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But when we approach Scripture with this problem, we not only find sympathy, but a solution; and with the solution is identified all that we mean by inspiration. Usually those who

are perplexed about the inspiration of the Bible discuss their difficulties with no consideration of what the Bible means as a whole; and yet it is only as a whole that we can attach any meaning to its being inspired. There is no sense in saying that every separate sentence is inspired; we know that every separate sentence is not. There are utterances of bad men in the Bible, and suggestions of the Devil. Neither is there any sense in going through the Bible with a blue pencil and striking out what is not inspired that we may stand by the rest. We will never know what inspiration is until Scripture has resolved itself for us into a unity.

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"That unity, I venture to say, will be its testimony to a love in God which we do not earn, which we can never repay, but which in our sins comes to meet us with mercy, dealing nevertheless with our sins in all earnest, and at infinite cost doing right by God's holy law in regard to them-a love which becomes incarnate in the Lamb of God bearing the sin of the world and putting it away by the sacrifice of himself. It is in its testimony to this that the unity of Scrip

ture and its inspiration consists, and whoever believes in this believes in inspiration in the only sense which can be rationally attached to the word."

THE BIBLE A SUPERNATURAL BOOK

This doctrine of Professor Denney asserts that the Scriptures as a whole constitute a volume which was produced under divine guidance and for a divine purpose, and which is inspired, not as being in every respect infallible, but as being supernaturally adapted for its purpose. This purpose may be simply exprest if we apply to the entire Bible what the Apostle John said of his own statements respecting the deeds of our Redeemer: "These are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his Name." (John 20:31.).

II

IS THE BIBLE ABSOLUTELY INERRANT?

THERE are two principal forms of error which may be alleged to exist in the Holy Scriptures, the historical and the theoretical. The first of these would find place in any false statement as to fact, the second in any wrong explanation of the fact. These modes of error may take place separately or they may combine in the one assertion. But they are distinguishable.

HISTORICAL INACCURACIES

An historical error would appear in case two Biblical accounts of the same event were found absolutely to conflict with one another. For example, the statements of Matthew in the 27th chapter of his gospel respecting the money given to Judas for his treachery seem quite inconsistent with those of Luke in the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. Matthew says:

Then Judas which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have

sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? See thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called the field of blood unto this day.

Luke's version of the event occurs in his record of a speech made by the Apostle Peter in a conference of the disciples shortly after the death of Judas; and it is to be noted that Luke names Matthew as one of those who were present at the conference. He tells us that Peter, referring to a verse in one of David's Psalms (41), which reads, "Mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me," said:

Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus; for he was numbered with us and had obtained part of this ministry. Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity, and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.

DID JUDAS PURCHASE THE FIELD?

But

This passage in the Acts of the Apostles, and that which we have quoted from Matthew's Gospel, are contradictory of one another. Both refer to the betrayal of a friend, and to the money given as the reward of treachery. Both speak of the purchase of a field, and of the name by which the field was afterwards known. Luke says that Judas purchased the field with the reward of his iniquity, and then met his death by falling headlong in it, while Matthew teaches that Judas, upon learning that Jesus was delivered to Pontius Pilate and was condemned, brought the thirty pieces of silver, threw them down in the temple and went and hanged himself; thereupon the chief priests took the money and after consulting about it bought the potter's field to bury strangers in. Also, according to Matthew, the field was named Aceldama because it was bought with the price of blood; according to Luke it was so called because of the tragic death of Judas.

Commentators have adopted different modes of reconciling these discrepancies. Some hold that two fields were bought, one by Judas with stolen money, and one by the chief priests with the thirty pieces of silver. Others justify the state

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