And as to any difficulty arising from the position of the conjunction iva as in the same clause with r vμɛtɛpy ɛλɛɛ, it may, I think, be obviated by remarking that such transpositions are not unfrequent in the New Testament Greek; and, on this point, I refer to Ephes. iii. 10, as it stands, not in the authorized version, but in most Greek copies; and to 2 Cor. ii. 4, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀγάπην ἵνα γνῶτε. I am disposed to consider the pronoun μɛrep the adjunct to Eλɛɛ, as bearing the sense of "which proceeds from you." And for this sense of it, I refer to John xv. 20, last clause, and 1 Cor. xv. 31. With a further view to vindicate the authorized version, and the meaning usually given of this passage, I may remark, that the conjunction iva expresses the event or result, and the aorist subjunctive Elenowa governed of iva is used to express in this situation an action either in itself or its consequences continued. The next point of enquiry is, the English version does not show the different objects of belief of the Jews and Gentiles. Here it is to be noticed that L. B. himself acknowledges that the object of belief with the Gentiles, was God, as it is formally expressed in the 30th verse. But this is not the case as regards the Jews: the object of their belief is not stated, unless by removing the comma from nTεOngar, we place it at λɛɛ, and then the sense is clear and intelligible. But seriously-was it necessary formally to specify this object? or, is the new construction proposed, in order to create a very elegant and significant parallelism ? I should think that, on this point, it were enough to refer to the 10th chapter of this Epistle, as proving beyond question, that the Jews were rejected because they would not believe in the Messiah, though the Gospel had been preached to them plainly enough. The like omissions of the objects of Faith are of frequent occurrence in the Holy Scriptures, as may at once be discovered by an attentive reader, or even by reference to a concordance, where their number will be found so large, as to make selection on my part altogether needless. The remaining point is really answered already in what has been said. The Greek verb nanoar brings home the charge of unbe lief to the Jews; and, taken in connexion with the other parts of the Epistle, it would appear there could be no doubt who the object of their Faith was. In investigations of this kind, it were well to keep always in view the connexion in which the point of discussion stands with the other parts of the argument. This, I think, L. B. has not done. He gives a very partial and defective statement of St. Paul's argument. He has omitted any mention of the practical tendency of St. Paul's reasonings, and the fact on which it is principally urged the unbelief of the Jews. It will be seen on reference to the 25th verse, that St. Paul is anxious to acquaint the Gentiles of the mystery of the future restoration of the Jews. And why ?" lest they should be wise in their own conceits." He shows by a reference to their own Prophets, that the present defection of the Jews is partial and temporary, and will end when the Gentile Church is completed. They were rejected because enemies of the Gospel; but, as regards the election, they are yet beloved, for their fathers' sake. God's free gift, and the calling of Abraham's posterity, are not to be changed. The whole passage, verses 30, 31, 32, inclusive, may, on the basis of the authorized version, be thus freely paraphrazed: and I should hope the few critical remarks already made will abundantly authorize whatever liberty it may be imagined I have taken with the passage. 30th verse- -For as you, Gentiles, in times past, have not believed God, but now, through the Jews' unbelief, are become objects of God's love and favour. 31st-Even so have these Jews also now refused belief and obedience to Jesus Christ, so that through the Gospel or the knowledge of salvation, that will proceed from you, it will come to pass that they shall continue to experience God's love and mercy. 32d--For God hath permitted both Jews and Gentiles to be alternately subject to unbelief, in order that he may have mercy upon all, by bringing Jews and Gentiles to the knowledge of his salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. Thus it appears that the Jews and Gentiles are allowed to be alternately disobedient to the light they possessed, that the free gift or pardon might be equally bestowed on all. The Gentiles are, (verse 30) shown to have been in unbelief till Christ's coming, while the Jews were the chosen people, the Church of God; now, through the Jews' unbelief, God's mercy is extended to the Gentiles, in calling them into the Church: and the Jews have been convicted of unbelief in their rejection of Jesus Christ, but through the knowledge of salvation proceeding from the Gentiles, shall the Jews be