Bible Commentaries

Romans 10:9 — O.T. passage present to the Apostle’s mind ἐν τῷ στόματί σου precedes ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου . τὸ ῥῆμα is virtually = the Gospel, as God’s word concerning His Son and faith in Him. We confess it when we say, Jesus is Lord. Cf. 1 Corinthians 12:3 , Philippians 2:11 . The exaltation of Jesus is the fundamental Christian confession, and presupposes the resurrection; and it is this exaltation which here (as in the other passages referred to) is meant by His Lordship. It is mechanical to say that

Romans 13:11-14 — Romans 13:11-14 . In the closing verses of the chapter Paul enforces this exhortation to mutual love as the fulfilling of the law by reference to the approaching Parousia. We must all appear (and who can tell how soon?) before the judgment-seat of Christ, that

Romans 4:11 — omitted, or it must be changed, as Hort suggests, into αὐτοῖς , if we are to express the meaning correctly. The sense required by the context is not open to doubt. For διʼ ἀκροβυστίας cf. Romans 2:27 . For the dative τοῖς ἴχνεσιν see Philipp. Romans 3:16 , Galatians 5:16 ; Galatians 5:25 . But cf. also Winer, p. 274.

Romans 9:30 — Romans 9:30 f. τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν ; usually, as in Romans 9:14 , this question is followed by another, but here by an assertion. The conclusion of the foregoing discussion is not that God has been faithless or unjust, but this paradoxical position: Gentiles ( ἔθνη

1 Corinthians 11:27 — unworthily, will be held guilty ( ἔνοχος ἔσται ; reus tenetur , Bz [1768] ; rather, tene-bitur ) of the body and blood of the Lord”; it is this that he ignores or insults; cf. 1 Corinthians 11:29 . On ὥστε with ind [1769] , see note to 1 Corinthians 3:7 . What “unworthily” means is patent from 1 Corinthians 11:20 ff. The or , for and , between ἐσθίῃ and πίνῃ supplies the single text adducible for the R.C [1770] practice of lay communion in one kind : “non leve argumentum,”

1 Corinthians 11:7 — 1 Corinthians 11:7 . ἀνὴρ (not ὁ ἀνὴρ ) μὲν γὰρ κ . τ . λ .: “For man indeed (being man) ought not to have his head veiled” ( καλύπτεσθαι , pr [1634] inf [1635] of custom ), in contrast with woman who ought (1 Corinthians 11:5 ; 1 Corinthians 11:10 ) this is as wrong on his part as it is right on hers; οὐκ negatives the whole sentence, as in ver. I. ὀφείλει , like δεῖ (1 Corinthians 11:19 ),

1 Corinthians 16:1-4 — Corinthians 8 f.); from Acts 20:4 we learn that “Asians” also (from Ephesus and the neighbourhood) accompanied P. in the deputation which conveyed the Gentile offering to the mother Church. A little later, in writing to Rome (1 Corinthians 15:25-32 ), the Ap. refers to the collection, with great satisfaction, as completed. Every province of the Pauline mission appears to have aided in this charity, which, while it relieved a distressing need, was prompted also by Paul’s warm love for his

1 Corinthians 6:15-17 — harlot’s limbs? Far be it!” Αἴρω is to remove, carry off , as in 1 Corinthians 5:2 (see parls.), Vg [974] tollens , implying “a voluntary and determined act” (Ed [975] ); for the introductory aor [976] ptp [977] , see Bn [978] , §§ 132, 138. ποιήσω , either (deliberative) aor [979] sbj [980] or fut [981] ind [982] “Am I to make, etc.?” or, “Am I going to make?” The former idiom suits an act of choice ; this question the tempted Cor [983] Christian must put

1 Corinthians 7:18-19 — alludes to a surgical operation ( ἐπισπάω , to draw ever ) by which renegade Jews effaced the Covenant sign: see Malachi 1:11; Malachi 1:11 ff., Joseph., Ant. , xii., 5, 1; Celsus, vii., 25. 5; also Schürer, Hist. of Jewish People , I., i., p. 203, and Wetstein ad loc [1078] Such apostates were called m’shûkím, recutiti (Buxtorf’s Lexic. , p. 1274). On the opp [1079] direction to the Gentile, μὴ περιτεμνέσθω , the Ep. to the Gal. is a powerful commentary; here the negative reasons

Galatians 3:13 — Galatians 3:13 . The Law pronounced a blessing and a curse; but since it made no allowance for human infirmity, the blessing proved barren in result; while the curse, which invoked the just wrath of an offended God for the punishment of the guilty, proved, on the

Galatians 4:21-30 — Galatians 4:21-30 . PATRIARCHAL HISTORY IS EMPLOYED TO ILLUSTRATE THE PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS, WHO ARE THE PROMISED SEED OF ABRAHAM, BY JEWS WHO ARE HIS SEED AFTER THE FLESH. HAGAR AND HER SON, SARAH AND HER SON, FURNISH PROPHETIC TYPES OF THE MUTUAL RELATIONS BETWEEN

