The Gospel of Life

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Apr 22, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 16.

The Gospel of Life.

ONE of the best things that has come from the pen of Professor J. H. Pettingell is a small pamphlet, entitled, “The Gospel of Life in the Syriac New Testament.” It is well known that the language spoken in Palestine in the time of Christ was not Hebrew, but Syro-Chaldaic. Through the influence of Chaldean captivity and Syrian rule, the language of Judea retained only traces of the original Hebrew, and not until after the days of Christ did the Jews and Christians come under Greek influence so that that language was commonly spoken. Mr. Pettingell’s claim, in which he is supported by several authors, is that a large portion of the New Testament was originally written in Syriac, the vernacular of the Jews, and the language which Christ and the apostles ordinarily used. Whether this is so or not, it is a fact that the Syriac (Peshito) version of the New Testament is one of the oldest versions in existence. Even if this version was an early translation from the Greek, and not an original version, the fact that it, and not the Greek, is the language in which Christ taught, renders it invaluable as an auxiliary to the interpretation of Scripture.

With this brief summary, showing the importance of the Syriac version, the following paragraphs, which we quote from the pamphlet, will show the scope of the work, and will give the reader some valuable ideas:—

“Though there is found to be a substantial agreement between the Syriac and the Greek Scriptures, on all the fundamental doctrines of the gospel; and though their differences are mainly with respect to the integrity of certain passages that are included in the one and not in the other, and as to the rendering of others that are found in both; yet no critical reader can fail to notice the greater prominence that is given to the central gospel doctrine of LIFE.—ETERNAL LIFE ONLY IN CHRIST,—in the Syriac Scriptures, and how much more emphatically, He is here set forth as—not merely the Saviour, but as—the LIFE-GIVER of men.

“It is true this great truth stands out very prominently in all our versions—it could not be otherwise in any fair version—but still, there is often an ambiguity or vagueness of enunciation in the Greek, that is not found in the Syriac, and this is still greater in our English version that is made from the Greek. In the Greek, there are two words, psuchē and zōē that stand for ‘life;’ the former refers exclusively to our natural, temporal life, and as such is contrasted with natural death; the latter is always employed when the higher life of the world beyond, which we receive only by a new birth, is in question, and to this the epithet aiōnios, signifying eternal, is commonly joined; and to render it still more emphatic, the definite article (hē) ‘the’ is prefixed; as hē zōē aiōnios ‘The Everlasting Life;’ and this higher life is contrasted with the death that is final and remediless, otherwise called, ‘The Second Death.’ Now this word psuchē occurs more than one hundred times in the Greek New Testament, and always, invariably, refers to a life that is transitory in man or animals; and the word zōē, either with or without the adjective signifying eternal, occurs at least one hundred and fifty times, and is always employed when the divine, higher life is spoken of, and scarcely in any other sense. It seems to have been set apart and consecrated to this special end in the Scriptures, of setting forth the peculiar life of the children of God by a new birth. But, unfortunately, we have but the one word life—unless the word soul, which is quite ambiguous, be used—in our English version by which to designate these two sorts of life; and, consequently, the English reader often fails to observe the broad, and, indeed, the infinite distinction there actually is between them. The Greek, therefore, in the clearness with which this distinction is indicated, is much superior to our English version. But the Syriac is much superior to both, in its treatment of the words save, Saviour, salvation, bearing on the same general question. For salvation may have respect either to this life, or the life to come; for example: When the disciples, in the tempest on the sea of Galilee, came to Jesus in their distress, saying, ‘Lord, save us; we perish,’ or when Peter, who was trying to walk on the same sea, on another occasion, cried out, ‘Lord, save me,’ the salvation in question was evidently a temporal salvation, a rescue from bodily peril; and Christ may be called their Saviour without any regard to his higher prerogative, as the Saviour of sinners. But when the Samaritans said of him at the well of Sychar, ‘This is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world,’ or when one asked him, ‘Lord, are there few that be saved?’ that higher salvation, which it is the express object of the gospel to announce through Christ, is evidently meant.

