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g long； ago observed； the notion of future reward and punishment needs to be eliminated in order that the incentive to holiness may be a perfectly pure one。 The highest virtue is that which takes no thought of reward or punishment； but for a conception of this sort the mind of antiquity was not ready； nor is the average mind of to…day yet ready； and the sudden or premature dissolution of the Christian theorywhich is fortunately impossiblemight perhaps entail a moral retrogradation。
The above is by no means intended as a complete outline of the religious philosophy of Paul。 We have aimed only at a clear definition of the character and scope of the doctrine of the resurrection of Jesus； at the time when it was first elaborated。 We have now to notice the influence of that doctrine upon the development of Christologic speculation。
In neither or the four genuine epistles of Paul is Jesus described as superhuman； or as differing in nature from other men； save in his freedom from sin。 As Baur has shown； 〃the proper nature of the Pauline Christ is human。 He is a man； but a spiritual man； one in whom spirit or pneuma was the essential principle； so that he was spirit as well as man。 The principle of an ideal humanity existed before Christ in the bright form of a typical man； but was manifested to mankind in the person of Christ。〃 Such； according to Baur； is Paul's interpretation of the Messianic idea。 Paul knows nothing of the miracles； of the supernatural conception； of the incarnation； or of the Logos。 The Christ whom he preaches is the man Jesus； the founder of a new and spiritual order of humanity； as Adam was the father of humanity after the flesh。 The resurrection is uniformly described by him as a manifestation of the power of Jehovah； not of Jesus himself。 The later conception of Christ bursting the barred gates of Sheol； and arising by his own might to heaven； finds no warrant in the expressions of Paul。 Indeed； it was essential to Paul's theory of the Messiah as a new Adam； that he should be human and not divine； for the escape of a divine being from Sheol could afford no precedent and furnish no assurance of the future escape of human beings。 It was expressly because the man Jesus had been rescued from the grave because of his spirituality； that other men might hope； by becoming spiritual like him； to be rescued also。 Accordingly Paul is careful to state that 〃since through man came death； through man came also the resurrection of the dead〃 （1 Cor。 xv。 21）； a passage which would look like an express denial of Christ's superhuman character； were it probable that any of Paul's contemporaries had ever conceived of Jesus as other than essentially human。
But though Paul's Christology remained in this primitive stage； it contained the germs of a more advanced theory。 For even Paul conceived of Jesus as a man wholly exceptional in spiritual character； or； in the phraseology of the time； as consisting to a larger extent of pneuma than any man who had lived before him。 The question was sure to arise； Whence came this pneuma or spiritual quality？ Whether the question ever distinctly presented itself to Paul's mind cannot be determined。 Probably it did not。 In those writings of his which have come down to us； he shows himself careless of metaphysical considerations。 He is mainly concerned with exhibiting the unsatisfactory character of Jewish Christianity； and with inculcating a spiritual morality； to which the doctrine of Christ's resurrection is made to supply a surpassingly powerful sanction。 But attempts to solve the problem were not long in coming。 According to a very early tradition； of which the obscured traces remain in the synoptic gospels； Jesus received the pneuma at the time of his baptism； when the Holy Spirit； or visible manifestation of the essence of Jehovah； descended upon him and became incarnate in him。 This theory； however； was exposed to the objection that it implied a sudden and entire transformation of an ordinary man into a person inspired or possessed by the Deity。 Though long maintained by the Ebionites or primitive Christians； it was very soon rejected by the great body of the Church； which asserted instead that Jesus had been inspired by the Holy Spirit from the moment of his conception。 From this it was but a step to the theory that Jesus was actually begotten by or of the Holy Spirit； a notion which the Hellenic mind； accustomed to the myths of Leda； Anchises； and others； found no difficulty in entertaining。 According to the Gospel of the Hebrews； as cited by Origen； the Holy Spirit was the mother of Jesus； and Joseph was his father。 