Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-12-24
Miscellaneous 8eaaina.
SOME sIsLe HISTORY.

j WGCtlIaufuMh Ntduluu.
| SOME bIslE HIS IORY.
! How the Improved" Scriptures Came
d, to 90 rupIIsneo.
i. The Waterman, the reading Baptist
journal In lne United states, taxes
exception to calling the recenuy-puu-
nsned bapLst blDie new" says lne
Ioprlngtieiu RepupIlcan. The history
OF lne enterprise, the elimination o.
(Which Is new at least to most people
J ouIsiue OF The bapust denomination,
is set forth in lne following edIIorlai
In the current issue or the Waterman:
baptists have generally been sur
lprlseu at the statements which have
Iappeared in the secular press that q
new baptist Bible has just been issued
lby the American bapIisr publication
Isociey, in which starting innovations
lare made from the time-nonored KING
James version; and some Of the an
lclent traditions Of Christianity are
Thrown overheard and the baprsls as
a. boay have embarked on the broaa
fsea OF heresy.
heard nothing or Bible OF tins amaz-
ing character, they are naturally amaz-
ed at the position In which they tind
themselves. and are anxiously curious
ito learn from what source all tins ex-
lciling accusation has arisen.
We hasten to assure our eager Bap-
ltist inquirers that the origin Of this
Inew and startling innovation with
(which they are charged, dates back
NEARLY half century. The most
tstartling variations which the secular
papers have discovered in this social
ed new baptist Bible, first appeared in
l1s65 in the revised New Testament is
Isued by the American Bible union. The
lenterprising daily papers have just
discovered 1t.
It reminds us Of the story Of the ed
itor who happened to read the story
of the flood. and soundly scolded his
lstaff Of reporters because. they had al
Ilowed the other papers to get snap
on them.
l. Nevertheless the issuance Of the full
Bible In IAN improved version" which
Is the name given to the new edition
issued by the American Baptist pub
liication society, affords occasion for
p review Of Baptist Bible translations
(which will be of interest to at least
the younger generation Of Baptists.
At one time Baplists in the United
States had three Bible societies. There
was the American Baptist publication
society, formed in 1892 by members
Of the old general Baptist convention,
or triennial convention, as 1t was IA
miliarly called, to do general Bible and
religious publication work. Then there
was the American and Foreign Bible
society, which was formed to publish
Adoniram Judson's translation Of the
Bible into Burman, when the British
and Foreign Bible society and the
American Bible society both refused to
publish It, because he had translated
10baptfzo" by word meaning to i'm
merse, instead Of transliterating 1t as
In the King James version. Then there
was the American Bible union, form
ed because the American, and Foreign
Bible society, while it published BIZ
BILE in Burman in which "baptizo" was
Translated "immerse," refused to pub
lish a Bible in English in which the
same thing was done.
In 1855 this American Bible union
published an edition of the New Tes-
lament in which "baptizo" was trans
laled "immerse." Hence these tears
from the editors Of the daily papers,,
lforty-seven years later!
The controversies between these
three Baptist Bible societies continued
until the Baptist denomination in the
United States arose, and called the
great Bible convention at Saratoga, N.
Y, in 1883. the first time the Baptists
of the whole country had gotten to-
gether by duly appointed delegates,
since the division Of its general con-
ference in 1S46.
i The Saratoga Bible convention abol-
ished the American Foreign Bible So
lciety and the American Bible union,
and committed the whole Bible work
Of the Baptists, home and foreign, to
the American Baptist Publication So
ciety, with instructions to continue the
version Of the Bible union, by use Of
funds given specially for that purpose,
as they accumulated. This society ap-
pointed DR.. Alvah Hovey, DR.. John A.
Broadus and DR.. Henry G. Weston to
prepare an improved" edition Of the
Bible union New Testament, originally
translated by DR.. T. ]. Conant; and
this was published In two editions, one
with "baptizo" translated fmmerse,"
and one with the transliteration "bap-
tize."
, In 1889 the publication society ap-
pointed DR.. Bernard c.. Taylor, DR.. j.
r. Sampey, DR.. William R. Harper
!: and DR.. Ira M. Price to prepare an
ment, based upon DR.. Conant's trans
! lations. This work has just been is
: sued by the society, making an entire
improved" Bible.
That Is the whole story, barring
some minor details.
You can get the whole improved"
Bible fro mthe publication society or
any Of its branches for 81. We do not
mind repeating, what we have often
said before, that the New Testament
Is the best translation ever issued.
That part, in the Bible now issued,
combines the two separate versions
heretofore issued and both transliter-
ates and translates "baptizo" thus:
"baptize Cimmerse)." The translation
Of the Old Testament follows the style
of the New in using modern words In
modern style instead Of following
closely the King James version. 1t is