Upon the great truth that Jesus is the Christ the church is built; upon that truth the whole system of Christianity rests. If he be not the Christ, the gospel is a baseless fabrication and the church is without excuse for existence. It is this foundation truth that we believe and confess.
There was no controversy among the Jews as to whether the expected Christ would be called “the Son of God.” Any Jew would confess that he believed the expected Christ to be the Son of God. But they deny that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God. Any of those Jews who rejected and crucified Jesus would have readily said: “I believe the Christ is the Son of God.” I was startled to hear a preacher ask a number of candidates for baptism this question: “Do you believe that Christ is the Son of God?” Now that question misses the point entirely. Any orthodox Jew could give an affirmative answer to that question; but ask him if he believes that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and he will answer with an emphatic “No.” The great question is: “Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God?” The great answer, the great confession of faith is: “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
That confession should not be so abridged as to leave any doubt as to who you believe is the Christ, the Son of God. If you believe that Jesus is the Christ, say so. To say that you believe that Christ is the Son of God is really no confession at all.
The confession should not be extended so as to include more than this great truth. Mr. Russell extended that confession. He taught that the Christ is Jesus and the church; with him, Jesus was only the head of a body that is called “the Christ.” With him, it took both the head and the body to constitute the Christ. Some gospel preachers took up with that idea and thus weakened their faith by extending their confession. Certainly, if a man believes that theory, his confession is not full and complete when he says: “I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.” That is really not what he believes. If he makes his confession as broad as his faith, he will say: “I believe that Jesus and the church is the Christ.”
Do the foregoing points seem to you to be matters of small import? If so, I envy not your discernment. Notice carefully the purpose for which John wrote: “Many other signs therefore did Jesus in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in his name.” (John 20:30, 31.)