cares for the garments of those who did the actual stoning of the
first martyr. Then for a while he stands to the forefront in the
bitter persecution of the new and hated sect of the Nazarene. For the
fearful work that he did in Jerusalem read Acts 8:3, and Acts 9:1; for
similar work done elsewhere also Acts 26:10, 11. How widely he was
soon known as a ruthless persecutor we learn from Acts 9:13. On
account of all this he was the most feared man in the world by all
believers.
#162. His miraculous conversion# took place on the way to Damascus on
an errand of persecution. Of this we have one narrative given by Luke,
and two given by the Apostle himself. (Acts 9:1-22; Acts 22:3-13; Acts
26:9-18). From the moment of his conversion, Saul was a changed man.
That which he hated before he now loved, and for the sake of his newly
found Master he was willing to suffer all the persecutions that he
himself had up to that time meted out to others. As a consequence of
his preaching in Damascus he was obliged to flee, and he went at once
to Arabia (Gal. 1:15-17), where many think that he spent three years
in the vicinity of Mount Sinai, where Moses and Elijah had learned so
much. It may be also that before he comes to the front in the story
told by Luke, he was in Syria and Cilicia, as mentioned in Galatians
1:21.
#163. In connection with the revival in Antioch#, he is introduced by
Barnabas, who went to Tarsus and got him to aid him in his work (Acts
11:25, 26). Here the Apostle remained for about one year, doing grand
work for the church in that place. As we have seen in our lesson on
the Acts, this was the church which organized the first missionary
work, and sent Paul and Barnabas as their missionaries to other
cities. Here begins #Paul's first missionary journey# (Acts 13:2). In
all his work Paul aimed at cities, for he knew that there he could
find men, and these were what he sought. This first journey took him
to Cyprus, Perga, Antioch in Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, and back
through Lystra, Iconium, Antioch, to Attalia, and back to Antioch in
Syria. Let the scholar read the story as told in Acts 13 and 14. In
Lystra it was that he and Barnabas were first deified--thought to be
gods,--and not long after nearly killed by the inhabitants of that
city. In Malta later on he was first taken for a murderer, and then
later on deified. Paul is the only man in all the Bible history who
had such varied experiences.
#164. In his second missionary journey# he started once more from
Antioch, and together with Silas made a tour of the cities touched in
his first journey. Then they went into Galatia, and so on to Troas.
Here it was that the vision of the man of Macedonia came to Paul, and
the result was that they crossed over to Europe. In our last lesson we
saw this army of four start on their journey across the Hellespont,
they being destined to bring to Europe the gospel of the grace of God.
For the narrative of this journey let the scholar look up carefully
Acts 15:36 to 18:22. In this tour he remained for a year and a half at
Corinth. The place where he found the least persecution was Athens,
and there too he found the least real seriousness. The Athenians seem
to have cared too little about religion to take the trouble to
persecute.
#165. The third missionary journey begins in# Acts 18:23, and the
chief episode of this journey is that which took place in Ephesus
(Acts 19, 20). In this city Paul remained for two years (Acts 19:10).
Here was kindled the most remarkable bonfire that the world had ever
seen, it being made up of books of incantation, that the idolaters
were now willing to consign to the flames.
#166. Paul's journey to Rome# really begins at Jerusalem, whither he
had gone to take alms to his fellow-countrymen who were in distress.
Here he was set upon and arrested, and then taken to Caesarea, where he
appeared before Festus, Felix, and Agrippa. Here he was delayed for
more than two years. Then he was sent to Rome on trial for his life.
In this voyage the great shipwreck occurred. (For further details of
this wonderful life, the scholar is referred to Dr. Stalker's Life of
Paul, a most wonderful and brief setting forth of the main incidents
of the life of the Apostle.)
#167.# In all this story of Paul's labors and sufferings there are
great gaps. This is seen as soon as we compare his life, as given in
the Acts, with one statement of his to the Corinthians, as given in 2
Corinthians 11:25-28. Put in parallel columns, so as to bring them
out, the record is as follows:
#Paul's Story# #Luke's Story#
Five times whipped by Jews. Not one mentioned.
Thrice scourged by Romans. Only one mentioned.
