General introduction to the study of Holy Scripture...

Front matter

pmhi COPY.

Class Book.

Copyright ]^^.

Contents

CH5^PTEE I THE ADVANTAGES OF THE STUDY OF HOLY SCRIPTURE

Biblical Study tlie most important of all studies, 1 , tlie most extensive, 1 ; the most profound, 2 ; the most attractive, 3.

Obstacles to the study of Holy Scripture, 4 ; Bibliolatry, 5 ; Sectarian partisanship, 6 ; using the Bible as an obstruction to progress, 8.

Chapter II The Scope Of The Study Of Holy Scripture

General term of the department, 12 ; relation to other departments, 12. Biblical Literature, 18 ; Biblical Canonics, 21 ; Textual Criticism, 23 j the

Higher Criticism, 24.

Biblical Exegesis, 27 ; Biblical Hermeneutics, 27.

Biblical History, 35 ; Historical Criticism, 37 ; Biblical Archseology, 37. Biblical Theology, 39 ; Biblical Religion, Faith, and Ethics, 40.

CHAPTEE III THE LANGUAGES OF HOLY SCRIPTURE

The languages of the Bible prepared by Providence for the purpose, 42.

The Shemitic family, 46 ; the Arabic group, 46 ; the Assyrian group, 47 ; the Hebrew group, 47 ; the Aramaic group, 49.

The Hebrew language, 51 ; its origin, 51 ; simple and natural, 54 ; correspondence of language and thought, 55 ; majesty and sublimity, 56 ; life and fervour, 59.

The Aramaic language, 61 ; language of commerce in Persian period, 61 ; common speech of Palestine in the time of Jesus, 62.

The Greek language, 64 ; complex and artistic, 65 ; style of speech, 66 ; beautiful and finished, 66 ; strength and vigour, 67 ; Hebraistic colouring, 68 ; transformed for expression of Christian ideas, 70.

XU CONTENTS

CHAPTEE IV HOLY SCRIPTURE AND CRITICISM

Inherent necessity of criticism, 76 ; historical necessity, 77.

What is Criticism ? 78 ; a method of knowledge, 79 ; destructive and constructive, 79 ; requires careful training to use it, 80.

Principles of criticism, 81 ; derived from General Criticism, 81 ; from Historical Criticism, 82 ; from Literary Criticism, 85 ; Textual Criticism, 86 ; the Higher Criticism, 92 ; integrity, 92 ; authenticity, 93 ; literary features, 94 ; credibility, 95 ; historical position, 95 ; differences of style, 97 ; differences of opinion, 99 ; citations, 100 ; positive testimony, 101 ; silence, 101 ; Bentley and the Epistle of Phalaris, 107.

Criticism of Holy Scripture, 109 ; confronted by traditional theories, 109 ; unhindered by decisions of the Church, 112 ; or Catholic tradition, 115 ; demanded by the truth-loving spirit, 115.

CHAPTER V HISTORY OF THE CANON OF HOLY SCRIPTURE

History of the term Canon, 117 ; Holy Scripture and Covenant, 117.

Formation of the Old Testament Canon, 118 ; The Ten Words, 118 ; Deuteronomic Code, 119 ; the Law, 120; tradition of the fixing of the Canon by Ezra, 120 ; by the Great Synagogue, 121 ; the Prophets, 123 ; the Writings, 124 ; evidence of Ben Sirach, 124 ; of the Septuagint, 124 ; of Philo and Josephus, 125 ; disputes of the Pharisees as to the Canon, 128 ; final determination of the Canon at Jamnia, 130.

Canon of Jesus and His Apostles, 131 ; general terms do not decide, 131 ; they abstain from using writings disputed among the Jews, 131 ; they do not determine the Canon except as to the authority of certain writings, 132.

Formation of the Canon of the New Testament, 133 ; the Gospels, 133 ; the Pauline Epistles, 134 ; the Catholic Epistles, 134.

The Canon of the Church, 137 ; Decisions of Synods, 137 ; two streams of tradition, 138 ; Canon of the Codices, 138.

