The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-11-30
LECTURE BY PROF. BRIGGS
THE EMINENT BIBLE SCHOLAR EX-
PLAINS THE "ITISD orr or JESUS"

Jesus Use of Wisdom Teaehings-super-
eminent in His as Well ms in Other Forms
of Teachings-Why They Are Put in Po-
etical Forms--Literary Value Discovered
by Historical Methods of Research.
Prof Charles A. Briggs of Union
Theological seminary delivered the Sec
ond in the course of lectures before the
Mems club of the United church last
evening. A large audience filled the
church to hear this eminent authority
on all matters of Bible study and criu-
cism. The subject last evening was;
THE Wisdom Of Jesus, and a large
part of his lecture was devoted to an
explanation of the various forms of
verse used in the wisdom literature.
Some of the general conclusions
reached by the speaker in his remarks
are as follows:
Wisdom literature is of common &C.
curence in Hebrew literature, and is
found in the Old Testament, where it
constitutes very important part of the
teachings of Jesus Himself
1.-THE early Christian church had the
tradition that the wisdom of Jesus was
contained in the gospel of Matthew at
| first written in Hebrew, and later in
| Greek We cannot be certain that the
parallels and acts of Jesus were con-
tanned in the logic of Matthew, but
there is but little doubt but that the
words of wisdom are found there. The
| types of wisdom are so well defined in
the other wisdom literature that there
| is no danger of confusion with the other
form of literature.
Whatever 1 have to say here in re-
gard to the wisdom teachings of Jesus
is not in the least in disparagement of
His other forms of teaching. He was
a wonderful teacher in all other re-
spects. He was prophet greater by
far than any of those who preceded
Him. The woes which He pronounced
upon Jerusalem are superior to Isaiah
as prophetic teaching.
Again, as an expounder of the law
codes of the Old Testament, he was SUI
! perior to all others, vanquishing the
Pharisees with their own weapons in
| this respect and He may be called the
greatest of the Jewish rabbis.
HE excelled, also, in teaching, by
means of parallels and stories, and the
examples of this found in the gospels
are far superior to those found any
where else. I do not, therefore, under
estimate or depreciate the other teach
ings of Jesus when / say He was the
greatest of the wisdom teachers.
HE surprised the people by the pow
er of His teachings, for He taught as
one having authority
Jesus put His wisdom teaching in
poetical form, because it had been put
in poetical form in the old wisdom lit
erature, and the style was still in use
at the time of Jesus.
"The poetical effect Of the wisdom lit
erature is often spoiled or lost in the
translation by explanations and
changes introduced by the translate,
in order that the gentiles might under
stand it,"
+. DR.. Briggs at this point illustrated
the various forms used in the wisdom
verse with quotations from the wisdom
| literature Of both the Old Testament
and that Of the New.
THE literary value of the wisdom
teaching has been much overlooked
It's poetic forms and merit have re
Gently been discovered by the methods
of historical criticism.
ut excels all other wisdom teachings
but is not so elaborate as that found In
Job and Solomon in the Old Testament
| as Jesus was not writer, and an elab-
crate style was not suited to His form
| of wisdom teaching.
| 1.-THE wisdom of Jesus is ethical and
practical in it's character, and we are
| looking forward to the time when less
stress will be laid upon the ritualistic
| and dogmatic form of Scripture teach.
ings, and more on the ethical and NOR.
AL and 1T is in the wisdom literature
that we shall look for this kind OF
| teaching
wisdom teaching is also found II
| the epistle of James, where the spirit OF
Jesus breathes through this form OF
the apostles teachings"
It is expected that Mr.. William l
Fletcher will address the Mems club
next Sunday evening on 1.-THE Place
and Power of Books" Mr.. Fletcher is
the librarian Of Amherst college ant
editor of Poole's Index, and is widely
| known as a suggestive writer on books