Thi>;(i- . ' . .| '..11 j..;..i..l ...II must surely be an
altcrnii.'. \' 1-1. 11 .1 -11. . ,./../( Mi ..'-. .Ve«.'ording to Mt 5, Christ .-i-.pu-i- ..I Lilt,- pcii-^luiu .-I lUe Law; according to Mt 'Jl, uf the assured truth of His own words. We nmst note the presence of 3 corresponding clauses in each of the two passages : heaven and earth passing away — all things being accomplished — a Divine word not 'passing .away." In .Mt 5i» the first two elements jar against each other. The same sentence contains two limits — two clauses each beginning Vu," i». In that respect 2434.35 shows to better advantage, and can advance the stronger claim to rank as the original. On the other hand, the verses in ch. 24 are themselves exceedingly difficult. It is no mere blind conservatism which hesitates to believe that our Lord pledged His supernatural knowledge for the conclusion of the world's story within a generation. The words, as we have them, mean that and nothing else ; and it is surely incredible that Jesus should have so erred. We do not deny that He may have expected the end shortly; there is at leasta strong NT tradition, direct and in- direct, that He did. We do say that He could not stake every- thing, ^vith the very greatest emphasis, upon — a date! which besides was a inistaketi date. B. W. Bacon's solution is attrac- tive—that the original lofjion referred to the word of God, but not specifically either to the OT law or to the Master's own words, though different lines of tradition insisted on one or the other identification.
5. ' Fulfilm'-.nt ' in general. — Some individiinl passages, {a) Lk 1' speaks of the things ' fulfilled ' among us (ireTrXripoipopTiiiivuv ; perf. particip. from a derivative of irXripda, or at least of irX-fiprji). The con- nexion with v.^— 'the certainty of those tilings wherein,' etc. — makes AVs rendering tempting; •things . . . most surely believed.' But authority favours the rendering 'fulfilled.' Not, however, in the sense of ' Divinely fulfilled.' In these, the most classical verses from St. Luke's pen, we must look rather to classical models ; and we should probably take ' fulfilled ' as meaning ' fully accom- plished. So Holtzmann ; or Adeney — ' Luke will record complete transactions, a finished story.' Probably, therefore, there is nothing to be made of this passage, (b) In Lk 22" we read (RV), 'This which is written must be fulfilled {TeXeaeijvai) in me. And he was reckoned with transgressors ; for that which concerneth me hath fulfilment ' (?-^\os ^x")- Here there is room for ditl'erance of opinion. Holtz- mann is respectful to tli.> |.a^-.i-.-— a 'valuable .separate tradition of I.uIm',, Imi ■luubts whether the individual ver.se is ;i. u.uuinr .-,i\ Iul; of the Lord's. And he takes it as mcaninj uicjicly that death, or the end, is hurrying near ; on tlie analogy of Mk 336 — Satan if divided against himself ' hatn an end.' On the other hand, Adeney, like the Revisers (ap- parently), thinks that Divine fuHilment is pointed to here. It is an interesting possiliility. \Xe can hardly .'iay more, (c) If the su^'-cstion ofl'ered above— (rf)— regarding Mt .">'■'' should he adopted— if that were originally a separate loginn, or if, at any rate, it was spoken quite in (/cxcj-c//— then tlie central Gospel passage on ' fulfilment ' gives us a general point of view, in the blaster's own words.
Any of these individuiil jL-isva-.-^, if .such an in- terpretation as we liiiM' ,li-.,i-,,l i-; warrantable, centres round the iil. i ni tlir fullihnent of ]iro- phecy ; though -Mt .'i'"'' wimld ine,au something bro.ader or sonietliing profounder than what tlie letter of the NT generally attains to. It will be interesting if we can regard such broader and pro- founder teaching as coming directly from our Master.
Different senses of 'fulfilment ' reviewed again. These do not to any great extent correspond to diflerent Greek words. To ftdfil joy is irXripba (usually in the passive), to complete joy, but (some- times at least, we thought) to give joy in its ful- ness. To fuljil time (again usually a passive) is also trXripdu, but might be the kindred iri/iTrXdrai, which is used even in NT in the less theological ap- plications. The appointed time — whatever author- ity enacted it — is now full. To fulfil Scripture — or prophets' words, etc. — is inditt'erently wXripbu (or cognates, possibly once ininrXavtn, Lk 21°^ v.l. ; and possibly, but not probably, once vXTipo(t>op(ui, Lk 1' ; see above, 5), or reXioi (or cognate reXeiow ; once T-Ao5 tx^iv) ; nor should we forget yLvofmi in con- struction. To fulfil laio in the Epistles is reXiu or irXripioi. In the Gospels we have 7r\i;p6u in kindred applications— once, ' to fulfil righteousness ' ; and once, in the great passage, as we were inclined to think, in a purely general sense, ' to fulfil.' But see above, i. Cf. further in Epistles vXripotpopioi, 'to fulfil one's ministry,' 2 Ti 4^* ; 'fully to pro- claim the message,' t4 K-fipvyna, 2 Ti 4''.
Can we unify these leading senses? Probably not ; probably not any two. They are, of course, connected, especially the first three. It is God who gives joy in fulness, God who ordains times, God who keeps His promise. At His own time His keep- ing of promise fills His people with joy. Nay more ; the fourth sense is also near of kin. Christ, the fulfiller of all promises, is also, on any view of particular passages, the .supreme pattern of obedi- ence, and the author of new obedience in others. But the word ' fulfil ' probably does not occur o» the same gi-ound in any two of the senses discriminated above. There is, in some cases, an idea of fulnc-is as against half fulness (of time, or of joy ; two different fulnesses, therefore). In others (prophecy, or law) there is a mere idea of correspondence- fulness against emptiness, so to speak — the act answering to the word (but answering it in two diflerent ways).