CHAPTEE VI CRITICISM OF THE CANON

The Canon in the Reformation, 140 ; Luther and the Reformers, 142 ; Decision

of the Council of Trent, 143 ; the Protestant principle, 144 ; Protestant

scholasticism, 147.

The Canon of the British Reformation, 140 ; the Articles of Religion, 148 ;

the Scotch Confession, 149.

The Puritan Canon, 149 ; The Westminster Confession, 150 ; Cosin, 151 ; Herle,

CONTENTS XIU

The Canon of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, 155 ; dogmatic reaction, 156 ; Semler, 158.

Modern American theory of the Canon, 158 ; the Princeton School, 159 ; Canonicity and Authenticity, 160.

Determination of the Canon, 163 ; testimony of the Church, 163 ; character of Holy Scripture, 165 ; witness of the Holy Spirit, 166.

CHAPTEE yil HISTOKY or THE TEXT OF THE HEBREW BIBLE

The original text of the Hebrew Bible, 169 ; primitive script, 170 ; Aramaic script, 171 ; editorial work of the early scribes, 173.

The text of the Sopherim, 174 ; the official text, 175 ; the work of the Sopherim, 176.

The Massoretic text, 180 ; vowel points and accents, 181 ; work of the Massorites, 182.

Hebrew Manuscripts, 183 ; Palestinian, 183 ; Babylonian, 185 ; Samaritan Codex, 185.

Printed texts, 186 ; earliest text, 186 ; Complutensian text, 186 ; second Rabbinical Bible, 186 ; Baer and Ginsburg, 187.

CHAPTEE VIII

The Greek Septuagint, 188 ; translated gradually in the order, Law, Prophets,

Writings, 188.

The Greek New Testament, 190 ; at first separate writings on rolls, 190 ; no

codex till third century, 191.

Other Greek versions, 191 ; Aquila, 191 ; Theodotian, 192 ; Symmachus, 192. Official Greek texts, 192 ; Origen's Hexapla, 192 ; Hesychius, 193 ; Lucian, 193. Manuscripts of the Greek Bible, 195 ; Majuscules and Minuscules, 195. The Neutral text, 195 ; Vatican Codex, 195 ; Sinaitic Codex, 196. The Egyptian text, 197 ; Alexandrian Codex, 197 ; Codex Ephraem, 198. Text of the Hexapla, 200 ; recently discovered Hexapla text, 200. Western text, 200 ; Codex Bezae, 200 ; recent discussions of Western text by

Harris and Blass, 202.

Text of Lucian, 203 ; relation to Josephus, 203. Later Syrian text, 205 ; characteristic conflation, 205. Printed Greek texts, 206 ; Complutensian, 206 ; Erasmus, 206 ; Aldine, 206 ;

Stephens, 206 ; Beza, 206 ; Sixtine, 207 ; Elzevir, 207 ; Mill, 207 ; Bengel,

207 ; Wetstein, 207 ; Griesbach, 207 ; Holmes and Parsons, 207 ; Lachmann,

208 ; Tischendorf, 208 ; Tregelles, 209 ; Westcott and Hort, 209 ; Lagarde, 209; Swete, 209.

XIV CONTENTS

CHAPTEE IX

Aramaic Targums, 210 ; Onkelos, 211 ; Jonathan, 211 ; others, 211.

The Syriac Bible, 212 ; Curetonian, 212 ; Peshitto, 212 ; Haraklean, 212.

The Latin Vulgate, 213 ; Jerome's version, 213 ; Codex Amiatinus, 213 ; Sixtine

edition, 213 ; Clementine edition, 213.

The Arabic version, 214 ; Saadia, 214 ; others, 214. Persian version, 214 ; Tawus, 214.

English versions, 214 ; Tyndale, 214 ; Rogers, 215 ; Tavemer, 215 ; Coverdale,

215 ; Great Bible, 215 ; Genevan, 215 ; Douay, 215 ; Authorized Version,

216 ; Revised Version, 216.

Other versions, 216 ; German, 216 ; French, 217 ; Dutch, 217 ; others, 217.

CHAPTER X

Textual criticism at the Reformation, 219; Ximenes, 219; Levlta and Ben Chayim, 209 ; de Rossi and Scholastics, 221.

