The coiTesixradence is perfect between our needs and their satisfaction in Jesus Christ. Here the subjective is controlled by the objective, and the coercive power of Christ over the belief of those who trust Him is perfect. Much might be said on the educative power of Christ on man as to the true needs of man, and much might be said on the reasonableness of trust in this perfect Personality ; but enougli has been said to indicate the congruity of this belief with the whole nature of belief in general, and to show that it is the outcome of all the factors which enter into and justify that atti- tude of the human mind wliicli we call belief. See, further, art. Faith.
LiTERATi'FE.— The articles 'Belief and 'Psychology' in the Encj/c. Brit.^: .Tames, Principles 0/ Psychology; Turner,
Ji>wirl.<l<ii; Jkli,/, iiinl Ci-rtil iidc ; Flint, Agnosticimi ; Royce, Tlie Ju'ifiinifx Afji.;'! .-( M,j<l,'ra Philosophy; Newman, Grnm- mur,.i Axs, nt ; luiii, Knu.i i,.,,.-: aiij the WW, and Mental and Muni'l .S'l. nee ; \ ilki, t.'t.ut, ,ni«:mri/ Psychology. It may be well to nfvr to Kunl in his Uun- great Critiques, and specially to his treatment of 'Glaube' in the Critique 0/ the Practical Reason. In the works of Sir William Hamilton, Mansel, and Herbert Spencer the reader will find discussions of some value. In truth, the literature which in one form or other deals with the nature and validity of belief is so enormous, that an exhaustive reference is out of the question. But reference oufrht to be made to Balfour's Foundations of Belief and to Kidd's Social
Evolution, as these books present a somewhat peculiai
the nature and validity of belief, specially in its relation to
knowledge.
As to belief in Christ we need not give any reference, for all the literature of Christianity would be relevant here.
J. IVERACH.
BELOVED. — Wherever the word rendered ' be- loved ' (ayaTyb^ — in 9 places AV has ' dearly be- loved ' and in .3 places ' well-beloved ' ; in every case RV has ' beloved ' only) is used in the NT, it seems to imply a love deeper and more intimate than the common affections, and is therefore but sparingly employed. In the Epistles it is the in- dication of tlie inner brotherhood, ' and its very form ' beloved brethren ' has passed into every liturgy. St. Paui uses it to distinguish, as with peculiar honour, those whom he has personally enliglitened with the new faith, as Epcenetus (Ro 16°), Timothy (I Co 4"), or a whole community (1 Co 10", Pli 2'-). But in the Gospels the word is used solely concerning Christ, and marks out the Son's especial relationship to the Father. There is abundance of love throughout the Gospels : whether of Jesus for John and the rest, or of the disciples and others for Him : and there is no weakness or timidity in the expression of the love. But to none other save Himself is the word ' be- loved ' applied. He Himself uses it but once, and then in the parable of the Lord of the Vineyard, wlierein the ' beloved son' is the evident picture of
I
BENEDICTION
BENEDICTION
the Son of Man (Mk li" [AV ' well-beloved'], Lk 20"). Elsewhere the Evangelists (Syin.|.ti^ts only), who give the word, report it as tin' iil ti'i.-nni- of God, the Divine recognition and .ipimn .il nf tlie Son. The influence of the OT is plainly w^ihW- in the words heard at the Baptism. Jesus hears the voice of God pronouncing a benediction in clearest remembrance of Ps 2', ' Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee,' and of Is 42' 'My chosen, in whom my soul delighteth ' (quoted in Mt 12'^; cf. Bruce, Expos. Gr. Test., in lot:); for the Syn- optists agree in the phrase ' My beloved son in
(whom) ^ '^'" ^^'^'1 pleased ' (Mt 3", Mk 1", Lk 3-'). _ And there is something beautifully fitting in this consecration of the opening of His ministry by a blended echo of psalm and prophecy. The other occasion of the word is that record of another great revealing moment of His life— the Trans- figuration, when two of the three tell of ' a voice out of the cloud (sa.ying), This is my beloved son, hear ye him ' (Mt 17=, Mk 9' ; in the || Lk 9^5 the true reading is iK\e\eyii4fos).
Literature.— The Lexicons of Cremer and Grimm-Thaver, s.v. i}-«T^To.- ; E. H. Charles, Ascmsion of Imiah (1900), p. 3 and passim ; J. A. Robinson, Epist'.i to Ephesians (1904), 229 ; art. ' Beloved ' in Hastings' DB. E. DaPLYN.
BENEDICTION — Benedictions on the assembled people pronounced by an officiating priest or minister were a regular part of the liturgies of the temple and the synagogue, but no diiect mention is made of these in the Gospel narratives. Quite similar in character, however, are the benedictions on persons, which are not a part of the ceremonial of Divine worship. Of these there are several examples in the Gospels (Lk 2^ 6='* 24'" and Mk 10'«). All such words of blessing are liable to have magical power attributed to them, but in form and origin they are simply a prayer addressed to God for the wellbeing of some person or persons in whose presence they are uttered. They may be exemplified from the benediction of the Jewish liturgy : ' The Lord bless thee, and keep thee ; the Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee ; the Lord lift up his counte- nance upon thee, and give thee peace' (Nu 6-^-"). In the NT the verbs ei>Xo7£r;/ (Lk 2^* 6=» 24™) and KarcuXoydv (Mk 10"*) denote ' to utter a benediction' in this sense.