“Here, then, there are two sorts of salvation, a lower and physical, and a higher and spiritual salvation spoken of in the Scriptures. In the Syriac they are always distinguished by separate words; but in the Greek, and in our version, which follows the Greek, they are both included under one broad term. Thus we have sōzō, to save; Sōtēr, Saviour; Sōtēria, salvation. But in the Syriac, the higher act of saving to eternal life, the agent by which it is effected, and the great salvation itself, are all designated by the use of the root word Khya, denoting life-giving, the Life-Giver, the gift of life; and when a mere rescue or deliverance of any sort is spoken of, another word is employed, as parak, parakna, or some other word to express it.

“As our version is made from the Greek, the same ambiguity in the use of the words ‘to save,’ ‘Saviour,’ ‘salvation,’ runs through our English Scriptures. Indeed, the ambiguity is still greater; for while two separate words in the Greek are employed to distinguish between our physical life and the new life of the world to come, viz., psuchē and zōē, we have in English, as we have seen, but the one word ‘life’ to express them both. But as I have remarked at length on this point elsewhere, I pass on to the more special object of this paper,—the treatment of the words ‘save,’ ‘Saviour,’ ‘salvation,’ in the Syriac, compared with what is found in the Greek and English versions. This is a point to which sufficient attention has not been given by those who have discussed this question of Immortality, or Eternal Life only in Christ.

“It is agreed on all hands that we are saved by Christ, that he is a great Saviour, and this salvation is a great salvation. But when we come to consider the nature of this salvation, we differ widely from our opponents. They assert that it is not from actual death and destruction to a new life that is everlasting; for all men are by nature possessed of a life that is everlasting. It is therefore from sin and misery everlasting, that men are saved. But when we turn to the Syriac Scriptures, which record the very words of our Lord and of his immediate followers, we find this salvation spoken of not as a mere rescue, or deliverance from evil, but also as the impartation of a LIFE. Christ is set forth not simply as a Saviour; he is all this, but he is infinitely more; he is a LIFE-GIVER. And when sinners are saved, they are not simply rescued from sin and misery, or from death, but a new life, a divine life, the life of the Saviour, which is immortal, is imparted to them. If, then, due credit be given to the Syriac Scriptures, our opponents can no longer find shelter under those ambiguous terms in the Greek and English versions, nor evade the issue to which we would hold them, that the salvation of the gospel is not a mere rescue, recovery, or deliverance; it is all this, but infinitely more; it is preeminently THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD, THE ONLY LIFE-GIVER OF PERISHING MEN.”

Following this, the author cites nearly every instance of the occurrence of the words Sōzō, Sōtēr, Sōtēria, comparing each passage with the translation from the Syriac. We give only a few of the more important texts from the Syriac translation, and the reader can compare them with King James’s version.

Luke 1:47: “My spirit is rejoicing in God my Life-Giver.”

John 4:42: “We know that he is truly the Messiah, the Life-Giver of the world.” John 5:34: “But these things I say that ye may live.” John 10:9: “And if any man enter by me he will LIVE.” Acts 2:21: “And it shall be, that whoever shall call on the Lord shall LIVE.” Acts 4:12: “Neither is there deliverance [or redemption from death] in any other; for there is not another name under heaven given to men whereby to LIVE.” Acts 16:30: “My lords, what must I do that I may have LIFE?” Phil. 3:20: “But our concern is in the Heaven; from thence we expect our LIFE-GIVER, our Lord Jesus the Messiah.” 1 Thess. 5:9: “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to the acquisition of LIFE, by our Lord Jesus the Messiah.” 1 Tim. 1:15: “Jesus the Messiah came into the world to give LIFE to sinners.” 1 Tim. 2:3: “For this is good and acceptable before God our LIFE-GIVER.” 1 Tim. 4:10: “Who is the LIFE-GIVER of all men, especially of believers.” Titus 1:4: “Grace and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus the Messiah, our LIFE-GIVER.”

We have often noted this rendering in Dr. Murdoch's translation of the New Testament. It presents in the clearest possible manner that which is taught by every Bible writer, namely, that life comes from Christ, and from him alone, since the Father has committed all things into his hands. But for him we would not have this probationary life; and for those who do not accept him, there is no eternal life. Immortality comes from Christ alone. Let not any lover of Christ withhold from him any of his glory and honor, but rather “crown him Lord of all.”