Textual criticism in the seventeenth century, 222 ; Cappellus, Morinus, and Buxtorf, 222 ; Walton and Owen, 224 ; Matthew Pool, 226.

Textual criticism in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, 226 ; Bentley and Mill, 227 ; Lowth, 228 ; Wetstein, Griesbach, Lachmann, 227 ; Tischendorf and Gregory, 228; Westcott and Hort, 228; Keil, Green, and W. R. Smith, 229.

Application of textual criticism to Holy Scripture, 231.

The genealogical principle, 231 ; text of Ben Asher, 231 ; the Mishna, Baraithoth, and Gemara, 232 ; Midrashim, 234 ; Jewish rabbins, 235 ; use of ancient versions, 236; Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, 237 ; the original autographs, 238 ; illustrations of the genealogical principle, 239 ; genealogy of the Greek Bible, 240.

Conflation and other corruptions, 242 ; illustrations from the Gospels, 242 ; illustrations from the Old Testament, 242 ; corruptions of alphabetical Psalms, 242 ; dittography, 243 ; wrong separation of words, 243 ; slips of the eye, 244 ; an original logion of Jesus, 244.

CHAPTEK XI

HISTORY OF THE HIGHER CRITICISM OF HOLY SCRIPTURE

The 'Higher Criticism in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, 247; of the Reformers, 247 ; of the Puritans, 248 ; of the Reformed Theologians, 249 ; Bentley and Boyle, 250 ; how to deal with traditional theories, 251.

CONTENTS XV

The Rabbinical theories, 252 ; the Baba Bathra's statement, 252 ; the Gemara upon it, 266.

Hellenistic and Christian theories, 256 ; Josephus and Philo, 256; Apocalypse of Ezra, 257 ; the Fathers, 257.

The New Testament view of the Old Testament, 259 ; Jesus and criticism, 259 ; New Testament use of the Writings, 261 ; of the Psalter, 262 ; of the Prophets, 265 ; of the Law, 268.

Rise of the Higher Criticism, 273 ; Spinoza and Simon, 274 ; scholastic opposition, 276 ; mediating theories, 276 ; Astruc's discovery, 278 ; Eichhorn's documentary hypothesis, 279.

Higher Criticism of the nineteenth century, 282 ; Geddes, Vater, and the fragmentary hypothesis, 282 ; De Wette and the genesis of documents, 285 ; Reuss, Wellhausen, and the development hypothesis, 283 ; Home, 284 ; Colenso, 284 j Samuel Davidson, 285-, W. Robertson Smith, 286; Toy, Briggs, and H. P. Smith, 286 ; more recent Higher Criticism, 289.

CHAPTER XII

PRACTICE OE THE HIGHER CRITICISM

Literary study of the Bible, 293 ; Literary training necessary, 293.

The Historical Evidence, 295 ; the Second Isaiah, 295 ; date of the Apocalypse

of John, 296.

The evidence of style, 296 ; etymological differences, 296 ; syntactical differences,

300 ; dialectic differences, 300 ; differences of style, 300 ; description of

Leviathan, 301 ; Epistle to the Hebrews, 301. The evidence of opinion, 302 ; theophanies of the Hexateuch, 302 ; Holy Spirit

in Isaiah, 303 ; Messiah of the Apocalypse, 303. The evidence of citation, 304 ; in the Psalter, 304 ; in Jonah's Psalm, 305 ;

Logion in the Gospels, 305.

The evidence of testimony, 306 ; Micah in Jeremiah, 306 ; Saint Paul in Second

Peter, 307.

Argument from silence, 307 ; not within the author's scope, 307 ; within his

scope, 307 ; reasons for silence, 308.

The Integrity of Scripture, 309 ; single writings, 309 ; collections of writings by

same author, 310 ; by different authors, 310 ; edited works, 310 ; interpolations, 314.

The Authenticity of Scripture, 317 ; name of author given, 317 ; traditional

ascription, 318.

Anonymous Holy Scripture, 319 ; Histories, 319 ; "Wisdom Literature, 320 ;

Psalter, 321 ; Law, 322.

Pseudonymous Holy Scripture, 323 ; not forgeries, 323 ; pseudepigrapha, 324 ;

Biblical pseudonyms, 325.

