the human in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. More properly speaking, it is impossible for us even to conceive of the infinite condescension that was necessary in order that the Son of God, the associate of the Father, should appear in mortal flesh and participate in human experiences, with all their trials and weaknesses. How fully this was accomplished was expressed by the apostle in Heb. 2:17: "Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to b e made like unto His brethren ."
In this way only could He be brought to feel the power of temptations. We cannot suppose that the temptations to which humanity is subject would impress the Godhead. But "He was tempted in all points like as we are:" consequently He must have partaken of our nature. Should any think this expression too strong, let them read verse 16 of Hebrews 2: "For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham." That He was subject to temptation we know, because it was said of Him, "For that He Himself hath suffered, being tempted, He is able to succor them that are tempted." Temptations had their power with Jesus. Under them He suffered, against them He strove, and them He overcame. There is but little sympathy in the thought of Jesus having met our temptations in His divine capacity and nature. They would be but a thistledown wafted against a mountain. In this sense "God cannot be tempted."
But when we consider our Saviour in His humble station, "lower than the angels," meeting successfully the attacks of Satan and the malice of men, and struggling with innate weakness; and when we fully look upon our own faulty and often unsuccessful career, we wonder, how did He endure "such contradiction of sinners against Himself?" ... His faultless life under those circumstances becomes a constant reprover of our sins as well as an encouragement to our weakness. (Emphasis mine.)[6]
(Christ) prayed for us, that the same grace which strengthened His heart and ministered to His weaknesses might be our portion. ... Redemption ... is made necessary by His loving sympathy, His association with human woe and weakness. ... (Emphasis mine.)[7]
1890
(After quoting Hebrews 2:9, 14, 15) ... He ... was indeed a partaker of flesh and blood like unto us, and why? That He might know in His person and be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.[8]
1891
He related Himself to humanity by taking our nature and becoming one of us ... that which interests humanity, and that which humanity can appreciate is the fact that He partook of their nature, their interests, their joys and their sorrows.[9]
1892
By partaking of our nature, His human arm encircles the fallen race.[10]
He took upon Him sinful flesh to suffer and die for guilty man.[11]
He has experienced all our circumstances of trial and weakness.[12]
Christ showed His love for fallen man in leaving the heaven of bliss, the love and honor of the angels, to come to the world and meet man in his fallen condition.[13]
He took upon Him the nature of man and was made "in the likeness of sinful flesh" and became sin for us "that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."[14]
But many say that Jesus was not like us, that He was not as we are in the world, that He was divine, and therefore we cannot overcome as He overcame. But this is not true. "For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels, but He took on Him the seed of Abraham." ... He took upon Himself our nature.[15]
The great work of redemption could be carried out by the Redeemer only as He took the place of fallen man. When Adam was assailed by the tempter, none of the effects of sin were upon Him, but He was surrounded by the glories of Eden. But it was not thus with Jesus, for, bearing the infirmities of degenerate humanity, He entered the wilderness to cope with the mighty foe.[16]
He clothed His divinity with humanity, made Himself of no reputation, took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of sinful flesh. For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels, but He took on Him the seed of Abraham.[17]
1893
He was to take upon Him our nature. ... He ... was made in the likeness of sinful flesh ... sinless and exalted by nature, the Son of God consented to take the habiliments of humanity, to become one with the fallen race.[18]
When Christ came to this earth, He took man's nature. He "was made of the seed of David according to the flesh." (Rom. 1:3) Of his own nature David says: "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. " (Ps. 51:5) John tells us that Christ, the Word, was "made flesh" (John 1:14), and Paul tells us that He was made "in the likeness of sinful flesh." (Rom. 8:3)
The nature which Christ assumed, and the liabilities which He took when He came to this earth to rescue from the grasp of Satan what he had obtained at the fall, are thus stated by the apostle:
"For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; But He took on Him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." (Heb. 2:16, 17)
Thus the scriptures declare as plainly as words can do so, that when Christ came to earth He took man's fallen, sinful nature. He was "in all things made like unto His brethren." He "was in all points tempted like as we are." (Heb. 4:15) In doing this, He put Himself in man's place. ...
In taking human nature, Christ did not become a sinner. "He assumed human nature, bearing the infirmities and degeneracy of the race." "He took the nature of man, capable of yielding to temptation." He "took humanity with all its liabilities." (All emphasis the editor's.)[19]
He came in the "likeness of sinful flesh." He was in all things "made like unto His brethren." He was tempted in all points "like as we are." He took human nature, with its weaknesses and liabilities.[20]
He took human nature with all its liabilities.[21]
1894
(After quoting Romans 8:3 and 4) ... Christ came to the earth in the form of sinful man.[22]
(Jacob's ladder) is a representation of Christ. He comes to our earth and meets men where they are; through His own merits He connects helpless men with the infinite God; through the sacrifice of Himself He draws the fallen race unto Him.[23]
1895
Jesus was one with the Father, and revealed the perfection of God, and yet He came to the world in the likeness of sinful flesh.[24]
But who did keep the commandments? Jesus Christ. And who can do it over again, even in sinful flesh? Jesus Christ.[25]
1896
(Here we will not repeat this sermon which was printed as Prescott preached it on Sunday evening, October 31, 1895, at the Armadale camp meeting. It contained twenty-five statements that Christ came to earth in the nature of fallen man, and two statements that Christ did not come to earth in the nature of the unfallen Adam. For the sermon and Ellen White's comments on it, see pp. 88 fr. We note with interest that in the following month Ellen White published her own endorsement of Prescott's position. See below.)[26]
(Christ) identified His interest with that of fallen humanity. Their weakness was His weakness. Their necessity was His necessity. ... The Son of God, having humanity upon Him, lived in our world as a human agent. He passed over the ground which man must travel.[27]
(Christ) living the life of God in sinful flesh that the sinner might live it after Him in sinful flesh.[28]
But this would mean a life of pain and temptation in sinful flesh ... (to) pass through every pain and temptation of sinful flesh.[29]
Do not forget that the mystery of God is not God manifest in sinless flesh but God manifest in sinful flesh. There could never be any mystery about God's manifesting Himself in sinless flesh, in one who had no connection whatever with sin. That would be plain enough. But that He can manifest Himself in flesh laden with sin and with all the tendencies to sin, such as ours is,--that is a mystery. (Emphasis his)[30]
(This startling expression, flesh laden with sin, which Jones used four times in his article, can perhaps be seen as an example of why Ellen White felt it necessary to warn Jones about creating wrong impressions by using too strong language [in his treatment of another subject, justification]. Apparently Jones had a tendency to overstate his case.)
