PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
Dictionary of the Apostolic Church — Volume 1
James Hastings · 1,014,604 words · 1012 reading sections
Section 421
302 DIDACHE DISCIPLE cause its author belonged to that order. May it not equally be that the Didache says little about the teachers for a similar reason? Tlie very name of his work would indicate that its author was numbered among the teachers. In addition to this ministry to the whole Church, there is a local mini…
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The ships of the ancients caiTied two figures as a rule, one being the figure-head {trapda-ij/iov, in- siqne), after which the ship was named (Virgil, ^n. V. 116, X. 166, 188, 209), and the other in the stern. The latter was the tutela or image of the divine being under whose guardianship the vessel was supposed to sai…
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(6) The Christian must also discipline himself. Through the crucifixion of his lower nature he rises into newness of life. St. Paul describes (Tit 2^2) the negative side as 'denying ungodliness and worldly lusts,' and the positive as to 'live soberly, and righteously, and godly in this present world ' ('sobrie erga nos…
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The whole Church exercised this power of dis- cipline. St. Paul addresses the community in 1 Cor., v/hich is our earliest guide on the subject. Laj-men on occasion could teach, preach, and exer- cise disciplinary powers. In the case of excom- munication it was not necessary that there should be unanimity. A majority vo…
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" ' The secrei which malice had divined within the Saviour's lifei;irae' (Gwatlcin, Early Church Hist. i. 18). DISPERSION DISPEESIOJ^ 305 with them everywhere, but ' in the Greek Diaspora . . . strict canonicity was accorded only to the Torah' (ERE ii. 580''). The observance which attracted most notice from their G…
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From the founding of Alexandria and Antioch, the Jews were TroXIrai (cives), but in the older Greek cities, except those of which the constitu- tions were altered by Alexander or his successors (HDB V. 104 f. ; Expositor, 7th ser., ii. 37 f.), they were .simply /jl^tolkoi. (incolce, ' residents'). The Jews of Rome whom…
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There are few data to satisfy our curiosity about what happened to the Jewish Diaspora from A.D. 70 to 100. The rebellion against the Roman authority seems to have met with no sympathy on the part of the Jews of Rome. They had no share in the insurrections under Vespasian, Trajan, or Hadrian, and were left unmolested (…
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3. Development. — If we think of the above three methods of communication between the divinities and men as existing, in embryo, in the earliest ages, we can realize how they were each developed by such great races as the Semites and the Aryans, and how the common inheritance of each of these was developed along distin…
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308 dwi:n-atiox DOCTOR watcher, nor one who uses charms, nor an astro- loger, nor one who purifies,' i.e. one who averts disease or removes sin by sacrifices, ixt] yivov oluvo- (TKOTTOS , . , firjS^ iwaoiSbs, fi.T)5k fiadruaaTiKos, ijl7]5^ ■n-epiKadalpuv (iii.). Hermas (Mand. xi, 4) cautions Christians not to consul…
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This party would perhaps point to the obedience of Christ to the Law during His life, and would strongly advocate the position that Christianity was an outcome of Judaism, and that the Gentile in accepting Christ must i bow his head to the yoke of the Law as well. In 1 Cor. we see this party in its infancy ; but in 2 C…
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P. S. P. Haxdcock. DOMINION.— This word is used, though not in- variably, in tlie translation of three Gr. expressions : (1) the verb Kvpieveiv, 'to be lord of,' 'to have do- minion over' (Ro G^-" 7^ AV and RV ; 2 Co l'^ AV, where RV has ' have lordship ') ; (2) rd Kparos ; (3) Kvpi&rrjs. TO Kpdros is rendered thus i…
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On the death of Titus through fever, Domitian became Emperor (13 September 81). Henceforth his title was Imperator Csesar Domitianus (Domi- tianus Ca?sar) Augustus. The title Germanicus was conferred upon him in 84, and he became censor perpetuus {after 5 Sept.) in 85. Certain of the important events of his reign may b…
