Featured Joseph Henry Thayer

Perhaps you should not disregard the evidence that you have already heard, like from Logos1560 post number #24 from your last thread.2 Corinthians 3 and The Deity of The Holy Spirit

Also, regarding the deity of Christ, the following comments seem to be the clincher:
p. 260 -- "He [Thayer] writes to a pastor desirous of reading up on the deity of Christ: 'But in preparing to present from the pulpit any doctrine of the truth of which I was thoroughly convinced (like the present doctrine) I have usually found myself most helped by reading the ablest books on the other side. By doing this, one not only best discovers what the actual difficulties of an unbeliever are, but has suggested to him (often) the best methods of meeting them.' " (italics Thayer's). "

He was probably witnessing to Abott. You know, doing good.

In fact here is the full post by logos 1560 to remind you.

"One believer who is a scholar researched this matter and could not find sound evidence to support that claim.
Here are the results of this person's research:

"Of interest in this regard (from my research) is that a Unitarian encyclopedia does not mention Thayer among their number; also, one finds in The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge (Grand Rapids: Baker reprint, 1950), 11:314, the entry "Thayer, Joseph Henry. Congregationalist...."

As to the Congregational issue, I also have discovered the following comments in the article, C. J. H. Ropes, "John Henry Thayer: The Man and His Work," Biblical World 19 (1902)
[additional note: Ropes himself (1866-1933) "was born in Salem, Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard College in 1889 and Andover Theological Seminary in 1893. In 1901, he was ordained a minister in the Congregational Church" -- which means he should have been swift to identify Thayer as a Unitarian were such indeed the case]:

p. 249 -- "While as a young man he usually attended Dr. Gannett's church (Unitarian) with his father, yet his own views followed those of his mother, and led him into the Congregational church."
p. 250(?) -- "...was pastor of the Crombie Street Congregational Church in Salem, Massachusetts for five years"

As for his doctrinal views, especially in relation to the deity of Christ, the same article speaks of him as:
p. 264-5 -- "one who in wide erudition and advanced scholarship 'knew it all,' and yet held fast to every vital point of the old faith."

Also, regarding the deity of Christ, the following comments seem to be the clincher:
p. 260 -- "He [Thayer] writes to a pastor desirous of reading up on the deity of Christ: 'But in preparing to present from the pulpit any doctrine of the truth of which I was thoroughly convinced (like the present doctrine) I have usually found myself most helped by reading the ablest books on the other side. By doing this, one not only best discovers what the actual difficulties of an unbeliever are, but has suggested to him (often) the best methods of meeting them.' " (italics Thayer's).

p.265 -- [quoting from another of Thayer's letters:] "The really strong argument in support of Christ's pre-existence has always seemed to me to be the concurrent, yet ... independent, representations of the biblical writers, not even excepting the synoptists .... The personage they portray forbids his classification with ordinary men, and leaves so unique and exalted a conception of his relation to the Father that the explicit declarations of the fourth gospel awaken no surprise in the ordinary reader."

Given all of these parameters, it seems that -- contrary to Martin/Klann or the Baker lexicon "publisher's preface" or the various KJVO/TRO propaganda against Thayer and his lexicon -- Thayer in fact was a Congregationalist and also held to the deity of Christ. "

2 Corinthians 3 and The Deity of The Holy Spirit

 

Again, Thayer's own words prove you wrong. From logos1560's original article post #24
2 Corinthians 3 and The Deity of The Holy Spirit
"
p.265 -- [quoting from another of Thayer's letters:] "The really strong argument in support of Christ's pre-existence has always seemed to me to be the concurrent, yet ... independent, representations of the biblical writers, not even excepting the synoptists .... The personage they portray forbids his classification with ordinary men, and leaves so unique and exalted a conception of his relation to the Father that the explicit declarations of the fourth gospel awaken no surprise in the ordinary reader. "

 

No one is attacking you. Some think you are in error and are trying to show you that.

 

They are not challenging the facts (Thayer wrote what he wrote), rather they are challenging your conclusions from those facts. They presented other quotes from Thayer that support alternative explanations for why he would associate with a Unitarian and other quotes that indicate Thayer supports the deity of Jesus.

So they HAVE offered legitimate challenges to your conclusions that you have not addressed.

 

On this BB?

 

What I understand, Joseph Henry Thayer was a Congragationalist and a professed Unitarian. Known to deny concept of inerrancy of the Bible. Worked on the Revised Version of the Bible. (The Americal edition being known as the American Standard Version.)

 

A far more useful thread would be to specifically identify the flawed assertions in Thayer's, and present the correct view quoting other lexicons.

 

Also, regarding the deity of Christ, the following comments seem to be the clincher:
p. 260 -- "He [Thayer] writes to a pastor desirous of reading up on the deity of Christ: 'But in preparing to present from the pulpit any doctrine of the truth of which I was thoroughly convinced (like the present doctrine) I have usually found myself most helped by reading the ablest books on the other side. By doing this, one not only best discovers what the actual difficulties of an unbeliever are, but has suggested to him (often) the best methods of meeting them.' " (italics Thayer's)

 

They were his own quotes.