But according to the prevailing opinion； as represented in the first and third synoptists； the relationship was just the other way。 With greater apparent plausibility； the divine aeon was substituted for the human father； and a myth sprang up； of which the materialistic details furnished to the opponents of the new religion an opportunity for making the most gross and exasperating insinuations。 The dominance of this theory marks the era at which our first and third synoptic gospels were composed；from sixty to ninety years after the death of Jesus。 In the luxuriant mythologic growth there exhibited； we may yet trace the various successive phases of Christologic speculation but imperfectly blended。 In 〃Matthew〃 and 〃Luke〃 we find the original Messianic theory exemplified in the genealogies of Jesus； in which； contrary to historic probability （cf。 Matt。 xxii。 41…46）； but in accordance with a time…honoured tradition； his pedigree is traced back to David； 〃Matthew〃 referring him to the royal line of Judah； while 〃Luke〃 more cautiously has recourse to an assumed younger branch。 Superposed upon this primitive mythologic stratum； we find； in the same narratives； the account of the descent of the pneuma at the time of the baptism； and crowning the whole； there are the two accounts of the nativity which； though conflicting in nearly all their details； agree in representing the divine pneuma as the father of Jesus。 Of these three stages of Christology； the last becomes entirely irreconcilable with the first； and nothing can better illustrate the uncritical character of the synoptists than the fact that the assumed descent of Jesus from David through his father Joseph is allowed to stand side by side with the account of the miraculous conception which completely negatives it。 Of this difficulty 〃Matthew〃 is quite unconscious； and 〃Luke；〃 while vaguely noticing it （iii。 23）； proposes no solution； and appears undisturbed by the contradiction。
Thus far the Christology with which we have been dealing is predominantly Jewish； though to some extent influenced by Hellenic conceptions。 None of the successive doctrines presented in Paul； 〃Matthew；〃 and 〃Luke〃 assert or imply the pre…existence of Jesus。 At this early period he was regarded as a human being raised to participation in certain attributes of divinity； and this was as far as the dogma could be carried by the Jewish metaphysics。 But soon after the date of our third gospel； a Hellenic system of Christology arose into prominence； in which the problem was reversed； and Jesus was regarded as a semi…divine being temporarily lowered to participation in certain attributes of humanity。 For such a doctrine Jewish mythology supplied no precedents； but the Indo…European mind was familiar with the conception of deity incarnate in human form； as in the avatars of Vishnu； or even suffering III the interests of humanity； as in the noble myth of Prometheus。 The elements of Christology pre…existing in the religious conceptions of Greece； India； and Persia； are too rich and numerous to be discussed here。 A very full account of them is given in Mr。 R。 W。 Mackay's acute and learned treatise on the 〃Religious Development of the Greeks and Hebrews｛。｝〃
It was in Alexandria； where Jewish theology first came into contact with Hellenic and Oriental ideas； that the way was prepared for the dogma of Christ's pre…existence。 The attempt to rationalize the conception of deity as embodied in the Jehovah of the Old Testament gave rise to the class of opinions described as Gnosis； or Gnosticism。 The signification of Gnosis is simply 〃rationalism；〃the endeavour to harmonize the materialistic statements of an old mythology with the more advanced spiritualistic philosophy of the time。 The Gnostics rejected the conception of an anthropomorphic deity who had appeared visibly and audibly to the patriarchs； and they were the authors of the doctrine； very widely spread during the second and third centuries； that God could not in person have been the creator of the world。 According to them； God； as pure spirit； could not act directly upon vile and gross matter。 The difficulty which troubled them was curiously analogous to that which disturbed the Cartesians and the followers of Leibnitz in the seventeenth century； how was spirit to act upon matter； without ceasing； pro tanto； to be spirit？ To evade this difficulty； the Gnostics postulated a series of emanations from God； becoming successively less and less spiritual and more and more material； until at the lowest end of the scale was reached the Demiurgus or Jehovah of the Old Testament； who created the world and appeared； clo