LiTERATURK. — See list appended to preceding article.
James Steahan. ALIEN.— See Stranger.
50
ALLEGORY
ALPHA AND O^LEGA
ALLEGORY. — The word is derived from the Greek dXXrjyopia, used of a mode of speech which implies more than is expressed by the ordinary meaning of the language. This method of inter- preting literature was practised at an early date and among diiierent peoples. When ideas of a primitive age were no longer tenable, respect for the ancient literature which embodied these ideas was maintained by disregarding the ordinary im- port of the language in favour of a hidden meaning more in liarmony with contemporary notions. The word ' allegory ' has come to be used more particu- larly of a certain type of Scripture interpretation iq.v.) current in both Jewish and Christian circles. Its fundamental characteristic is the distinction between the apparent meaning of Scripture and a hidden meaning to be discovered by the skill of the interpreter. In allegory proper, when distinguished from metaphor, parable, type, etc., the veiled meaning is the more important, if not indeed the only true one, and is supposed to have been primary in the intention of the writer, or of God who inspired the writer. Jewish interpreters, particu- larly in the Diaspora, employed this means of making the OT acceptable to Gentiles. They aimed especially at showing that the Jews' sacred books, when properly interpreted, contained all the wisdom of Greek philosophy. This interest flourisiied chiefly in Alexandria, and found its foremost representative in Philo (g.v.), who wrote early in the 1st cent. A.D. His Allegories of the Sacred Laws is one of his chief work's, though all his writings are dominated by this method of interpretation. Similarly Josephus (g-.i;.), a half- century or so later, says that Moses taught many things ' under a decent allegory' (Ant. Prooem. 4). Allegory was used freely also by Palestinian inter- preters, though less for apologetic than for liomi- letic purposes. They were less ready than Philo to abandon the primary meaning of Scripture, but they freely employed allegorical devices, particu- larly^ in the Haggadic miclrdshim.
When Christians in the Apostolic Age began to interpret Scripture, it was inevitable that they should follow the allegorical tendencies so prevalent at the time. Yet the use of this method is far less common in the NT than in some later Christian literature, e.g. the Epistle of Bar-nabas (q.v.). St. Paul claims to be allegorizing when he finds the two covenants not only prefigured, but the validity of his idea of two covenants proved, in the story of Ha<^ar (q.v.) and Sarah (Gal 42'«-30). Allegorical colouring is also discernible in his reference to the muzzling of the ox (1 Co 93'-), the following rock (1(H), and the veil of Moses (2 Co S'^ff-). The Epistle to the Hebrews is especially rich in these features, which are much more Alexandrian in type than the writings of St. Paul (e.g. S^-"* 9^ 10^ IP-* I2-'"-)- Certain Gospel passages also show allegorical traits, where in some instances the allegorical element may have come from the framers of tradition in tlie Apostolic Age (e.g. Mk 4i»-2»=Mt 1.3'»-25 = Lk 8"-i5; Mk 12'-i2=Mt2li«-'«=Lk20»-^9- MtlS^^-^o- 36-43 Jn 10i-'« 15'-»). Literature.— See list appended to art. Interpretation.
S. J. Case. ALMIGHTY.— See GoD.
ALMS. — The duty of kindliness to and provision for the poor is constantly tauglit in the OT ; in the later Jewish literature, and especially in Sirach and Tobit, it is even more emphatically asserted. It is clear that our Lord and the Apos- tolic Church taught this as a religious obligation with equal force. In the Sermon on the Mount, almsgiving is assumed to be one of the duties of the religious life (e.g. Mt 6i-»), and in several places the principle is expressed directly. Our Lord says
to the rich young ruler, ' Sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven ' (Mk lO^i) ; in the parable of the Judg- ment, the place of men is decided on the ground that they have or have not helped and relieved the Lord's brethren (Mt 253^-^''), and in St. Luke our Lord is reported as saying: 'Sell that ye have, and give alms ; make for yourselves purses which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not'(Lk 1233).
We find the same principles assumed in the literature of the Apostolic Church. In the Acts we read of the Church of Jerusalem: 'All that believed were together, and had all things common ; and they sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all, according as any man had need ' (Ac 2«- *^ ; cf. 43^- ^- ^). What relation this may have to the community of goods is considered elsewhere (see art. Community of Goods) ; but it is at least clear that the Church in Jerusalem recognized the paramount obligation of the main- tenance of the poor brethren, and it is worthy of notice that the first officers of tiie Christian com- munity of whose appointment we have direct mention are the Seven who were appointed to carry out the ministrations of the Church to the poor widows of the community (Ac 6^"^).
In the letters of St. Paul we have frequent refer- ences to the obligation of helping the poor (e.g. Ro 1213, £pii 428^ I xi 618), and in certain letters we find him specially occupied with the collections which were being made for the poor Christians in Jerusalem (Gal 2i», Ro IS^s- ^\ 1 Co 16i- 2, 2 Co 8 and 9). The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews speaks of such deeds of charity as being sacrifices well-pleasing to God (He IS^S). It is in the First Epistle of St. John, however, that the principle of the responsibility of Christian men for the main- tenance of their brethren is most emphatically expressed : ' Whoso hath this world's goods, and beholdeth his brother in need, and shutteth up his compassion from him, how doth the love of God abide in him ?' (1 Jn 3'^). For St. John the notion that any man can love God without loving his brother is a falsehood (1 Jn 4-").