Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1913-05-02


llo.s
ffoAST11P 0JISSFJT0 The Pastor de
-------'--.-s-------/ clared that h is
text. like many other Bible statements,
is so grievously misunderstood as to
prevent Christian progress. Many no
Bile hearts, he claimed. are furnishing
for lack of refreshment of Gods Truth.
The channels of thought are blocked
by fossilized errors of the Dark Ages.
The ports of our hearts should be deep
ened and widened by the blowing up
of the false and deyilish hell doctrines.
which hinder US from receiving spirit
ual nourislment There exists "A fam
inc for hearing the Word of God"
II this text were the only one mis-
translated and misunderstood, be said,
the ordinary reader would doubtless
pass it by as u figure of speech But
it is merely one of combination of
mistranslatlons all Of which are con
nected with an eternal torment sYs-
TEN Of doctrines invented during the
Dark Ages. This power of error is
turning intelligent minds away from
the Bible. Hence it is our duty to
break down these false doctrines, and
to clear away whatever binders the
tlow Of Truth TO Gods people.
The Psamst is merely telling of his
severe Illness. from which by the grace
Of God he recovered. He would have
it understood that it was not merely
slight ailment. Hence he described it
as "the sorrows of death" that is. the
sadness associated with the thought
that he was about to die. about to
leave his friends In poetic Hebrew,
he repeats tile thought in the next
statement 1.-THE pains of hell gat hold
upon me" They were the pains of APP
preaching dissolution There is not
the slightest reference to the future
Why Not the Whole Truth.
In their revised translation of the
Bible. our Baptist friends use the ex-
preston THE underworld" instead of
hell. Yet even here is danger that the
average reader may not catch the true
thought. Far simpler and wiser it
would be had the translator said, the
pains of the tomb"
Every learned minister knows that
the Hebrew word SheOl really means
the grave, the pit, the state of death,
Why do they hesitate to tell the peopef
Why do they translate it sometimes
the GrqCc, aud other times the Hndcr-
tcorld9 Why do they use the transla
he Ia, nj he in
another. aud then refuse to translate 1t
in third place. giving instead the
original word Sheol? Was it their in
tention to confuse the people? What
is the motive? We wish that some of
these great men would explain.
The Reason For All This.
We would like to have our minis
terial brethren state their reasons for
hiding the truth on the subject of hell
Only because they decline to do So do
we feel at liberty to make suggestions,
These ministers seem to be of two
classes with slightly different reasons
for silence on this subject, They seem
to agree that it is dangerous to tell the
people that God is really a God of love
and that the doctrine OF eternal tor
ment is uuscriptural promulgated dur
ing the Dark Ages by men who burn
ed one another Mt the stake.
The Pastor declared that one class
of ministers seem to fear that if peo-
pie saw the errors of the Crecds they
would diScredit the ministers who had
taught these doctrines. But why fear
to tell the truth? Perhaps they fear
that people will lose confidence in their
teachings, and that the party walls of
Christendom, which have so long di'
vided Gods people. will fall. Since they
will not tell us, we can only Surmise.
Other ministers. he said, have become
higher critics, and do not believe the
Bible. They prefer 10 pose as beliey-
ers. ana hope for the time when an the
wealthy and Intelligent will have he
come believers also Then they will say,
we have been unbelievers for many
years, but have kent it secret. fearing
to be misunderstood as opponents of
the best interests of society
The latter class constitutes the great
est menace to law and order aud are
Satans best agents in destroying faith
In Gods Word lugersolrs methods of
antaeouiziug The Bible were far less
successful than are those of modern
higher critics and eyolutioniSts.
Would it not be wise to inquire to
what extent false doctrines are re-
sponsible for the increase Of wicked
ness: VIII mouStroaS. unthIukabtc &c
lusiUus produce better results than
will the simple Message of Gods Love
For best results advertise in THIS