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It was in the year Oct. 93 to Sept. 94, according to the Chronicle of Eusebius, as translated by Jerome, that the Domitianic persecution of the Christians began, and tiiat the Apostle John, being ban- ished to the island ' Pathmus,' saw the Apocalypse (cf. other ancient references recorded in the intro- ductions to the…
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We read (Ac 2P^) that the people laid hold on St. Paul, and dragged him out of the Temple, and straightway the doors were shut. Farrar {Life ojid Work of St. Paul, lb97, p. 532) locates this turmoU at the Beautiful Gate, but, considering the number of doors that gave access to the Temple precincts, there are other poss…
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• Sanday-Headlam, Romans^ (ICC, 1902), p. 840. t See K. J. A. Hort in JPh iii. [1870] 56 ; and for a con- vincinfr discussion of the genuineness of this doxology aee E. H. Gi£ford in Speaker's Com., ' Romans,' 1881, pp. 22-27. 'in the Church' as the special domain where God is interested, viz. in a social brotherhood…
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In the sub- Apostolic Age we have in Clement of Rome (A.D. 97) 'to whom (God) be the ,qlory for ever and ever,' chs. 3S, 43, 45, 50 perhaps of Christ. 58 'through whom (Christ) is the glory, etc.,' and 65 ' through whom (Clirist) be glory and honour, power and greatness and eternal dominion unto him (God) from the ages…
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The only references to dreams or dreaming in the apostolic writings are Ac 2" ' your old men shall dream dreams' (quoted from Jl 2^), and Jude^ ' these also (the false teachers of v.^) in their dream- ings defile the flesh': the reference is understood by Bigg (Second Fet. andJude[ICC, 1901]), follow- ing von Soden and…
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It is true that the moral verdicts of the Christian are not always immediate and sure. ' Manifest are the works of the flesh,' wrote St. Paul, naming among them 'drunkenness' [fiidai, Gal 5'^- -'), but they were far from being so manifest to all his converts. The Christian conscience needed to be educated, the spiritua…
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The injunction to Timothy to be no longer a water-drinker {fM-qK^n {/dpoTrorei) but to use a little wine (1 Ti 5^) is now generally regarded as post- Pauline. It is ' evidently, in the context in which it stands, not merely a sanitary but quite as much a moral precept, and thus implies that Timothy had himself begun t…
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In Rev 4P the eagle plays a part in the vision of the throne in heaven : ' And the first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face as of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle.' These four forms, which suggest all that is strongest, noblest, wisest,…
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Moral or spiritual qualities are assigned to the ear in several passages, according to the frequent OT usage (Pr 15^', Is 59', etc.); one example is quoted from the OT and applied by St. Paul to the Jews of Rome : ' their ears are dull of hearing' (Ac 28^^ ; cf. Ro 11®). The same charge is brought l>y the author of the…
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Earthen [oarpa.Kivo'i, fr. ScrrpaAcoi' = ' burnt clay,' or anything made therefrom). — The Gr. word occurs twice in the NT, but in EV is only once translated 'earthen.' In 2 Ti 2-" the rendering is 'of earth,' and the reference is simply to the material of the earthen vessels in contrast with those of gold and silver a…
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It was not till the middle of the 19th cent, that a careful investigation of the phenomena of earth- quakes was begun. Seismology is now an exact science, in wliich remarkable progress has been made in Japan, a land of earthquakes. But while man rationalizes such calamities, and can no longer regard them as strictly su…
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Mainly from Jerome, then, we learn that the views of the Nazarenes on the three important points (bindingiiess of the Law, Christology, authority of St. Paul) were as follows : (a) As to the Law, they held that it was binding on themselves, and continued to observe it. They seem, however, to have distinguished the Mos…
