PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
Dictionary of the Apostolic Church — Volume 2
James Hastings · 991,000 words · 974 reading sections
Section 61
MOSES. — Just as, in the Synagogue, the Law (the Torah), was accounted the most important division of the Canon, and as Holy Scripture in its entirety might thus a parte potiori be designated the ' Law ' (6 vd/xoi, the tOrdh), so in the primitive Church Moses was regarded as the supreme figure of the OT. 1. Moses as t…
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Thus too had come the time when the believing Gentiles must be fully recognized as brethren, and received into the Church without circumcision.* Yet this does not in any sense imply that the mother church in Jerusalem and the rest of the Jewish Christians believed themselves to be exempt from the obligation of the Law.…
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In Kev 2 the prohibitions of idolatrous sacrifices and (ritual) immorality are once more brought to view, while in 1 Co G*'^" St. Paul urges the same restrictions, though without appealing to the Apostolic Decree. Nor, strangely enough, does he mention the Decree in Gal 2'''° ; this, however, would be sufficiently expl…
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the mountain where God proclaimed His Law. So gieat was the sacredness of the mountain, indeed, that even unconscious trespass was visited by death. 3. Mount Zion {Ziuv, He 12'").— Over against Sinai, which (juaUed at the giving of the Law, the Apostle places Zion, using it, however, in a spirit- ual sense : ' But ye …
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3. The gravity with which sin was regarded is suggested by the application of terms of mourning to the grief over transgression. Sinners are bidden, as a sign of humble penitence, to be afflicted, mourn, and weep. Laughter is to be turned to mourning (Ja 4' ; cf. 1 K 1°'). Among the welcome indications of a repentant C…
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See also artt. Man and Tongue. H. Whkelf.r Rodinson. MURDER. — The prevalence of muriler was one of the dark facts in the social !ind political back- ground of the early .\postolic Church. Fanaticism of a fierce and ruthless type was in the air, and human life was frequcntl3- as little regarded as is normal under suc…
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The term thus appears to have been used by the NT writers in a specific sense (suggested by the classical instance of Korah) of disloyalty in one way or another to the Church, its traditions, its harmony and unity. 1 Co 10'° and Jude '" suggest that, as in the case of Korah, such murmurings are really against God Himse…
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MYSTERY, MYSTERIES. — 1. Meaning and usage. — The word ' mystery' (y«i/<rn)pioi') is derived from the Greek tivi'iv, ' to initiate ' ; but it is also connected with ixieiv, ' to shut the eyes or the mouth.' Consequently it stands for rites and truths which must be closely guarded by those who possess them. J. E. Harri…
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Irenajus uses the term in a Gnostic sense. It stands for what he calls ' these portentous and profound mysteries,' against which he writes his famous work, c. Hmreses. Therefore little light is thrown by him on the word ' mystery ' as it was used in the early Church. However, from him is drawn nmch of the information w…
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MYSTERY, MYSTERIES MYSTERY, MYSTERIES 51 of an o;\tli of allegiance or an obligation {de Cor. lilil. 11, (idr. Viilcnt. 30). Between these two ap- plications all other uses of the word fall— namely, as designating baptism, the Eucharist, the rule of faith, salvation, and religion itself. Nothing could show more clea…
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{a) The mysteries of Eleusis. — Of the State cults the most famous were the mysteries of Eleusis and of Samothrace. The Eleusinian mysteries existed for at least 1.000 years, and were brought to an end in A.D. 395 by Alaric. The oldest documentary evidence of their existence is contained in the Hymn to Demeter (v. 274,…
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As a primary stage of initiation into the mysteries at Eleusis, mysteries were celebrated in the month of February at Agra, a suburb of Athens. Our information concerning their rise, their ceremonial, and their mystic significance is very defective. It is probable that they were once exclusively Athenian, and on the in…
