by Rev. D. J. MacAskill, M.A.
There was a further increase in the number of complete Bibles circulated by the Trinitarian Bible Society during last year. An increase of more than 62,000 brought the total to 335,285, more than double the total recorded in 1971. In addition to these the Society also circulated 91,068 New Testaments, and more than two million portions, leaflets and text cards. Consignments amounting to many tons have been sent to Europe, Africa and Central and South America, and through the hands of Christian workers throughout the world the Holy Scriptures have been passed on to readers in more than a hundred countries. So states the annual report of the Society. Further, it goes on to say, “Work is in progress on translation projects in Africa, India, South America, the Middle East and Malta, and all who are engaged in these difficult tasks need to be kept in prayerful remembrance at the Throne of Grace, that their years of time-consuming and exacting labour may result in faithful versions of the Holy Scriptures that will be fruitfully used for many years to come.”
Three hundred years after the publication of the first edition of the Authorised Version in 1611, not less than three million copies of it were poured forth year by year from the English Press, and the University Presses were still selling annually fully ten times as many copies of the Authorised as of the Revised Version. The demand for the Authorised Version continues notwithstanding the arrival of other much-vaunted though less faithful versions.
Bibles are flowing into many countries including Romanist dominated ones. From the Trinitarian Bible Society alone tens of thousands of Spanish Bibles have gone to Latin America while more than 50,000 Bibles have gone to West Africa during the past year. Apart from the larger Bible Societies, the Scripture Gift Mission and the Gideons also circulate Bibles. One and a half million Bibles have gone to people listed in Indian telephone directories. A thousand letters were received, mainly from Hindu-Muslims, who have said that since reading the Bible they have been converted to the Christian Faith. Half a million Bibles are being sent through the post to people in Ireland by “Bibles for the World” organisation. Everyone listed in Ulster and Eire telephone directories will get a copy. After that it is planned to send a Bible to everyone listed in the English, Scottish and Welsh directories. As we have not seen the version which is being circulated in this campaign, we cannot say whether or not it is a sound version.
The European Underground Mission sends thousands of Bibles to the Communist countries. There God’s Word has been burned on the rubbish heap and Christians were glad to receive half-burnt copies to take home. The primitive Christians who delivered up their Scriptures owing to the persecutions were called “Traditores.” They were liable to censure and church discipline for doing so. At the Reformation piles of Bibles were burnt publicly, because they exposed the errors of Romanism. William Tyndale was burnt at the stake for translating the Bible into English. His dying words were, “Lord, open the eyes of the King of England.” Shortly afterwards Henry VIII gave orders that a Bible was to be in every parish church in England. It was chained to the pulpit, and you can see in ancient engravings the parishioners reading it in church. On 30th September, 1972, there was a gathering at Vilvorde, near Brussels, marking the restoration of a splendid monument to William Tyndale. About a hundred years ago a Pope, I think called Leo, made a Papal Bull against “the diabolical work of the Bible Societies, in spreading heresy throughout the world.”
In our own day recently, an ecumenical Bible has appeared, which is called the Common Bible. It has the approval of Romanists, Protestants and the Greek Orthodox Church. We do not approve of it, as we do not approve of modern versions of the Scriptures, which are based on faulty manuscripts, such as the Vaticanus and Sinaitic. Dean Burgon ably confuted the Westcott and Hort School of Critics long ago. The National Bible Society of Scotland changed its constitution to allow it to print versions of the Scriptures in English other than the Authorised Version. The British and Foreign Bible Society began to print the Apocrypha, which caused a furious controversy in which Dr Andrew Thomson was engaged. The result was the formation of the National Bible Society of Scotland. It was this Society our Church supported until it departed from its constitution. The Authorised Version of the Scriptures was translated from the Hebrew and Greek by great scholars who were also pious. The predominance of Saxon words in the edition of 1611 is very remarkable, nine tenths, as compared with Latin words. English literature was never more brilliant, and the literary style and diction of the Translators are incomparable.
Gathan Gloir na Diadhachd
Leis an Urr. Eideard Pearce
(Air a leanntuinn bho t.d. 156)
‘N uair a tha olc air a bhagradh, agus nach eil e air a chur an gniomh, agus ‘n uair a tha maith air a ghealtuinn, agus nach eil e air a thoirt seachad, agus cha’n eil cion cur an gniomh an aon agus cion coimhlionadh an aon eile, an aghaidh neo-chaochlaidheachd ann an Dia, ach do bhrigh gu’m bheil an aon chumha air am bheil an aon air a bhagradh, agus air am bheil an aon elie air a thoirt a dhith. Dh’Fhaodainn air an doigh chumail a mach bho Salm vii. 12, bho Lucas xiii. bho’n toiseach ’bho’n Tais. ii. 22. Ach biodh gu leoir an so an àite sin uile. Ach aobhair so tha duine ionnsaichte a labhairt. Tha Dia (tha e’g ràdh) ag atharrachadh a bhinn, am bagradh na’n gealladh bho’n leith a muigh, ach cha’n eil òrdugh. Cha’n eil E’g atharrachadh òrdugh. Cha’n E’g atharrachadh a chomhairle na rùn bho’n leith a stigh. Agus a chùm an nì ceudna tha an nì a tha air a radh le neach eile. Ma bheir sinn speis (tha e’g ràdh) do chomhairle Dhé, nach eil E’g atharrachadh, agus nach urrainn E, ach tha ìnntinn agus a thoile, air am foillseachadh leis na fàidhean, bitheanta air an atharrachadh. Ach ’s e ràdh mòr aig aon dhe na fir-sgoile. ’S nì (tha e’g ràdh) do Dhia a bhi ag atharrachadh a thoile, agus nì eile a bhi rùnachadh atharrachadh. Tha Dia bitheanta a rùnachadh agus a sònraichadh atharrachadh. ach cha’n eil E gu bràth ag atharrachadh a thoile na a Rùn. Mar sin far am bheil olc air a bhagradh, agus maith air a ghealltuinn, nach eil air a choimhlionadh, tha’n cion coimhlionadh, cha’n ann bho chionn nach eil Dia neo-chaochlaidheach, ach do bhrigh gu’m bheil am bagradh na an gealladh air a chompanachadh le cumha, agus bha’n cumha a dhìth.
