Imagini ale paginilor
PDF
ePub

The caption of the "Index" is worth quoting as the first literary record on the subject: "Index eorum quae in Novo Testamento docentur. Primus numerus, caput: alter, versum significat."

Alúvios, II. Cor. iv. 17 and v. I.

REV. W. H, COBB.

THESE three consecutive verses refute the theory that alúvios is not a time-word, as distinctly as though they were written with that object in view. In iv. 17 we find the following contrasts:

[blocks in formation]

The A. V. renders Tapavτíka "but for a moment." Similarly the R. V. "for the moment." The contrast holds alúviov strictly to the sense "everlasting." The next verse gives two more oppositions :

[blocks in formation]

Both versions render "temporal" and "eternal." Alford brings out the contrast still more sharply: "not temporal, time,' but 'fleeting,' 'only for a time.""

belonging to

Following the etymology of póσkaupos, I should translate thus: "the things that are seen are for a season, but the things that are not seen are for ever."

The apostle still pursues his contrasts in the verse that follows,

V. I:

οἰκία τοῦ σκήνους

οἰκίαν ἀχειροποίητον
ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς

ἐπίγειος
καταλυθῇ

αἰώνιον.

Both versions render "dissolved" and "eternal." Alóvior thereforeȧKaráλvTov, indestructible, i.e. never-ending. There is no important variation in the Greek authorities for the above verses. Either of them singly witnesses for the temporal sense of alúvios; as combined in immediate succession, the testimony has great force. No doubt it is possible to evade this force; and, indeed, if the Bible had said, in so many words, "eternal punishment is endless," the obvious comment would be: "that is, it has nothing to do with end; it pertains to a sphere where the terms beginning' and 'end' have no meaning."

Matt. xii. 43-45.

PROF. E. P. GOULD.

THE form of this statement, in both Matthew and Luke (xi. 24-26), makes our Lord say that the disastrous result takes place whenever the unclean spirit leaves a man. The condition of all that follows is found in that one act of leaving. This is manifestly absurd, and the only way to get rid of the absurdity is to extend the conditional part of the statement through verse 44, so that it will read, "Whenever the unclean spirit has gone out from the man, and goes through waterless places, seeking rest and finding it not; and it says, I will return into my house, whence I came out; and having come, it finds it empty, swept and garnished; then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits, more evil than itself, and having entered, they dwell there, and that man's last condition becomes worse than the first." That is, the thing which determines the spirit's return is that he finds the house unoccupied, and the lesson is that a man must not only expel his evil spirits, but fill himself with good ones. But it does not follow that the house is left empty whenever the evil spirit departs. Or the statement may be left as it is, simply introducing a conditional particle before epíσka in verse 44, so that it will read, “and having come, if it finds it empty." What is wanted is to make this one thing, on which evidently the result depends, contingent.

It has occurred to the writer that the evident misplacing of the connectives in the Greek gospels may have arisen from the use of the simple connectives in the Aramaic speech of Jesus. There, the simple copulative conjunctions being used, the logical connections of the several statements are not indicated, but left to be implied from the nature of the whole and the evident relations of the parts. Then, in transferring it into Greek, it is easy to see how the proper connection of the parts may have been missed.

Proceedings.

THE

HE seventh meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature and Exegesis occurred, according to appointment, in the Library of the Berkeley Divinity School, Middletown, Conn., at 2.30 P.M., June 5th, 1883.

There were present Profs. Beecher, Bissell, Briggs; Rev. W. H. Cobb; Profs. Dwight, Ferguson, Gardiner, Gould, Hall; Rev. Drs. Hibbard, Jewett; Rev. R. W. Micou; Prof. Mitchell; Rev. Dr. Mombert; Profs. Prentice and Schaff.

In the absence of the President and Vice-President, Prof. Dwight was chosen President pro tem.

The minutes of the last meeting were read and approved.

The committee of arrangements announced that they had appointed, subject to the approval of the Society, a recess from 6 to 7.30 P.M., to be followed by the transaction of the business of the Society and the election of officers, and then by the hour for short notes. Also another session at 9 A.M. the following day.

The report was accepted and the arrangement adopted.

It was voted that the President be requested to appoint a committee to nominate officers. He subsequently appointed as such committee, Profs. Beecher, Bissell, and Gardiner.

At 3.10 the first paper was read by Prof. C. A. Briggs, D.D., on "The Argument E Silentio." It occupied until 4.07, and was discussed until the recess.

On assembling at 7.30, in the absence of Prof. Dwight, Prof. Beecher was chosen President pro tem.

Letters of regret at unavoidable absence from many members were read.

The Council reported that they had fixed upon New York as the place, and the Christmas holidays as the time, of the next meeting; the day and room to be determined by a Committee, consisting of Drs. Short, Briggs, and Schaff.

The Council recommended that the price of the Journal for 1881 be fixed at $1 to members elected since its publication. This recommendation was adopted by vote of the Society.

The Council at this time, and on the following morning, recommended the following persons for election as members: —

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

And they were thereupon duly elected.

The Committee on the Nomination of Officers made their report, and it was laid on the table until the following morning.

The Treasurer's report was presented and also postponed, the President having, on motion, appointed an auditing committee, consisting of Profs. Prentice and Gould.

At 8.30 short notes were given as follows:

By Prof. Hall, on the notation of verses in the Hebrew Bible.

By Rev. W. H. Cobb, on the title in the Psalms.

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

By Rev. Dr. Mombert, on Tyndale's Pentateuch.

By Prof. Gould, on Matt. xii. 43.

By Rev. Dr. Jewett, on the Samaritan and Arabic words for "to create."

These notes, and the discussion upon them, having occupied until IO P.M., the Society adjourned to 9 A.M. on Wednesday.

Wednesday, the Society reassembled at 9 A.M.

The Treasurer's report was read, showing a balance of $344.93 in the treasury. The report was accepted and referred to the Auditing. Committee.

The Auditing Committee reported, after having examined the report and vouchers, and found everything correct.

The death of the Rev. Dr. Krauth, Provost of the University of Pennsylvania, since the last meeting, was announced.

Tributes were paid to the memory of Dr. Krauth by Drs. Schaff, Mombert, and Hall, Rev. W. H. Cobb, and others.

The report of the Committee on the Nomination of Officers was taken up.

The Committee nominated the former officers (with the exception of the Secretary, who was unable to serve longer, and Prof. Mead, who was absent from the country), and they were elected as follows:

REV. D. R. GOODWIN, D.D., LL.D.

REV. JAMES STRONG, D.D., LL.D.
REV. H. G. MITCHELL, Ph.D.
REV. C. A. BRIGGS, D.D.

[ocr errors]

REV. EZRA ABBOT, D.D., LL.D.,
REV. GEO. E. Day, D.D.,

REV. TIMOTHY DWIGHT, D.D.,

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

President.

[ocr errors]

:

Vice-President. Secretary.

Treasurer.

Additional Members of the Council.

PROF. CHARLES SHORT, LL.D.,

REV. E. C. BISSELL, D.D.,

Prof. E. P. Gould read the next paper, beginning at 10 A.M., on "The Argument of Romans ix.-xi.," and occupied until 11. This paper was dicussed until 11.40, when further discussion was postponed until after the reading of the next paper.

At 11.40 the last paper was read by Prof. Henry Ferguson, occupying until 12.25, on "The Prophet Zephaniah and his Times." This was discussed until 12.40, when

After the reading of the rough minutes, at 12.53, the Society adjourned.

FREDERIC GARDINER,

Secretary.

« ÎnapoiContinuă »