Thrice shipwrecked. Not mentioned, for the shipwreck
given in Acts was subsequent
to those named.
A night and a day in the deep. Not mentioned.
#168. A Triumphant Life.#--Therefore, Paul was bound to the
whipping-post _eight times_, and suffered shipwreck _four times_,
while once he clung to wreckage for twenty-four hours before he could
get to land. Yet in spite of all this he could exclaim, "Wherefore I
take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in
persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake: for when I am weak,
then am I strong" (2 Cor. 12:10). And in spite of all that he suffered
he could also cry out: "I have learned, in whatsoever state I am,
therein to be content" (Phil. 4:11). It seems to us that if the
Apostle had been asked, "Where did you learn this truly wonderful
lesson?" he might have replied, "The whipping-post was my academy, and
mobs with clenched fists and paving-stones were my professors.
Fastings and perils in the deep were my college, and my midnight
vigils were kept in the inner prison. Weariness and pain were my
text-books, and kings and rulers my lecturers. Chained soldiers were
my room-mates, a thorn in the flesh was my monitor, and Christ the
crucified was Head-master."
#169.# All agree that at last Paul suffered martyrdom in Rome, by
being beheaded. So ended the life of the most useful man of that day,
and the great leader in work among the Gentiles.
Test Questions
Where was Saul born?
What distinguished Tarsus at that day?
What trade did Saul learn, and how was it useful to him in after-life?
When does he first come before us as a historical character?
What kind of a life did he live after the martyrdom of Stephen?
Give an account of his conversion.
Where did he go from Damascus at once on his conversion?
Give the outline of his first missionary journey.
What remarkable experience did he have at Lystra?
Give the tour of his second missionary journey.
What was the principal city in which he wrought on his third journey?
Give an account of his sufferings as given in his letter to the
Corinthians compared with Luke's narrative.
Where did Paul suffer martyrdom, and in what way?
Test Questions for Review
Lessons 6 to 9
1. What were the charges in the ecclesiastical trial of Jesus?
2. What in the political trial?
3. Name the persons who were present at the crucifixion.
4. Give the six truths concerning the resurrection.
5. Mention in their order the various appearances of Jesus to his
disciples.
6. What other appearances may be added to these?
7. Describe the Ascension.
8. What are the six pivotal events recorded in Acts?
9. What fact in Saul's conversion is of the utmost importance?
10. What victory did Paul and Silas gain in prison?
11. Give the outline of Paul's first missionary journey.
12. Of his second.
13. Where did Paul suffer martyrdom and how?
How the Bible Came to Us
BY IRA MAURICE PRICE, PH. D.
Professor of the Semitic Languages and Literatures in the
University of Chicago.
#1.# The English Bible is the Bible of the English-speaking world. It
is used in several editions or translations. The most prominent of
these are the Authorized, or King James Version (of 1611), and the
Revised Version (of 1881-5), and the American Standard Revision (of
1901). The recent revisions are supplied with marginal references and
notes, both to parallel and to explanatory texts. In addition to these
citations we find frequent references to the Heb(rew), Sept(uagint),
Vulg(ate), and Syr(iac) readings. That is to say, the translators of
the English Bible refer the reader to some variant reading in one of
the great Bibles of the ancient world, for some valuable explanation
of, or variant from, the reading found on the page of the Bible being
read. In other words, we see by the margins of our English Bible, that
there are many old Bibles in different languages which scholars must
study if they give us the best that can be produced.
#2.# Every one who can read the Bible in English must recognize the
fact that our Bible is only a translation from the language in which
the books of both Testaments were originally written. The original
language of the Old Testament is Hebrew with a few sections appearing
in the Aramaic tongue; and the New Testament is Greek. Any translator
who wishes to give us an English Bible that will be closest to the
meaning intended by the original writers, must translate out of those
two languages. If any of us has ever attempted to translate a
language, he knows how difficult it is to transfer the exact thought
of one tongue into another.
#3.# The Hebrew language of the Old Testament is full of
picture-thoughts. It is simple in construction, and has a very small
number of words in actual use. It was the language of the Hebrew
peoples during the time of their national existence, but degenerated
into Aramaic some time after their return from the exile. The
tremendous expressive power of the language is seen in the great
sermons of the prophets, especially Isaiah, and in the poetry of Job
and the Psalms.
