Mexico weekly ledger., 1893-11-09

fists for more than double the
money. They want such a lexicon.
They need 1t. They would pay for
it.
Some time ago the following
letter was addressed TO several pro-
f~essors of Greek in as many Of the
best American colleges:
DEAR SIR: Will you please
write to me the name and publish
or of at least one standard Greek
English lexicon that gives either
sprinkle or pour as one of the
meanings Of the Greek word
baptizo? If there is no such stand
ard lexicon, state the fact"
The professors failed to refer to
such a current lexicon. Here is
the reply of Professor Humphreys,
Master of Arts and Doctor of Phil
osophy (Leipsic), Professor of
Greek in Vanderbilt University-a
Methodist university: "There is
no standard Greek English lexicon
that gives sprinkle or pour as mean
ings of baptizo."
The fact is, that the man who
says baptizo signifies ''to sprinkle,
to pour" makes a most pitiable
exhibition of his want of learning
on this question. The best Greek
scholars and debaters among the
pedobaptists do not pretend that the
word is so defined by any Greek
English lexicon. They say that
the standard Greek. English Iexlcons
are classical ~lexicons, and do not
give the meaning of the word as
used IN the New Testament; that
in the New Testament the word
signifies a washing, and that a wash
ing can be performed by sprinkling
or pouring, as well as by INNER
sion. But here they are short
again; for some of the New Testa-
ment %lexicons, while they define
the word to mean "wash," are
particular to state that it means
such a washing as was performed
only by immersion. No New
Testament lexicon defines the word
by sprinkle or pour. I will read
the definition of one of the latest
and best Biblical lexicons-ssProf.
Cremer's Lexicon of New Testa-
ment Greek" That you may
know what kind of lexicon it is, l
will read a few lines from the
translator's preface: professor
Cremer's Lexicon of New Testa-
ment Greek is, in Germany, con-
sidered one of the most important
contributions to the study of New
Testament exegesis that has appear
ed for many years. AS is clear from
the authors preface, the student
must not expect to find in it every
word which the New Testament
contains. For words whose ordi-
nary meaning in the classics is re-
tanned unmodified and unchanged
in Scripture, he must resort still to
the classical lexicons. But for words
whose meaning is thus modified,
words which have become the bases
and watchwords of Christian theol-
ogy, he will find this lexicon most
valuable and suggestive, tracing, as
it does, their history in their trans
ference from the classics into the
Septuagint, and from the Septuagint
into the New Testament, and the
gradual deepening and elevation of
their meaning till they reach the
fullness of New Testament thought.
Now, here is Professor Cremer's
definition of the word baptizo:
1.-The peculiar New Testament and
Christian use of the word to denote
immersion, submersion, for a re-
ligious purpose"
In its classic meaning there is
nothing of "the religious purpose"
as in hat of the New Testament.
But its action is the same, however,
in both. So far, therefore, as lexi-
cons are concerned, both classical
and Biblical, this is absolutely thel
end OF the controversy. Baptizo
means immerse, and is never defined
by either of the dissimilar words,
sprinkle or pour. 1t is true that
Liddell and Scott, in the first edition.
OF their lexicon, gave as one of the
meanings of this word 'sto pour up
on" but corrected it in the second
edition, and the correction stands in
the latest (sixth) edition.
There is also every reason why
baptizo should be taken in the
sense given to it by the lexicons in
the New Testament. Was not bap- .
tism performed sin Jordan" SIN
the river of Jordan" where there
was, and "because there was. much
water2" Did not the persons bap: .
TIED Ego down into" and "come
up out of the water?" Were they
not both buried" and ~"raised up"
in baptism? 4
Men can wrangle, and have wran- ,
gled, about these very plain circum- i
stances of New Testament baptism,
| know, but men can wrangle and
.avil about anything. Z
l am not sin it" for the purpose /.
Of a theological controversy. The !,
above matter shows that there is :
quite a large question or difference +
between Bro. Sweeny and Bro. Jack-
ION, and is submitted merely for the l.
purpose of calling attention to that .
act Vo-- r.