3. ’S’n treas nì so.
Nach eil aon de na h-atharraichidhean so, a tha air a meas do Dhia anns na Sgriobtur an aghaidh a neo-chaochlaidheach. Tha mì’g aideachadh, gu’m bheil na Sgriobtur an iomadh uair a cur fodh’r comhair Dhé, ann an coltas co-dhiubh fodh chaochladh dhuinn, aig amaibh tha E air a chur fodh’r comhair mar ag atharrachadh bho namhaid gu caraid, bho bhi air a dheanamh réidh riubh-san a bha toirt oilbheum dha roimhe; bh’uath sin tha sinn a leughadh, “Do bhrigh do nàire, ’n uair a bhios mise reidh riut air son gach uile nì a rinn thù, deir an Tighearna Iehobhah.” Eseciel xvi. 63. Mar sin ann an Isaiah xii. 1, “Ged a bha thù feargach rium, tha t-fhearg air a pilleadh air falbh, agus thug thù comhfhurtachd dhomh.” A ris tha Dia air a thoirt fodh’r comhair, air uairibh, mar neach air atharrachadh bho charaid gu bhi cogadh riuth-san ris an robh E roimh ann an sìth. Mar sin ann an Iob xxx. 21, “Tha thù air fàs an-ìochdmhor rium; le neart do laimhe thà thù ’g ad chur fein a’n aghaidh.” Tha thù air tionndadh, na air atharrachadh. Bha thù mait agus gràsmhor, ach a nis thà thù searbh agus an-ìochdmhor. Mar sin an an Isaiah lxiii. 10, “Air chor agus gu’n d’fhàs e na namhaid dhoibh, ag chog e féin ’n an aghaidh.” Tha mar sin na rathaidean so aig Dia, a r coltais, dha thoirt fodh’r comhair mar neach air am bheil atharrachadh agus cia mar, uime sin, a tha E neo-chaochlaidheach? Gidheadh th neo-chaochlaidheach a dhaindeoin so, agus gu bhi dearbhadh chaochlaidheachd Dhé, dh’asluichinn oirbh an dà nì so a thoirt fodh’r
- Thugaibh fodh’n ear gu’m bheil Dia neo-chaochlaidheach fod suidhichidhean is atharraichte agus is caochlaidich a nì na a dh’imicheas E dha bhur taobh-ne. Tha e fior, gu’n atharraich na suidhichidhean bho’n leith a muigh. Tha obair-san agus a ghiullean dha bhur taobh gu maith caochlaidheach agus atharraichte. Nis tha E togail a ghnùis, nis tha E dha folach, nis tha e lionadh, agus an sin tha E falamhachadh, nis tha E togail suas, an sin tha E tilgeadh sios; nis tha E briseadh, an sin thà E ceangal suas. Mar sin tha deilghidhean Dhé agus suidhichidhean Dhé bho’n leith a muigh caochlaidheach agus atharraichte, ach gidheadh foipe uile cha’n eil E Fein ag atharrachadh, ach tha E fathasd an Tì ceudna, an Tì ceudna na bhith, agus na bheannachadh; agus an Tì ceudna na chomhairle, na chùmhnanta, agus na ghràdh dhuinn. Mar sin tha Salm xxv. 10 “Is tròcair agus flinn uile shlighean an Tighearn (‘S e sin, na freasdan agus na suidhichidhean) dhoibh-san a ghleidheas a choimhcheangal agus a theisteas.” Tha cheumanan dha’n taobh gu math atharraichte annta fein, ach tha gràdh agus gràs Dhé an nì ceudna annta uile. Tha foillsichidhean Dhé bho’n leith a muigh dha ‘ur taobh, faodaidh e bhi, air an tharrachadh; thog E a ghnùis, ach tha E nis dha folach, thug E seachad, ch a nis tha E a toirt air ais; chruthaich E’n solus, nis tha E cruthachadh orchadais dhuinn; agus ann an so tha sinn a smuainteachadh gu’m bheil Dia Fein, a chridhe, a chomhairle, a chùmhnanta, a ghràdh, ag atharrachadh, ac cha’n eil e ach ‘n ar smuainteachadh; oir gu dearbh, agus ann am flinn, tha E’n nì ceudna fathasd. Cha’n eil na foillsichidhean is atharraichte a ciallachadh an t-atharrachadh is lugha Ann-san idir. Agus gu dearbh far am bheil E na charaid, tha E na charaid gu bràth, agus far am bheil E na nàmhaid tha E na nàmhaid gu bràth; cha’n eil an t-atharrachadh ach anns na foillsichidhean bho’n leith a muigh.
(R’a leantuin)