The passage in He 6' where ad6Ki/io! is used not of persons but of the land is, taken in connexion with its preceding context, very suggestive. The land which drinks in the rain and brings forth the looked-for crop receives blessing of God, but that
REPROOF
RESPECT OF PERSONS
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which rereives tlie same benign influence and pro- duces only thorns and thistles is 'rejected' {aSi- KiMos). gPts nu share of lliat blessinj;, Imt is lit only, lil<e Sodom and (Jomorrali, for tlie lire. It is in these solemn words that the writer sums up his urjjent mfssa<;e to the Hebrew Christians to press on unto perfection ami to l)e on their fjuard aj;ainst spiritual sloth, which may issue in falling away. He speaks as if a fall from grace were possible even on the part of those who have experienced spiritual enlightenment aiui renewal, as if there were a point even in the spiritual life where backsliding becomes ajiostasy, and the man who crucilies the Son of God afresli and puts Him to an open shame is beyond repentance, rejected, reprobate. St. Paul and the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews in these passages are not presenting a reasoned system of predestination and election, but rather dealing with what may happen under the stress and strain of temptation and trial in the ordinary tenor of the Christian life, and emphasizing the need of diligence and watchfulness, if they and their readers would make their calling and election sure.
Of 'reprobation' as the issue of a Divine decree there is no direct statement in the NT, St. Paul, indeed, seeming deliberately to avoid any such statement. When asserting the Divine sovereignty under the figure of the potter who makes of the same lump one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour, he asks, ' What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-sutl'ering vessels of wrath htted unto destruction : and that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he afore prepared unto glory?' (Ro 9'-'"-^). The distinction drawn by the Apostle when speak- ing of 'the vessels of wrath' and 'the vessels of mercy ' in tlie above passage is signiticant. Of the former he uses the passive and impersonal form, ' titted to destruction ' ; of the latter he speaks in the active voice, ' the preparation ' being directly attributed to God. Our Lord similarly distin- guishes between the sentence which He will pass in the Judgment on those on His right hand and that on those on His left. To the former, the address is, ' Come, ye blessed of my Father' ; to the latter, 'Depart, ye cursed,' the blessing being all of God, the curse entirely of themselves. In the same connexion ' the everlasting fire ' is ' prepared for the devil and his angels,' but the Kingdom to which the righteous are summoned is prepared for them ' before the foundation of the world.'
It is interesting as a matter of NT interpretation to notice that three of the most notable of the Reformed Confessions — the Heidelberg Catechism, the Revised Thirty-nine Articles, and the Scots Confession of 1560 — pass the subject of reprobation over in silence. THOMAS NiCOL.
REPROOF.— The subject of reproof, i.e. the re- futation of error, the discovery of sin, the con- vincing and convicting of the wrongdoer {i\ey/i6i, fKeyXos, iXiyxi-i : LXX for nijjin, nn5iB, n'jin), is mentioned frequently in the Bible. Reproof is used generally in the sense of rebuke. Rules are laid down for its administration, and advice given as to its reception. It is necessary, beneficial, and not to be despised. The great and constant dangers to be avoided are these — reproving un- skilfully, withholding reproof unfaithfully, and resenting reproof administered in love. Christians in general are exhorted to re])rove ' the unfruitful works of darkness' (Eph 5"- '^ ; cf. Mt 18i=-'«), and Christian ministers in particular must regard re- proof as an important duty of their office (1 Ti 5™, 2 Ti 42, Tit !»• '3 i").
Reproof may be administered (a) by word, in which case there is the underlying idea of severe
rebuke and admonition. The ollender must be callcil 11)100 to give an exnlanation of his conduct and his fault must be made plain to him (I Ti .")'•"', 2 Ti 4-, Jude "> ; cf. Mt 18", I.k 3'") ; (A) by deed, in a two-fold sense: (i.) by deeds of light being manifested in a way that will bo a virtual reproof of deeds of darkness (I'^ph 5" : cf. .Jn 3'°''-') j (ii.) by chastening or punishment (He 1'2° ; cf. Ps 37 (.'^8)' 94'- U9"-", Pr 3", Jer SI"-'", Rev 3'», Wis 12-', To 11>» 13»-», Jth 8='); (c) by the .Scriptures (2 Ti 3'*). Behind the censure lies the fundamental idea of the conviction of sin. The verb 4\iyxa signilies 'prove, refute, expose, convict.' It is used with these meanings in classical writers from the time of Euripides. Many scholars hold the opinion that it means rather more than ' reprove ' and rather less than ' convince.' l''or ' reprove ' in the sense of ' bring to the proof ' see 2 Ti 4* RVm ; cf. Ps 38" RVni. For reproof in relation to sin, see 1 Co 14-', da 2^ Jude"; cf. Jn 8»- ■"* IG* ; Aristoph. I'lut. 574. For reproof of false teachers, see Tit 1"- " 2'''.