#4.# The founding and the growth of Alexandria under Greek influence
led to an epoch in the history of the Bible. Facilities for trade and
other reasons made this city attractive to the Jews. Greek, however,
was the prevailing language of the community. Early in the third
century B. C. the proportion of Greek-speaking Jews became so large
that there was a call for their Scriptures in their adopted tongue. To
supply this religious need of the Jews, the Hebrew Bible was
translated (about 280-130 B. C.) into the Greek language. This Greek
Bible contained all the books of the Hebrew Bible, and several other
small books now called "the Apocrypha."
#5.# This Greek Bible, now called the Septuagint ("Seventy"), so named
because it was thought to have been translated from the Hebrew by
"seventy" men, became the Bible of the Old Testament for the
Greek-speaking world. In the time of our Lord it was largely used by
the New Testament writers. It was quoted by them, and especially by
Paul, almost everywhere. It was the Bible of the early Christian
church until the conquest of Rome and the Latin tongue required a
translation into Latin. These early Latin translations of the Old
Testament were all made from the Septuagint. There were also some
scholars in the church who, not being satisfied with the translation
of the Septuagint, made translations of their own. These were of some
value to scholars, such as that most famous of all Biblical students,
Origen (186-254 A. D.) who were trying to construct the best Greek
text of the Bible.
#6.# The many and differing Latin translations that were current in
the second, third, and fourth centuries led Jerome, a fully equipped
and competent scholar, to translate the whole Bible from the original
languages into good idiomatic Latin (384-405). His translation
differed so much from those versions in general use that it was
sharply and bitterly criticized by the less scholarly and more hostile
enemies of progress. But the faithfulness of his translation to the
original text commended it to the most thoughtful men of the Christian
church, and before many centuries it became the Bible of the
Latin-speaking and Latin-using world. That was the Bible adopted by
the Council of Trent, April 8, 1546, as the official Bible of the
Roman Catholic Church. With the exception of the Psalms, which is
simply a revision of an old Latin Psalter, and the apocryphal books
included in the collection, this is Jerome's translation, made
384-405, which was so drastically condemned when it first appeared.
#7.# In northern Syria there was a body of Christians who used the
Syrian language. Somewhere in the second century they made, or had
made for them, a translation of the Bible to aid them in their
Christian growth. The translation from Hebrew Old Testament into
Syriac was a translation from one sister tongue into another, and was
thus quite freely rendered. If one should to-day translate from Dutch
into German, he would feel free to vary from the literal if thereby he
thought he could help bring out the meaning of the original language.
This Syriac translation, while a beautiful piece of work, was most too
freely done to be of much value to scholars who are to-day trying to
find out what the text could have been from which it was made. There
are none of the Latin Bible apocryphal books in the Syriac version.
#8.# These facts show us that the early Christian church in Egypt,
Palestine, Syria, Asia Minor, and Europe used the Bible mainly in
three versions, viz.: Septuagint Greek, Latin Vulgate, and the
Syriac--all valuable, prominent texts. Of Greek texts there were
several translations current among different branches of the early
church.
#9.# When the peoples on the outskirts of civilization became
Christianized they also were provided with the Scriptures, translated
into their tongues from one of the three or four great versions of
that day. Thus we have the Bible in Arabic, Ethiopic, Armenian,
Gothic, Slavonic and a lot of other border languages.
#10.# The Bible was introduced into England very early in the
Christian centuries, and it was one of the Latin versions current in
the Western world. This was succeeded by the Vulgate Latin. Preachers
and teachers were obliged to interpret this in the language of the
native peoples. Some fragments of these interpretations, paraphrases,
and translations remain to the present day, preserved in the
Anglo-Saxon or early English tongue. In the fourteenth century,
Wycliffe (1320-1384) gave us the first English Bible, translated, not
from the original Hebrew and Greek, but from the Latin Vulgate,--a
translation of a translation. This was received with slight favor by
the churchmen of that day.
