The following resolution on the New English Bible was passed at the Synod in May 1961 and is relevant to the present controversy on the text of Scripture —
“The Synod of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland met at Inverness on Wednesday the 24th day of May, 1961, views with grave concern the publication of the New Testament section of the New English Bible.
The Synod would record its conviction that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God giving a divine revelation which could never have been attained to by men in the use of their natural faculties. God is the Author of Scripture and any tampering with the words of Holy Writ is fraught with the most serious consequences, both for those guilty of such conduct and for those who read such mutilated translations. No man has any right to the name ‘Christian’ who denies the inspiration and the consequent infallibility and inerrancy of the Word of God.
In the Introduction the translators inform the public that Biblical criticism is in such a state of confusion that no critical Greek Text can be constructed upon which scholars can agree. This being so, it is ridiculous and irresponsible to attempt a translation into English when the form of Greek Text is a matter of debate. The Synod do not believe that the Holy Ghost left the text in such confusion as is alleged, but that the baseless speculations of infidel Higher Critics have led them to such a condition that they, themselves, cannot agree and
each scholar or group of scholars advance different personal opinions. The Synod condemn most emphatically such profane tampering and trifling with the words of God concerning which Christ said to His Father, “For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me: and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee and they have believed that thou didst send me.” (John 17:8).
The Synod condemns this translation because the changes effected are evidently introduced to undermine a considerable number of the fundamental doctrines of the Christian Faith. It would be a simple matter to show that the doctrines of the Inspiration of God’s Word, the Virgin Birth of Christ, the eternal generation of the Person of the Son, the atoning sacrifice of Christ and other important teachings are all affected by the New Translation. Indeed, in the opinion of the Synod, it is not too much to say that a new theology, far removed from the Catholic faith of the Church, could be constructed and maintained from this work. The Synod condemns the beclouding and perverting of doctrines, the spiritual knowledge of which is absolutely essential if men are not to perish in their sins under the wrath of God in a lost Eternity.
The Synod condemns as without foundation the false and pernicious propaganda, that the ignorance of people of the Bible is due to the alleged ambiguities and archaic expressions in the Authorised Version. The real fault lies at the door of the very men who are behind this translation. These men of the Higher Critical School have done their very utmost to destroy the authority of God’s Word in the consciences of the people, by their crude and ignorant attacks on Holy Scripture. This, coupled with the spiritual incompetency of the present ministry to instruct people in the Holy Scriptures, is the root cause of the people’s ignorance. It is they who have emptied the Churches. it is they who have paganised the people and set them adrift on the sea of unbelief and doubt. It is they who now with shameless impertinence attack the Authorised Version and endeavour to replace it with a version of their own making. It is the fervent prayer and hope of this Synod that this translation will go the way of its modern predecessors, and that the love of Bible-believing and Bible-reading people to the Authorised Version will continue.
While the Synod does not expect that any of its ministers would be so lacking in spiritual discernment as to give any place to this new translation, it takes this opportunity of banning it from all the pulpits of this Church. The Synod further states its firm conviction that the Authorised Version is the best and most faithful translation of the Word of God to be found in the English language.”
“To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isaiah 8:20.
Posadh an Anama ri Criosd
Leis an Urr. Eideard Pearse (A.D. 1672)
(Air a leantuinn bho t.d. 27)
(1) Thoir fa’n ear nach eil Criosd ullamh gu oilbheum an aghaidh anamaibh air son am fáluingean agus am briseadh Ris. Cha’n eil E geur gu bhi comharrachadh na tha air a dheanamh a mach as áite Salm cxxx. 3. Cha’n E ullamh gu bhi tilgeadh bh’uaithne, agus gu bhi cur air falbh. ni h-eadh ‘s e a ni is fuathach Leis Mal. ii. 16. Tha e fior, faodaidh E. agus nì E iomadh uair E Fein a tharruig air ais bh’uaithne, agus a ghnùis fholach oirne, ach bhi cur air falbh cha taitneach Leis seadh, gabhaidh E truas agus cùmhnaidh E fodh ar n’anmhuinneachd agus tha iochd-san air a ghluasad air ar son.
