Bible Commentaries

John 1:1 — John 1:14 . He who was ( ἦν ) in the beginning, became ( ἐγένετο ) in time; He who was with God, tabernacled among men; He who was God, became flesh. (1) ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος . ἐν ἀρχῇ is here used relatively to creation, as in Genesis 1:1 and Proverbs 8:23 , ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸ τοῦ τὴν γῆν ποιῆσαι ; cf. 1 John 1:1 . Consequently even in the time of Theophylact it was argued that this clause only asserts that the Logos was older than Adam. But this is to overlook the ἦν . The Logos did not then begin to be,

Acts 1:25 — to that appeal, is clearly at variance with any conception of Apostleship as other than a divine commission received directly from Christ Himself (Moberly, Ministerial Priesthood , p. 130). παρέβη , “fell away,” R.V. cf. LXX Exodus 32:8 , ἐκ τῆς ὁδοῦ , so Deuteronomy 9:12 ; Deuteronomy 17:20 , ἀπὸ τῶν ἐντολῶν ( cf. Acts 28:14 , A.), so the Heb. סוּר followed by מִן . A.V. following Tyndall renders “by transgression fell,” which lays too much stress upon “fell,”

Romans 16:25 — to take place κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιόν μου : in agreement with the gospel Paul preached. When it is achieved, the Romans will be settled and confirmed in Christianity as it was understood by the Apostle. For τὸ εὐαγγέλιόν μου cf. Romans 2:16 , 2 Timothy 2:8 : also 1 Timothy 1:11 , τὸ εὐαγγέλιον … ὃ ἐπιστεύθην ἐγώ . The expression implies not only that Paul’s gospel was his own, in the sense that he was not taught it by any man (Galatians 1:11 f.), but also that it had something characteristic of

1 Corinthians 2:4 — 1 Corinthians 2:4 . “And my word and my message:” λόγος recalls 1 Corinthians 1:18 ; κήρυγμα , 1Co 1:21 ; 1 Corinthians 1:23 (see notes). The former includes all that Paul says in proclaiming the Gospel, the latter the specific announcement of God’s will and call therein. οὐκ ἐκ πιθοῖς σοφίας λόγοις , “not in persuasive

1 Corinthians 2:6 — negatively: “but a wisdom not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, that are being brought to nought”. For αἰών , see note to 1 Corinthians 1:20 ; it connotes the transitory nature of the world-powers (1 Corinthians 1:19 ; 1 Corinthians 1:28 ; cf. 1 Corinthians 7:31 , 2 Corinthians 4:18 ; also 1 John 2:17 , 1 Peter 1:24 ff.). The ἄρχοντες τ . αἰῶνος τούτου were taken by Marcion, Or [333] , and other ancients, to be the angelic, or demonic (Satanic), rulers of the nations sc. the “princes”

1 Corinthians 3:14-15 — τὸ ἔργον κατακαήσεται , “If any one’s work shall abide … shall be burned up”. The double ind [572] with εἰ balances the contrasted suppositions, without signifying likelihood either way: for the opposed vbs., cf. 1 Corinthians 13:8 ; 1 Corinthians 13:13 ; μενεῖ recalls ὑπομενεῖ of Malachi 3:2 . ὃ ἐποικοδόμησεν (wanting augment: usage varies in this vb [573] ; Wr [574] , p. 83) reminds us that the work examined was built on the one foundation (1 Corinthians 3:10 ff.). μισθὸν λήμψεται

1 Corinthians 4:21 — ; “What is your will?” what would you have? τί a sharper πότερον ; the latter only once (John 7:17 ) in N.T. “ With a rod am I to come to you? or in love and a spirit of meekness?” ἐνῥ άβδῳ (= ἐν κολάσει , ἐν τιμωρίᾳ , Cm [786] ) is sound Gr [787] for “armed with a rod” ( cf. Sir 47:4 , ἐν λίθῳ ; Lucian, Dial. Mort. , xxiii., 3, καθικόμενος ἐν τ . ῥάβδῳ ; add Hebrews 9:25 , 1 John 5:6 ) the implement of paternal discipline (1 Corinthians 4:14 ) called for by

2 Corinthians 12:7 — margin. Thus the Apostle’s trial would be likened to a continual “impalement”. Stanley, who adopts this rendering, compares Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ”. But in the Greek of the LXX (see Numbers 33:55 , Hosea 2:8 , Sir 43:19 ) σκόλοψ undoubtedly means “thorn,” not “stake” (Ezekiel 28:24 is, perhaps, doubtful). Illustrations of its use in this sense also occur in Artemidorus, Babrius and the medical writers (see Field in loc. and Hermathena

Ephesians 3:8 — Ephesians 3:8 . ἐμοὶ τῷ ἐλαχιστοτέρῳ πάντων τῶν ἁγίων ἐδόθη ἡ χάρις αὕτη : to me, who am less then the least of all saints, was given this grace . The τῶν inserted by the TR, on slender documentary evidence, before ἁγίων must be omitted as wanting in [256] [257]

