(.3) The writers give no countenance whatever to any theory which in respect of its duration separates the lot of the righteous from that of tlie wicked. Slight and indefinite, overlaid with metaphor and liarable, as are the indications of the conditions under which the future life of the latter will be lived, the guarded statem.-iits mti.l.' and the hints allowed to fall consi-t.-ntly iiiiply that in tliis respect equ.ality of tretitnnni i^ iint.'il out to all. If the fw^ of tiie one is ai'.:Tiij!, ami lie is not
IMPEDIMENT
IMPOTENCE
(93
to die ei's rbv aluva, tlie KoXaais of the other is oiiicios likewise, and he is or iii.iy l.i- ijuiliy of ;i a/jidpTTina, tlie fruits of \\liirli an- ;j;i i li.-i cd in no less a period of time (Imn i- .Ir-ci ilt.-.l \i\ tlio same phrase. Theories of uiii\ ii-:ii ri-si(iralioii_, of linal extinction, or of any modilication or combina- tion of these find no support in the words of Christ or of His disciples as recorded in the Gospels.
The present writer shares the convictions which have been very widely felt and expressed, that the linal demonstration of imniortality, if and when it is given, will have to be based on broader than any merely literal or narrowly expository grounds. Christ spoke to His own age ; and necessarily spoke such truths and in sucli a form as that age could receive and assimilate. Tliat Hf rxliniisti'il
the whole range of trnlli in Hi- slali' nl. or
formulated both in slia|»' anJ hnl^staino all doc- trine that the mind of man (-(nil.l i-\ ci apiavc ialo, is as impossible to believe as it is contrary to His own express words (Jn 16'-). Nor can we doubt that if He had lived in our day, He would have delivered truths expanded and recast to meet the needs and tendencies and caiiacitii-s with which He found Himself l.l.m;;ll|. int., touell.
That the Christian Cliuivli ha- been on the whole on right lines, and li.-is lieeu justilicd gener- ally in her interpretation of the teacliing of her Founder and His immediate disciples witli respect to this particular doctrine, the foregoing exposition has attempted to show. The end, however, is not yet. And the ferment of thought, not less, perhaps more, characteristic of our age than of any that have preceded it, is not destined to be stilled into unconcern, or to have its ellorts paralyzed, by any dogmatic creed or inonouneement of whatever authority. It claims tlie li-jlil (o work out its own doctrinal freedom not only in the light of the Sacred Records, but under the guiilance of that reason which it holds no less certainly than reve- lation to be an element and gift of the Divine.
Literature.— Tlic treatises on NT Theology, or Theology in general, and the History of Doctrine contain little that i.s relevant. See the article on ' Eschatology' by S. D. F. Salmond in Hastings' DB, vol. i. ii. 749 ff., and the literature there cited. Add W. N. Clarke. Oid/ine of Christian Theology, Edinburgli, 1898, p. 192 ff. ; William James, Humflll Immortality^, London, 1903 ; J. Royce, Conception of Imnuirtttlity , London, 1904.
A. S. Geden. IMPEDIMENT.-See Disease.
IMPORTUNITY.— The only passage in the EV where this word is found is Lk 11' 'Because of Ills importunity
as he needeth,
This
EiillliJi llat. gives tinacity in solicita- 1 has this meaning, r suyttes.' In the e (1535) uses the cog-
many
Tinttale (1526). Wyclifdlis axynge.' fiood modern ti sistency' CWeymouth), ' p" Century NT). Murray's .\-, the definition ' tronblesome tion'; asearlvas lllilMlle^\ 'Through ymporlnnile oil' t companion pamlile, Coverda
nate adjective, Lk IS-'' ' yet seynge this weddow is so importune vpon me, I will delyuer her.' The original meaning of ' importune ' was ' inoppor- tune,' 'untimely'; in Sir 32' 'display not thy wisdom out of .season,' Coverdale has ' at an im- portunyte.' Intermediate stages in the growth of the later signification of the word from this root idea are marked by the now obsolete meanings ' troublesome ' and ' urgent. '
'Importunity' (Lk 11") is the translation of the Gr. avalSeia, which signifies 'the absence of aiSws,' 'shamelessness.' In I'.ilili.-al ( Ireek it oec-ins only in Sir 25=^ ami is rendered ■ ini|ind,-n,-.-.' Tin- Lat. import II III till, -unliine--,' i- lonnd \\\{\i Hi.' stronger meaning ■ insol.n.i- ' (('i.-. ./■ Sni. iii. 7).
and is therefore a more accurate translation of
'."1 ' I ban its English equivalent. Uut per-
i leiii :i king soon becomes iiis.ik-nl asking. The "■-id -niiiains, as Trapp says, 'a, metaiihor from l"-,u.j.-ii -, that will not be sai.l ^ia}-, but .are im- pudently importunate' (Com. in loc). Cowper uses the word (Task, iv. 414) in an instructive con- text :
' Knaves . . . liberal of their aid To clam'rous importunity in rags.'
To bring out the striking contrast which our Lord's parable suggests, it is necessary to show that ]iprsistencp in asking becomes those who know that inayi-r is never trouble.some to God, and ne\.-r ..nl ..I' season. He who 'will not be sai.l >iay.' .-in.! In- alone, has learnt the secret of )ir.-\ailin-_: |.ra\.-r. Wright not&s [Synopsis of the r;.,/../. .,. (,,-../., p. 243) that St. Luke 'three liiii.-s u-.s l.a.l men to represent God, or to be .-\.-iiii|d. - to Us: (1) here, (2) the unjust steward, \.i) the uiijiist judge.' J. G. TaSKER.