The Holy Spirit frequently underlies the thoughts of the writer (xi. 2) : ' for the Most High circumcised me by His Holy Spirit and revealed my reins towards Him ' (see also xiv. 8, xxviii. 2, xxxvi. 1).
The believer has immortality in his soul (iii. 10) : ' for he that is joined to Him that is immortal, will also himself become immortal ' (see also ix 3).
On the other hand, there are many Christian topics about which the Odist maintains a deep and astonishing silence. There is no mention of sin, repentance, forgiveness, or the resurrection of the body. Sacramentalism is generally absent ; it is only by forcing the context that one verse may be referred to the Eucharist ; but the notion of priest- hood and sacrifices is expressed in some verses already quoted.
Strictly speaking. Gnosticism has no strong support in the Odes. Ode xii., singled out as containing some Gnostic technicalities, savours probably but little of such aberrations. On the other hand, there are sentences which seem to betray slight tendencies towards Docetism. Ode xxviii. 14 f. : ' And I did not perish, for I was not their brother nor was my birth like theirs, and they sought for my death and did not find it'; vii. 6 : ' He was reckoned like myself in order that I might put Him on ' ; xix. 8 : ' She brought forth, as it were a man, by the will [of God].'
Literature. — Thia is indicated in the course of the article.
A. MiNGANA.
OFFENCE. — The English word 'oU'ence' is de- rived from the Lat. offendere, ' to strike against ' or 'to injure' (O.Fr. offcns, Fr. offense), and is employed to translate vjirious Heb. and Gr. nouns, in the sense of an injury, a trespass or a fall, or as an occasion of imbelief, doubt, or apostasy. The chief Heb. words in the OTare the verboBix, which has tlie meanin'' of ' to trespass ' or ' to be guilty,' and the noun ViBbp, in the well-known passages Is S^and 57'^, translated as 'a stone of stumbling,' 'a stumbling-block.' The other terms are gener- ally synonyms of error and sin.
Tlie most important NT words are TrapdirTwiia and (Tudi'daXoii. The former is used with respect to a moral fall, ' a falling beside,' and thus completes the conception of sin (i/j-aprla, ' missing the mark') by that of falling short or falling aside. The one is a loss of aim, the other the perversion of aim or culpable error. As transgression, it is found in Ro 4-' 5'» ">• "• "• ^'- '°, where ' offence ' in the AV is
OFFERING
OIL
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rendered ' trespass ' in the KV. TrpbaKoniio. is found only in Ro 14™, signifj'ing 'sonietliin}; to strike against ' : a man runs, as it were, against an obstacle, and does wrong when lie eats contrary to the dictates of his conscioiico. In 2 Co G' vpoaKoir-fi is that which causes stumbling, and the Christians are enjoined to place uo stumbling-block in the way of others. As an adjective, airpbaKonos is used in Ac '24'° with respect to the conscience, also in 1 Co 10^- and in Pli 1'" as giving no occasion of stumbling.
The word ixKavSaXov (verb, aKav5a\i^u>) is fre- quently brought into use especially in Matthew. It signifies a bait or stick in a trap and generallj' anything which causes a person to be entrapped or to fall. It is a modified form of the classic aKav- SiX-qBpov. Sometimes it is used in reference to persons, who may become stumbling-blocks to others. When Christ called St. Peter a stumbling- block, He evidently recognized in His disciple's remonstrance the agency of the arch-enemy (i^ara- vai) who was tempting Him to do what was con- trary to the will ot God (Mt 16-'). Isaiah's descrip- tion of ' the stone of stumbling' and ' the rock of ortence' (Is 8") is applied by St. Paul to Christ (Ko 9^) because the lowliness of His origin and of His earthly surroundings as well as the deeply spiritual character of His nunistry offended the religious leaders of His day (Mt 13"). The rejec- tion of His claims by the Pharisees was attended by some irritation and the spirit of opposition (15'-) : thus they were oliended or caused to stumble. This was later accentuated by the ' scandal of the Cross,' which, when not accepted in faith as the symbol of the Divine redemption, became a stumbling - block. Its disgrace and ignominy made it difficult for the Jews to accept Christ as their Messiah, and it also roused their animosity to the preachers of the gospel (Gal 5")- They expected a Messiah who should restore their political freedom and re-establish the kingdom in material success and splendour, and our Lord's ministry being essentially spiritual made Him to be a stumbling-block to them. The fault was in their lack of faith and spiritual insight ; but, on the other hand, Christ's followers are to be on their guard against giving occasion to others to stumble through their own selfishness or folly. Thus the term aKAvSoKov is employed in reference to actions or habits which might prove to be a stumbling-block to those who are weak or inexperi- enced. To cause Christ's little ones to stumble or to fall is severely condenmed (Mt 18'). The casuistry concerning meats offered to idols should involve the consideration of the hyper-sensitive consciences of the weaker brethren, who are not to be offended or made to stumble by those who are less scrupulous (Ro 14. 15'"'). In all such cases the exhilarating and newly-found consciousness of liberty is to be controlled by love.