chapter 16

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LUKE, GOSPEL OF ST., by Dr. Stanton, and the biographical sketch of LUKE, by Dr. Bartlett; and the paragraph on Luke’s additions to Mark’s narrative in Vol. 15, p. 356. This is the universal gospel, just as Mark’s was for extra-Palestinian use and Matthew’s particularly for the Jew, as is shown by the incidents of Zaccheus and of the Samaritan leper; and Renan’s characterization of the gospel of the one evangelist who was not a Jew, “the most beautiful book in the world,” is quoted twice in the Britannica.

JOHN, GOSPEL OF ST., and JOHN (the Apostle), both by Baron Friedrich von Hügel, author of _The Mystical Element of Religion_: the paragraph on the distinctive elements of John’s gospel (in Vol. 15, p. 357), such as the story of John the Baptist (see the article on this “forerunner,” by G. H. Box, late lecturer in theology, Oxford); the philosophical prologue (see the article LOGOS, by the late Rev. Dr. Stewart Dingwall Fordyce Salmon, professor of systematic theology, United Free Church College, Aberdeen, and the Rev. A. J. Grieve, professor of New Testament and church history, Yorkshire United Independent College, Bradford); the Judean scene as contrasted with the predominance of Galilee and Samaria in the other three (synoptic) gospels, and the prominence given to great abstract ideas and symbols—the Light of the World, the Living Bread, the Only-Begotten, the Re-Birth, Eternal Life, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, Water and Wine, the Paraclete, and the refrain and variations on the theme of Love.

Before studying the articles dealing with the book of ACTS, let the reader consult Dr. Garvie’s article MIRACLE, for a study of the supernatural and particularly for a development of the argument for miracles from “the congruity of the miracle with divine truth and grace”; the miracles of Jesus, and of the apostles, consist in “the relief of need, the removal of suffering, the recovery of health and strength.”

[Sidenote: Acts]

The article ACTS OF THE APOSTLES, by Dr. J. Vernon Bartlett, should be supplemented by referring again to the article LUKE, and the student should call to mind that the probable author was not a Jew, was a personal friend and traveling companion of both Paul and Peter, and was a physician, a trained scientific observer, as can be seen not only from his descriptions of disease, but from his accuracy in geographical, meteorological and other matters. The importance of the testimony of the physician to the miracles of the apostles is brought out (p. 164, top of column 2) in the article on the book. For the study of ACTS, besides the article on the book, read the following separate articles:

LUKE, PETER, JOHN, JUDAS, ACELDAMA, MATTHIAS, PENTECOST, TONGUES, GIFT OF; ANANIAS, GAMALIEL, STEPHEN, SIMON MAGUS, PHILIP, PAUL, JOPPA, ANTIOCH, HEROD, BARNABAS, ICONIUM, LYCAONIA, MARK, TIMOTHY, SILAS, PHILIPPI, THESSALONICA, ATHENS, AREOPAGUS, CORINTH, AQUILA, APOLLOS, EPHESUS, FELIX, ANANIAS, AGRIPPA.

[Sidenote: St. Paul]

For a study of the book of Acts, which was probably written before any one of the Gospels, one will need constantly to refer in the Britannica to the article on PAUL, THE APOSTLE (Vol. 20, p. 938), by Dr. J. Vernon Bartlett. This article, equivalent to 55 pages in this Guide, is so important that it will be well to outline it here. After an introduction, in which Paul’s attitude toward Jewish legalism is made an explanation of the superficially obvious contrast between Jesus and Paul, there is a biographical sketch: Paul of Tarsus, a Roman citizen with Roman name, talking Latin and not a narrow, one-sided Jew; his Jewish training; in Jerusalem, under Gamaliel (see the article GAMALIEL); first impressions as to Jesus, and Saul as persecutor; the vision at Damascus and its spiritual content; his new theory of the law and its universal value; Christology of Paul,—his deep insight into Jesus’s character; Paul’s theology rooted in experience; his early apostolate; his first missionary journey; the issue of Gentile Christianity raised; Paul’s conciliatory spirit; Peter’s visit to Antioch; Paul’s protest; the second mission tour; Paul in Europe—Athens, Corinth, etc.; first missionary letters; as an ethical teacher; Paul, the Law, the Spirit; later travels; later letters; Paulinism—its Christocentric character; apparent contrasts and contradictions between Paul’s gospel and Jesus’s gospel—one seen through the eyes of a conscious sinner, the other the sinless consciousness of the Saviour; Paul’s position between Judaeo-Christianity and Gnosticism—see also the article GNOSTICISM, by Wilhelm Bousset, professor of New Testament exegesis, Göttingen.

