The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-06-04
New Testament Changes.

Il
ed the doxelegy from the Lords
Prayer In Matthew's Gospel-"for
Thine is the kingdom and the power
and the glory, forever. Amen"
These words are an Interpolation
found on the margin of the text in
some OF the EARLY manuscripts, and
not found at all in the oldest one.
Its origin can be traced back to re-
mote Alyan sources. and it can be
found almost literally in one of the
hymns of the Zend Avesta. to which
some students of Iranic literature
give an antiquity as great as 1000
years before Christ, and which is in
disputably older than the time of Cy-
rus and the cuneiform inscriptions
(about 500 B. c. In this hymn, adj
dressed to Ahura- Mayda, the Creator
and Good Principal, occurs the fol-
lowing passage: "To Him belongs
the Kingdom, the might and the
power" Evidently this doxology or
ascription is one of the earliest ex-
preston of worship adopted by the
Aryan mind. Its omission from the
Lords Prayer will not be generally
welcomed, for it unquestionably
forms an impressive and beautiful
climax; but as there is now no rea-
son for supposing it was in the erigi-
nal Gospel the Christian world must
give it up. Biblical scholars are all
agreed that no claim for inspiration
can be made for it.
Another change which will be even
less readily accepted because it rests
upon the meaning of a word and not
upon question of authenticity now
fully determined, is that of substitu-
ting love fer charity III the thirteenth
chapter of L. Corinthians. st. Paul's
praise of charity as the chief of Chris
tian virtues, In the beautiful chapter
which is probably more firmly i'm
bedded in Christian thought than any
portion of the Bible except the Ser
mon on the Mount, now becomes the
praise of love. 1t must be admitted,
however, that the argument in favor
of this alienation is a strong one.
The Greek word rendered charity in
King James virsion does not mean
alms-giving, nor merely a tolerant,
kindly frame of mind toward the
weaknesses and faults of other, as the
word charity signifies in the English
OF the present day but something
much broader, deeper and more &C.
tive-the love of the soul for God
and humanity. The inefficiency and
liability to misconception of the word
charity in the chapter in question
have long been recognized by Bibll-
cal scholars. Trench says: Love
and charity are used in our author
lied version Of the New Testament
promiscuOusly. and out of the sense
of their equivalence are made to rep
resent one and HE some Greek word
but in modern use charity has come
almost exclusively to signify one par
ticulal manifestation of love-the
supply of the bodily needs of Others
love continuing to express the af-
fections of the soul" The Revision
Committee cannot, therefore, be
charged with making a novel render
ing in this instance. The change
they propose has long been anticipa-
ted and approved by scholars.
The almost entire absence in the
Revision of changes having a posi-
BILE doctrinal significance will be
much commented upon. The expla-
nation will be found, no doubt, in the
fact that most of the important Prot
estant sects were represented upon
the Committee and that consider
able majority was required to make
change in the face of a contest.
Perhaps there was also a feeling of
courtesy which caused the majority
to refrain from pressing alterations
which might have some effect on the
peculiar doctrine fanny ofthe denom-
nations having a membership in the
Board. AT all events, there is not
able absence of sectarian feeling in
the criticisms thus far made upon the
new text.
The appearance of the new transla-
ton, its enormous sale, the discus
sion of its merits, and the publication
by the newspapers of the history of
early manuscripts and versions, will
no doubt arouse fresh interest in the
GOSPEL narratives and the theology
of the Epistles, by which the churches
may expect to profit in the way of
fuller pews and increased member.
ship. Much will depend, however,
on the direction this fresh interest
takes, whether it proves to be rever-
ent or only critical and argumentiye.
Possibly we are on the eve of great
revival of Christianity. The sale ofa