Ephesians 4:25 — with the latter. It is = quamobrem, on which account , and refers here to what was said about the new man and his creation κατὰ Θεόν as the ground for what follows. τὸ ψεῦδος includes falsehood in every form, of which lying τὸ ψεύδεσθαι (Colossians 3:8 ) is one chief instance. The partic. has its proper aor. force, expressing a thing understood to be done, completely and finally, = “having put off then once for all falsehood in its every form”. λαλεῖτε , the continuous pres. following

Ephesians 5:20 — application. It has different shades of meaning, authority, power, honour, dependence , etc., in different connections. Here probably it expresses the idea of doing something in dependence upon Christ, or in regardfulness of what Christ is; cf. John 14:13 ; John 15:16 ; John 16:23 ; Colossians 3:7 . τῷ Θεῷ καὶ πατρί : to God and the Father . The RV gives “to God, even the Father” in its text, and “to the God and Father” in the margin. But the most appropriate rendering of the

Philippians 1:21 — life in its general conception (including the future existence), we cannot help feeling that the antithesis of ζωῆς and θανάτου (Philippians 1:20 ) necessitates the same contrast between τὸ ζῇν and τὸ ἀποθανεῖν . [Kabisch, Eschatologie d. Paulus , p. 134, goes the length of saying that Paul does not know the conception of life as an ethical quality; that it always means for him simply existence . Probably there may be more truth in this than we are at first sight, from our different modes of thought,

Philippians 1:22 — qualified by ἐν σ ., because the Apostle felt that he could not regard physical death as quenching his life. Death only meant fuller life, therefore he must define when he wishes to speak of life on this earth. καρπὸς ἔργου . For the phrase see Psalms 103:0 . (104) 13, ἀπὸ καρποῦ τῶν ἔργων σου χορτασθήσεται ἡ γῆ ; Wis 3:15 , ἀγαθῶν γὰρ πόνων ὁ καρπὸς εὐκλεής . Aptly Thphyl., καὶ τὸ ζῇν ἐν σαρκὶ οὐκ ἄκαρπόν μοί ἐστιν · καρποφορῶ γὰρ διδάσκων καὶ φωτίζων πάντας . τί αἱρής . τί has practically ousted πότερον

1 Thessalonians 4:4 — often disposed to condone marital unfaithfulness on the part of husbands, and to view prenuptial unchastity as ἀδιάφορον or at least as a comparatively venial offence, particularly in men ( cf. Lecky’s History of European Morals , i. 104 f., ii. 314 f.). The strict purity of Christ’s gospel had to be learnt ( εἰδέναι ). σκεῦος (lit. “vessel”) = “wife;” the rendering “body” ( cf. Barn. vii. 3) conflicts with the normal meaning of κτᾶσθαι (“get,”

2 Timothy 1:13 — 2 Timothy 1:13 . ὑποτύπωσιν ἔχε : A resumption of the exhortation which was broken off in 2 Timothy 1:9 . This command is strictly parallel to that which follows: ὑποτ . ὑγιαιν . ἤκουσας corresponds to, and is the external expression of, τὴν καλ . παραθήκην ; ἔχε

2 Timothy 1:15 — understand. But it is abundantly plain that apostles did not during their lifetime receive that universal and unquestioning reverence from their fellow-Christians which we would have antecedently supposed could not have been withheld from them. Cf. 3 John 1:9 . οἱ ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ : Asia means the Roman province, which included Mysia, Lydia, Caria, great part of Phrygia, the Troad, and the islands off the coast. This statement is most naturally explained of a defection in Asia of natives of Asia. Plummet

2 Timothy 1:6 — It is interesting to note in this connexion that ἀναζωπυρεῖν φαντασίας is opposed to σβεννύναι in M. Antoninus, vii. 2 (quoted by Wetstein). τὸ χάρισμα τοῦ θεοῦ : This expression refers to the salvation of the soul by God’s grace, in Romans 6:23 ; Romans 11:29 . The narrower signification, as here, of a gift given to us to use to God’s glory is χάρισμα ἐκ θεοῦ , 1 Corinthians 7:7 , or more usually simply χάρισμα . The particular nature of the gift must be determined by the context. In

2 Timothy 2:15 — way”. This use of the word suggests that the metaphor passes from the general idea of a workman to the particular notion of the minister as one who “makes straight paths” ( τροχιὰς ὀρθάς ) for the feet of his people to tread in (Hebrews 12:13 ). The word of truth is “The Way” (Acts 9:2 , etc.). Theodoret explains it of a ploughman who drives a straight furrow. Similarly R.V. m. (1), Holding a straight course in the word of truth . Chrys., of cutting away what is spurious or