§ 61. Christ a Spiritual Teacher.

AS the kingdom which Christ came to establish was a spiritual one, intended to develope itself outwardly from within, so the means which he employed in its foundation were entirely of a spiritual nature. In his declaration before Pilate,¹⁵⁰¹⁵⁰   John, xviii. 33-38. after he had (1) disclaimed any purpose of setting up an earthly kingdom, affirming at the same time (2) that he was King in a certain sense, he added (3) that he came into the world to testify of the truth. These three propositions, taken together, set forth his purpose to found his kingdom, not by worldly means, but by the testimony of the truth. But he testified of the truth by his whole life, by his words and works, comprising the entire self-revelation of Him who could say, “I am the Truth.”

Inasmuch, therefore, as he himself designates the testimony of the truth as his means of founding his kingdom; inasmuch, also, as he appeared first as Prophet, in order to lead those who recognized him as such to recognize him also as Messiah and Theocratic King, we must treat of his work as Prophet, or of his exercise of the office of Divine Teacher, as the instrument by which he laid the ground-work of his reign among men.