HE re-publication of Albert Schweitzer's Mystery of the Kingdom of God1 calls attention to a question of central importance which is far from settled: What did Jesus think of himself? Did he actually believe that he was the divinely appointed Messiah of the Jews, as the Gospels say he did? Or was this idea merely attributed to him by his devoted followers? The task which this paper will undertake is to re-examine Schweitzer's interpretation, to consider its present status and to offer certain new evidence which tends to support his thesis that Jesus did think of himself as the Messiah and that only as we recognize that fact will we ever be able to understand him. The Mystery of the Kingdom of God was published first in 1901 as the second half of a book entitled Das Abendmahl.2 At the time, Dr. Lowrie tells us, it attracted little attention. It was only in 1906 with the publication of Schweitzer's brilliant Geschichte der Leben Jesu Forschung3 that attention was compellingly drawn to the view which it sets forth. According to Schweitzer, Jesus' messianic claim dates from the time of his baptism and his temptation in the wilderness, but he kept it secret even from his closest friends. He did talk of the of who was to usher in the Kingdom of God, but he spoke of him always in the third person and in the future and he gave no hint that this Son of Man was to be identified with himself. What he did stress was that he and his disciples were charged with a great responsibility in connection with his coming. He also taught that the coming of the kingdom was to be attended with great suffering and sacrifice. The woes, according to Schweitzer, were to precede the coming of the Kingdom. They were acts of violence by which strong men would take it by storm. A climax came at the time Jesus sent out the twelve. He was convinced that by the time they returned the Kingdom of God would have come. The twelve returned, jubilant over their accomplishments. They had been well-received and the demons had been subject unto them. But the kingdom had not come and Jesus had to adjust himself to that fact. Hence his withdrawal into the wilderness away from the thronging crowds. The solution then came with the transfiguration. There the baptism experience was repeated in the presence of three of the disciples. Jesus charged these three to keep it secret, but Peter thoughtlessly disclosed it to the other disciples. The transfiguration experience brought with it a new conception of his role. Before that he had expected eschatological woes in which all would share. Now he is convinced that he may suffer for others and thus bring in the kingdom himself. He therefore decides upon the journey to Jerusalem, knowing that it will mean his death, but believing that he will be raised from the dead. These convictions he communicates to his disciples. According to this interpretation Judas betrays his master, not by telling where he may be found, but by informing the Pharisees of the messianic secret. Following the publication of the Geschichte and its translation into English in 1910 the eschatological problem was widely and heatedly discussed. Over certain aspects of this discussion Schweitzer himself was deeply concerned. He was especially troubled by certain pathographic studies which made their appearance. A French psychiatrist thus published a four volume treatise on The Insanity of Jesus and other studies of this sort appeared in Germany, in Denmark and in the United States.4 He therefore undertook to refute them in his medi-