(2) Thoir fa’n ear mu’n d’fhoillsich Criosd riamh a ghràdh dhuit agus an d’thug E anns an daimh so ris Féin thu b’aithne Dhà gu h-iomlan ciod e ghné neach a bha thòu gu bhith, agus cia mar a ghiulaineadh tù thòu fein dha thaobh; agus gidheadh cha do chuir so maille air a bhi nochdadh deagh-ghean dhuit. Car son uime sin a smuainticheadh tù e na aobhar air son am briseadh E riut a nis? Faodaidh an t-anam a bhi ullamh air a ràdh. An do smuaintich Criosd gu’n d’thorainn a leithid de dh’oilbheum Dhà, gu’n giullainean mì féin cho neo-airidh dha thaobh. fodh chomhair uile ghràdh dhomh, ‘s a tha mì deanamh? Seadh anam an do smuaintich Criosd e, b’aithne Dhà gu h-iomlan e roimh laimh. Ann an Deut. xxxii 21, thà e air a ràdh gu’m b’aithne do Dhia ciod e bha Israel roimh laimh a dol a dheanamh; mar sin b’aithne do Chriosd roimhe laimh mar a chuireadh tù an suarachas a ghràdh, a chuireadh tù doilgheas air a Spiorad, a bhriseadh tù a laghannan; b’aithne Dhà cai mar a bheireadh tù ilbheum agus tàmailte Dhà, b’aithne Dhà cia mar a chùl-sleamhnaicheadh tù; agus nach fhaca E gu robh gràdh gu leoir Aige agus truas gu leoir Aige gu bhi còmhdach agus ag amharc thairis air na h-uile, cha nochdadh E gu bràth a ghràdh dhuit. Uime sin ‘n uair a phòsas E, tha air a ràdh gu’m bheil E dha dheanamh ann am breitheanas, Hosca ii, 19. B’aithne do Chriosd ciod a bha E deanamh, agus ciod e neach a phòs E, ‘n uair a phòs E thusa Ris Féin. Agus mar nach b’urrain so uile maille a chur na ghràdh aig an toiseach, mar sin cha tòir so uile air falbh a ghràdh bh’uat a nis.
(3) Thoir fa’n ear, gu’m faod thòu bhì ciontach do iomadh fàilingeadh agus teachdan gearr agus brisidhean, a thaobh Chriosd agus seacharan bh’uaithne; agus gidheadh nach bì an cùmhnant pòsaidh eadar Esan agus thusa air a bhriseadh. Faodidh bean a bhi ciontach de iomadh fàilingeadh agus teachd gearr, iomadh smal agus mì-bheus, ach
gidheadh cha dean na h-uile nì dhiubh sin a bhi briseadh a chùmhnant pòsaidh eadar an duine agus ise. Agus mar sin tha e’n so. O cia milis ‘s a tha’n sgriobtur sin! “Ma threigeas a chlann mo reachdan, agus nach gleidh iad m’aitheantan; an sin fiosraichidh le slait an easaontas, agus le buillibh an eucaert. Gidheadh cha bhuin mì gu tur mo chaoibhneas-gràidh uatha, agus cha bhreignich mì mo ghealladh. Cha bhris mì mo ghealladh; agus a’ nì a thàinig am bhilibh cha’n atharraich mì.” Salm lxxxix, 30-40. Feuch, gabh beachd, faodaidh sluagh Chriosd peachaidh, gu mòr, agus faodaidh E’n smachdach gu geur air son am peachaidhean; seadh, faodaidh E bhi coltach rì bhi toirt air falbh a choimhneas gràidh, agus faodaidh E air son ùine, gu h-achdaidh a cur stad air bràidhean agus foillseachaidhean a ghràidh dhoibh; ach fanaidh a ghràidh cùmhnant agus a dhìllseachd dhoibh, agus tha sin a fantainn daingde agus seasmhach a dhaindeoin gach nì. Mar sin, mar an cuadra, Ged a rinn thù striopachas, thoir fa’n ear, ged a rinn iad cùl-sleamhnachadh, gidheadh tha Chriosd ag aideachadh a dhaimh cùmhnant buibh agus dhoibh; seadh, agus thà E cur, mar gu’m b’eadh, a chùmhnant as an deigh, agus le sin thà E dha’n toirt dhachaidh dha ionnsaidh Féin. O ge b’e do theachdan gearr, ge b’e do bhrisidhean rì Chriosd, agus do chur cùl Ris, gidheadh, air bhi dhuit aon uair air do phòsadh Ris, seasaidh an t-aonadh agus an daimh pòsaidh Ris agus riutsa daingean agus dlùth a dh’aindeoin na h-uile nì.