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6. Syncretistic Ebionites.— The most conserva- tive movement could not escajie the syncretistic tendencies of the age with which we are dealing. We have notices of several varieties which we class together as Syncretistic Ebionites. (a) The first of these we may term the Ebionites of Epijihanius. Epiphanius agrees wit…
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2. Special. — In its specialized use, oIko8o/j.i^ is a technical term for the exercise of ' spiritual gifts ' (xapia/jLara) within the Christian congregation by its members, for the mutual ' edification ' of in- dividuals. St. Pauls description of the variety and exercise of these endowments in Corinth (1 Co 12 and 14)…
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Education began, as Josephus says, 'with the earliest infancy.' Philo speaks of Jewish youth ' being taught, so to speak, from their very swad- dling clothes by parents and teachers and inspectors, even before they receive instruction in the holy laws and unwritten customs of their religion, to believe in God the one F…
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In the education of the Jewish boy, punishment, we may be sure, was not withheld. The directions of the Book of Proverbs, which is itself a treasury of sound educational principles, were carried out not only in tlie home but in the school (Pr 12'^'* 1918 23i»). St. Paul, addressing a self-righteous Jew, exposes the inc…
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EDUCATIOI^ EDUCATION 323 ing and virtue. We even read of bequests being made to provide free education to children of both sexes, but the rule was that women needed no more instruction than they were likely to receive at home. Being an afiair of the State, education was under the control of officials appointed to su…
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By the Apostolic Age it had become the practice for promising students to supplement their school education by seeking out and attending the lectures of eminent teachers in what we should call the great universities. Eoman Emperors like Claudius and Nero had done much to encourage Greek culture and to introduce it into…
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amining Speratus, one of the band of Scillitan martyrs in N. Africa. ' The books and epistles of St. Paul,' Avas the reply [TS i. 2 [1891], p. 114). Tlie feeling grew and spread that it was at once a privilege and a duty thus to make acquaintance with the meaning and teaching of Holy Scripture. In Asia Minor and in Gau…
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Literature. — A. Harnack, Bible Reading in the Early Church, 1912; A. H. Charteris, The Church of Christ, 1905, under 'Education' and 'Teaciiers'; P. Monroe, Text-Book in the History of Education, 1905 ; art. ' Bible in the Church ' by E. von Dobschiitz in ERE ii. 579. THOMAS NiCOL. EGYPT [MyvwTo^]. — NT references to…
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ELECT LADY.— See John, Epistles of. 326 ELECTIO^^ ELECTIOX ELECTION. — 1. Definition. — Election, in the teaching of the apostles, is the method by which God gives effect to His eternal purpose to redeem and save mankind ; so that the elect are those who are marked out in God's purpose of grace from eternity as hei…
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4. St. Paul's doctrine. — It is St. Paul who most fully develops the doctrine in its strictly theological aspects. His teaching, however, only expands that of our Lord on the same subject, as when He speaks of those whom the Father had given Him (Jn G^'^' 3" 17-' -*), to whom He should give life eternal, and whom He sh…
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' There was from the first an element of inscrutable selective- ness in God's dealings within the race of Abraham. Ishmael was rejected, Isaac chosen : Esau was rejected and Jacob chosen, antecedently to all moral conduct, thoug'h both were of the same father and mother. Such selectiveness ought at least to have preven…
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328 ELEMENTS ELEIklENTS the Spirit, these Jewish believers are, as St. Peter elsewhere calls them, ' an elect race, a roj-al priest- hood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession ' (2^, where election is seen to be not simply to privilege, but to character and service, to holy living and the setting forth o…