#11.# Not until the sixteenth century do we have an English Bible
translated out of the original languages of the Bible. After great
opposition and severe trial Tyndale succeeded in printing in Germany
and distributing in England an English New Testament translated from
the Greek. But his books were confiscated, and burned in London by the
church officials. Remaining on the continent and prosecuting his
translation of the Old Testament he was finally kidnapped, imprisoned,
strangled, and burned at the stake October 6, 1536--all because he
translated the Bible into English so that the common people could read
it. Within one year after his martyrdom his translation was published
under another name by royal authority, the authority of Henry VIII.
For several years English Bibles flowed from the presses of England
and the continent in several editions, most prominent of which were
"Matthew's," Coverdale's, and the Great Bible. A revulsion against
Protestantism cut off Cromwell's head and gave Bible-popularity a
setback. Edward VI (1547-3) espoused the cause of the Protestants,
while Mary Tudor (1553-8) burned at the stake many of the best men of
the times, such as Ridley, Latimer, and John Rogers. In the reign of
Queen Elizabeth (1558-1603) Bible translation and publication, both
Protestant and Catholic, made rapid progress. There were published the
Geneva version (1560), the Bishops' Bible (1568), and the Rheims New
Testament (Roman Catholic, 1582). Of all these the Geneva Bible became
the most popular.
#12.# Early in the reign of James I (1603-25) a movement was set on
foot to provide a new and better English translation of the Bible.
Most of the eminent Biblical scholars of England set to work and
produced in 1611 the Authorized Version of the Bible; it is a model of
good English and a very faithful translation of the original texts
known at that time.
#13.# Between 1611, the date of appearance of the Authorized Version,
and 1870, the date of the beginning of a revision, a period of more
than 250 years, scholars found a large number of very valuable
manuscripts of the Bible, older and nearer the lost originals than any
hitherto known. The English language, too, in that space of time, had
changed in some important particulars. During this same period,
several private attempts were made to give us a new and better
translation than the Authorized Version. Several works were produced
on the added new material of the new manuscripts now known to
scholars. In fact, there was agitation toward a new translation on the
grounds of the better Hebrew and Greek texts now at hand, of the more
thorough and comprehensive scholarship available, and of the obsolete
language of the Authorized Version.
#14.# In 1870 steps were taken toward revision, and before many years
both a British and American Revision Committee, made up of many of the
leading British and American Biblical scholars, were at work. After
ten years of most conscientious and careful effort the Revised Version
of the New Testament appeared in 1881, and four years later, in 1885,
the Old Testament appeared--thus completing a translation on the basis
of the best manuscripts now known to the scholarly world.
#15.# The American Revision Committee, not as conservative as the
British in the retention of old terms, words and phrases, carefully
revised the Revised Version and issued in 1901 The American Standard
Revised Version--the best edition of the Bible in the English
language.
Test Questions
1. What are the three most prominent of the editions of the Bible in
English?
2. What are the two original languages of the Old Testament? The
original language of the New Testament?
3. What is a special characteristic of the Hebrew language?
4. What is meant by the Septuagint?
5. Who was the great translator of the Bible into Latin? By what
church was it officially adopted?
6. Into what language akin to Hebrew was the Bible translated, and
through the agency of what people?
7. What versions were mainly in use in the early Christian church?
8. Who gave us the first English Bible, and when?
9. Who first translated the Bible into English from the original Bible
languages?
10. Tell the story of Tyndale's version.
11. What other editions were prominent at about that time?
12. What gave Bible popularity a setback?
13. What Bibles were published during the reign of Queen Elizabeth?
14. In whose reign and by whom was the Authorized Version produced?
15. Why was a revision deemed necessary?
16. In what year did the Revised Version of the New Testament appear?
The Old Testament revision?
17. What body of men prepared the Revision?
18. Who prepared the American Standard Revised Version, and in general
how does it differ from the Revised Version?
The Gist of the Books
The Old Testament--The Pentateuch
#Genesis#
The book of beginnings--the creation; the fall of man; the
beginnings of the chosen people.
#Exodus#
The story of the _going out_ of the chosen people from Egypt
to Canaan, with an account of God's dealings with his people
in guiding them into national life.
#Leviticus#
Laws and ceremonies of the tabernacle for the priestly tribe
of Levi, as a guide in their service.
