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The New Testament Epistles

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The New Testament Epistles "''?'' 'i-;;;'*' "SJ^i^* m) w:[ l,^^ rus si: "t- " H HIIMIllHl lUmLUMJ BARNES REFERENCE LIBRARY THE GIFT OF ALFRED C. BARNES CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY GIFT OF Alfred C. Barnes Date Due Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029292617 OTHER BOOKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR THE GIFT OF TONGUES; PAUL AND HIS EPISTLES. JOHN AND HIS WRITINGS. THE SYNOPTIC GOSPELS AND THE BOOK OF ACTS. GREAT CHARACTERS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. Biblical Introduction Series The New Testament Epistles Hebrews, James, First Peter, Second Peter, Jude By D. A. HAYES Frofc|ior of New TeiUment Interpretation in the Griduate School of Theology Garrttt Biblical Initltutc THE METHODIST BOOK CONCERN CINCINNATI , , NEW YORK , _ *' 'i- i i\ (fi Copyright, 1921, by D. A. HAYES o Printed in the United States of America TO FREDERICK CARL EISELEN MY COLLEAGUE IN THE FACULTY MY COLLABORATOR IN THIS SERIES CONTENTS PAGE Foreword ii PART I. THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS I. An Estimate of the Epistle 17 1. The Only Anonymous Epistle 18 2. First Rank in Literature 19 3. Most Important Single Epistle 21 4. Interesting in Content 22 5. Dividing the Church 24 II. The Early History of the Epistle in the East 24 III. The Early History of the Epistle in the West 28 IV. Opinions of Modern Scholars 30 V. Arguments Against Pauline Authorship 31 1. The Difference of Style 31 2. The Difference of Language . , . 35 3. Difference in Method of Argument 38 4. Different Beginning and Ending 38 5. The Use of a Different Bible Text 39 6. Difference in Quotation 40 7. Alexandrian Influence 41 8. Ignorance of Temple Ritual 48 9. Second Generation of Believers 49 VI. Relation to Paul and the Pauline Theology 51 VII. Who Is the Author? 55 VIII. To Whom Was the Epistle Written? 67 IX. Place of Writing? 73 X. Time of Writing 73 XI. Purpose of Writing 76 XII. Authorities for the Text of the Epistle 77 XIII. Outline of the Epistle 77 PART II. THE EPISTLE OP JAMES I. Characteristics of the Epistle 81 1. Jewish 81 2. Authoritative 87 3. Practical 88 8 CONTENTS PAGE II. Author of the Epistle 9" III. Style of the Epistle 93 1. Its Plainness 93 2. Its Good Greek 95 3. Its Vividness 97 4. Its Duadiplosis 99 5. Its Poetic Conceptions 99 6. Its Unlikeness to Paul loi 7. Its Likeness to Jesus loi IV. Date of the Epistle 105 V. History of the Epistle 107 VI. The Message of the Epistle to Our Times 114 1. To the Pietists 114 2. To the Sociologists X15 3. To the Students of the Life and Character of Jesus. 115 PART III. THE FIRST EPISTLE OP PETER I. The Apostle Peter 121 1. A Likable Man 121 2. A Hasty Man 121 3. A Going Man 131 4. A Loyal Man 135 5. A Rock Man 138 6. A Growing Man 141 7. The Apostle of Hope 143 8. A Pen Portrait of Peter 143 II. Peter's Personality in the Epistle 145 III. Dependence Upon the Pauline Epistles j6i IV. Date of the Epistle 164 V. Place of Writing 164 VI. Style of the Epistle 167 VII. One Peculiar Doctrine 176 VIII. Genuineness of the Epistle 182 PART IV. THE "SECOND EPISTLE OF PETER" I. Uncertainty as to Authenticity 187 II. Differences between First Peter and "Second Peter" 193 III. Dependence upon the Epistle of Jude 199 IV. Dependence upon Josephus 202 V. Dependence upon Philo 206 CONTENTS 9 PAGE VI. Dependence upon Clement of Rome 206 VII. Dependence upon the Apocalypse of Peter 207 VIII. Other Indications of Late Origin 210 IX. Peculiarities of Doctrine 215 X. Conclusions of Various Scholars 217 XI. Place of Writing, Date, and Destination 220 PART V. THE EPISTLE OP JUDE I. Peculiarities 225 X. Triple Arrangement 225 2. Peculiar Expressions 227 3. Apocryplial Quotations 228 II. The Apocryphal Authorities 229 1. The Book of Enoch , 229 2. The Assumption of Moses 231 III. General Characteristics 233 1. Poetic Peeling 233 2. Literary Merit 233 3. Sternness of Tone 234 IV. The Author 235 V. Authenticity 238 VI. Purpose of Writing 240 A Closing Word 241 Bibliography 247 Indexes 255 FOREWORD This volume concludes our studies in the special introduc- tion to the New Testament books. The first in the series, Paul and His Epistles, found that the personality of the apostle was apparent in all of the thirteen epistles ascribed to him. The second book, John and His Writings, came to the conclusion that the personal characteristics of the Boanerges and beloved disciple could be traced in all of the