The King’s Business
Voi. 4
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 1913
Nos. 8 & 9
The Freer Manuscript of The Gospels M UCH is being said in the religious and secular press about the manuscript purchased six years ago by Charles L. Freer of Detroit. It^ is thought by some that this manuscript will rank in the age nearly with the oldest known. But whatever the age of the Freer manuscript upon more careful and critical study may prove to be, it is evident to all versed in textual criticism and to all profoundly familiar with the style and spirit of our Lord’s teaching that this recently discovered manuscript is of little or no value in discovering what our Lord actually said. It is interesting, of course, but without the slightest critical value. It is not probable that the opinion of competent textual critics will be influenced in the slightest degree regarding one single verse in the four gospels. Much is made by some who are always looking for something new of the alleged utterance of our Lord inserted between the 14th and! 15th verses of Mark 16, in answer to the alleged words of the apostles in defense of their unbelief. The whole passage reads: “And they excused themselves, saying (that) This age of lawlessness and belief is under Satan, which on account of the unclean things of the spirits does not permit the true power of God to be apprehended. For this reason, said they to Christ, reveal now thy righteousness. And Christ said to them (that) The limit of the years of the power of Satan is fulfilled, but other terrible things approach. And for the sake of these who sinned was I given up unto death, that they may turn back unto the truth and no longer sin, so that they may inherit the spiritual and incorruptible glory of righteousness in heaven.” One says of this alleged utterance of our Lord that it “adds a new logion or saying of Jesus to the many that are reported elsewhere than in the Canonical Gospels.” But any one who has deeply studied the authentic utterances of our Lord recorded in the Synoptic Gospels and in John knows that this does not add a “new saying of our Lord,” but substitutes something immeasurably inferior, in both style and content for what He actually said. Dr. Hillis is entirely warranted in his comment upon this alleged utterance of the Lord Jesus, “a child can discern the difference between the simplicity and beauty, the majesty and dignity of the Gospel itself, and this variant.” The enthusiasm of a certain class of writers for this spurious utterance, reminds one of the enthusiasm among some for the so-called^ Logia (or sayings)” of Jesus discovered some years ago. They went quite wild over the thought that we should now have these ‘ sayings which Matthew, Mark, Luke and John had omitted to record. Some went so far as to preach sermons, taking one or more of these alleged utterances of Jesus Christ as a text. But when one compared the genuine sayings of Christ recorded by Matthew, Mark,.Luke and John, as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, with these alleged sayings, if he had any spiritual discernment,
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