An Inquiry Into the Scriptural Doctrine Concerning the Devil and Satan

INQUIRY

INTO THE SCRIPTURAL DOCTRINE CONCERNING

THE

DEVIL AND SATAN:

AND

INTO THE EXTENT OF DURATION EXPRESSED BY

THE TERMS

OLIM, AION, AND AIONIOS,

RENDERED

EVERLASTING, FOREVER, &c.

IN THE COMMON VERSION, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN APPLIED

TO PUNISHMENT.

SECOND EDITION.

BY WALTER BALFOUR.

CHARLESTOWN (Ms.) DAVIDSON, PRINTER.

SIMON ELLEN

980

.B2

1827
сор 2

District of Massachusetts, to wit:

BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the thirtieth day of December, A.D. 1826, in the fiftieth year of the Independence of the United States of America, WALTER BALFOUR, of the said District, hath deposited in this office the title of a book, the right whereof he claims as Author, in the words following, to wit:

"An Inquiry into the scriptural doctrine concerning the Devil and Satan and into the extent of duration expressed by the terms Olim, Aion, and Aionios, rendered everlasting, forever, &c. in the common version, and especially when applied to punishment. Second edition. By Walter Balfour."

In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States, entitled, "An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts and Books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned;" and also to an act entitled "an act supplementary to an act entitled 'an act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving and etching, historical and other prints.""

JOHN W. DAVIS,

SECT. II.

Introduction

SECT. I. Common opinions of the Devil and Satan briefly

stated

Remarks on Genesis 3. showing that the serpent

which deceived Eve was not a fallen angel

SECT. III. All the texts in the Old Testament where the

original word Shaitan, or Satan occurs, consid-

CONTENTS.

The opinion that the Devil or Satan is a real being,

with other connected opinions, shown to have

their origin in heathenism

All the passages in the New Testament where the

term Satan occurs, considered

All the passages where the original word Diabolos,

translated Devil, is used, considered

SECT. VII. All the passages considered in which the terms

Devil and Satan are used synonimously

SECT. VIII. All the texts considered where the Devil is sup-

posed to be called the evil one, the tempter, the

great dragon, the serpent, and old serpent, the

prince of this world, the prince of the power of

the air, and the god of this world

Facts stated, showing that the Devil is not a fallen

angel, or real being

Objections considered

Concluding remarks, pointing out the evils which

have arisen from the common opinions enter-.

tained of the Devil and Satan

Page.

All the texts noticed where Olim occurs in the

Old Testament, but is rendered by words which

do not express or imply endless duration

All the passages noticed where Olim is used, and

rendered by words which convey the idea of

endless duration

All the texts where Olim occurs, is rendered by

words which convey the idea of endless duration,

and applied to punishment, particularly consid-

ered

General remarks on Aion and Aionios, as used in

the New Testament

All the places noticed where Aion and Aionios are

readered ages, course, never, forever, evermore,

eternal, everlasting; but which have no relation

to punishment

All the places where Aion and Aionios are render-

ed world, considered

SECT. VII. All the places where Aion and Aionios are used to

express the duration of punishment, particularly

considered, in whatever way rendered in the

common version

SECT. VIII. Concluding remarks on Olim, Aion and Aionios,

throughout the Bible, whether applied to God,

to life, or punishment

258

IN presenting the following pages to the public, were any apology necessary, I would make it in the words of Professor Stuart to Dr. Miller. He says, p. 12, 13. of his Letters, "It is just as much our individual duty now, to bring every principle of the creed of the Protestant churches to the test of the divine word, as it was the duty of the Reformers to bring that of the Catholics to the test of Scripture. This position is absolutely certain; unless we can prove that the formers of the Protestant symbols were inspired. If they were not, they may have erred in some things; and if so, it is important to us, if possible, to know in what they have erred. But how shall we, or how can we know this, unless their creeds are subjected, anew and repeatedly, to the test of the Scriptures?

"Will it be said, that the dwarfs of modern days only exhibit their pride and self conceit in attempting a comparison with those giants of yore? If it should, my answer would be; That dwarfs as we are in modern days, we stand, at least, upon the shoulders of those ancient giants, and must needs have a somewhat more extended

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