again reinstated in God's favour. It seems then that the Apostle's argument requires an emphasis on the word attoria in the 30th verse, as well as a closer comparison between the 30th and 31st verses, than your correspondent, L. B., conceives necessary. I enquire not how far the words woTep and Tw imply such comparison; it rests upon a more solid foundation. And, if a further confirmation of this is required, it may be found in the 33d verse, where, in language issuing from a heart warmed by Divine love, the Apostle expresses his wonder and admiration of the unfathomable depth, and infinite treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of God, shown in making, first, the rejection of the Jews, for unbelief, the means of evangelizing the Gentiles, and then working upon that unbelief and obstinacy, by means of his mercies shown to the Gentiles. If this be a correct view of the subject, the mention of the unbelief of the Jews in the 30th verse, is far from incidental, being one of the hinges upon which the Apostle's reasoning turns. + I shall now conclude, expressing my hope, that no necessity appears for the change proposed; the chief considerations that led L. B. to suppose a mis-translation, and suggest a new version, being already fully provided for in the authorized version of the passage. VERAX. 251 BIBLICAL CRITICISM ROM. xiii. 8. TO THE EDITOR OF THE CHRISTIAN EXAMINER. The true meaning of this sweet passage, does not seem, I think, to be well understood; its force and beauty at least, are not in general fully appreciated. In the preceding verse, the Apostle lays this down as the Christian's rule: "Render, or pay, to all their dues," i. e. what you owe them; tribute to whom [you owe] tribute; custom to whom [you owe] custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom bonour." And then he repeats the precept, "owe no man any thing," with this beautiful restriction, "except it be, (ε μn,) to love one another." He seems, as it were, to recall the universality of the injunction he had given in favour of this single exception, as if he felt he had said too much, when he recollected that there was one debt due BY all and To all, which could never be paidthe debt of love. "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself," is the writing in the bond of everlasting truth, and therefore, until a man ceases to love himself, he cannot cease to be his neighbour's debtor in the duty of love. But in exact proportion as a man is in this respect a debtor, he is creditor likewise; and by his equal claims on others, the more he is himself indebted, he is owed the more; and therefore he can never become poor, for as he pays to others, he is himself enriched. It is one of the Christian paradoxes, that the cup of love is never filled, yet should be always running over. Love is a debt we all and always owe a debt that is never paid; for every payment only proves the claim, and leaves the balance still against us as before; a sum remaining due. But if all this be true respecting man, how much more with regard to what we owe to God. Reader, are you sensible of the immensity of the debt you owe to God. He has made you-He has fed you-He has clothed you; He has pitied and he has redeemed you. Do you feel that eternity cannot repay all this, but only add to and increase it? But has he saved you? Can you say you "therefore love him much, because you have been forgiven much?" If, indeed, you can say so, your happiness will be to love him more and more for ever, who has "loved you with an everlasting love, and with loving kindness thus has drawn you." And even if your conscience cannot say this, but tells you, that, though perhaps loved and honoured, kind and generous and amiable among men, you are still at enmity with the God of heaven; O how ought it to humble and soften your proud and flinty heart to hear, that God has nevertheless a love of holy compassion; a feeling of kindness and tender' pity for you, and has opened his arms wide to admit you to a share of his mercy and his love, as it is proclaimed from Calvary, bought with blood; stronger than death; and victorious over the grave; that grace might reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Here then, is a debt you owe; and like your neighbour's claim upon your love, a debt you never can pay. But here, too-though all desire to pay yet none that feel its power, would wish the debt were paid; for he who feels he owes the most, has ever most good will to pay, and strange to state, finds true delight and all his sweetest joy in what the world most hates; giving in payment all he has to give; his only sorrow, that he can give no more. Reader, remember "God is love, and he who loveth not knoweth not God:" remember also, who has said, "by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." Oh, never, never forget, that all the love you give to him, or them for his sake, is only what He first has given you.