Compilations, 326 ; Kings and Chronicles, 326 ; Luke and Acts, 326 ; Matthew

and John, 327.

xvi CONTENTS

CHAPTEE XIII BIBLICAL PBOSE LITEBATUBE

Poetry and Prose, 328 ; Bhetorical Prose and Poetry, 329.

Historical Prose, 329 ; Prophetic and Priestly History, 329 ; three strata of Prophetic History, 330; the four Gospels and Acts, 330.

Historical use of the Myth, 333 ; Monotheistic myths, 333 ; Sons of God and daughters of men, 333 ; Samson, 333.

Historical use of the Legend, 335 ; early chapters of Genesis, 335 ; legends in the life of David, 336 ; poetic legends, 337.

Prophetic Discourse, 338 ; oratory in prophetic histories, 338 ; prophetic eloquence, 339 ; discourses of Jesus, 339 ; of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, 339.

The Epistle, 340 ; Letters in Ezra and Nehemiah, 340 ; Epistles of the New Testament, 340.

Prose works of the Imagination, 341 ; Haggada of Babbins, 341 ; Parables of Jesus, 341 ; apocryphal stories, 342 ; poetic works of the imagination, 342.

The Book of Buth an Idyll, 342 ; scenery of the times of the Judges, 343 ; ideal picture, 343 ; conflict with Deuteronomic law, 343 ; historic basis, 344.

The Story of Jonah, 345 ; sets forth a prophetic lesson, 345 ; the miracles are marvels, 345 ; the ideal repentance, 346 ; the prayer figurative, 347 ; an early Haggada, 348 ; a marvel of the love of God, 349.

The story of Esther, 349 ; historic discrepancies, 350 ; does not explain Purim, 350 ; Esther, heroine of patriotism, 350.

The stories of Daniel, 351 ; a Maccabean book, 351 ; Aramaic stories, 351 ; historical discrepancies, 352 j historic fiction, 352.

CHAPTER XIV CHABACTEBISTICS OF BIBLICAL POETBY

Features of Hebrew poetry, 355 ; religious poetry, 356 ; simple and natural, 357 ;

subjective, 358 ; sententious, 358 ; realistic, 359. Ancient theories of Hebrew poetry, 361 ; compared with Arabic poetry, 361 ;

compared with classical metres, 362.

Modern theories, 363 ; Jones, 363 ; Saalchutz, 363 ; Bickell, 364 ; Ewald, 365. Lowth's doctrine of parallelism, 366 ; Bishop Jebb's introverted parallelism, 367 ;

the stairlike movement, 367.

Ley's theory of measures, 369 ; Briggs' early views, 370 ; primary and secondary

poetic accent, 370.

Poetic language, 371 ; full sounding forms, 371 ; archaisms, 371.

CONTENTS XVll

CHAPTEE XV THE MEASURES OE BIBLICAL POETRY

Assonance and rhyme, 373 ; identical suffixes, 373 ; assonance, 375 ; word play,

375.

Measures by word or accent, 376 ; trimeter, 376 ; tetrameter, 379 ; pentameter,

380 ; hexameter, 382 ; varying measures, 384.

CHAPTER XVI THE PARALLELISMS OF HEBREW POETRY

Parallelism of members, 385 ; the couplet, 385 ; the triplet, 388 ; the tetrastich, 390 ; the pentastich, 392 ; the hexastich, 394 ; the heptastich, 395 ; the octastich, 397 ; the decastich, 397.

The strophe, 398 ; of two lines, 400 ; of three lines, 401 ; of four lines, 401 ; of five lines, 402 ; of six lines, 403 ; of seven lines, 406 ; of eight lines, 407 ; of nine lines, 410 ; of ten lines, 411 ; of twelve lines, 411 ; of fourteen lines, 412 ; unequal strophes, 413.

CHAPTER XVII THE KINDS OF HEBREW POETRY

Lyric poetry, 415 ; the hymn, prayer, and song of Moses, 415 ; Psalter, 415 ;

Lamentations, 415.

Gnomic poetry, 416 ; fable, 416 ; riddle, 417 ; temperance poem, 418 ; gnome of

the sluggard, 418.

