Over the years Ronny Milliner has vainly tried to radically humanize Jesus, of Nazareth. Rarely does he appeal to scripture. His fortè has been citing others. He quotes lots of people to support his fantasies about Jesus Christ, a weak and fallible man on earth. Many of us have learned to be suspect of the quotes he proliferates which he imagines sustain his perverted view of Jesus. It is always a good idea to check his sources. He has demonstrated his unreliability on more than one occasion - just ask Gene Frost.

     His quoted H. Leo Boles from "Elam's Notes" the 1930 edition, page 157. Milliner was interested in only one word in the quote -- part of the definition of "sore distressed" - "deranged." Whereas Lightfoot and Boles applied this to the physical body of Jesus, Ronny ignorantly applies it to Jesus' sanity. Ronny fabricates a Jesus, in the garden of Gethsemane, who was just an ordinary man who was "confused, restless, half-distracted (and in a) state which is produced by physical derangement or mental distress?."

     Here is where Ronny follows his previous pattern of confusion. Tim Haile is perfectly capable of self-defense, but let me add a word or two here in his defense. The point at issue from Tim's view was not that Jesus was "mentally deranged," as Ronnie believes. It was the condition of extreme exhaustion and derangement of the "physical" body that produced "mental distress." Mental distress and insanity are not the same. Are you aware of that fact, Ronny?

     Mental distress and physical derangement are not the same. Is Ronny Milliner capable of understanding this (without help)? There is precious little evidence he is. Tim Haile believes the man praying in that garden was God, in the flesh, whose body was weak and failing. Ronny believes it was just an ordinary weak and mentally disturbed man who prayed - nothing more. Only Jesus, God the Son, could be affected by "physical" derangement. God is not reduced to a weak mortal simply because he experiences "mental distress." It seems so ridiculous to have to explain this to Ronny Milliner. But, he doesn't understand the truth about Jesus, either in or out of the garden of Gethsemane.

     The Jesus Milliner describes in the garden of Gethsemane is a deranged and confused man praying. His mentor, John Welch, after saying Jesus was "just a man," and taking it back, then saying it again, then taking it back, and saying it again and repenting (?) for saying it again, finally said to Tom O'Neal, "Brother O'Neal, Jesus was just a man, praying in the garden." (Thursday night of the O'Neal-Welch Debate). Ronny was there as the projector operator. You do remember Welch saying that don't you Ronny? If you doubt it, check with Harry Lewis. He knows what was said.

     Why does Ronny think Jesus was just a man praying in the garden? It is simple. He believes Jesus was mentally deranged. In my dictionary one who is mentally deranged is insane. Ronny pictures Jesus as insane! The reason Haile, and a whole lot more, reject that absurdity is because Jesus was not "just a man, praying in the garden." He was God in a human body. The exhaustion and pain his body experienced was immense. That, however, in no way diminished his divine nature or affected his mentality, Ronny Milliner to the contrary, notwithstanding.

     The distortion Milliner attempts to make of Lightfoot's definition of "sore distressed" as the result of physical derangement and mental distress is an example of his distortion of others whom he quotes. The only thing that I know of that could have produced the mental distress was our Lord's concern over his physical condition - physically deranged. But Ronny wants this Jesus to be that same "just a man," his mentor John Welch once was willing to "defend" openly in public debate.

     If the quote from Elam's Notes accurately reflects either Boles' or Elam's views is not a matter for great concern, but here is what Elam wrote on this specific point.

     Ronny's Jesus in the garden is not "more than (a) human" under great mental derangement. His Jesus is just an ordinary weak human being. The Jesus of E.A. Elam, and of faithful brethren is "more than human," is of a "divine nature," which "felt more keenly than mortals can know the horror and awfulness of sin and the calumny of his trial and crucifixion."

     This is correct, is it not - Ronny?

     If not, please write again and let everyone know which of the following statements reflect your view of Jesus in, and out of, the garden of Gethsamene.

by Dudley Ross Spears