five books which bear his name. The third volume. The Synoptic Gospels and the Book of Acts, combined a study of the personalities of their authors with the study of the characteristics of the books themselves. In this fourth and concluding volume the method of the preceding books has been continued in the study of James, First Peter, and Jude ; but it fails us in The Epistle to the Hebrews and the so-called "Second Epistle of Peter," since the one is of anonymous and the other of pseudonymous authorship. The epistles discussed in this volume are not upon the same sure basis of canonicity represented by most of the other books of the New Testament. The oldest canonical list we have, that of the Muratorian Fragment, omits He- brews, James, First Peter, and "Second Peter." The Bible of the Western Church, the Itala, which was the second cen- tury translation of the New Testament books into the Latin, did not contain Hebrews, James, and "Second Peter." The Bible of the Eastern Church, the Peshito, which was the second century translation of the New Testament books into the Syriac, omitted "Second Peter," Second and Third John, Jude, and Revelation. Origen in the third cen- tury classed "Second Peter," Second and Third John, James, and Jude among the "doubtful" books. Eusebius II 12 FOREWORD in the fourth century still placed James, "Second Peter," Second and Third John, Jude, and Revelation among the "Anti-legomena," the books regarded as of somewhat doubt- ful authenticity by many. If we put the books contained in the Itala and the Peshito together we have all the books of our New Testament, ex- cept "Second Peter." These Bibles of the East and the West contained the First Epistle of Peter, but the other books dis- cussed in this volume were omitted in either the one or the other. That meant that these books were somewhat slower than the other New Testament books in gaining canonical recognition in the general church. If the suggestion made by Carlstadt at the time of the Reformation had been adopted by the Protestant church and the books of the New Testament had been divided into three classes according to their degree of canonical authority. First Peter would have fallen into the second class and Hebrews, James, "Second Peter," and Jude would have been assigned to the third class as among the books to be admitted last into the canon. It is into this more doubtful field that we enter in this book. We have attempted in this series to be thorough-going in our research and independent in our conclusions. We have tried to face all the facts and to be influenced only by these. We have tried to submit the facts in each case, believing that it was the right of the church, both preachers and laymen, to know them. We have felt that it was one duty of the theologian to transmit to the rank and file of the church membership the results of the best and most recent theologi- cal discussion and to put these into the most readable and interesting form which seemed to be possible. The reception granted to the preceding volumes of this series would seem to indicate that we have succeeded in our endeavor in this direction in some measure at least. These four volumes are simply volumes in Introduction. Their only office has been to introduce their readers to the FOREWORD 13 New Testament books. They have led up to the threshold of these treasure houses and have given merely a glimpse of the invaluable contents of each. They, will have failed in their most serious intent if those who read them are not led to enter and explore for themselves these palaces of revealed truth and to become acquainted with and possessed of the incalculable riches they offer to all who diligently search for them. There is a degree of satisfaction in having completed a work upon which one has been engaged for years. ,We finish this series with the sincere prayer that its four volumes may help to the study and love of the New Testament books and thus to the progress and the fulfillment of the faith and life they present. PART I THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS I. An Estimate of the Epistle The Epistle to the Hebrews is one of the most important and one of the most interesting books ever written. It is full of strange and startling statements and it has had a strange and extraordinary history. It is unique in concep- tion, unparalleled in content, and preeminent in composition. It stands in our New Testament in a class by itself, like a noble but solitary figure in the midst of the throng.
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