Bible Commentaries

Romans 12:10 — Romans 12:10 . τῇ φιλαδελφίᾳ = in point of brotherly love, i.e. , your love to each other as children in the one family of God. Cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:9 , Hebrews 13:9 , 1 Peter 1:22 , 2 Peter 1:7 , 1 Peter 3:8 . ἀδελφὸς in the apostolic writings does not mean fellow-man, but fellow-Christian; and φιλαδελφία is the mutual affection of the members of the Christian community. In this they are to be φιλόστοργοι , “tenderly affectioned”. The moral

Romans 12:4 — Romans 12:4 f. καθάπερ γὰρ : For language and figure cf. 1 Corinthians 12:12 . Also Ephesians 4:15 f., Colossians 1:18 . The comparison of the community to a body the social organism is very common in classical writers: see Wetstein and Jowett here. πρᾶξιν : Romans 8:13 . It is that at which the member works in modern language, its function. Every member has its gift,

Romans 14:7 — as the Lord will, and even by his death glorifies God. In Romans 14:14 ff. Paul comes to speak of the influence of conduct upon others; but here there is no such thing in view; the prominence given to τῷ κυρίῳ ( τοῦ κυρίου ) three times in Romans 14:8 shows that the one truth present to his mind is the all-determining significance, for Christian conduct, of the relation to Christ. This (ideally) determines everything, alike in life and death; and all that is determined by it is right.

1 Corinthians 10:31-32 — indeed to whatever they “do”; cf. Romans 14:20 ff., Colossians 3:17 . A second general rule emerges from the discussion: “Offenceless prove yourselves, both to Jews and to Greeks and to the church of God”. ἀπρόσκοποι here act [1585] , as in Sir. 35:21, not causing to stumble ; elsewhere pass [1586] in sense. For γίνεσθε , see note on 1 Corinthians 7:23 . The three classes named make up Paul’s world of men: “Jews” and “Greeks” embrace all outside

1 Corinthians 10:8 — 1 Corinthians 10:8 . μηδὲ πορνεύωμεν : here P. comes closer to his readers, adopting the communicative 1st pl [1438] For the prevalence of this vice at Cor [1439] and its connexion with Cor [1440] idolatry, see 1 Corinthians 7:2 , 1 Corinthians 6:11 , and Introd ., p.

1 Corinthians 12:1-11 — communion; and now (3) the operation of the Spirit of God in the Church, wherein lies the very mystery of its life. The words διαιρέσεις in 1 Corinthians 12:4 and πάντα ταῦτα in 1 Corinthians 12:11 give the clue to Paul’s intent in this §. Many Cor [1812] took a low and half superstitious view of the Holy Spirit’s influence, seeing in such charisms as the “tongues” phenomena analogous to, though far surpassing, pagan manifestations (1 Corinthians 12:2 ) the proper evidence of His

1 Corinthians 15:54 — each other and to this, alike marking the great “when,” the epoch of the consummation. The destruction of the “last enemy” secures absolute “victory” for Christ and His own. Paul corrects the LXX txt. of Isaiah 25:8 , which makes Death the victor, κατέπιεν ὁ θάνατος ἰσχύσας ; he appears to have read the Heb. passively bulla ‘, for Massoretic billa ‘: Theodotion’s translation is identical with Paul’s. lanetsach ( for ever ) is often rendered

1 Corinthians 7:17-24 — marriage, the Apostle’s general advice admitting of large exceptions (1 Corinthians 7:2 ; 1 Corinthians 7:9 ; 1 Corinthians 7:15 ) had been that each, whether single or married, should be content with his present state ( 1Co 7:1 ; 1 Corinthians 7:8 ; 1 Corinthians 7:10-14 ; 1 Corinthians 7:27 ). The Christian revolution had excited in some minds a morbid restlessness and eagerness for change, which disturbed domestic relations ( cf. Matthew 10:36 ), but was not confined thereto. This wider tendency

2 Corinthians 1:14 — expressions in the prophets; cf. Isaiah 13:6 ; Isaiah 13:9 , Jeremiah 46:10 , Ezekiel 30:3 , Zechariah 14:1 , Joel 1:15 ; Joel 2:1 ; Joel 2:11 ; Joel 2:31 (cited Acts 2:20 ), etc. And the phrase is taken up by St. Paul (1 Thessalonians 5:2 , 1 Corinthians 1:8 ; 1 Corinthians 5:5 ; cf. Philippians 1:10 , 2 Timothy 1:12 ), and is applied to the Second Advent of Christ; cf. also 2 Peter 3:10 , and Matthew 24:42 .

