EXAMINATION OF BARNES'S NOTES ON TEXTS RELATING TO

BAPTISM.

NO. X. MATTHEW XXVIII. 19, 20.

Here is some truth; but also, in our opinion, some error. In the Greek New Testament five words occur which in the common English Testament are rendered teach. That which is found most frequently, diddorw [DIDASKO] is the word so rendered in the last clause of the text. That which is so rendered in the first clause, μałŋrevw [MATHE- xiv. 21.

of the word was expressed truly by the old translators, it is important to adhere to their phraseology in this instance, for that which it is proposed to substitute is decidedly a different thought, as well as a different form of expression.

The Latin equivalent, "docete omnes | thy of everlasting life." If the meaning gentes," is the version of the Vulgate, Beza, Calvin, Erasmus, and Montanus. The Geneva French Version of 1505 says, in like manner, "Allez donc et endoctrinez toutes nations ;" and David Martin's of 1739, "Allez donc et enseignés toutes les nations." Some later English versions avoid the tautology by saying, "Instruct all nations." Doddridge says, "Proselyte all nations ;" and Campbell, with less than his usual felicity, "Convert all the nations." But Boothroyd, and other zealous pædobaptists, of our own times, say, "Go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations." In his note on the passage, Boothroyd says, "Most critics thus render, which is the most literal version, and prevents the tautology, teach all nations—teaching them, &c. The sense is that they were to use the means which they possessed to make disciples. Baptizing them, &c. When made disciples, as the initiatory rite of Christianity, they were to be baptized into the name, belief or profession of the Father, &c." To the statement that when made disciples they were to be baptized, we can have no objection: but we must be permitted to ask, if Dr. Boothroyd's or Mr. Barnes's be the natural way of rendering the words, how was it that no translator hit upon it before the days of Dr. Hammond ?

That there is an essential difference between these two phrases is obvious. To teach all persons to whom they gained access was within the power of the apostles, but to make those persons disciples required the reception of the truth, "not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost." What our Lord had enjoined, Paul and Barnabas performed at Antioch in Pisidia; but the persons whom they first addressed did not generally become disciples; they put the word of God from them, and "judged themselves unwor

In the baptismal controversy, it is obvious that the distinction is of practical moment. To teach is more definite than to disciple. You know what the word means; there is nothing equivocal about it. To disciple, is vague. How are they to be discipled? By an act of their own, or by that of another? By the reception of instruction, or by submission to a ceremony? One cannot be taught who is in a state of unconsciousness; but it is conceivable that one may be made a disciple of by some species of registration, by some ritual performance; it is imaginable that parents or sponsors may engage for a new-born babe that he shall be accounted a disciple, and treated as one regularly entered in the class. If our Lord said "Teach all nations," the spirit of his direction may quite evaporate if we admit of the substitution of so vague a phrase as, "Disciple all nations."

What, then, is the precise meaning of this word? When our Lord said, in the only other instance in which the use of it is ascribed to him, "Every scribe who is instructed [μa0ŋtevoεic] unto the kingdom of heaven," what did he mean? Mr. Barnes shall tell us. In his note on the passage, he says, "That is, every man that is acquainted with the gospel or with the truth." Not the slightest intimation is given here that the word properly means discipled or made a disciple of!

Examples in abundance of the use of this word, both in heathen writings and in those of the early Christians, might be furnished easily. Dr. Gale, whose

Matt. xiii. 52.

the apostles; that μalŋTEÚOATE [MATHETEUSATE] does always, and particularly in the place under consideration, signify

profound erudition qualified him for the 2. From the authority of the several task, has provided a storehouse of quota- versions; 3. From the opinions of the tions for those who should come after fathers; and lastly, From the scriphim. In his Reflections on Wall's His-tures themselves and the practice of tory of Infant Baptism, he maintains that it is " one of the plainest things in the world that μа0ŋтεów [MATHETEUO] signifies properly to teach, and that this is the sense of it particularly in the commission, Matt. xxviii. 19." "I will show," said he, beyond question, 1. From the sense of the Greek word;*

*To a portion of our readers the following extract will be interesting:-"No man doubts but μaveável, the theme, signifies properly, discere, docere, to learn, to teach, or instruct; and it may be observed, that all words derived from it do ever retain some marks of this signification: thus μálnμa, a document, instruction, or that which is taught or learned; palηròs, teach- | able, or apt to learn; panriáw, I desire to learn. And so in its compounds, àμaσlýs, unlearned ; ȧpripaons, one that lately began to learn; avтoμaons, one that learned of himself, without the help of a master; odiyoμalns, one that learned but little. And moλvμalns, one that has learned much; ávaμav@ávw, I learn again. Karaμavbavó, I, learn thoroughly, or exactly. Evμpav@áveiv, to learn together; from whence ovμualnτns, a school-fellow, or fellow-learner. And so in like manner of all the

rest.

"Since then the primitive signifies to learn, &c., and all its derivatives and compounds retain the like sense, why must only μαθητής and μαθητεύω be excepted? And where is their ingenuity, who so irregularly, and contrary to the analogy of the Greek tongue, arbitrarily pretend that these words have no relation to teaching, &c., only because this fancy serves their purpose something better? whereas an impartial judge would, from this observation alone, conclude μalηtevew must needs signify to teach, or to be taught, or to cause to be taught, or some such thing, which should include teaching.

