Newspapers / Africo-American Presbyterian (Wilmington, N.C.) / July 21, 1932, edition 1 / Page 1
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Africo- American PresBTffirian VOL. LIIL “AN® YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH. AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE.” —John viH. 82. CHARLOTTE. N. C„ THURSDAY, JULY 21, 1932. . NO. 28. < NEW TESTAMENT GREEK AS AN AD) TO THE INTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURE By Rev. P. W. Russell, D. D. (Dr. Russell is Professor of Creek and Hebrew in the Theo logical Seminary of Johnson C. Smith University. The follow ing article is an address delivered at the Ministers’ Institute held at the University, June 27-July 1.) To those who have studied Greek, it may not be out of place to state that there is a difference between classic Greek and New Testament Greek*. Classic Greek is the lan guage of ancient Greece; it reached its highest develop ment in the tragedies of Aes chylus, Sophocles and Euripi des. But New Testament Greek is of a later origin and is of a different type. It is the so-called Hellenistic Greek which has its basis in the common dialect which arose in the age of Al exander the Great. Alexander undertook to carry out the de sire of his father, Philip of Macedon, to invade and conquer Asia. For this purpose he col lected a large army, taking men from different sections of Greece. These soldiers spoke different dialects, and, in course of time, as they mingled and conversed with each other, a language was formed from the blending of many dialects. After this there was another important linguistic change in the East; Hebrew ceased to be the spoken language of the Jews after the Babylonian captivity, and a form of Aramaean took its place. Also, eventually, this language ceased to be the com mon language of the people; the new language, th'e Hellenistic Greek, replacing it. Another fact needs to be not ed here. After, the return of the Jews from captivity and their re-establishment in their own native country, the spirit of prophecy was withdrawn from them, and the Old Testament canon came to an end. What God had spoken to the world was locked up in the Hebrew tongue which was no longer the common vernacular of the Jews. The functions of the prophet ceased with the closing of the Old Testament canon, and there was need, therefore, of interpre tation; need of unfolding and making clear the Word of God. This heed was supplied in the providentially prepared lan guage, the Greek of the New Testament. The Greek language and civ ilization, in addition to going elsewhere, found their way into Egypt; especially into Alexan dria, the metropolis of Egypt. Alexandria was noted for her learning, and to the Jews of this city, as well as to the Jews elsewhere, Greek was the spok en language. It is said that, through the Jews of Alexandria, under the patronage of Egypt’s king was executed the first version of the Hebrew Scriptures ever made. This translation was in Greek, known as the Septuagint, and was completed about three hun dred years before Christ. It is well to remember that most of the quotations made bv Christ and His apostles from +he Old Tesatment were made from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, and not from, the Hebrew itself. It will serve our purpose to mention the following facts: the first is, that the writers of the New Testament labored un der the influence of the Ara maean language which, as al ready stated, had replaced the Hebrew; and the second one is the fact that these men were Jews, trained in, and still un der, to some extent, the influ ence of Jewish theology and tradition with the teachings and doctrines of Christianity added. We see here the spirit and thoughts of Jewish Chris tians expressed in a language well fitted for the task to be performed. And in this language, the hand and design of providence can be seen. Many new ideas were to be expressed; many old ones were to be more fully de veloped than they had been in the old dispensation; problems connected with the old Jewish and Christian religions needed solution; many commands had been given, but not explained in all their details; many deep, profound and far-reaching doc trines had been foreshadowed which needed the light of the spiritual dispensation to make them understood; and f or all of these ad similar purposes such a language as the New Testa ment Greek was needed; a lan guage highly finished in its in ilections and syntax; well suit ed for making subtle discrimi nations; extensive in its vocab ulary; noted for its flexibility, thus being eminently adapted to plain narrative, flights of or atory, philosophical discussion, logical reasoning; in short, a language suited in every way to meet the demands of the gospel which, being intended for an advanced age of the world, deals more with great principles than with details of particulars — principles which require for their full compre hension the capacity of abstrac tion and generalization. Such a language' is the New Tesatment Greek for expressing and inter preting