Composite poetry, 418 ; dramatic poetry, 419 ; Psalm xxiv. 419 ; Hosea xiv. 419 ;

Job, 420 ; Song of Songs, 420 ; Poetry of Wisdom, 422 ; Job xxxi. 422 ;

prophetic poetry, 424 ; Isaiah liii. 424.

CHAPTEE XVIII HISTORY OF THE INTERPRETATION OF HOLY SCRIPTURE

Oral and written Word, 427 ; general interpretation, 428 ; art of understanding

and explaining, 428.

Rabbinical interpretation, 429 ; legal or Halacha, 430 ; illustrative or Haggada,

431 ; allegorical or Sodh, 432 ; Cabala or mystic, 432 ; literal or Peshat, 433. Hellenistic interpretation, 434 ; allegorical method of Philo, 434 ; rules of

allegory, 435.

Interpretation of the Old Testament in the New Testament, 436 ; Jesus' use of

the Halacha, 437 ; of Haggada, 438 ; of the Sodh, 438 ; Jesus' characteristic

methods, 441 ; methods of the apostles, 443.

XVlll CONTENTS

Interpretation of the Fathers and of the Schoolmen, 447 ; Tertullian, 447 ; Clement of Alexandria, and Origen, 448 ; Tychonius' rules, 449 ; Augustine's rules, 449 ; Antiochan school, 451 ; tradition and ecclesiastical authority, 453 ; Epitomes, Postiles, Glosses, 454 ; Lyra, 454 ; Council of Trent, 455.

Interpretation of the Reformers and their successors, 456 ; Erasmus and Tyndale, 456 ; the Protestant principle, 457 ; the scholastics, 458.

The Interpretation of the Puritan and Arminians, 459 ; Cartwright, 459 ; Ball, 460 ; Westminster Confession, 461 ; Leigh, 462 ; Erancis Eoberts, 464 ; Federal school, 466 ; Pietism, 467 ; Grotius, Hammond, and John Taylor, 468.

Biblical interpretation of modern times, 469 ; Ernesti, 469 ; Semler, 469 ; the grammatico-historical method, 470 ; Schleiermacher and the organic method, 471 ; the method of interpretation of Scripture as the history of redemption, 472.

CHAPTEE XIX

THE PRACTICE OF INTERPRETATION OF HOLY SCRIPTURE

Grammatical interpretation, 474 ; philological study, 474 ; great improvement in

knowledge of Biblical languages, 475.

Logical and rhetorical interpretation, 476 ; laws of thought, 476 ; logic of Biblical authors, 477 ; Biblical rhetoric, 478. Historical interpretation, 478 ; mistakes of supernaturalism, 479 ; tradition versus

history, 479.

Comparative interpretation, 480 ; mistakes of rationalists, 480 ; unity in variety,

480.

The literature of interpretation, 481 ; magnitude of the literature, 481 ; consent

of the fathers, 481 ; bondage to the theologians, 482. Doctrinal interpretation, 483 ; the rule of faith, 483 ; the analogy of faith in the

substance of Holy Scripture, 483.

Practical interpretation, 484 ; the Bible a book of life, 484 ; Holy Spirit the

supreme interpreter, 485.

CHAPTER XX HISTORY OF THE STUDY OF BIBLICAL HISTORY

The use of Biblical History prior to the sixteenth century, 487 ; Josephus, 487 ; Tatian, Hegesippus, and Julius Africanus, 488 ; Eusebius, 489 ; Sulpicius Severus and Augustine, 489 ; Rudolf of Saxony, 489.

Study of Biblical History in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, 489 ; Harmonies, 490 ; arch^ological writers, 490.

Study of Biblical History in the eighteenth century, 490 ; conflict of supernaturalists with Deism, Atheism, and Rationalism, 490 ; mediating efforts, 491.

Biblical History in the nineteenth century, 491 ; Herder and Eichhorn, 491 ; Deists and Thomas Payne, 492,

The mythical hypothesis, 493 ; DeWette and G. L. Baur, 493 ; Strauss, 493 ; Ullmann, 495 ; failure of mythical hypothesis, 496.

