Bible Commentaries

Acts 28:10 — Acts 28:10 . πολλαῖς τιμαῖς : “with many honours,” A. and R.V., used quite generally, so in Vulgate, “multis honoribus”; even in the expression “honos habendus medico,” Cic., Ad Div. , xvi., 9, we need not limit the word

Romans 11:36 — αὐτὸν : unto Him, as their goal, for whose glory they exist. A reference of any kind to the Trinity is out of the question. It is a question, however, whether τὰ πάντα means “all things” in the sense of the universe ( cf. 1 Corinthians 8:6 , Colossians 1:16 , Hebrews 2:10 ) or whether it is not limited by the article to all the things which have just been in contemplation, the whole marvellous action of God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge, as interpreted by the Apostle in regard

Romans 13:3 — of that view of “authorities” which the Apostle is laying down. It is as if he said: Recognise the Divine right of the State, for its representatives are not a terror an object of dread to the good work, but to the bad. φόβος as in Isaiah 8:13 . It is implied that those to whom he speaks will always be identified with the good work, and so have the authorities on their side: it is taken for granted also that the State will not act in violation of its own idea, and identify itself with

Romans 14:1 — that faith is secured by its own entireness and intensity, not by a timorous scrupulosity of conscience. προσλαμβάνεσθαι is often used of God’s gracious acceptance of men, but also of men welcoming other men to their society and friendship, 2Ma 8:1 ; 2Ma 10:15 . μὴ εἰς διακρίσεις διαλογισμῶν : not with a view to deciding (or passing sentence on) his doubts. The διαλογισμοί are the movements of thought in the weak man, whose anxious mind will not be at peace; no censure of any kind is implied

Romans 15:24 — Romans 15:24 . ὡς ἂν πορεύωμαι εἰς τὴν Σπανίαν : it is here the apodosis begins, which being broken in on by ἐλπίζω is never formally resumed, though the sense is taken up again in Romans 15:28 f. ὡς ἂν is temporal = simulatque: cf. 1 Corinthians 11:34 , Philippians 2:23 : Buttmann, p. 232. The principle which Paul has just laid down as regulating his Apostolic work (Romans 15:20 ) forbids him to think of Rome as a proper sphere for it; great

Romans 8:32 — Romans 8:32 . The Christian’s faith in providence is an inference from redemption. The same God who did not spare His own Son will freely give us all things. οὐκ ἐφείσατο , cf. Genesis 22:12 , οὐκ ἐφείσω τοῦ υἱοῦ σου τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ διʼ ἐμέ . It vivifies

Romans 9:18 — Romans 9:18 . From the two instances just quoted Paul draws the comprehensive conclusion: So then on whom He will He has mercy, and whom He will He hardens. The whole emphasis is on θέλει . The two modes in which God acts upon man are showing mercy and hardening,

1 Corinthians 1:19 — as revealed in Scripture: γέγραπται γάρ κ . τ . λ . The quotation Ἀπολῶ κ . τ . λ . (suggested by τ . ἀπολλυμένοις ) belongs to the cycle of Isaiah’s prophecies against the worldly-wise politicians of Jerus. in Assyrian times (1 Corinthians 1:28-31 .), who despised the word of Jehovah, relying on their shallow and dishonest statecraft; their policy of alliance with Egypt will lead to a shameful overthrow, out of which God will find the means of vindicating His wisdom and saving His people and

1 Corinthians 1:3 — (Ed [63] ). κυρίου might grammatically be parl [64] to ἡμῶν , both depending upon πατρός , as in 2 Corinthians 1:3 , etc.; but 1 and 2 Thessalonians 1:1 ( Θεῷ πατρὶ κ . Κυρίῳ Ἰ . Χ .) prove Father and Lord in this formula to be parl [65] : cf. 1Co 8:6 , 2 Corinthians 13:13 ; nowhere does P. speak (as in John 20:17 ) of God as Father of Christ and of men co-ordinately, and for ἡμῶν to come first in such connexion would be incongruous. “The union of” Θεοῦ and Κυρίου “under the

1 Corinthians 14:22 — hear,” who having rejected other modes of instruction find their unbelief confirmed, and even justified (1 Corinthians 14:23 b ), by this phenomenon. This interpretation ( cf. Matthew 16:4 ; and for εἰς σημεῖον in the judicial sense, Isaiah 8:18 ) is dictated by the logical connexion of 1 Corinthians 14:21-22 , which forbids the thought of a convincing and saving sign , read into this passage by Cm [2130] and many others. P. desires to quench rather than stimulate the Cor [2131] ardour