tne wora oi vjtuu. Let us note one or two cases in connection with which New Testament Greek aids in the interpretation of Scripture. In the early dawn of the hu man race, the great enemy of God and man conceived and contrived the means of causing the shameful fall of our feder al head, thereby plunging the world into the awful gulf of endless misery. A way of re demption, however, in the mer cy of God, had already been ar ranged. The plan included the incarnation and birth of a sec ond Adam who was to be brought face to face with the original tempter. This conflict took place somewhere in the desert, probably the Great Desert of Arabia, an account of which is recorded by Matthew, Mark and Luke. Matthew re cords it in 4:li-ll; Mark, 1:12, 13; and Luke, 4:1-13. The usual unueiatauumg vj. Lhis temptation as to its dura tion is that it lasted forty days and forty nights. This idea is in harmony with statements made by the Evangelists them selves. Matthew says, “And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was after ward an hungered.” Mark says, “And he was in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan;” and Luke puts it this way: “And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan, and was led by the Holy Ghost into the wilderness being forty days tempted of the devil.” ,. You have doubtless noticed the fact that there were three forms of temptation which we have not mentioned as yet; the one respecting turning stones into bread, the one relating to leaping down from the pinnacle of the temple, and the. one with reference to worshipping Satan on an exceeding high mountain. Did these forms of temptation take place during the forty days ahd forty nights or did they occur after the expiration of the forty days and forty nights? Both the original and the English translation state very clearly that they took place after the forty days and forty nights had ended. But what took place during 'the forty days and forty nights in addtiion to fasting as stated by Matthew ? Temptation is the answer. This answer is in ac cord with both Mark and Luke; and the answer is given in the use-of the participle; they em ploy the present participle from the same verb. m ureek the tense of the pari ticiple depends upon circum-j stances, it is not always deter4 mined by its form; it may be; present, past or future regard* iess of its form. Mark says unrist was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; Luke, that He was led oy the Spirit into tne wilder| ness days forty being tempted by the devil. The participle herd represents time co-extensiv« with forty days. There is silence i as to the nature of this temp ration ; but both Mark and Luk i make it clear that it was by thi devil. We look to Matthew an Luke for the nature of thi i temptation which took place af ter forty days and forty mghf i had ended. Let us take another case ip which the Greek aids in explain ing a passage of Scripture. Tap passage is found in that part <ff John’s gospel in which hfe speaks of,the eternity of Christ, His oneness and equality with the Father, His relation to the material world and the light Of man. The passage reads thu|: “But as many as received him, gave he to them power sons Of God to become.” The word translated here “power” does not convey the right meaning. It is true that it comes f ro|n a Greek word, “exousia,” whifft*’ sometimes does mean power; It has this meaning in Matthejw 28:18. Here Christ says “All power is given unto me in heav en and in earth.” The word has the same meaning Mark 6|f. Christ having called His disgi-’ pies unto Him, the twelve, sent, them forth two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits. But in the passage re ferred to in John above, it has the meaning of “privilege.” As many as received Him, to them He gave the privilege of becom ing the sons of God. There is one more case we wish to mention. The place is found Romans 1:17. The apos tle here is discussing a doctrinal question: the question; of God’s plan of salvation. Paul’s aim is to show that this p lan is the same it has always been; and this he shows by a quotation from Habakkuk 2:4. In Rom ans the reading is thus: “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith unto faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” That part of the verse which reads, “the just shall live by faith,” is not oroperly translated. The apostle is stressing the fact that salva tion comes through faith and not through works as taught in Jewish theology. Paul simply meant to say to the Roman con verts, both Jews and Gentiles, that those who are justified by faith shall live. This is the proper interpretation of Rom ans 1:17, and this is the . mean ing in Habakkuk 2:4. CULTIVATING FRIENDSHIP In every walk of life every person or individual is depend ent ultimately upon his or her friends to some extent. Friendship is, then, a boon of priceless value. Our friends, if many and true, can add more wealth to our life and happi ness than all the riches of the Indies. Every normal person craves friendship of some kind. Lord Bacon