2 Corinthians 8:2 — 2 Corinthians 8:2 . ὅτι ἐν πολλῇ δοκιμῇ κ . τ . λ .: how that in much proof of affliction, i.e. , in spite of the severe afflictions by which they were tried, probably a reference to persecution and annoyance from their heathen neighbours (see Acts 16:20 , Philippians

Galatians 4:3 — other forms of national and social life. These rudiments are disparaged in Galatians 4:9 as weak and beggarly in comparison with the teaching of the Spirit, for Christian men ought to have outgrown their spiritual childhood. So, again, in Colossians 2:8 ; Colossians 2:20 , they are condemned wherever their traditional hold on human society produces an antagonism to the higher teaching of Christ. But before the Advent they formed a valuable discipline for the education of the world.

Philippians 2:7 — Philippians 2:7 . A question arises as to punctuation. W.H. punctuate as in the text. Calvin, Weiffenb. and Haupt would place a comma after γενόμ . and a colon after ἄνθρωπος of Philippians 2:8 . This would coordinate these three clauses and make a new sentence begin with ἐταπείνωσεν . The division does not seem natural or necessary. μ . δούλου λ . The clause defines ἐκένωσε . Christ’s assumption of the “form” of a δοῦλος

2 Timothy 2:1 — for the future conduct of Timothy in the Church; and similarly οὖν is resumptive of all the considerations and appeals for loyalty in chap. 1. τέκνον : See note on 1 Timothy 1:2 . ἐνδυναμοῦ ἐν , κ . τ . λ .: The thought is resumed from 2 Timothy 1:8-9 , and expanded in 2 Timothy 2:3-13 . The closest parallel is that in Ephesians 6:10 , ἐνδυναμοῦσθε ἐν Κυρίῳ , κ . τ . λ . See note on 1 Timothy 1:12 and reff., esp. Romans 4:20 , Philippians 4:13 . Although the verb is passive, as indicated in the

Titus 1:3 — λόγον αὐτοῦ ἐν κηρύγματι : Note the distinction here indicated between the substance of the revelation ( λόγος ) given by God, and the form of it as expressible ( κήρυγμα ) by the human preacher. It is parallel to the use of λόγος and λαλία in John 8:43 . ὃ ἐπιστεύθην ἐγώ has τὸ εὐαγγέλιον κ . τ . λ . as its antecedent in 1 Timothy 1:11 , where see note. κατʼ ἐπιταγὴν τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν θεοῦ : See note on 1 Timothy 1:1 . There the order is θεοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν . Here θεοῦ is epexegetical of σωτῆρος

Hebrews 3:8 — Hebrews 3:8 . μὴ σκληρύνητε , the prohibitory subjunctive, v . Burton, p. 162. “The figure is from the stiffening by cold or disease, of what ought to be supple and pliable” (Vaughan). [The verb occurs first in Hippocrates, cf. Anz . 342.] It is ascribed

James 2:8 — James 2:8 . μέντοι : “nevertheless” there is a duty due to all men, even the rich are to be regarded as “neighbours,” for the precept of the Law, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Leviticus 19:18 ), applies to all

1 Peter 4:3 — drinking, marrying were interpreted in the worst sense to account for the visitation and become gluttony, drunkenness and all conceivable perversions of marriage; see Sap. 14:21 27, followed by Romans 1:29 , etc. τὸ … πεπορευμένους , from 2 Kings 17:8 , ἐπορεύθησαν τοῖς δικαιώμασιν τῶν ἐθνῶν . The construction is broken (for the will … to have been accomplishe … for you walking ) unless κατ . be taken as if middle to πεπορ . as subject. ἀσελγείαις , acts of licentiousness (as in Polybius); so Sap.

Revelation 16:14 — impetus to the kings of the world . Antichrist’s power extends to these ( cf. Revelation 11:10 ). “As the Lord sent his apostles to all the nations, so shall he ( i.e. , Antichrist) send false apostles” (Hippol. vi. cf. A. C. 188 f.). The sources of the tradition lie in Addit. Esther , 11:6 f., where the two dragons cry, and at their summons all nations gather to do battle against the righteous nation; also in the belief that Israel’s foes muster against her in the latter

Revelation 16:18 — Revelation 16:18 . The conventional stormtheophany brings on an exceptionally severe earthquake, which (Revelation 16:19 ) shatters Jerusalem into three parts and entirely overthrows the pagan cities. Rome’s more awful ruin is attributed in Revelation 17:16 to

Revelation 5:12 — Revelation 5:12 . For similar arrangements in Jewish doxologies, see Gfrörer, ii. 146 8; and, for ἰσχ . τιμ . δόξ . see Daniel 2:37 (LXX). τήν groups together the seven words of the panegyric; honour and glory and praise are due to one whose victorious death has won him the power of bestowing incalculable riches on his people and of unriddling