"I suppose nobody will any more recur to the antiquated invention which some grammarians have long been proud of, I mean the antiphrasis, which is now exploded by the best and most learned philologists, as a mere cover for the ignorance of those who use it. I need not refer you to the Spanish Minerva; for to be sure you remember well enough the sixteenth chapter of the fourth book, where Sanctius solidly exposes the mistake those grammarians committed, who when they knew no better imagined words were sometimes used in a contrary sense to the primitive from whence they were derived. Lucus in Latin is a common instance in everybody's mouth; but the more accurate and judicious now no longer say it is derived a lucendo,

quia minimè luccot; but rather, because of the great and almost continual illuminations in the groves, occasioned by sacrifices, &c., as say Vossius and phrasis be, as Vossius expresses it, but a silly whim

Perizonius, to name no more. And if this anti

of the grammarians, who are oftentimes none of the ablest critics, then μαθητής, and μαθητεύω, as they are derived from paveáver, to learn, &c., must likewise bear some congruity in their signification, and not be applicable to such as are not capable of learning or being taught.

"But some argue from the termination, and pretend that verbs in evo are to be interpreted by sum in Latin; and so μaonths signifying a disciple only, μalŋrevw might be rendered sum discipulus. It is easy to see how trifling this is; and that were it true, it could be of no use to our adversaries; forμaonths, we assert, means such a disciple only as is taught; and then μałŋrevew will signify, according to their own way, to be such disciples. But besides, the criticism is utterly false, as might be made appear from innumerable examples; thus κελεύω signifes jubeo, to command, as well as κέλω, from whence it is formed; and so Sovλevw to counsel, &c., from Boúλw. The like may be observed of 'peúw, from whence 'péw forms some of its tenses, so perfectly synonymous are the two words; as are also σέω, σῶ, and σεύω ; χέω and χεύω ; πλέω, πλεύω ; πνέω, πνεύω ; and this may be seen too in βασιλεύω, ἀγορεύω, ἡγεμονεύω, φονεύω, θεραπεύω, ἀληθεύω, στρατεύω, χορεύω, θρησκεύω, ἐποπτεύω, προφητεύω, μαντεύω, and παιδεύω an instance in the very case, besides multitudes which I pass by, none of which can admit of the sense pretended.

"Upon all this, I think I may safely conclude, according to the analogy of derivations in the Greek tongue, as well as in all other languages, that as disciple in English is made of the Latin discipulus, which comes from discere, to learn; and as didáσkaλos, a tutor, teacher, master, from didáσkeiv, to teach, because such a master didáσkel, does teach; but kúpios, a master or governor, from kupos, full power and authority, because masters and governors are supposed, κupos "exew, to have such power; 80 μαθητὴς ἀπό του έμαθον comes from μανθάνειν, το learn or teach, because μalnтai, or disciples learn or are taught; and hence μałŋтeúw is the proper word to signify the action of teaching, whereby persons are to be made such disciples, or if you please of discipling or making disciples by teaching. But let this suffice concerning the origination of the word, and the assistance it yields to find out the true sense of it."-Gale's Reflections, Letter VII.

One or two specimens of the use of the word by ancient heathen writers, as furnished by Gale, may suffice. Isocrates taught rhetoric at Athens, and the usual fee for his course was a thousand drachms. Demosthenes and some other young men, being unable to raise so large a sum, made him this offer, that for a fifth part of his instructions they would pay him two hundred drachms. His reply was, "We do not use, Demosthenes, to divide our art; but as good fish are sold entire, so if you have a mind to be TAUGHT (ua@ŋTevεiv) I will instruct you in the whole art." Again, Plutarch says of Antiphon, the orator, "He was TAUGHT (μaonrevoaç) by his father who possessed oratory, and having learned the art of pleading he gave himself to the public." In like manner Ignatius, the martyr, uses the word, when he says, writing to the Romans: "I would, therefore, that those things should be confirmed by your practice, which you have prescribed in TEACHING (μαONTEVOVTES) only pray for me that I may be so strengthened within and without, as not only to be called a Christian, but also to be found one." Dr. Gale adduces many other illustrations of the subject from the writings of the Greek fathers, and testimonies in confirmation of his views from eminent lexicographers and theologians; but if any of our readers wish to pursue the investigation further we must refer them to his learned work.

Disciple

to teach or instruct, and to make dis- ing should come after the discipling. ciples only by so doing." Which is the opinion of Mr. Barnes we do not know. He says, "This was to be done, however, by teaching them, and by administering the rite of baptism." Does he derive the idea of teaching from the first clause or from the last? If from the first, then he dispenses with the last altogether. He makes no more reference to it than as though he regarded it as spurious. Then too, the process described is quite inapplicable to a new born infant. it how you may, you cannot disciple it by teaching. The process could not be intended for an infant a month old. It cannot take effect on such a one. If it can only be discipled by teaching, it cannot be discipled at all till it can understand the teaching. The baptism must be deferred. But the theory of some of the advocates of this translation is, that the two latter clauses describe the manner in which the first clause is to be effected. Disciple them, say they, by baptizing them and by teaching them to observe what Christ has commanded. This is probably the meaning of Mr. Barnes, who says, It was to be done by teaching them and by administering to them the rite of baptism. They have had no teaching, be it remembered, according to the hypothesis they are discipled without previous teaching; thus all that is done for them is they are baptized and taught to obey Christ's commands. The Commission, according to this theory, does not enjoin the making known the gosBut supposing, that "Disciple all pel of salvation, or make provision for nations" could be proved to be the the nations hearing it. Not before true translation, great difficulties would baptism; not after baptism. Disciple remain. Does the word when rendered them! How? Look to the participles disciple include the idea of teaching or and see. Baptizing them in the name does it not? Some who have advocated of the Father, and of the Son, and of this version have maintained that it the Holy Ghost, teaching them to obdoes; and that the only mode of dis-serve all things whatsoever I have comcipling is by teaching. Some maintain manded you. Exclude teaching from that it does not, but that all the teach- the first clause of the commission, and