Oh! ach their an t-anam, tha mo chridhe a claonadh a chùm cùl-sleamhnachaidh bho Chriosd, agus tha eagal orm gu’n dean mì mu dheireadh, gu h-uile agus gu h-iomlan a threigsinn, agus an sin slàn leis na h-uile nì. Freagraidh mì, gu’m bheil Chriosd air a cheangal rì do chumail daingean, firinneach, a dh’aindeoin nì air bith annad féin; na’m biodh tù air t-fhàgail le Chriosd, bhiadh tù ullamh air a dhol air seacharan, gu h-uile agus gu h-iomlan bh’uaith-san. ach tha Chriosd Féin air a cheangal gu bhi dha do ghleidheadh Dhà. ‘S e fior aonta a chùmhnant riut; “Agus nì mì riubh coimhcheangal siorruidh, nach pill mì air falbh uatha, chùm maith a dheanamh dhoibh; agus cuiridh mì m’eagal ‘n an cridhe, chùm nach dealaich iad rium. Ier. 40.0 fhearabh, cha’n e mhàin gu’m bheil cridhe Chriosd dh’ionnsaidh a shluaigh, ach tha Esan a cheangail le chùmhnant, gu bhi cumail an cridheachan dlùth Dhà Fein, agus dileas Dhà; ‘s e sin cho fad agus nach teid iad air falabh bh’uaithhe gu h-iomlan, agus mar sin tha’n dilseachd Dhà a crochadh air a dhìlseachd dhoibh-san. Dùinidh mì a’n so le bhi’g ainmeachadh an Sgriobtur aithnichte sin, “Co chuireas coire sam bith a leth dhaoinne taghta Dhé? Is e Dia dh’fhireanaicheas. Agus air eagal nach ruigeadh na nithean so uile cùis an anama, tha E cur ri sin “na creutair air bith eile,” Rom. viii, 35-39.
(R’a leantuinn)
Rhodesian Mission News
by Mission Staff
Last week we said ‘Goodbye’ to seventy of our Form 2 pupils forty of whom will not return in January. Do remember these boys and girls as they face an unknown world and all the attractions it offers. Some of them are very young and with so very few job opportunities can only hope to ‘sit at home’ as they say.
In January last the school took another step towards its final goal — the Cambridge School Certificate. The Form 3 class began with thirty pupils all of whom came from our own Form 2 class of the previous year with the exception of one girl who has fitted in very well with our ways.
We are happy to say that building has continued here. As many of you will know from the Synod Report David Ndlovu is responsible for that side of the work now. This year the new dining-room and kitchen has been completed and is now in use. A boy’s dormitory is almost complete and the Form 4 boys are looking forward to using it when they return next year. The foundations have been started for a new Science Laboratory which is needed for use early next year.
A kind friend in Bulawayo and others were very helpful in giving me advice when we were faced with planning and designing a new laboratory last year. It has been a big challenge and quite new to David. Do pray that all will go smoothly and correctly when all the special fittings now ordered finally arrive.
We have had two African teachers on our school staff this year. For next year we have been granted an additional two. Do remember those who will have the responsibility of interviewing and appointing those who wish to come here. Miss Graham is also due for furlough now, but has agreed to stay until such time as someone takes her place. As we have been granted four European teachers for next year you can imagine that we are rather anxious not to have to lose this privilege.
In the Free Presbyterian Church we have only one secondary school. I am sure that some of our teachers at home must realise the unique opportunity our school here presents. Recently we heard that new laws are to be introduced to restrict the movement of mission personnel from one Tribal Trust Land to another in this country. How long I wonder will the door be open here for the Word of God to be taught in its purity?
This year, James Mpfufu, one of our members in the church at Nkai was transferred here to teach Woodwork. Each weekend he is free to travel back 100 miles to Nkai to hold the services there. Though a
small congregation, they have renovated their church during this year and are now looking forward to the communion services which will be held there at the end of January (D.V.).
The staff here look forward to welcoming Rev. Wm. MacLean, New Zealand to the Mission in a week’s time (mid-December). It is our prayer that he will arrive safely and be a blessing as he ministers here for a short time on his way to Scotland.
R.M.