7 JANUARY 1905, Page 31

THE EXPOSITOR.

The Esposito?. Sixth Series. Vol. X. Edited by the Rev. W. Robertson Nicoll. (Hodder and Stoughton. Is. 6d.)—We hope to have an opportunity of noticing elsewhere the series of papers on "The Epistles to the Seven Churches of Asia" by Professor W. M. Ramsay which runs through the greater part of this volume. Another series of which we are glad to see the continuation consists of Professor Moulton's admirable papers on New Testa- ment Greek. Three very remarkable articles on "The Life of Christ according to St.. Mark ", also carry on a treatment to be found in earlier volumes. The writer, Dr. W. H. Bennett, appends a curious note that they "are an attempt to set forth the impression which St. Mark's narrative would make on a reader who had no other source of information, and was not acquainted with Christian dogmatics." One thing is quite clear the Christ here portrayed is a real Man, which he certainly is not in much of the popular exposition of the Gospels. Professor Margolionth examines the contention of an extreme school of sceptics, represented by Mr. J. M. Robertson, that Jesus of Nazareth is an imaginary being. Our impression of Mr. Robertson's work is that he is not adequately equipped for his task. Dr. J. B. McClellan has been permitted to make an attack on the Revised Version of the New Testament, doubtless for the useful purpose of calling forth Professor Agar Beet's excellent answer. That the Revisers did not use for the best a great opportunity can hardly be denied. If they had only delegated to some competent scholar, gifted with a fine literary instinct and common-sense, the task of revising their revision, they would have escaped many pitfalls. But that they translated from a better text than did the Company of King James's time, and translated it more accurately, is surely now almost a truism. To give an instance from a passage which is wholly remote from theology, how much better in the story of St. Paul's shipwreck is the Revised Version "bay with a beach' than the Authorised Version "creek with a shore" for /Wm, fora alyeaAcie !