Upon Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount Discourse V · §6 · John Wesley

A teacher of novelties

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Among the multitude of reproaches which fell on him who was despised and rejected by people (Isaiah 53:3), it could not fail to be one that he was a teacher of novelties, an introducer of a new religion. This might be said with more color, because many of the expressions he had used were not common among the Jews. Either they did not use them at all, or not in the same sense, not in so full and strong a meaning. Add to this that worshipping God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24) must always appear a new religion to those who have so far known nothing but outside worship, nothing but the form of godliness (2 Timothy 3:5).

1771 text

1. AMONG the multitude of reproaches which fell upon him who was despised and rejected of men, it could not fail to be one, that he was a teacher of novelties, an introducer of a new religion. This might be affirmed with the more colour, because many of the expressions he had used, were not common among the Jews: either they did not use them at all, or not in the same sense, not in so full and strong a meaning. Add to this, that the worshipping God in spirit and in truth, must always appear a new religion, to those who have hitherto known nothing but outside worship, nothing but the form of godliness.