Ralph Vary Chamberlin

“ We perceive truth no faster than we gain experience, and hence "a man is saved no faster than he gets intelligence."
As an illustration, let us consider the conception of the Divine. Here it appears clearly that the shifting ideals of men have ever been reflected in their thoughts concerning God; and that at no time has the conception of God risen higher than the-highest ideals existing at the time in other phases of life. With the growth of the race has gone steadily on in parallel strengthening and broadening in our conception of the power, love and justice of God. ”

“ An interpretation satisfies us of its objective reality most fully when with the passage of time and the consequent addition of many new facts to be harmonized, the interpretation still suffices and cannot be put aside. ”

“ But for every interpretation which thus remains sufficient in the light of the ever accumulating experience of the race and thereby becomes recognized as truth or law, hundreds and hundreds must be discarded. The history of progress in any field of knowledge is largely an account of outgrown hypotheses, of interpretations that were either mistaken or that were, at best, but partially true. ”

“ Only as through the studies and thought of Aryan peoples we have been brought to perceive the immense power in Nature, have we been able to realize this Nature as the continuous handiwork of God and to conceive God as the All- Enfolding, All-Upholding Intelligence as well as the One in whom the Hebrews saw dominantly the attributes of Ruler and Father. ”

“ The greater gods, numerous though they were, were believed to be too busy with the priests and kings to have time for ordinary human beings. To the early Hebrews, Jehovah was God of their tribe only, their special protector, the fighter of their battles against other peoples. It was a big step when after Christ's work men were able to conceive God as a God to all peoples and races, as a God primarily of love and justice toward all mankind and not of vengeance. But the conception of power in God was limited like the world of the people of Euorpe for many centuries. ”

“ Yet, it should never be forgotten, many of these outgrown hypotheses were the best that could have existed under the conditions among which they were formed and that they may have served most uesful purposes,—for hypotheses that prove false are only less useful than those which persist as true. At best, human knowledge is provisional and must remain throughout provisional. No man really possesses the truth, while others have their back to the light and stand contemplating mere shadows. ”

“ Likewise for a long time it was inevitable that the world should be regarded as the center of the universe and the sole inhabited place. The idea that there might be other worlds inhabited and under the control of God seemed absurd,—seemed unthinkable. ”

“ It should be clear, then, that if we would truly understand and appreciate the literature preserved to us from the past, we must place ourselves, so far as possible, in the world in which the writer lived and thought and must guard constantly against reading into his words meanings which are developments of later years or, it may be, centuries. ”

“ The belief became prevalent that in Sheol people were segregated according to moral merit, the good going into one division arid the wicked into another, and that they remained here only temporarily, as in a place of waiting. With the development of the dictrine of resurrection for the righteous, Sheol came to be regarded, naturally, as the abode of the wicked only, first as their temporary abode, and finally as their ultimate destination. ”

“ It is the progressiveness in the Bible that gives it life; its errancy in many matters that represent merely the accepted views of the day and people do not weaken but, properly understood, should strengthen the value which it may have for us. ”

“ Like other primitive peoples the Hebrews very naturally thought the earth flat. They imagined it to have been formed primarily as a disc-shaped body upon or in the midst of the waters of Tehom or the Great Deep. "The earth is Jehovah's...... ) for he hath founded it upon the seas and established it upon the floods"' (Psalms 21:1, 2) . At first the earth was involved by the waters of the Great Deep and hence dry land could not appear, as was supposed, until the waters were held back from the surface of the disc in some way. This was accomplished through the formation of the firmament. ”

“ Much misunderstanding of biblical passages has arisen and continues to arise through failure of readers to consider or properly to grasp the conception of the universe which prevailed among the Hebrews and neighboring peoples down even to the time of Christ and later. ”

“ The true power, inspiration and leadership in the prophets of which it gives record stand out fully and clearly only as we appreciate the limitations of knowledge and belief belonging generally to their times. ”

“ Night is mentioned in Genesis as having been separated from darkness upon the first day; and day and night ahd entered upon their alternation before any of the heavenly bodies had been formed. By many the sun was believed to roll across the vault of the firmament in a chariot which, was driven by the wind. It was represented that in the eastern side or the face of the firmament there were six doors or portals through which the sun entered from chambers outside the vault, and that in the western side of the firmament there were also six portals. ”

“ At each of the four "ends" of the earth were supposed to be three portals through the firmament, making thus twelve portals in all, through which from special chambers, issued the winds and storms, etc. From one of the three doors in the east side or "face" of the heaven, the southermost, came forth destruction, drought, heat and certain rains; from the middle one came forth "rain and fruitfulness and prosperity and dew" ”

“ In the earlier times Sheol was regarded as the place appointed for all mortals after death irrespective of any moral distinctions. Social and civic distinctions, however, were thought to be preserved; kings still sat upon thrones and every man was gathered unto his own tribe and family. ”