CONTENTS xix

The legendary hypothesis, 497 ; Kenan, 497 ; failure of the legendary hypothesis, 498.

The development hypothesis, 498 ; F. C. Baur and Vatke, 498 ; schools of Baur and Neander, 499 ; Eitschl, 500 ; Harnack, 500 ; criticism of the school of Kitschl, 503 ; Ewald, 504 ; Wellhausen, 504 ; Stade, Kittel, and Kent, 504 ; Graetz and Jost, 505.

Advance in several departments of Biblical History, 505 ; the rise of contemporary history, 505 ; Schneckenberger and Berthean, 505 ; more recent studies in Oriental archaeology, 506 ; unscientific methods of Sayce and Hommel, 506 ; Robinson, the father of modern Biblical geography, 507 ; Biblical geography since Robinson, 507.

The results of historical criticism, 508 ; defects of the older histories, 509 ; a new Biblical History, 510.

CHAPTER XXI THE PRACTICE OF HISTORICAL CRITICISM

Genesis of historical material, 511 ; illustrated from Biblical chronology, 512 ;

from the history of the chronicler, 513 ; from naming of Saint Peter, 514 ;

from speaking with tongues at Pentecost, 517. Genuineness of historical material, 519 ; illustrated in question of the historicity

of Daniel, 519 ; of erroneous historical statements, 520 ; rashness in finding

errors, 521 ; the myth, 521 ; Arabic gospel of infancy, 522 ; the virgin birth

not a myth, 522 ; legends, 527 ; used in the epistles, 527 ; in the Gospels, 527, Reliability of historical material, 529 ; illustrated by the story of the Deluge,

529 ; Water from the Rock, 529 ; Census of Quirinius, 530. The Aim of Historical Criticism, 531 ; removal of erroneous traditions, 531 ; the

recovery of historic truth and fact, 532.

CHAPTER XXII BIBLICAL HISTORY

The Scope of Biblical History, 533 ; Biblical histories, 533 ; History contained in other Holy Scriptures, 533.

Contemporary History, 534 ; of the ancient empires, 534 ; of New Testament times, 534.

The History of Israel, 535 ; part of Universal History, 535 ; other nations guided by Providence, 537.

Biblical History proper, 538 ; the types of Biblical History, 538 ; the theophanic presence, 542 ; the kingdom of redemption, 547 ; divine fatherly discipline, 549 ; sovereignty of the Holy God, 550.

The Order of Biblical History, 553 ; History of the Old Covenant and New Covenant, 553 ; Moses, David, Ezra, 553 ; Forerunners of Christ, Christ, and his Apostles, 553.

Sections of Biblical History, 554 ; Biblical chronology and geography, 554 ; Biblical archseology, 554.

XX CONTENTS

Sources of Biblical History, 555 ; mythical sources, 557 ; legendary sources, 558 ;

poetical sources, 559 ; ancient laws, 560 ; documentary sources, 563. The Historic Imagination, 564.

CHAPTER XXIII BIBLICAL THEOLOGY

The four types of theology, 569 ; the mystic, 570 ; the scholastic, 570 ; the

speculative, 571 ; the practical, 571 ; the comprehensive cathohc, 571 ;

mingling of types, 572.

Rise of Biblical Theology, 575 ; Zacharia and Ammon, 575 ; distinguished from

dogmatics, 575 ; Gabler, 576 ; De Wette and Von Coin, 578 ; the historical

principle, 576.

Development of Biblical Theology, 578 ; Strauss, 578 ; E. C. Baur, 578 ; theory

of Jewish Christian, and Pauline parties, 578 ; Neander's theory of types,

579 ; Schmid assigned Biblical Theology to Exegetical Theology, 579 ; Reuss

and Lutterbeck set Biblical Theology in the midst of the religious ideas of

the times, 583 ; Kuenen and Wellhausen, 585 ; recent investigations, 587 ;

younger Ritschlians, 589.

The Idea of Biblical Theology, 592 ; limited to canonical writings, 592 ; not a

history of religion in Biblical times, 593 ; how related to Dogmatics, 594 ;

the ethical element, 597 ; the element of religion, 597 ; the theology of the

Bible in its historic formation, 598.

