QR603-Cover_Cover 09/05/2013 15:31 Page 1 QR603-Cover_Cover 09/05/2013 15:31 Page 2 Trinitarian Bible Society Founded in 1831 for the circulation of Protestant or uncorrupted versions of the Word of God Officers and Executive Staff of the Society President: General Secretary/Chief Executive: The Rev. G. Hamstra, B.A., M.Div. Mr. D. P. Rowland* Vice-Presidents: Operations Director: Mr. G. Bidston Mr. D. Larlham Mr. G. den Boer Resources Director: The Rev. B. G. Felce, M.A.* Mr. D. J. Broome, C.P.F.A. The Rev. Dr. T. Gilmer Mr. D. Oldham Editorial Director: Pastor J. Stehouwer Mr. P. J. D. Hopkins, M.A. Oxf. The Rev. M. Stuart Mr. D. Vermeulen Senior Editorial Consultant: Chairman: Mr. L.Brigden, B.Sc.(Hons.), M.Sc., B.A.(Hons.) The Rev. M. H. Watts* Editorial Consultants: Vice-Chairman: Mr. G. W. Anderson, B.A. Mr. G. D. Buss, B.Ed.* Mr. A. Hembd, M.A.C.S. Treasurer: J. Cammenga, B.A., M.A., Ph.D. Pastor R. A. Clarke, B.Sc., F.C.A.* G. Fox, B.A. (Hons.), D.D., Ph.D. The Rev. W. M. Patterson Jnr., B.A., D.D. Members: Mr. G. R. Burrows, M.A.* The Rev. R. G. Ferguson, B.A.* The Rev. J. L. Goldby, M.A.* Pastor M. J. Harley* Mr. A. K. Jones, LLB. (Hons.) Solicitor* The Rev. E. T. Kirkland, B.A., Dipl.Th.* The Rev. D. Silversides* *These are the serving members of the The Rev. J. P. Thackway* General Committee. Issue Number: 595 – April to June 2011 QQuarterlyuarterly RRecordecord Issue Number: 603 © Trinitarian Bible Society 2013 All rights reserved. The Trinitarian Bible Society permits April to reprinting of articles found in our printed and online Quarterly Record provided that prior permission is June 2013 obtained and proper acknowledgement is made. Contents Annual General Meeting 2 From the Desk of the General Secretary 3 The Fountain of Living Water 8 Editorial Report 10 John Brown of Haddington….13 The Doctrine of Holy Scripture and the Pure Cambridge Edition….16 The Treasury 21 Wales and the Welsh Bible 23 Lognes Bible Exhibition 36 The Word of God among all Nations 38 Quarterly Record Production Team Editorial Director: P. J. D. Hopkins Senior Editor: Dr. D. E. Anderson Editorial Consultant: C. P. Hallihan Editor: K. J. Pulman Graphic Designers: P. Hughes, S. Talas Circulation: J. M. Wilson 1 Th e 118282nndd AAnnualnnual GGeneraleneral MeetingMeeting Goddll willing Th e Business Meeting will be held at 11.00 a.m. on Saturday, 21st September 2013 at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, London SE SD Aft er the Business Meeting, at 2.00 p.m. Th e Rev. C. Sonnevelt Minister, Gereformeerde Gemeente, Krabbendijke, Zeeland, Th e Netherlands is expected to preach Lunch will be served between the meetings AAllll are invited to attend 2 Issue Number: 603 – April to June 2013 From the Desk of the General Secretary lthough we live in a day that is so diff erent from the days referred to in the very, very diff erent from the times of Acts of the Apostles, there is much within Aspiritual prosperity described in the this book that is of very direct relevance diff erent parts of the Acts of the Apostles, and signifi cance to us. This is especially so we know that the Lord Jesus Christ is still in connection with the publication and the same great and all-glorious King and distribution of the Holy Scriptures, as it Head of His church as He was then. He is hoped that the following will at least has declared, ‘All power is given unto me suggest. in heaven and in earth’ and has graciously assured us of His continuing presence with In the 17th chapter of the Acts of the His church to the end of time by adding, Apostles we fi nd that when the apostle Paul ‘and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the preached the Gospel of the grace of God in end of the world’ (Matthew 28.18,20). Thessalonica and set forth in that city the divine glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, some It may be that, at the present time, the Lord of the Jews and a great multitude of the is accomplishing His will and purposes in Gentiles believed. It was a wonderful time ways and means that are hard for us to for the people of Thessalonica. The kingdom appreciate or understand. Yet the Word of of God had come to them, and many in God exhorts us to walk by faith and not that city were, in a most remarkable way, by sight. We are to rest (and rejoice) in savingly infl uenced by Paul’s public and the assured confi dence that the Lord has private preaching and teaching of the all in His control and that He is, and ever Word