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the Telesterion. Seats of stone, imrtly hewn from the native rock and partly constructed, rose tier on tier around the hall with a capacity for accom- modating about 3,000 persons. The original build- ing of course did not have this magnitude, for the Telesterion was repeatedly rebuilt, each time on a largerscale. Wlia…
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light on the real meaning of the mysteries cele- brated at Eleusis. We have no means of determining the extent of the influence of these mysteries. Numerous sanctuaries, dependent on the main sanctuary at Eleusis, arose in other parts of Greece. We hear of a sanctuary or chapel even in Italy. Of these daughter institu…
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(c) Th^ mysteries of Anclania. — The Andanian mysteries were celebrated at Andania in Messenia, th* south-western part of Greece (Peloponnesus). Originally they were consecrated to Demeter and to Kore, who was called Hague, 'the Holy One.' But at a later period Hermes, the Kabeiroi, and Apollo were added to these deiti…
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Our chief source of information concerning the mysteries of Isis is Metamorphoses, or Golden Ass, written by Lucius Apuleius (born A.D. 125). At the close of the work the author describes the experiences of one undergoing initiation into the Egyptian cult. We may accept the information with confidence, for the account …
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MYSTERY, MYSTERIES MYSTERY, MYSTERIES immense majority of the people, and remained always exotie cults in the Western world (Les Cultcs paifn.i, ii. 34). This eonehision is based largely on the absence of monuments and inscrip- tions in certain parts of the Roman Empire, and is, therefore, an inference from silence. …
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The festival of Attis was brilliantly celebrated in Rome at the spring equinox in the second half of the month of March. It evidently possessed the main characteristics of the wild and ecstatic worship as practised in the native home of the cult. It was introduced by a preparatory cere- mony on 15th March, when the can…
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The taurobolium (less frequently cnobohmn, the ofierincr of the ram) became a part of the rites of the cnft after the middle of the 1st century The mystic, swathed in linen as if prepared for burial, descended, while the spectators sang dirges, into a pit which was covered with lattice-work. The blood of the slaughtere…
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The Mithras of the Roman Empire was not the same as tiie Mithras of the Pi^rsian kingdom. In the progress of his worship from I'ersia westward his cult experienced numerous additions and modi- lications. It is ditlicult to mark the moment when it became a mystery-religion, but the cull was already well advanced, theolo…
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imparting to himself the vigour of health, increased prosperity, illumination of mind, power to cope successfully with evil spirits, and finally a blessed immortality. De Jong ajipcars to regard the com- munion as the culuiinaliim of the initiation. Others view the taurubuiiuiii, which was a rite in the Persian cult al…
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tively its peculiar view of the world and of man. Time was the original generative power. Thence came .'Ether or the heavenly world, and Chaos, the mighty void (ireXio/iiov x^'Mi). Time ])roduced a silver egg which -Ether fructified and over w Inch Chaos brooded. I'rom the ei'g Phanes, the my.stic principle of the worl…
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On the whole, the mystery-religions exercised but a slight influence on the oldest Christianity (Clemen, Der Eirtfluss der Mysterienreligionen, p. 81). And when, after the beginning of the 3rd cent., they were in a position to exert it with any degree of potency, the Church had already substantially formed her doctrine…
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MYSTICISM MYSTICISM 63 Apostolic Christianity it is imi)ossil)le to cxchnle the mysticism which has heeii liclineil as ' the type of reIi<;ion which puts the empluisis on immciliate awareness of relation with God, on direct and inti- mate consciousness of the Divine Presence. It is religion in its most acute, intens…
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2. Johannine mysticism. — ' The greatest monu- ment of most genuine appreciation of St. Paul's mysticism ... is the Gospel and the Epistles of St. John' (Deissmann, St. Paul, Eng. tr., London, 1912, p. 133). The two apostles agree in giving prominence to the mystic idea of the believer's oneness with Christ, to the pre…
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Literature. — In addition to the works mentioned in the art., see H. Hering, Die Mii&tik Litthers un Zrtsatmnenhanffe seiner Tkeotogie, Leipzig. 1879 ; M. Reischle, Kin Wort zur Contro- verse iiber die Mystik, Freiburg i. B., 1886 ; G. Klepl. Zur Umbildung desretiqiosen Denkens, Leipzig, 1908: P. Menlhorn, 'Christliche…
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The names of exalted personages, like kings, were often com- pounded of divine names. Most of the names of the Eji.vptian kings have incorporated in them the names of Ea, Amon.etcli^i^ The gre.it majority of Mesopotamian names contain the n-ime of a god, the greater number containing two, some three, such elements, as …
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Nicknames. — Just as names were originally given on account of some peculiarity in or about a person, so in later times any such jieculiarity was apt through ridicule or contempt to result in a nick- name. An inscription, indicating the holders of seats in the theatre of Miletus, reads ' Place of the Jews who are call…
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Him at once the eciual of Jahweh, and making His position intelligible to the whole pagan world.* Hence they proclaimed Jesus to be 'both Lord and Christ,' ' Lord of all,' ' Lord both of the dead and of the living,' ' the Lord from heaven,' ' our only liege and Lord.'t Hence, as the Egyptians of the 2nu cent. A.D. spok…
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• ERE i. 462, ii. 285 ; Jevons, Comparative. Religion, pp. 125, 129, The Idea of God in Early Religions, 1910, p. 85 : J. H. Moulton, Early Religions Poetry of Persia, 1911, pp. 32, 65. t Jevona, Comparative Religion, pp. 91, 92, 117 ; ERE i. 382, ii. 35 : see also the classification of Rose quoted in PEFSt xlvi. (191…
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t Frazer, GB^, pt. ii., Taboo and the Peril) of th» Soul, 1911, pp. 318-320. § O. Squire, The Mythology of the British Islands, new ed., 1910, p. 236. H ERE i. 643. II Frazer, GB^, pt. i!.. Taboo and the Perils of the Soul, p. 331. •* A. H. Sa\ce, Lectures on the Origin ajid Grotrth of Religion^ (BL, 1887), 1891, p…
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% Erman, p. 162. || li, p. 283. II lb. p. 162 ; Exp, 7th ser., x. 122. ** W. M. V. Petrie, A History oj Egypt, ii. [18M] 212. tt Savce, p. 304. tt Dt9" 26» 2920, Ec 63- 4, Ps 41' 72". The friends of the Hcast are those ' whose names have not been written from the foundation of the ^vorld in the book of life' ; whi…
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The extraordinary power of tlie inana of a deity explains the intense desire to know his name. Only then could liis mxtna be serviceable, for in all the lower cultures to invoeate is not to supplicate, but to call to one's aid the powerful mana of the deity invocated.§ The Hindu priests ' could command the gods to do …
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It has been pointed out, e.g., by B. D. Eerdmans that the primitive Israelites 'assumed the existence of a mvsterlous power, that dwelt in all things that lived, and in all things that appeared to contain unseen sources of action. . . . The name of this power was Klohim or EL' This Hebrew conception, which corresponds …
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In the Apostolic Age we meet with:the same thing. Nothing so preserved a man from evil as keepin*^ his name strictly sacred. The Christian of Per- gamum who, fighting his moral battle in the place * where Satan sits enthroned,' has not renounced his faith but adhered to God's name, is assured of his ultimate triumph, …
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• Anthropological Essays, p. 92. t ERE i. 29. I Frazer, GB\ pt. ii.. Taboo and the Perils of the Soul, pp. 349, 354 ; Clodd, pp. 166, 168, 171. § Jn 1143. II Frazer, GB3, pt. il, Taboo and the Perils of the Soul, p. 365. ^ lb. pp. 374-382; Clodd, p. 157. *• Frazer, GB3, pt. ii., ^0600 and the Perils of the Soul, p.…
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tt Lv 2418. |§ Lv IS'Jl 1912 216 222. 32. II II Ex 20' ; HDB v. 640i>, n. ; Gesenius, Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon, 1S59, p. 807. 11 Am 61" ; HDB v. UO^, n. •»* Exp. Sth ser., iii. [1912] 435. ♦ tt Mt 93 26li5, Lk 521, .)„ 1033. 36. ;;; Rev 138. §5§ Rev 18» ; of. vv.ll. •-! 131- 6 173, Ro 2»t, 1 Ti 6'. Illlll ITi 11…
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•••• Mt 141-2. tttt Lk 848, Mk 310 680, Lk 61». j;jt Mk 127.39; Heitmiiller, p. 241 ; Clemen, p. 234. §§§§ Mt SIS; E. 0. Convheare, 'The Deinonology of the NT,' inJv'f viii. (1895-9G).'isU. 11 1! 11 II Mk 52»- 42, Mt 827 9» 2120. Jn 520 721 goo^ Lk 436. «««!«i Mt 12'24- •■», Mk 3-"2, Lk ll" 18 (Mt 83« is probably »…
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of demons and all kinds of diseases.' In the Dircctormm Anglicamim a form is given for the exorcism of water, salt, and flowers for decoration, in the Triune Name. §§§ The practice, if we may so term it, has not yet ceased. Baroness de Bertouch tells us that Ignatius is said on one occasion, over a girl who had died …
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In Mt 28" there is recorded a command of Jesus to baptize 'in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.' The earliest mention we have of this is in the Didac.he, where a similar direction is given.JJ Justin Martyr says that baptism was administered in the Triune Name.§§ Iren^us, who mentions baptism in …
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or Christ (HJ Stippl.), 1909, p. 30, says : ' It is most assuredly post-Paiiline.' Clemen, p. 214, says : It * cannot be historical, at all events in its present form. . . . Jesus cannot, I think, have instituted a form of baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.' Harnack, HUtory of Doijma, i. [1S94] 79…
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* Glover, p. 158 f. ; ERE ii. 381. t J. A. Robinson, JThSt vii. [1905-06] 196, 197. J H. A. A. Ivennedy, Exp, 8th ser., iv. 639. § Clemen, pp. 23S, 370. II Deissmami, tiible Studies, p. 147. II Farnell, The Emlutiun of Religion, p. 189(. *• Ro 63. 4, Gal 3", Col 212. tt 1 Co 121-'- 13. niCoB". §J ERE ii. 382 ; …
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From the conception of the mana of the deities specially lodged in tlieir names there was developed the doctrine that the proper use of the name set in motion and brought into real operation all the powers of the deity. The Kei women when their men are fighting pray : ' O lord aun and moon let the bullets rebound from…
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• Ph 29- 10. t Farnell, The Evotutwn of Religion, p. 190. i lb. { Marett.'rAe threshold of Religion', p. 62. there was a ' household of Narcissus ' known to St. Pnnl in tiint. citv T R A I I virnuTU v Paul in that city. T. B. Allwouthy. NATION.— In Mk 7"-«, Gal 1»"- the RV rightly changes ' nation ' to ' race ' …
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James Donald. NATURAL. -1. In Ro !=«'• U-'-^* (cf. Jude" 'naturally') 'natural' is the rendering of 0iicriK6s. In Ko 1 St. Paul denounces certain forms of sexual vice as ' against nature.' To indulge in them is to pervert and degrade human nature. Its constitu- tion is violated when the lower impulses refuse to be con…
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Literature. — J. Laidlaw, Bible Doctrine of Man, new ed., Edinburgh. 1895 ; H. Wheeler Robinson, The Christian Doctrine of Man, do., 1911. J. Q. TaSKEK. NATURE.— 1. The revelation of God in Nature. — The basis of St. Paul's appeal to the men of Lystra (Ac 14'''''-) is that 'the living God 'mani- fests Himself in crea…
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and sins are, after all, not forced on us by our environment. Tlio.se oU'encesby which we provoke God, lie in our nature; lliey are no mere casual acts, they behing to our bias and disposition ' (G. G. Findlay, Expositor's Bible, ' The Kpistle to the Epbesians,' London, 1892, p. 104). In the con- text of this passage S…
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F. Loots (Leitfaden zum Studium der Dogmen- geschichte*, 1906, p. 83) agrees in the main with the above account, but thinks that too sharp a distinction is draw-n between the Nazarenes and the Ebionites. He holds that the recognition by the latter of the Holy Spirit who fell on Christ at the Baptism, and who is pre-exi…
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Various etymologies of ' Nazareth ' have been proposed. The idea that it means ' consecrated,' ' devoted to God ' ( from iij, whence Nazirite), or that it denotes ' my Saviour' ("is'J), may be dismissed at once. Equally improbable is the notion that it embodies a Messianic name, ' the Shoot,' or ' the Sprout' (nsj), wh…
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Probably, then, we have three stages in the historical development of Naziritism, but we may take it that the mark of the ^a,zir\ie par excellence all through was the unshorn locks, as the use of ndzir in Lv 2.5^-" seems to prove. The root idea of Naziritism is 'separated unto God,' and in the three prohibitions we hav…
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5, 6). King Agripi)a, ' coming to Jerusalem in mucli greater prosperity than he had before, . . . ordered that many of the Nazirites should have their heads shorn ' (Josephus, Ant. XIX. vi. 1). The destruction of the Temple was no doubt a fatal blow to Naziritism. It gradually disaji- peared in asceticism, and there i…
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Literature— Artt. in HDB, DCG, EBi, JE, PRE3, s.v. ; S. R. Driver, Cambridge Bible, 'Joel and Amos,* Cambridge, 1897, p. 152 f. ; R. J. Knowling, in EOT, • Acts,' London, 1900, pp. 392 1., 449 f.; J. Grill.in J/'TO.ISSO, p. 645flf. ; G. B.Gray, in JThSt i. [1900] 201 ft. ; W. R. Smith, RS^, London, 1894, pp. 323 ff., 4…
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NEREUS NEKO 83 4'°- ^) ; and generally, the rendering to every man of his due (Ro 13). LiTBRATURE.— J. R. Seeley, Ecce Homo^^, 1873, chs. xvii.- xxiv. (cf. especially cli. xviii. with Ro 15- and parallels). For the reconciliation of Christian love to one's nei^jhboiir with righteous and reasonable self-reirard, see…
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In the year 58 tlie Emperor proposed to establish ' free trade.' The object of this proposal was to relieve the people and to get rid of a method of taxation attended with much injustice. The pro- ducers and capitalists, on whom extra burdens would thus have been imposed, were able to strangle the scheme at birth. The …
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Some summing up of Nero's character may be attempted, though it seejiis hardly fair to judge a man who was only thirty-one at his death, and was undoubtedly atliicted with madness. There is perhaps less good that can be said of him than of any other Roman Emperor. That he was prodigal and licentious to an astounding de…
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was successful. Other wise and beneficent legal provisions are attributeil to him. Though careful of expenditure, he did not neglect biiildin";, and the torum Neruce (or Forum 'J'ransitorium) in Home attests his activity in this direction. Part of the Temple of Minerva in it still stands in situ. Considerable imiuovem…
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will transform the heaven and make it an eternal blessing and light: and I will transform the earth and make it a blessing''; Ixxii. 1: 'till the new creation isacconi|ilished which diireth till eternity'; xci. 16: 'And the lirst heaven shall depart and pass away, and a new heaven shall appear, and all the powers of th…
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2. Rise and development of the conception. — The Jews at first had no thought of any change in the present order of things : ' One generation goeth, and another generation Cometh ; and the earth abideth for ever' (Ec l') ; 'Who laid the founda- tions of the earth, that it should not be moved for ever ' (Ps 104^) ; ' Th…
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Outside the OT in the apocalyptic literature we have to look for the further progress of this con- ception. The gradual moral and physical trans- formation of the world that we have noticed as an adopted feature in Isaiah appears again, during the 2nd cent. B.C., in Jub. i. 29 (above); also in iv. 26: 'ami Mount Zion (…
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3. The description of the New Jerusalem (Rev 21^-22'). — The details of this sublime description are typically Jewish, but the thouglit is pre-emi- nently Christian. The earthlj' Jerusalem had been in ruins for a quarter of a century, Hadrian's new city was not yet in existence, and the Chris- tian Seer had no thought …
1,003 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.