said: “The man who loves solitude is a wild beast or a god." The cattle as we notice go in herds; the fishes go in schools; the bees go in swarms; the birds in flocks. Men come together in commu nities and families. Friendship is needed and it is essential as men go up for great ness. No man’s life is made noble unless he is promoted by friendship. In our so-called country, America, the politi cians and Presidents are elect ed by their friends or those believed to be friends. The President promises to be a friend of the people. Thus the influence of a majority of the people is gained and the Presi dent is efected. Consider the enriching friend ship that grew up at Cam bridge, England, between Al fred Tennyson and Arthur Hal lam, who was engaged to be married to Tennyson’s sister. Hallam's name has been made memorable through its connec tion with Tennyson’s “In Me moriam” in which the poet employs the premature death cf his friend as the starting point of the well known elabo ration fo his views of life and death. Charlemagne was a sovereign of sovereigns at the close of the eighth and the beginning of the ninth century. It was while on a journey from Eng land to Rome in 781 that he met Alcuin, an English Christian scholar. Alcuin was one of the best informed men of his age, and one of the most remarka ble. Alcuin’s influence was one of the main factors to promote in Charlemagne’s reign a new order of things in Europe. Friendship comforts. It has a balm for a thousand ills. It dis pels the dark clouds of despair. Tt changes the atmosphere about us. Ella Wheeler Wilcox says, “In friendship lies the road to happiness.” One friend appeals to you for one reason and others for other reasons. Frendship is the heart’s library. The wise friend is your book of philosophy. The coura geous-friend is your book of he roism. The industrious friend is your book of achievement. The merry friend is your book of humor. As no book crowds an other on your book shelves so no friend crowds another in the library of your heart. Friendship must not be lim ited, but should extend through out the world. Acts 17 :26 plain ly tells us that all nations of men were made of one blood to dwell upon the face of the earth. These words were spok en by Paul at the time he was preaching at Thessalonica. The Jews were persecuting him. Paul tried to show them the value of friendship. Friendship is tested by ad versity. Think of the experi ence of David and Jonathan. “Jonothan came to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God.” The Philis tines, the constant plague and enemy of Israel, had come to the village of Keilah and were committing wholesale plunder. David put to flight the marau ders and recovered much of the grain that they had taken. Saul should have been grateful but jealousy got the better of him. The ungrateful man tried to entrap .David in the village but David was warned of his intentions. Then David left the village and “went wheresoever he could,” says the Scripture. When David came back with the bloody head of the slain gi ant the musicians played upon their instruments and sang, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thous ands.” Saul was then angry. He said, They have given more honor to this man than they have to me and I am king. Da vid fled in the wilderness as Saul sought his life. Here Jonathan finds David and embraces him. The most enjoyable thing is friendship between God and the believer. He offers us that. “Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not ser vants, but friends.” JAMES T. PAIGE, Redstone Academy, Lumberton, N. C. EAST TENNESSEE SYNODICAL SUNDAY SCHOOL CONVENTION AND SCHOOL OF METHODS } The next outstanding event in East Tennessee is the Syn odical Sunday School Conven tion and School of Methods which meets August 8-12 at Margaret Barber Seminary, An niston, Alabama. This promis es to be one of the very best and most largely attended ses sions ever held in East Tennes see for the following reasons: First, because of the unique ness of the program. Nineteen hundred thirty-two marks an advanced step in the history of this summer conference with reference to the courses to be offered. Our whole curriculum has been thoughtfully and de finitely worked out. Courses have been chosen in the light of some of the new trends in reli gious education. The program has variety enough to meet the needs of the many different types of young people and adults who attend this summer conference, and is adapted, to meet adequately the situation in East Tennessee. Among the new courses that are being of fered this year are the follow ing: Building the Church (Methods), Church Music; two units in the Standard Leader ship Training Curriculum, namely, Course 5,—“The Mes sage and Program of the Chris tian Religion”; Course 2,—“The Principles of Teaching,” text: •“Teachinjg Relation,”—Myer3. Both of these courses are gen eral required units and each will bring one unit of credit toward the Standard Diploma. In ad dition to the new courses, there will be classes in Bible fnc both young people and adults, Sun