Ephesians 4:17 — Ephesians 4:17 . τοῦτο οὖν λέγω καὶ μαρτύρομαι ἐν Κυρίῳ : this I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord . The οὖν has here its simple, resumptive force ( cf. Donald., Greek Gram. , § 548, 31; Win.-Moult., p. 555). It takes up the train of thought which had been broken off at Ephesians 4:4 . The τοῦτο refers to the exhortation that follows. μαρτύρομαι is used of a solemn declaration, protest, or injunction of the nature of an appeal

Colossians 2:12 — putting off of the body of flesh, has for its counterpart the putting on of Christ (Galatians 3:27 ), which is followed by a walk with Him in newness of life. It is true that our complete redemption is attained only in the resurrection of the body (Romans 8:23 , 2 Corinthians 5:2-4 ). But there is clearly no reference here to the bodily resurrection at the last day, as some have thought; for that is altogether excluded by the whole tenor of the passage, which refers to an experience already complete. Nor

Colossians 2:2 — to στηρίζειν to show that this sense is Pauline, and in the latter we have παρακαλέσαι ὑμῶν τ . καρδίας καὶ στηρίξαι . Haupt, following Luther, thinks it means “may be warned,” but this does not suit καρδίαι , especially in Colossians 4:8 . αἱ καρδίαι αὐτῶν . We might have expected ὑμῶν , but καὶ ὅσοι , while not excluding the Colossians, includes other Churches as well. καρδία implies more than our word “heart,” it embraces also the intellect and the will. συνβιβασθέντες

1 Timothy 3:15 — λόγος καὶ πάσης ἀποδοχῆς ἄξιος . He quotes from Rabbi Levi Barcelonita and Maimonides parallel expressions concerning precepts of the Law, “ fundamentum magnum et columna valida legis ,” and a striking phrase from Irenæus, Haer . iii. 11, 8, Columna autem et firmamentum ecclesiae est evangelium , στύλος δὲ καὶ στήριγμα ἐκκλησίας τὸ εὐαγγέλιον .

1 Timothy 4:3 — 1 Timothy 4:3 . κωλυόντων γαμεῖν : Spurious asceticism, in this and other departments of life, characterised the Essenes (Joseph. Bell. Jud . ii. 8, 2) and the Therapeutae (Philo Vit. Contempl . § 4), and all the other false spiritualists of the East; so that this feature does not supply a safe ground for fixing the date of the epistle. At the same time, it is not likely that this particular heresy

Hebrews 10:32 — enabled them to endure much wrestling or conflict with sufferings. ἄθλησις in the next generation came to mean “martyrdom,” as in Mart. of S. Ignatius , chap. 4. [For the genitive cf. “certamina divitiarum,” Hor. Epp. , i. 5 8.] What these sufferings were is described in two clauses, they were partly in their own persons, partly in their sympathy and voluntary sharing in the suffering of others, τοῦτο μὲν … θεατριζόμενοι , τοῦτο δὲ κοινωνοὶ … For the distributive formula,

Hebrews 8:5 — Hebrews 8:5 . οἵτινες ὑποδείγματι … “priests who serve a suggestion and shadow of the heavenly things even as Moses when about to make the tabernacle was admonished, for ‘See,’ He says, ‘that thou make all things after the pattern shown

1 Peter 1:1 — accordance with the universal principle of the early Church. (1.) The Jews were the chosen race (1 Peter 2:9 from Isaiah 43:20 ) as Moses said, Because He loved thy fathers therefore He chose their seed after them (Deuteronomy 4:37 ; cf. Romans 11:28 ). So Jesus said to His disciples, I have chosen you (John 15:16 ; John 15:19 , etc.), and refers to them in the eschatological discourse as the elect (Mark 13:20 ). (2.) Being chosen out of the world in the world , indeed, but not of it , John

Jude 1:9 — is based upon Deuteronomy 34:6 (R.V.), “he buried him ( mg. he was buried) in the valley … but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day”. Compare the vain search for Elijah (2 Kings 2:16-17 ). Further details in Josephus ( Ant. 4:8, 48), νέφους αἰφνίδιον ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ στάντος ἀφανίζεται κατά τινος φάραγγος . γέγραφε δὲ αὐτὸν ἐν ταῖς ἱεραῖς βίβλοις τεθνεῶτα , δείσας μὴ διʼ ὑπερβολὴν τῆς περὶ αὐτὸν ἀρετῆς πρὸς τὸ θεῖον αὐτὸν ἀναχωρῆσαι τολμήσωσιν εἰπεῖν , Philo i. p. 165, and Clem.

Revelation 17:18 — Revelation 17:18 . The dramatic climax of the oracle: the great harlot is Rome, domina Roma, the pride and queen of the world! Cf. Spenser’s Ruines of Rome , 360 f. (“Rome was th’ whole world, and al the world was Rome”). For the probable position

Revelation 21:18-21 — The materials of the city. ἐνδώμησις , so an undated but pre-Christian inscription, τ . ἐνδώμησιν τοῦ τεμένους (Dittenberger’s Sylloge inscript . Graec. 583), where the orthography is pronounced “nova” (see reff.). While the city itself (or its streets, Revelation 21:21 ) is supposed to be constructed of transparent gold like the house of Zeus πολύχρυσον ( Hippol. 69), the wall appearing