#Numbers#
The book of the numbering of the people on two occasions--(1)
At Sinai, in the second year of the wanderings; (2) On the
Jordan, in the fortieth year. Containing the story of the
wanderings, from Sinai to the countries east of the Jordan.
#Deuteronomy#
The repetition of the Law, to the people who had been born in
the wilderness, as applied to the coming life in Canaan;
appointment of Joshua to succeed Moses; the account of the
death of Moses.
Historical Books
#Joshua#
The story of the Conquest of Canaan; distribution of the
land; locating tabernacle at Shiloh; and death of Joshua.
#Judges#
The story of Israel's political and religious decline after
Joshua's death. "There was no king in Israel; every man did
that which was right in his own eyes." A history of the
Judges from death of Joshua.
#Ruth#
The link connecting the period of the Judges with the
Monarchy, giving David's genealogy, and furnishing many
instances of faith, and of the bringing of good out of evil.
#1 and 2 Samuel#
A continuation of the history of the Judges, telling of Eli
and Samuel, and the story of Saul's anointing and reign, and
the rise and reign of David.
#1 and 2 Kings#
The history of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah from the
death of David to the captivity. The story of the conflict
between Jehovah and Baal. The life-stories of Elijah and
Elisha.
#1 and 2 Chronicles#
Giving matter supplementary to the preceding books; the
temple ritual under David and Solomon; restoration of church
and nation after captivity.
#Ezra#
The return of the captives under Zerubbabel; the rebuilding
of the temple; the second return of captives in time of
Artaxerxes Longimanus and Ezra's reformation of the people.
#Nehemiah#
The rebuilding of the city walls of Jerusalem under Nehemiah;
reforms, civil and religious; restoration of Temple services;
re-enacting of Mosaic law.
#Esther#
An episode in the history of the Israelites who remained in
captivity, showing the overruling power of Providence.
Poetical Books
#Job#
The story of Job's sufferings and patient endurance; the
wisdom and power of God in dealing with him; his closing days
of peace and prosperity.
#Psalms#
A compilation of songs of praise and devotion, used
especially in the public worship of Jehovah.
#Proverbs#
A manual of practical rules of life setting wisdom over
against folly--principally the work of Solomon.
#Ecclesiastes#
The story of a search for happiness in the things of the
world, concluding with the emptiness of everything but the
doing of God's will.
#Song of Solomon#
There are three principal views concerning the Song of
Solomon or Song of Songs: (1) As a spiritual allegory,
teaching God's love for Israel; (2) As an allegory with
Christ as the Lover and his church as the beloved; (3) As the
story of Solomon's love for the Shulamite.
The Prophetical Books
_The Major Prophets_
#Isaiah#
Prophecies against Jerusalem; a forecast of Messianic days;
the relation of the Jewish nation to its enemies; the
disappearance of national distinctions, and the great future
of the church.
#Jeremiah#
Warnings to the Jews; a survey of all nations; a promise of
return from exile; prophecies regarding Egypt.
#Lamentations#
A pathetic ode, expressing Jeremiah's grief over the
destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple, and the miseries of
slavery and famine.
#Ezekiel#
Prophecies before and after the destruction of Jerusalem,
exhorting to repentance; pronouncing God's judgment on the
surrounding nations; and visions of the final glory of God's
people in a new Jerusalem.
#Daniel#
The story of Daniel in Babylon, and particularly noteworthy
because of its Messianic predictions.
_The Minor Prophets_
#Hosea#
Points out the unfaithfulness of Israel; the necessity for
punishment; the final restoration of Israel.
#Joel#
A prophetical description of locusts, drought, and invasion,
with exhortation to fasting, prayer, and repentance; a
promise of blessing; a warning of the destruction of
Jerusalem; a foretelling of the founding of Messiah's
Kingdom.
#Amos#
Denounces sins of nations around Israel and Judah; describes
the state of the two kingdoms, and pictures the coming of the
Messiah and restoration of the people.
#Obadiah#
Predicts annihilation of Edom, and contrasts it with the
future restoration of Israel, who are to possess Edom and
Philistia, and enjoy the promises of the Messiah.
#Jonah#
The story of Jonah's mission to the Ninevites, his
wilfulness, and God's love for the nations.
#Micah#