SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES

The sentence beginning with (eraunate), in John 5:39 the King James Version has been almost universally regarded as meaning "Search the scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life." But one cannot read as far as dokeite, "ye think," without feeling that there is something wrong with the ordinary version. This verb is at least a disturbing element in the current of thought (if not superfluous), and only when the first verb is taken as an indicative does the meaning of the writer become clear. The utterance is not a command, but a declaration: "Ye search the scriptures, because ye think that in them," etc. Robert Barclay as early as 1675, in his Apology for the True Christian Divinity (91;), refers to two scholars before him who had handed down the correct tradition: "Moreover, that place may be taken in the indicative mood, Ye search the Scriptures; which interpretation the Greek word will bear, and so Pasor translated it: which by the reproof following seemeth also to be the more genuine interpretation, as Cyrillus long ago hath observed." So Dr. Edwin A. Abbott, in his Johannine Grammar (London, 1906, section 2439 (i)). See also Transactions American Philological Association, 1901, 64 f.

J. E. Harry

Search the Scriptures
... Search the Scriptures. A Sermon ... Come ye, and search the Scriptures; they are no such
mysterious fables or learned volumes of hard words as some men say. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/search the scriptures.htm

On the Words of the Gospel, John v. 39, "Ye Search the Scriptures ...
... On the words of the Gospel, John v. 39, "Ye search the Scriptures, because ye think
that in them ye have eternal life," etc. Against the Donatists. [CXXIX. ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of the new testament/sermon lxxix on the words.htm

The Duty of Searching the Scriptures
... The Duty of Searching the Scriptures. John 5:39 " "Search the Scriptures." ... I. I am
to show, that it is every person's duty to search the Scriptures. ...
/.../whitefield/selected sermons of george whitefield/the duty of searching the.htm

The Glory of the Son.
... (John 5:39). 39. Search the Scriptures. Or rather, "ye search the Scriptures" for
eternal life. Yet those Scriptures were full of the testimony of Christ. ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/the glory of the son.htm

John v. 39, 40
... john. Homily XLI. John v. 39, 40. John v.39, 40 "Search the Scriptures; for in them
ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of Me. ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homily xli john v 39.htm

Search Then, the Scriptures, if You Can, and So Fill up this ...
... Section 56. Search then, the Scriptures, if you can, and so fill up this
sketch. Learn to look for the Second Advent and Judgment. ...
/.../select works and letters or athanasius/section 56 search then the.htm

Concerning Scripture .
... Scripture and all mystery exists. And again, Search the Scriptures for they
are they that testify of Me [2516] . And the Apostle says ...
/.../john/exposition of the orthodox faith/chapter xvii concerning scripture.htm

Found by Jesus, and Finding Jesus
... O my dear hearers, if you want to find Christ, you must search the Scriptures,
for they testify of him! Oh, that you did search ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 40 1894/found by jesus and finding.htm

What did Moses Write?
... But did not Jesus say, "Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal
life, and they are they that testify of me?" Well, if he had said that, it ...
/.../gladden/who wrote the bible/chapter ii what did moses.htm

The Scriptures
... He said, Search the Scriptures.' He knew these sacred springs were not muddied with
human fancies. ... Search the Scriptures.' Search as for a vein of silver. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/2 the scriptures.htm