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This is probably the meaning of the terra in 2 P 3^° : ' The day of the Lord shall come as a thief ; in Avhich . . . the elements shall be dissolved Avith fervent heat' (crrotxeia 5^ Kavcro6fieva XvOrjaerai [or \v9ri(TovTai]) ; and v.^^: 'the elements shall melt (TTjKerai) with fervent heat.' Here RVm gives the alterna…
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Not a few passages in the NT indicate the pre- valence of this conception. Tlie four winds have their four angels (Kev 7^* ^), and the fire has its angel (14'^). Each of the Seven Churches has its angel (2. 3). Angels take the form of winds and fire (He 1' II Ps 104^). _ The inferiority of the law to the gospel is due …
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James Strahan. ELYMAS.— See Bar-Jesus. EMERALD (a-fidpaydos). — The emeraldis a mineral of the same species as the beryl. It owes its value as a gem to its extremely beautiful velvetj'^ green colour, which is ascribed to the chromium it con- tains. The primary form of its crystal is a hexa- gonal prism variously modif…
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'This day has given the earth an entirely new aspect. . . . Rightl}' does he judge who recognises in this birthday the beginning of lite and of all the powers of life, now is the time ended when men pitied themselves for being- born. . . . All- ruling Providence has filled this man with such gifts for the salvation of …
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Indeed, the very Augustus who was the first, and remained the ideal. Emperor-god, was also the restorer to the ancient Roman religion of the dignity it had lost in the troublous times of the dying Republic. But a further stage was reached, and first of all in Asia, at which the new religion became con- scious that it …
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' It was only a sham religion, a matter of outward show and magnificent ceremonial. It was almost devoid of power over the heart and will of man, when the first strong sense of relief from misery had grown weals, because it was utterly unable to satisfy the religious needs and cravings of human nature' (liamsay, op. ci…
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Two passages in Hebrews (6'"° 10^^), which pre- suppose thisenlightenment, call for special attention because thej' have been thought to contain refer- ence to baptism on the one hand, and to the pagan Mysteries on the other. That there is some allusion to baptism in 6^ is quite probable, for the two expressions, 'once…
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(2) The enmity of Jew and Gentile was notorious. After smouldering for centuries, it finally burst into the flames of the Bellum Jvdaicum. The con- tempt of Greek for barbarian was equally pro- nounced. Christ came to end these and all similar racial antipathies. By His Cross He ' abolished ' and ' slew ' the enmity (E…
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James Strahan. ENOCH,BOOK OF.— Introductory.— The Ethiopic Book of Enoch (or 1 Enoch, as it is now more con- veniently denominated) is the largest, and, after the canonical Book of Daniel, the most important of the Jewish apocalyptic works which have so recently come to be recognized as supplying most important data fo…
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xvii.-xxxvi. — Enoch's two journeys : through the earth and to Sheol. — (a) xvii.-xix. — Enoch is brought to the ends of the earth and views trea- suries of stars, and the winds that uphold heaven (xvii. 1-xviii. 3), and seven mountains of precious stones (xviii. 6), and beyond, a deep abyss of fire (xviii. 11), and fu…
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Iviii.-lxxi. — The Third Parable. — Endless light and life for righteous (Iviii. ). [Secrets of lightnings, anintrusion{\\x.).'\ [Noachic fragment(iov 'Enoch' read ' Noah' in Ix. 1). — The Head of Days on the throne of glory announces the judgment (Ix. 1-6, 25) ; Leviathan a female monster, and Behemoth a male, parted,…
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Section v. : chs. xci.-civ. — (a) Enoch's Book for his Children (xcii. 1). — God has appointed days for all things ; the righteous are to arise from sleep and walk in eternal light, and sin is to disappear (xcii.). Methuselah and his family are summoned ES'OCH, BOOK OF KN'OCH, BOOK OF 33: and exhorted to love right…
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3. Canonicity. — That the work was recognized as inspired in certain Jewish circles appears from the above references in Jubilees and the Test. XII. Patriarchs. St. Jude quotes a passage from it as an authentic prophecy of Enoch. The Epistle of Barnabas (xvi. 5) refers to it in the words \eyei. yap i] ypacpT] ; Athenag…