The place of Biblical Theology, 599 ; not a part of Biblical History, 599 ; the

highest section of the study of the Bible, 600 ; the fundamental source of all

other divisions of Theology, 601.

Methods of Biblical Theology, 601 ; the genetic method, 601 ; the inductive

method, 602 ; the unity and variety, 602 ; blending of methods, 603. System of Biblical Theology, 603 ; the covenant the dominant principle, 604 ;

historic divisions, 604 ; synthetic divisions, 604 ; the several types, 606.

CHAPTEE XXIV THE CREDIBILITY OF HOLY SCRIPTURE

Dogmatic theory of the infallibility of the Bible, 607 ; need of a reconstruction of the doctrine of the Bible, 607.

The Bible and other sacred books, 608 ; errors in sacred books, 608 ; mistake of depreciating them, 609 ; their excellent features not derived from the Bible, 610.

Science and the Bible, 612 ; Bible subject to the criticism of Science, 613 ; Bible does not teach Science, 614 ; scientific errors do not destroy credibility, 614.

The Canon and Inerrancy, 615 ; the question of errors in the original autographs, 615 ; Canon is independent of the question of the autographs, 616 ; autographs of authors and of editors, 618 ; autographs neglected by early Jews and Christians, 620.

CONTENTS XXI

Textual criticism and credibility, 621 ; errors in best texts obtainable, 621 ; no infallibility of vowel points or script, 621 ; the divine authority in translations, 622 ; no stress to be laid on external letter of Scripture, 623 ; textual form not infallible, 624.

The Higher Criticism and credibility, 627 ; traditional errors as to literature, 627 ; inconsistencies due to variation of sources and authors, 628 ; literary form not infallible, 629.

Historical Criticism and credibility, 631 ; discrepancies, 631 ; errors in sources, 631 ; historical form not infallible, 632 ; infallibility in substance of divine teaching as to religion, faith, and morals, 633.

CHAPTER XXV THE TRUTHFULNESS OF HOLY SCRIPTURE

Is the Bible the Word of God ? 634 ; it cannot be assumed but must be proved, 634 ; essential truthfulness consistent with circumstantial errors, 635 ; human medium of revelation, 635 ; providential superintendence not inspiration, 636.

Must God speak inerrant words to men ? 637 ; argument from the Book of nature, 637 ; from theophanies, 638 ; from psychology and pedagogy, 638 ; from the methods of Jesus, 639 ; Bible inerrant only in its religious instruction, 640.

Gradual development of the Hebrew religion, 641 ; burnt-offerings of human beings, 641 ; sacrificial system, 642 ; laws of ceremonial sanctity, 643 ; institutions of Israel elementary, 643.

Gradual development of morality, 643 ; laws sufficient for the time, 643 ; but inadequate for a later age, 644 ; the ethics of falsehood, 644; the spirit of revenge, 644 ; Mosaic law of divorce, 645 ; the temporary and the eternal, 645 ; ethics of Jesus, 645.

Gradualness of Biblical doctrine, 646 ; doctrine of God, 646 ; vindictiveness, 646 ; anthropomorphisms, 647 ; doctrine of man, 647 ; doctrine of redemption, 647 ; messianic ideals, 648 ; future life, 648 ; inadequateness of form, infallibility of substance, 649.

CHAPTER XXVI

Redemption by the grace of God, 651; the principles of the Reformation in their harmony, 652.

The Gospel in Holy Scripture, 652 ; relations of faith to Holy Scripture, 652 ; relation of grace to Holy Scripture, 653 ; exaltation of the person of Christ, 664 ; organic work of the Divine Spirit in the Church, 654.

xxii CONTENTS

The Grace of God in Holy Scripture, 654 ; Scripture contains the Gospel of Salvation, 655 ; contains the redemption offered and applied in Christ, 656 ; grace of regeneration, 657 ; of sanctification, 668.

The efficacy of Holy Scripture, 659 ; not ex opere operato, 660 ; dynamic in the experience of man, 660.

The appropriation of the Grace of Holy Scripture, 660 ; attention, 661 ; faith, 665 ; practice, 668.

INDICES

Texts of Holy Scripture, 671.