[Sidenote: The Pauline Epistles]

In general on the Pauline epistles the student should not only read this article PAUL, but should turn again to the treatment of New Testament canon in the article BIBLE (Vol. 3, pp. 872–873), and should look over the first part of the article JESUS CHRIST which finds in 1st Thessalonians the earliest extant document of Christianity. Then let him read the articles:

THESSALONIANS, EPISTLES TO THE, by the Rev. James Everett Frame, professor of Biblical theology, Union Theological Seminary, New York City. See also in the article PAUL (Vol. 20, pp. 945–946) for Paul at Thessalonica, and the articles ESCHATOLOGY and APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE for the doctrine of the “second coming” or “Parousia,” especially in 2 Thess., chap. 2.

CORINTHIANS, EPISTLES TO THE, by the Rev. Dr. James Hardy Ropes, professor of New Testament criticism and interpretation, Harvard; and the articles CORINTH, APOLLOS, PETER, ASCETICISM, FASTING, EUCHARIST (1 Cor., chap. 11, vs. 23 sqq. is the oldest extant account of the Lord’s Supper), TITUS.

GALATIANS, EPISTLE TO THE, by the Rev. Dr. James Moffatt, author of _The Historical New Testament_: and the articles GALATIA (for the “South Galatian” theory), ANTINOMIANISM (for Christianity _vs._ legalism).

ROMANS, EPISTLE TO THE, by Dr. Moffatt; and the article HEBREW RELIGION for the covenant which Paul here presents as one of faith and not of the law.

EPHESIANS, EPISTLE TO THE, by Prof. J. H. Ropes, pointing out that the theme is “the unity of mankind in Christ and hence the unity and divinity of the Church of Christ”; the article EPHESUS; the articles on COLOSSIANS and on 1st PETER for textual criticism; the article MARRIAGE for Paul’s influence (Eph. ch. 5, v. 23–32) on the Church’s attitude toward marriage; and the article GNOSTICISM for the tendency in the church which Paul attacked in this epistle and in Colossians.

COLOSSIANS, by Prof. J. E. Frame; the article COLOSSAE; ANGEL (on chap. 2, v. 18); ASCETICISM (on chap. 2, v. 16).

PHILEMON, EPISTLE TO, by Dr. Moffatt; the article SLAVERY, _Rome_ (Vol. 25, p. 218) for the status of a runaway like Onesimus.

PHILIPPIANS, EPISTLE TO THE, by Dr. Moffatt; the article PHILIPPI; ANTINOMIANISM (on the beginning of chap. 3); and on the Kenosis or emptying of self of Christ in Phil. 2, 7, see the article on CHARLES GORE (Vol. 2, p. 255), and in the article THEOLOGY the discussion in column 1 of p. 781 (Vol. 26).

TIMOTHY, FIRST EPISTLE TO; and TIMOTHY, SECOND EPISTLE TO, by Dr. Moffatt; the article TIMOTHY; the articles MARRIAGE and CELIBACY (on 1 Tim. 4, 3); FASTING, the article GNOSTICISM (for the “knowledge falsely so-called” of 1 Tim. 6, 20), and the article PASTORAL EPISTLES on these letters and on that to Titus. The article TITUS has much important criticism on Timothy.

TITUS, THE EPISTLE TO, by Dr. Moffatt; the articles BISHOP and PRESBYTER, etc.

HEBREWS, EPISTLE TO THE, by Dr. J. Vernon Bartlett; and, on authorship, the articles PAUL, BARNABAS, APOLLOS, LUKE, CLEMENT, STEPHEN; and the articles CLEMENTINE LITERATURE, HEBREW RELIGION, TEMPLE, ATONEMENT AND DAY OF ATONEMENT, ANGEL, MOSES, PRIEST, AARON, MELCHIZEDEK, SACRIFICE, MESSIAH.

[Sidenote: The Other Epistles]

Before turning to the articles on the other books of the New Testament, let the student read a part of the article THEOLOGY, by the Rev. Dr. Robert Mackintosh of the Lancashire Independent College, Manchester, with special attention to the paragraphs (end of p. 773 and p. 774, Vol. 26) on Jewish theology, St. Paul and contents of the New Testament. Here “Paulinism” is shown not merely in the Pauline writings but in the Acts, in 1st Peter (“good independent Paulinism”), and even in the Apocalypse, at least as regards the atonement and Christology. “The Johannine Gospel and Epistles are later than Paulinism, and presuppose its leading or less startling positions.” And the same article (p. 783) after pointing out that Luther and the evangelical revival “went back to St. Paul” asks “can Christianity not dig deeper by going back to Jesus?” The writer also suggests that the German school of Ritschl in “not idolizing Paulinism” have “idolized Luther.”

The other principal topics to be studied are:

JAMES, EPISTLE OF, by the Rev. Dr. Benjamin Wisner Bacon, professor of New Testament criticism and exegesis, Yale; the article on JAMES by the Rev. Dr. George Milligan, Professor of divinity and Biblical criticism, Glasgow; and the articles REVELATION, CLEMENT, HERMAS, etc., for the question of date and relation with other writings; WISDOM LITERATURE, for earlier writings on the “Wisdom” and proverbial expressions of

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