-In love your debtor. POLITELOS. THE WORD OF GOD ITS OWN INTERPRETER. TO THE EDITOR OF THE CHRISTIAN EXAMINER. SIR-Perhaps few persons are sufficiently influenced by the belief of what most are ready to admit, and which is, I am persuaded as true as it is important, viz.--that Holy Scripture is, in itself, altogether complete and perfect, and that any difficulties or apparent contradictions which meet our view in its perusal, arise from the imperfection of our minds, and not from the structure of the Divine writings. Every observation calculated to establish this fact, and to show that the word of God, studied with patience, attention, and humility, is its own best interpreter, however unimportant otherwise, is surely not without its use; for one great means which the Holy Spirit employs for enlightening the mind of the believer, and promoting growth in holiness, unquestionably is, the reading of God's word in an humble and simple spirit, with prayer for Divine teaching. Whatever tends, therefore, to promote an unfeigned dependance upon that word as our guide and counsellor, cannot but be useful. The following observations will show, at least in one instance, that the Scriptures furnish the humblest reader with a solution of difficulties which sometimes perplex the most learned; and therefore, that difficulties, instead of distressing our minds, or weakening our confidence in the Sacred Volume, should only lead us to a more diligent, watchful, and attentive perusal of it, by which they will often be removed in the simplest, most pleasing and most unexpected manner. 1 was applied to lately, Sir, by a valued friend, for an explanation of the apparent contradiction between John xviii. 28, and Mat. xxvi. 17-25; the latter of which passages gives an account of our Saviour's eating the Passover at the proper time with his disciples, "on the same night that he was betrayed;" while the former states that on the next day, the day after his apprehension, the Jews would not go into Pilot's house, for fear of being defiled, and so prevented from eating the Passover. On consulting the Commentaries, I found, especially in Whitby's, a very clear and satisfactory explanation which easily reconciled the conflicting passages. From Jewish authorities quoted by the learned writer, and by a reference to 2 Chron. xxxv. 8, 9; and Ezek. lxv. 21, it fully appeared, that the expression of the Evangelist in John xviii. 28, relates to the peace offerings which were a part of the services of the seven-day feast of unleavened bread; which, and not the Paschal lamb, the Jews were afraid of losing by incurring Gentile defilement. He also showed, that the term Passover, was a general appellation applied to the whole of this feast, and that the peace offerings were called Passover offerings. 2 Chron. xxxv. 8, 9. This was, of course, quite satisfactory. Some short time afterwards, however, I was much struck with a view of the simplicity of Scripture, compared with the elaborate arguments of human learning, while reading Luke xxii. 1. The words are as follows: "Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover." From this it was at once plain, that there was no discrepancy whatever between the passages above referred to, because it is evident from hence, that waaxa, (passover,) was the name of the whole seven-day feast of unleavened bread, as well as of the eating of the lamb on the evening when it began, staat ཝཱ་ This simple passage, reconciled also, at once, another, and 1 would say, a more difficult expression, to be found in John xix.14 "And it was the preparation of the Passover about the sixth hour." Hapaσkεvn, i.e. "the preparation," was, it is well known, the com mon name among the Jews for Friday, as being" the preparation" or day before their weekly Sabbath. Iapaokεvn Laax therefore, simply means, passover Friday, or the preparation day in passover week. This at once renders the whole narrative clear and consistent with fact; and thus does Scripture fully explain itself, and best interpret its own language. Should these remarks be satisfactory to the minds, of any of your readers on the subject referred to, or have the effect of leading them to a minute examination of the word of truth with regard to any difficult passage, that may have occurred in reading; or should they induce any one, when difficulty occurs, instead of at once yielding to present impressions, to exercise humble faith, by suspending his hasty judgment, and waiting the result of a more close and delibe rate enquiry upon the subject: so as that " by patience and comfort of God's holy word, he may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life," which He has given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ, I shall feel thankful that I have not in vain presented myself to their attention, and for that purpose sought an bumble place in your pages, + |