Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-02-20
"AND" Oh "EVEN2"
Editor Deseret News,

Editor Deseret News:
1 was Interested In your article on
this question. The declaration made
by our Saviour in John III. 3, was in
deed n vey positive one, and / made
frequent use Of 1t during my mission
airy work IN California,
IL Ia indeed remarkable how those
who oppose the ordinance Of baptism
seek TO twist the meaning of words
used In connection with Its adminstra-
ton, ana II is difficult 10 understand
how even the alleged mlslranslatlon OF
the Greek word "KaW az suggested by
the Free Gospelers can help their cause,
The ways Of those however who desire
10 find q plausible reason for their
hatred OF water and resistance 10 the
authoritative and plain declaration OF
Christ and His apostles on this sub
ieCt are devious and hard TO be under
stood, excepting those who have been
I'm the mission field and have to meet
such puerle objections There can be
but one meaning or construction put
upon the word "Kai" In the sentence
under consideration and Professor
Nowlin has fully and unequiyocally an
swered the point raised. ! would sug-
gest a further example which carries
the subject back to the time when
Latin and Greek were the two chief
languages Of Chrlstendom and before
they became dead. The standard
Latin translation Of the Greek Tesla
ment of those early days was that Of
81. Jerome-it is the one from which
Wlcllf made his English translation
and IL the one upon which the Roman
Catholic Donay Bible Ia based. our
anti baptism friends must seek some
stronger ground than this when assail-
ing an ordinance instituted by God
Himself In John ]; 80, the Baptist de-
claros his authority--saying 81 knew
him (Jesus) not; but He that sent me
to baptlze in water The same said
unto me-upon whom thou shalt see
the Spirit descending and remaining
on him, the same is He which bupti2eth
with the Holy Ghost" In the King
James translation, the force Of 'in
water" Is lost because the Greek word
ZEN Is mistranslated with instead
OF lin"
In the particular verse referred to in
your article there Is a mistake In the
King James translation. which the
Free Gospeiers might be asked to eX-
plain as they seem 20 profess to be
such proficient Greek scholars Eek
Cept a man be born OF water and OF
the Spirit" the Creek word "udatos"
meaning water is in the genitlve
case and Is therefore governed by the
simple word "of' Even In this form
it Is hard for ant-baptlzers to get
around the obvious meaning Of the
sentence. but II we go TO the original
Greek text we ind n small word which
has been overlooked IN many English
TRANSACTIONS, 1t is the word EEK" which
Is special proposition that governs
the gcnitiye case and Is put In to
give extra force and is insertion In
this particular place was J believe d.
vnely Inspired 1t has the forceful
meaning "out Of, the same word. in
addition to other places Is found in
Matt. IT. 10. "out Of Egypt hove I
called my Som" also in John 2O' 2"They
have taken away the Lord out of the
sepulchre, The use Of this special word
emphasizes the fact that man must
first 60 down or be in Egypt the sepel-
chre or the water In order TO come out
OF II, by it's omission in this instance
the use of the simple genitve case
I'm most Of the English TRANSACTIONS,
the immersion, the essential principle
Of the ordinance Is weakened The cor
rect translation therefore is-"EXCept
n man be born out OF Water and spirit"
I have discussed the subject some
what fully I'm an article on the Rlble
I'm the July number OF the Improvement
Era for 1904 and | believe our mission
aries would find II Of advantage to
keep some Of the facts therein men,
toned, as also in the August number,
In mind. when IN the field ond sur
rounded by contentious critics, The
English TRANSACTIONS OF the Bible con-
tain numerous mistakes. but no Greek
scholar Of any standing will assert
that "and' rs not the correct meaning
Of "Ka" In the verse IN Questlon--John
III; O.
II You deem this worthy Of a place
In your paper | shall be glad to have
my idea of the subject In print, MS
believe Il viii be helpful TO our people,
especially our Elders, with sincere re-
CARDS, believe me, yours very truly,
FREDERICK CLTFT, NJ. d.
r. S. ! have been n mem Der Of the
y, Y U. Faculty since September last.