Adolph Saphir

Adolph Saphir demonstrates the intricate links between the books of the Old and New Testament, showing the Bible's many spiritual parallels and its essential message.This book is a collection of sixteen lectures delivered by the author to students of the Bible and theology. He adopts a multi-faceted approach to his Biblical commentary; the historical and cultural representations of ancient Israel, and the spiritual significance of the prophecies and principal figures in the Bible, are given due consideration. Saphir seeks to connect and tie the aspects of the Bible together, with the consideration that it is not a disparate collection of writings, but a united and comprehensive whole.The author was born in 1831 to a Jewish family, but converted to Christianity at the age of twelve by participating in the mission of the Free Church of Scotland. Saphir later enrolled in the church, becoming a minister and scholar. Frail through much of his life, his parents originally thought he may die early in childhood due to the fragility of his health. His career was interrupted on multiple occasions by bouts of ill-health. However, Saphir's talents for theology and knowledge of scripture gained him much respect; in 1882, so that he could return to the ministry and preach, funds were donated to pay for an assistant to handle some of the workload.

Adolph Saphir's classic meditation on chapter four, verse eight of the Book of James is treasured for its poignant spiritual assessment of the New Testament."Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you." is the message at the heart of The Hidden Life. For the author, these words summarize most perfectly the exactness of God's message through the New Testament. With this as his basis, Adolph Saphir proceeds to discuss how to live with the Holy Trinity in mind. Yet his contemplations are rich in their variety; he visits such topics as Eastern mysticism found in religions of India and Islam, the discussions between God and Biblical figures such as Nicodemus, and the message brought by Christ to humankind.The meditations herein are supported by references to chapters of the New Testament, together with a variety of quotations from spiritual authors of antiquity and early modern times. Though his inquiry is winding with touches of eclecticism, Saphir never loses sight of the objective: growing closer to the spiritual essence of the Lord and Jesus Christ.The Saphir family converted from Judaism to Christianity when Adolph was a child. Intellectually apt, Adolph gained a Master's degree from Glasgow University, and went on to serve as a minister and missionary of some renown in the 19th century. Glasgow University made him an honorary Doctor of Divinity in 1878.