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Sectiox IV. : The Dream FisJo?i5.— There is only one interpolation — xc. 14>5. xc. 13-15 and xc. 16- 18 are doublets. There is close agreement with and evident knowledge of vi,-xi., but no depend- ence on them. The conceptions are more spiritual and developed. The date would be before 161 B.C., as Judas Maccabseus is s…
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Jude I'l- 18 — 'ISou ?iK9iv Kupios Iv 1 En. i. 0 — 'l&ov epxercu (riiVTOui ayt'ais fivpiacnv avTov, ixvpiaaiv ayi'ais avTOV, jTOirjirat Kpicriu Kara. navrMv, Troifjcrai Kpiaiv Kara navTiav, KoX eAe'yf ai Travras Tous aae- KoX aTroAeVai jrai/ras tous a(re- fieU jScw Kal eAe'yf at natrav crapKa nepl Tra.vTtav tmv e…
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1 ; ' Satan . . . accuser of our brethren . . . be- fore our God ' (Rev 123- ") || ' Satans . , . before the Lord of Spirits ... to accuse them who dwell on the earth ' [1 En. xl. 7) ; the false prophet ' de- ceiveth them that dwell on the earth ' (Rev IS^-*) || the ' hosts of Azazel . . . leading astray those who dMel…
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(2) Theology.— («) The Messiah.— The 'Son of Man ' in the Parables is pre-existent : ' before the sun and the signs were created, before the stars of tiie heaven were made, his name was named before the Lord of Spirits ' (xlviii. 3), ' for this reason hath he been chosen and hidden before him, before the creation of th…
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(A) Angels. — Marriage is forbidden to them (xv. 7 ; cf. Mt 2223-33) ; 1 Co IP" possibly refers to the seduction of angels by women, which, however, agrees with the nai'rative of the angels' fall in Jtibilees rather than in 1 Enoch. {i) The conversion of the Gentiles is expected generally in i jEwocA, e.g. x. 21, 1. 2…
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(2) In the RV of Ac V 13^^ 175^ j^q 1313^ 1 q^ 33^ Ja 3'4. 16 'jealousy' is substituted for AV 'envy,' in Ac 5^'^ for 'indignation,' and in 2 Co 12^0 for 'emulation.' In all these instances the word is f^Xos (vb. f??Xdw), used in a bad sense, though in many other cases it has a good meaning and is translated ' zeal ' (…
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T. B. Allworthy. E PAPER AS (shortened probably from Epaphro- ditus, but not to be identified Avith the evangelist so named). — Epaphras was a native or citizen of Colossae (Col 4^^), the founder, or at least an early and leading teacher of the Church there (Col V, where Kal, 'also,' is omitted in the oldest MSS), who…
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Meanwhile the Philippians had heard of their delegate's illness, and by and by their an.viety became known at Rome. Partly to relieve that solicitude and to satisfy the 'longing' of Epaphro- ditus ; partly to convey the Apostle's grateful acknowledgment of the recent gift ; partly also, we may presume (although Avith d…
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But neither of these dangers has come to the front in any special form, and the dominant note of the Epistle is not one of warning, but one of praise and thanksgiving. The writer's mind is full of one great theme — the unity of the Church in Christ, predestined from all eternity to all eternity, bound together in faith…
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(iv.) VV.29. 30. Pure conversation, lest others be in- jured, and the Holy Spirit be grieved. (v.) vv.31-32. Gentleness, as God was gentle in Christ. (vi.) 51-2. Love, as Christ loved. (vii.) vv-Si*. Purity of speech and action, even to the avoidance of the foolish word and jest, as un- worth.y of our calling (vv.3.…
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(2) Externdl evidence. — This preliminary inves- tigation, then, rather favours the authenticity of the Epistle than otherwise, and this result is en- tirely borne out by the external evidence of early writers. Epliesians is one of the best-attested books of the NT. By the middle of the 2nd cent, it was widely known. B…
917 wordsSource & rights
Public-domain historical reference work (1915–1916); OCR text from Internet Archive. Historical scholarship and terminology reflect its era; OCR may contain errors. Verify quotations and current scholarly claims independently.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.