THE KING’ S BUSINESS
973
that to shorten or to lengthen a word or even to change its place in a sentence, may be to divert the course o f the whole sen tence. Wordsworth says that language is the incarnation o f thought, intimating that it -bears the same relation to thought that the body does to the spirit, not only its vehicle, but its means o f expression and exhibition. Everyone knows that the most honest reporter may not give proper expres sion to the conceptions o f one whose address or sentiments he undertakes to , represent; and in all critical cases we insist, that after an interview we shall see what has been written, and examine the forms o f expression lest they do injustice to our thought. Dr. John Hall o f New York said o f Dr. Briggs that he was himself the prin cipal contradiction to his own theory. When he delivered his famous inaugural address at the assumption o f his new chair in a well-known theological seminary, he was taken to task for the sentiments he there ejxpressed, and he and his friends defended his position on. the ground that his concept was all right but his language was misconstrued and misunderstood. Dr. Hall says that if a man cannot express his own ideas so as to be understood, how much less could he express the ideas o f the Almighty God unless God exercised oversight over his language. FIVE IM PORTANT PASSAGES “There are, with regard to this question o f verbal inspiration, or the oversight of the very words o f Scripture, five impor tant and significant passages in the Word o f G od : Hebrews 12:27; Galatians 4 :9 ; John 8:58; John 10:34-36; Galatians 3:16. I f these passages are examined, it will be seen that in the first instance the argu ment turns on one phrase, ‘yet once more.’ In the second, on the passive voice rather than the active voice o f the verb. In the third, on the present rather than on the past tense.. In the fourth, on the inviola bility o f a single word; and in the fifth, on the retention o f the singular number of a noun, rather than the plural. Taking the.
five passages together, they teach us that, to alter or omit a phrase, change the voice or mood or tense o f a verb, change a! single word or jfven the number o f a noun, is to break the Scriptures; and if this does not come dose to verbal inspiration, then I am no judge.”—A. T. Pierson. “Borne along.” This word (present par ticiple)" is the same as that translated “came” (v. 17), “which came” (v. 18), and means, being borne along. The Scrip ture was borne from heaven to earth as the voice on the Transfiguration mount referred to in v: 18. The word means, to be carried along as a ship with the-wind, as in Acts 27:15, 17. In John 3 the Holy Spirit is likened unto the wind. He is pre sented to us under this symbof in Acts 2:2 also. Note here the antithesis—they did not bring, they were brought; they were passive, not active. That which is brought moves and furthers nothing by its own efforts and labor. This word explains more fully the meaning o f v. 20: “no prophecy o f the scripture is o f any private' interpretation;” that is prophecy has not its origin in the free will o f man. Thus the Apostle asserts in the fullest sense o f the word the full inspiration o f the prophet?. The Scripture came not by man’s own pri vate impulse, but by the impulse o f the Holy Spirit. “ When moved.” The participle moved may be correctly translated, when moved, so that the passage teaches that holy men o f God wrote the Scriptures, not when their own mind or will suggested it to them, but when moved upon, to do so by the Holy Spirit. Further, the participle is passive, and denotes to be moved. Thus the Scriptures were not written at the sug gestion o f men, but by men when moved upon, prompted, yea, even driven by the Spirit o f God. Thus the Holy Spirit prompted these men o f God to the task of writing the j Scriptures. Possibly this prompting came through the outward chan nel, as ordinary suggestions are conveyed, viz., various occasions or motives, such as have led to the composition o f the books
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker