We look for appreciation from His nearest disciples, a quick obedience, a joy that has no place for fasting (Mk 2"), the mother's confidence at the marriage-feast at Cana (Jn 2*), the great utterances of His forerunner the Baptist (Jn P" 3^"), the exalted vision of the Transfiguration (Mk S^), and that Petrine outburst, repeated by all, as they neared Gethsemane — ' If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee.' From these His intimates ■we anticipate such trust. We look for it, too, from the band of holy women — Joanna, Susanna, Salome, the Marys, and those 'who ministered unto him of their substance' (Lk 8^). But beyond these we have the scribes (Mt 8'", ]Mk 12") ear- nestly approaching Him, Pliarisees inviting Him to their houses (Lk IP' 14') ; we have the confes- sion of the council of priests and Pharisees— ' If we let him alone, all will believe on him' (Jn IP*) ; we have the acknowledgment of Samaritans, con- vinced not by hearsay but by personal knowledge (Jn i*'-), of centurions (Mt 8=-", Mk 15™), and of the rich young man 'running and kneeling' and saying, 'Good Master ' (Mk 10"). Strangers seek Him out — ' Sir, we would see Jesus ' ( Jn 12-") ; and the common people of His own race 'heard him gladly' (Mk 12='), and acclaimed His entry into Jerusalem (Mk IP"'"). In the beginning, shep- herds and magi, angels and stars bear witness to the newborn King ; so that to the last it is a strange mi.xed company, that seems to include (by his long faltering before judgment) Pilate himself, the lone, mysterious figure of Joseph of Arimathaea, and Nicodemus ' bringing myrrh and aloes '(Jn 19»).
Tliis many-sided appreciation of our Lord in His own day, in addition to its obvious gain to the Christian preacher, is suggestive of the many ditt'ering points of view from which men may rever- ently regard Christ, each one expressive of a truth, though not the entirety of the truth. And it may also indicate the many successive ways of wonder, repentance, sympathy, and vision in which Christ speaks to each individual soul.
Edgar Daplvn.
ARAMAIC— See Language.
ARBITRATION.— The settlement of disputes by the acceptance of the judgment of a third party supposed to be impartial. The arrangement may be purely private, or in accordance with special statute ; the application is multifarious. Some method of settlement by umpires is as old as civil government. In Job 9^^ the ' daysman ' is perfectly described. The Greek term {nealn,s) translated 'mediator' (or middleman) has the same meaning; though as applied, in the NT, to Moses and to Christ (Gal 3»- =», 1 Ti 2», He 8« 9"! 12=-'). as standing between man and God (cf. Dt 5°), it belongs to an essentially dift'erent order of ideas, inasmuch as God is not man. The complexity of modern life has multiplied the occasions ; but the most import- ant recent advance has been the application to international ditterences. Thereby questions such as have often led to wars become capable of amicable settlement. The first notable instance was the Geneva arbitration under the Washington Treaty (1871) in the Alabama Question. The principle, then disputed, has now found universal acceptance. Treaties of arbitration already exist or are being negotiated between most nations that have mutual relations. And in the future, except where ambitions and strong passions are involved, this means of agreement will he largely resorted to. VOL. I.- 8
The idea is based on tlie acknowledgment of the identity of moral law in the two spheres of indi- vidual and national life. Duty for persons or communities or nations is one. There is no valid distinction of private and pulilic right; the code of ethics tli;it 1- liiiKiiTii; ti.r the private individual i.s e(iu:illy oKliuutinv 'Hi Iviii.us and tlie representa- ti\cs (il |M'(j|,lr.-,. I'lu-^ (Iw.triiK- is opposed to the long histury of .-jtatcn;! 1 1 . I n ( h,. mn xinisof diploma- tists, and to the passi.iM, ..1 dr |„,ii^iii. But few now openly deny its tiutli; .in. I tin' urknowledg- ments ah'eady made in (ir.iiics of arbitration majf be reckoned one ol the grcate.'it triumphs of Christian civilization.
The principle may be said to be based on the Golden Rule (Mt 7'-, Lk 6='), which teaches recipro- cal obligation, or on the kindred command to love our neighbours as ourselves (Mt 22^'', Mk 12"). These fundamental laws are gi\en as the sum of practical duty. They condenni the egoistic atti- tude. They teach us to regard the position of others with full sympathy, to seek an impartial standpoint, and to make the individual will har- monize with the general mind. The principle of arbitration is also an illustration of tlie grace of peaceableness. ' Blessed are the peacemakers ' (Mt 5"). This truth finds full expression in the Epistles, where peace, the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5^-), and the concomitant of righteousness, is con- trasted with the strife and envy of sin, and is noted as a mark of the kingdom of God, who is the God of peace. Once more, the principle may be based on prudence ; for a willing settlement may prevent a legal defeat, or even a worse dis- aster (iMt 5-=- =», Lk lo5s.6u^ cf_ pr 958.9).
Christ declined on one occasion to be an arbiter (Lk 12"f-). He was addressing the multitude, when one of them said, ' Master, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me.' Jesus re[)lied, 'Man, who made me a judge (xpir^j', so BDL and the crit. edd. ; TR has SmaiXTriv) or a divider [ixepiaHiv, only here in NT) over you?' The words which follow (v.'^f-) show that Jesus knew that this man was moved by covetousness ; but apart from His censure of a wrong motive. He here affirms that it was no business of His to arbitrate between men. He would not interfere in civil disputes which fell properly to be decided by the regular law (cf. Dt 21"). But His saying goes far beyond the sphere of jurisprudence. Clirist lays down universal laws of justice and love, but does not apply them. Moral casuistry was no part of His mission, and decisions of the kind this man wanted could only have weakened the sense of i)ersonal responsibility, and hindered the growth of those spiritual dis- positions it was His chief aim to create.