of God during the three weeks he will be, overseeing and ordering all things laboured amongst them. The same was in heaven and earth for His own glory true of Paul’s time in the city of Berea, which and praise. He is always advancing and followed on immediately from his ministry prospering His cause and kingdom here in in Thessalonica. We read that in Berea, ‘they this world. Whilst our day is, indeed, so very received the word with all readiness of 3 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record mind, and searched the scriptures daily, he fi rst surveyed the landscape and viewed whether those things were so. Therefore the men and women of Thessalonica to many of them believed; also of honourable whom he would be preaching, he could women which were Greeks, and of men, discern much that would indicate the not a few’ (Acts 17.11-12). very opposite. Certainly, as he observed their lifestyle he could see that there were This was one of those times when the amongst them those who could be likened Gospel of Christ remarkably prospered. to the ‘way side ground’, others to the ‘rocky Sinners, who had been dead in trespasses ground’ and some to the ‘thorny ground’: all and sins, were quickened into life. A divine types of ground that seemingly indicated unction, power and authority attended nothing but desperate barrenness rather the preaching and teaching of the apostle than potential fruitfulness. Paul as he laboured day and night amongst them. Paul, declaring as he was wont ‘all Nevertheless, Paul—the man of God—had the counsel of God’ (Acts 20.27), wielded work to accomplish in Thessalonica and the two-edged sword of Truth and set the surrounding area. Therefore, following forth both the righteous and condemning the example and explicit command of his claims of God’s justice, and the ‘glorious Lord and Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, gospel of the blessed God’ (1 Timothy 1.11). the apostle Paul lifted up his voice and He did not fear to speak of the great evil preached the Gospel to every creature, of sin and man’s natural enmity towards proclaiming the Word of the Lord, whether God. He delighted to point to Christ, His they would hear or whether they would perfect righteousness, His cross and the forbear. Paul sowed the good seed of the sin-atoning blood. By God’s grace, there kingdom and (as it is said of the seed in was conviction and conversion. Sinners our Lord’s Parable of the Sower) ‘some fell were delivered out of the kingdom of by the way side…some fell upon a rock… darkness and brought into the kingdom And some fell among thorns…other fell of Light. With minds now opened and on good ground’ (cf. Matthew 13.3-9, Luke understandings now enlightened, their 8.5-8). aff ections were drawn in repentance and faith to the Lord Jesus Christ, the great God Clearly, the apostle Paul fulfi lled his and Saviour, their Redeemer. Their tears of ministry, resting on the unwavering sorrow mingled with their tears of joy as conviction of God’s faithfulness and these new converts mourned over their sins the veracity of the exceeding great and and rejoiced in the provision of the mercy precious promises of the Word of God. they had found in the Saviour. It was a This gave him a humble confi dence in the time when the kingdom of God was visibly power and purpose of the infi nite majesty extended and the church of Christ was seen of the Most High God, whose servant he to be advancing. A garden of the Lord had was. True, in himself he was weak, but his been planted in this part of the desert of strength was in the almighty power of his this world. God. Therefore, with the will and purpose of Almighty God behind him, he could be However, when Paul commenced his steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding ministry in Thessalonica, it is doubtful in the work of the Lord, knowing that whether he had any reason to believe that his labour was not in vain in the Lord (cf. any of the ‘ground’ upon which he was to 1 Corinthians 15.58). Further, knowing and work was particularly ‘good’. Probably, when having repeatedly proved the source of his 4 Issue Number: 603 – April to June 2013 strength, he could exhort others also to who under the Gospel would be humbled stand fi rm in the same grace. and brought to cry unto God for mercy. Secondly, there would be those who under As was Paul’s usual practice, the same Gospel would be hardened and notwithstanding that he was the apostle embittered against God.