A Concise Cyclopedia of Religious Knowledge; Biblical, Biographical, Geographical, Historical, Practical and Theological (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1895 Excerpt: ...he is addressing, in order that he and they might be united in true communion with each other, and with God the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ. The first part of the Epistle may be considered to end at ii. 28. The apostle begins afresh with the doctrine of sonship or communion at ii. 29, and returns to the same theme at iv. 7. His lesson throughout is, that the means of union with God are, on the part of Christ, his atoning blood (i. 7; ii. 2; iii. 5; iv. 1o, 14; v. 6) and advocacy (ii. 1)--on the part of man, holiness (i. 6), obedience (ii. 3), purity (iii. 3), faith (iii. 23; iv. 3; v. 5), and, above all, love (ii. 7; iii. 14; iv. 7; v. 1). There are two doubtful passages in this Epistle, ii. 23, ' but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also, ' and v. 7, 'For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one.' It would appear without doubt that they are not genuine. The latter passage is contained in four only of the 15o MSS. of the Epistle, the Codex Guelpherbytanus of the seventeenth century, the Codex Ravianus, a forgery subsequent to the year 1514, the Codex Britannicus or Monfortii of the fifteenth or sixteenth century, and the Codex Ottobonianus of the fifteenth century. It is not found in any ancient version except the Latin; and the best editions of even the Latin version omit it. It was not quoted by one Greek Father or writer previous to the fourteenth century."--Smith: Dict, of the Bible. John, The Second And Third Epistles Of. "Their Authenticity.--These two Epistles are placed by Eusebius in the class of ' disputed ' books, and he appears himself to be doubtful whether they were written by the evangelist, or by some other John. The evidence of antiquity in their...