2 Corinthians 1:9 — (they give sentence , with the A.V., in their margin); cf. the verb ἀποκρίνειν . But in the other places where this rare word is found ( e.g. , Jos., Ant. , xiv. 10, 6, and an inscription of 51 A.D., quoted by Deissmann, Neue Bibelstudien , p. 85) it stands for an official decision or sentence. Cf. κρίμα θανάτου , “the sentence of death” ( Sir 41:3 ). The tense of ἐσχήκαμεν is noteworthy; it seems to be a kind of historical perfect, used like an aorist ( cf. chap. 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 12:6 — doctrine; he only mentions it incidentally and with reserve as a Divine manifestation of which he might legitimately boast, if he chose. On the other hand, he appeals to the fact that he had seen the Risen Christ (1 Corinthians 9:1 ; 1 Corinthians 15:8 ) as of great evidential importance, which indicates that he believed that vision to be “objective” in a sense in which the visions of an ecstatic trance are not.

2 Corinthians 8:5 — 2 Corinthians 8:5 . καὶ οὐ καθὼς κ . τ . λ .: and not (merely) as we hoped, i.e. , beyond what we expected or hoped, but first (not only in order of time, but in order of importance; as we say “first of all”) they gave themselves to the Lord . This

Galatians 5:12 — Galatians 5:12 . ὄφελον . This adverb occurs also in 1Co 4:8 , 2 Corinthians 11:1 , Revelation 3:15 . In all three places it expresses dissatisfaction with the actual position, “Would that it were otherwise”. But it acquires this force from its combination with past tenses, like the aorist ὤφελον

Ephesians 5:10 — Ephesians 5:10 . δοκιμάζοντες τί ἐστιν εὐάρεστον τῷ Κυρίῳ : proving what is well-pleasing to the Lord . The exhortation given in Ephesians 5:8 , interrupted by the enforcement introduced in Ephesians 5:9 , is now continued and explained. The participial sentence defines the walk which was enjoined in respect of the way in which it is to be made good. It is a walk which is to be taken up

Philippians 1:25 — There is every reason to believe that his hope was justified (see Introduction ). παραμενῶ (which is best attested) has in later Greek the special sense of “remaining alive”. See Schmid, Atticismus , i., p. 132, who quotes Dio., i., 62, 8; 333, 29; Herod., i., 30, and compares Plat., Phaed. , 62 [60] , 86 C. εἰς τ . ὑ προκ . κ . τ . λ . Probably προκ . should be taken apart from πίστεως , which goes closely with χαράν . “With a view to your progress and the joy of your faith.”

Colossians 3:24 — Colossians 3:24 . However their earthly master may reward their service, there is a Master who will give them a just recompense; although they cannot receive an earthly, He will give them a heavenly inheritance. ἀπὸ Κυρίου : in Ephesians 6:8 παρὰ Κ . The absence of the article is noteworthy. It emphasises the position rather than identifies the Person of Him who gives the reward ( cf. the anarthrous ἐν υἱῷ , Hebrews 1:1 ). Haupt thinks that there is no significance to be attached to its

2 Thessalonians 2:8 — 2 Thessalonians 2:8 . ὅν , κ . τ . λ ., his career is short and tragic. The apparition ( cf. 1 Timothy 6:14 , etc., Thieme, Die Inschriften von Magnesia , 34 f.) of Jesus heralds his overthrow. ἐπιφανείᾳ = sudden appearance of a deity at some crisis ( cf. Diod., Sicul.

2 Timothy 3:9 — potest, profundius proficit” (Bengel). ἄνοια : dementia (m 50 ) is nearer the mark than insipientia (Vulg.). ὡς καὶ ἡ ἐκείνων ἐγένετο : “Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods” (Exodus 7:12 ); they failed to produce lice (Exodus 8:18 ). “And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boils were upon the magicians” (Exodus 9:11 ). During the plague of darkness, “they lay helpless, made the sport of magic art, and a shameful rebuke

Titus 1:2 — connexion with the preceding clause, κατὰ πίστιν … κηρύγματι . The faith and the knowledge there spoken of have as their basis of action, or energy, the hope of eternal life. Cf. 1 Timothy 1:16 . Compare the use of ἐπʼ ἐλπίδι in Acts 26:6 ; Romans 4:18 ; Rom 8:20 ; 1 Corinthians 9:10 . On the other hand, we must not exclude a remoter connexion with ἀπόστολος . A comparison of the parallel passage in 2 Timothy 1:1 suggests that the succession of clauses here, κατὰ πίστιν … κηρύγματι , is a full and