day School Methods, Vacation Church School Methods, Recre ation and Games (Methods), Preparation for Teaching, «*:.d a D'scussion Group for Wom en. Second, because of the per sonnel of the faculty: a very select group of Christian men and women, fired with a great zeal for the Church, and a de sire to spend and be spent in her service, impelled by a vis ion of the greater Church in the future with an adequate leadership. There are several new faculty members this year, namely: Rev. L. B. West, D. D., Charlotte, N. C.; Miss Ruth Wheeler and Mrs. J. S Daily, Knoxville, Tenn. We welcome them and look lorwara eageriy to their valued services and fine Christian fellowship with us this summer. In addition to these are the following whose services we value: Rev. Chas. A. Edington^ Sweetwatef, Tenn.; Rev. A. W. Rice, Anniston, Ala.; Rev. J. B. Barber, Chattanooga, Tenn.; and Dr. P. A. White, Keeling, Tenn. The last two found it impossible to be with us last year, and their pres ence and inestimable services were greatly missed by all; Mr. G. E. Covington, recently from Princeton University; Miss M. M. Jackson, Chattanooga, Tenn.; Miss Georgia Donnell, New Market, Tenn.; Miss Fran ces E. Kyle, Knoxville, Tenn.; and our Director, Dr. A. B. Mc Coy Atlanta, Ga. Third, because of the great re duction in board and traveling expenses this year. Registra tion and board for the entire week will cost only $3.50. Then, too, the Southern Railway Sys tem offers reduced rates to An niston, Alabama. Tickets sold August 6-7. Final limit: . 20 days. Stopovers to be permit ted, A round trip ticket will cost one fare plus $1.00. Tick ets must be bought for Annis ton on the following dates: Au gust 6-7. We are quite sure that such a reduction in expenses will make it possible for every church to send representatives to the School of Methods. Furthermore, the young peo ple of East Tennessee are very enthusiastic over this ap proaching event. Two of the Leagues have canvassed their Presbyteries, urging the local societies to send delegates. Youth all over the Synod is hearing ahd answering the call. One church hhs already com pleted plans for sending a large delegation of young people. Others are still working on this project. How many young peo ple are going from your church? Our host and hostess, Dr and Mrs. H. M. Hosaek, with the genial hospitality that is characteristic of them, are looking forward to our coming and are ready with a great big welcome to all. Remember, too, that Barber is located in the foothills of the great Cumber iana nareau ana mis means mountain climbing, hiking, pic nics and other forms of whole some fun through which young people are given an opportunity to “find themselves, gain new self-confidences, open up new interest fields, and grow in Christian character.” The youth of our churches is “hungering to put into its life much of God as revealed in Bible study, beau ty, friendship, services and fun.” The purpose of the Synodical School of Methods is to lead young people into these Chris tian experiences. Among the special features of the Convention will be the ad dress by the Convention Presi dent, Rev. Arthur H. George, Knoxville, Term.; the address of Rev. L. B. West, D. D., Char lotte, N. C.'J Young People’s Night, address by Mr. Wilbur E. Sims, Knoxville, Tenn.; Dr. P. A. White, Keeling, Tenn., each evening at the vesper hour; the closing sermon Fri day evening by Rev. W. M. Sample, Birmingham, Alaba ma ; and our distinguished guests, Rev. and Mrs. Irwin W. Underhill, West African Mis sionaries, the Church’s only Negro representatives in Afri ca. They are expected to be oresent and speak. No one can ifford to miss the East Tennes see Synodical Convention and School of Methods. Remember the date and place! August 8-12 at Barber Seminary,. Anniston, Alabama. ETHEL E. GOINES, Dean. 319 W. 8th Avenue, Johnson City, Tenn. THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF REV. C. H. WHITE AT HIGH POINT, N. C. By C. W. Robinson The third anniversary of the services of Rev. C. H. White, who has served Cherry Street Presbyterian church for three years as its minister were held from Sunday, July 3, through Sunday, July iO. Sunday, July 3, at 11 o’clock the introductory sermon was preached by the Rev. D. S. Saul ter, of the city. Rev. Saulter presented in his sermon the very fine and most essential points in the lives of fine lead ers, rating Ref. White as a young man who was proving by his work to be an excellent minis ter and a good leader in the city. At 3:30 o’clock Rev. J. P. Johnson and a good number of bis officers and members from the Church Street Presbyterian church, of Salisbury, N. C., were present. Rev. Johnson preached the initial sermon, urging larger support through all departments of the church. He commended the church in giving in honor of Rev. White the special anniversary pro gram, with special emphasis (Continued on page 4)
Africo-American Presbyterian (Wilmington, N.C.)
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July 21, 1932, edition 1
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