Books, Authors, and Subjects, 679.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER I

THE ADVANTAGES OF THE STUDY OF HOLY SCRIPTUEE

1. Biblical Study is the most important of all studies, for it is the study of the Word of God, which contains a divine revelation of redemption to the world. Nowhere else can such a redemption be found save where it has been derived from this fountain source or from those sacred persons, institutions, and events presented to us in the Bible. The Bible is the chief source of the Christian religion. Christian theology, and Christian life. While other secondary and subsidiary sources may be used to advantage in connection with this principal source, they cannot dispense with it. For the Bible contains the revelation of redemption ; the Messiah and His kingdom are the central theme ; its varying contents lead by myriads of paths in converging lines to the throne of the God of grace. The Bible is the sure way of life, wisdom, and blessedness.

2. Biblical Study is the most extensive of all studies, for its themes are the central themes which are inextricably entwined in all knowledge. Into its channels every other study pours its supply as all the brooks and rivers flow into the ocean. The study of the Bible is a study for men of every class and every occupation in life, for all the world. No profound scholar in any department of investigation can avoid the Bible. Sooner or later his special studies will lead him thither. The Bible is an ocean of heavenly wisdom. The little child may sport upon its shores and derive instruction and delight. The most accomplished scholar finds its vast extent and mysterious depths beyond his grasp.

We open the Bible and on its earliest pages are confronted with the story of the origin of the world, the creation of man, and the problem of evil. The biblical histories present, in brief yet impressive outlines, the struggle of good and evil, the strife of tribes and nations, and, above all, the interplay of divine and human forces, showing that a divine plan of the world is unfolding. The springs of human action, the secrets of human experience and motive, are disclosed in the measures of psalm and proverb. The character, attributes, and purposes of God are unveiled in the strains of holy prophets. The union of God and man in redemption is displayed in the progress of its literature. Two great covenants divide the plan of redemption into the old covenant and the new. The former presents us instructions which are a marvel of righteousness, sacredness, and love ; institutions that are symmetrical and grand, combining, as nowhere else, the real and the ideal, — the light and guide to Israel bearing on to the new covenant. In the latter the Messiah presents His achievements of redemption in which are stored up the forces which have shaped the Christian centuries, and the secrets of the everlasting future. All the sciences and arts, all the literatures and histories, all the philosophies and religions of the world, gather about the Bible to make contribution to its study and derive help from its instruction. A student of the Bible needs encyclopsedic knowledge. The Bible will never be mastered in all its parts until it is set in the midst of universal knowledge. It comes from the Supreme Wisdom, and it can be comprehended only by those who have attained the heights of wisdom.

3. Biblical Study is the most profound of all studies, for it has to do with the secrets of life and death, of God and man, of this world and other worlds. Its central contents are divine revelations. These came from God to man because man could not attain them otherwise. Even those contents of the Bible that are not revealed, are colored and shaped b}^ the revelations with which they are connected. All study which goes beyond the surface soon reaches the mysterious. There are many mysteries that patient and persistent investigation has solved ; others are in process of solution ; still others future study may be able to solve. But the mysteries revealed in the Bible are those which man had not been able to attain by inductive and deductive investigation, and which it is improbable that he could have attained without special divine guidance, at least at the time that that knowledge was necessary for the progress of mankind at the stage in his historical development when the revelation was given. When the study of the other departments of human learning has reached their uttermost limits, there still remains a wide expanse between those limits and the contents of divine revelation, which man cannot cross by his own unaided powers. Divine revelation is to the other departments of human knowledge what heaven is to earth. It is above them, it encircles them, and it envelops them on every side. Like heaven, it discloses illimitable heights and breadths. Those things which are revealed lift the student of the Bible to regions of knowledge that reach forth to the infinite. And yet profound as the divine revelation is, it is simple. It is like the sunlight bearing its own evidence in itself. It is like the blue vault of heaven clear and bright. It is a revelation for babes as well as men, for the simple as well as the learned. God sendeth it as the rain on the just and the unjust, for " He is kind unto the unthankful and the evil." ^ The most profound study cannot master it. Any attentive study of it is rewarded with precious knowledge.