Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-01

STUDIES IN THE GREEK NEW TES-
LAMENT. BY Richard NJ Smith Edited.
With an Introduction by John j. Tigert
LII ID. Nashville, Tenn: Publishing
House, Methodist Episcopal Church,
South. 1895. Pages, 163.
The author of this work ought TO be
capable of rendering the aid of ripe
scholarship to his fellows, for he is a Mas
ter Of Arts of the University OF Virginia;
Doctor Of Philosophy Of Leipzig, and
was for ten years Professor Of Classical
and New Testament Greek in Randolph
Macon College. IT will be useful in re-
freshing and informing the minds OF
those who have not kept up their Greek,
but Will be chiefly valuable to those who,
whether in or out Of college. are engaged
in the study of 'lhe original Greek Scrip
lures II gives evidence of patient redac-
ton. with some critical acumen and inde-
pendence of judgment.
DIR. Smith does not approve OF the APP
pellation, Testament" and recommends
Covenant" as preferable His term
would apply very well to a portion of the
Hebrew Scriptures. but not TO all of
them-not even a ma jorlty-and would
still less characterize the Greek sacred
writings.
But even II the objections to the use
OF the name Testament" were stronger
than he can make them. II would be ILL
advised TO adopt his proposed change at
this late day. All Christendom and good
part OF heathendom, including millions OF
children. now know at once what is sig
niiied by the Old and the New Testament.
Indeed, vast multitudes have become
more or less attached TO those terms.
Sometimes, they are spoken OF as the Old
and the New Dispensation, but not for
the purpose OF supplanting the long
cherished name of Testament"
In his alphabetical list OF words and
phrases used in the New Testament, our
author soon arrives at the much-mooted
word, baptizo. and he frankly confesses
that he does not know It's meaning but
on page 50 he rather ridicules the idea
that II means immersion. And then he
adds, very significantly, that Infant bap-
tlsm and immersion can 20 very well
together" Here he might have dismissed
this ''yexed question" bur he recurs to
IL in a special appendix. in which he
presses his own views into the domain of
modern controversy. and becomes SO
latitudinarian that an overwhelming ma
jority of the Christian world may think
that he undertakes the Importance OF
baptism in all it's modes Still. in speak
ing OF the Baptists. he has the proper
sense and proper feeling to call them
great and good.
When he comes TO the word Charity"
he breaks forth quite vehemently: 1.-The
substitution OF charity" for love" is
a stage in the drawing-back OF the soul
from the perfect requirements OF the God
of love. 1t is a compromise with he spirit
of hate. IL Is an act OF treachery 10 the
spirit OF brotherhood" ETC.. etc. In this
ebullision there is neither logic nor
scholarship. He says that In the "Old
Version" the Greek word asape In trans
lated love eighty-seven times 'ut 81 enc
hundred and sixteen. When the same
translators In Other places translated it
charity, they merely declared that 1t was
the same as love. and at that time It was
Even now Il does not mean merely aims
giving. Yet our author holds that be-
cause charity has now changed It's mean
ing we must replace II with one that has
not changed. Every preacher and other
teacher points out that change. But II has