1897
Thus He identified Himself with the fallen, sinful race.[31]
Christ ... was humbled in the shape of human flesh.[32]
Clad in the vestments of humanity, the Son of God came down to the level of those He wished to save. In Him was no guile or sinfulness; He was ever pure and undefiled, yet He took upon Him our sinful nature.[33]
He took human nature. He became flesh even as we are. ... Every temptation that could be brought against fallen humanity, He met and overcame. ... Had He not been fully human, He could not have been our substitute. ...
As children of the first Adam, we partake of the dying nature of Adam.[34]
1898
It was necessary ... that the Word should be made flesh, and not merely that it should be made flesh, but that it should bear the same kind of flesh. And so God sent His Son "in the likeness of sinful flesh."[35]
1899
Man must be met in his weakness, and Christ took that weakness in order to meet him. The life of God must be revealed to man, but it must be done by a being subject to all the weaknesses and sorrows of man.[36]
As the Son of man, He was subject to the weaknesses that had been entailed upon the race through the degeneracy, personal and hereditary, of the successive generations of evil-doers.[37]
1900
In coming down from the throne of glory which Christ had with the father before the world was, to take upon Himself the likeness of sinful flesh, it was that humanity might be met where they were in their low state.[38]
He has clothed His divinity with humanity, that He might bear all the infirmities and endure all the temptations of humanity.[39]
The only conditions upon which that gift could be truly made was (sic) first, the giving up of all He possessed; second, the stepping down to the level of "sinful flesh;" and third, His union with human nature. ... He was made in the likeness of "sinful flesh."[40]
Jesus came to the world as a human being that He might become acquainted with human beings, and come close to them in their need. Adam was tempted by the enemy, and he fell. It was not indwelling sin that caused him to yield; for God made him pure and upright, in His own image. He was as faultless as the angels before the throne. There were in him no corrupt principles, no tendencies to evil. But when Christ came to meet the temptations of Satan He bore "the likeness of sinful flesh."[41]
When Adam's sin plunged the race into hopeless misery, God might have cut Himself loose from fallen beings. ... But He did not do this. Instead of banishing them from His presence, He came still nearer to the fallen race. He gave His Son to become bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. ... By His appointment He has placed at His altar an Advocate clothed with our nature.[42]
(The student who has read statements by Adventist writers to the effect that when Adam sinned God withdrew from the human race will be interested in the contrast between that view and the words of Ellen White that
He came still nearer to the fallen race.
These two points of view could hardly be reconciled.)[43]
In doing this, Christ took up the task upon the same conditions and with the same environments (sic) that attend human efforts; - He came "in the likeness of sinful flesh."
When Adam sinned, he was in the likeness of God, but there was no excuse for his sin, because Christ came in the very likeness of flesh dominated by sin, and in that flesh He resisted the evil.[44]
1903
(Christ) took humanity, uniting the offender with His divine nature[45]
(God) gave Him to the fallen race.[46]
(Christ) knows by experience what are the weaknesses of humanity.[47]
But in laying His hand upon the leper, Jesus received no defilement. ... Jesus, coming to dwell in humanity, receives no pollution.[48]
Jesus was in all things made like unto His brethren. He became flesh, even as we are. ...
Christ is the ladder that Jacob saw, the base resting on the earth. ... If that ladder had failed by a single step of reaching the earth, we would have been lost. But Christ reaches us where we are. He took our nature and overcame, that we through taking His nature might overcome. Made "in the likeness of sinful flesh," He lived a sinless life.[49]
(Jesus) took our nature upon Himself, and was subject to our temptations and infirmities.[50]
Henceforth the church was to look backward to a Saviour who had come;--who lived in sinful flesh.[51]
1904
He who was Commander of all heaven laid aside His royal robe and kingly crown, and realizing the helplessness of the fallen race, came to this earth in human nature to make it possible for us to unite our humanity to His divinity.[52]
Because we are partakers of flesh and blood, and heirs of its weaknesses, He became partaker of our nature.[53]
Christ, in order to reveal His father's love, took upon Himself our flesh, linked humanity with divinity, became subject to all our aches and pains ... "Himself took our infirmities."[54]
Christ stooped to take upon Himself human nature, that He might reach the fallen race and lift them up.[55]
Notes: