Bible Commentaries

Luke 24:44 — Lord, nor indeed of any later than this one. That he corrects this in Acts 1:0 , shews him meantime to have become acquainted with some other sources of information, not however perhaps including the Galilæan appearances (see Prolegg. to Luke, § iv. 2). The following discourse apparently contains a summary of many things said during the last forty days before the ascension; they cannot have been said on this evening; for after the command in Luke 24:49 , the disciples would not have gone away into

Luke 24:49 — with the Holy Ghost , and the time is limited to ‘not many days hence.’ ἐγὼ ἐξαποστ . ] The procession of the Holy Spirit from the Son is clearly here declared, as well as that from the Father. And consequently we find Peter, in Acts 2:33 , referring back to these very words , in ascribing the outpouring of the Spirit to the now exalted Saviour. In that verse, the ἐγώ of this is filled up by τῇ δεξιᾷ τοῦ θεοῦ ὑψωθείς the proper supplement of it here also. The promise itself is not

John 12:27 — 27. ] “Concurrebat horror mortis et ardor obedientiæ” (Bengel). And to express both these together in human speech was impossible: therefore τί εἴπω ; The following words must not be taken interrogatively (as by Theophyl., Grot., Tholuck,

John 14:16 — ‘COMFORTER,’ and those of ‘ADVOCATE.’ (“ Teacher ” (Theodore of Mopsuest. and Ernesti) is out of the question.) The etymology of the word requires the latter as its strict meaning, and in this strict meaning it satisfies 1 John 2:1 , παράκλητον ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα Ἰησοῦν χριστόν : but not so all the places where it is used of the Holy Spirit , nor this verse, where of the Son and Spirit both. And therefore the other meaning, Comforter, including as it does in its fulness

John 15:1-11 — the similitude from any outward suggesting occasion, but as a means of illustrating the great subject, the inner unity of Himself and His . Occasion enough was furnished, by the O.T. symbolism of the vineyard and the vine, Isaiah 5:1 ff.: Jeremiah 2:21 ; Ezekiel 19:10 ff., and especially Psalms 80:8-19 ; by the intimate analogy of vegetable life (of which the tree bearing fruit is the highest kind, and of such trees the vine the noblest) with spiritual, and perhaps also by the γέννημα τῆς ἀμπ .

John 2:15 — particulars. So that it should be rendered as in A.V.R., “He drove all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen.” ( ἐξέχεεν is the aor., not the resolved form of the imperfect: cf. Aristoph. Nub. 75, and see Lobeck’s note on Phryn. p. 222.) It has been imagined, that He dealt more mildly with those who sold the doves, which were for the offerings of the poor . But this was not so: He dealt alike with all. No other way was open with regard to them, than to order them to take their

John 20:28 — 28. ] The Socinian view, that these words, ὁ κύρ . μου κ . ὁ θεός μου , are merely an exclamation , is refuted (1) By the fact that no such exclamations were in use among the Jews. (2) By the εἶπεν αὐτῷ . (3) By the impossibility of referring ὁ κύριός

Acts 12:2 — 2. Ἰάκωβον ] Of him we know nothing besides what is related in the Gospels. He was the son of Zebedee, called ( Mat 4:21 ) together with John his brother: was one of the favoured Three admitted to the death-chamber of Jairus’s daughter ( Mar 5:37

Acts 13:13 — Paul and Barnabas, ch. Acts 15:37-40 , accompanied the latter again to Cyprus; and we find him at a much later period spoken of by Paul, together with Aristarchus and Jesus called Justus, as having been a comfort to him ( Col 4:10-11 ): and again in 2 Timothy 4:11 , as profitable to him for the ministry .

Acts 14:20 — 20. ] κυκλ . , not to bury him , but, as would naturally be the case, in mournful anxiety and regret . ἀναστάς ] The prima facie , and I think the right impression is, that this recovery was supernatural . It is not indeed so strongly implied,

Acts 6:15 — our text, well understood among the Jews to signify supernatural brightness (see examples in Wetstein), and from the fact that in Luke’s own narrative we have supernatural brightness associated with angelic appearances more than once (see Luke 2:9 ; ch. Act 12:7 ), I should be inclined to think that the face of the martyr was lighted up with a divine radiance . That the effect on those present was not such as to prevent the examination proceeding, is no argument against this view: in the very

Romans 14:23 — 23. ] but he that doubteth (the situation just described not being his), incurs condemnation if he eat (the case in point particularized), because (he eats) not from faith (i.e. as before, see Chrys. above, from a persuasion of rectitude grounded

Romans 2:15 — τὰ ἔργα τοῦ νόμου , it might have been understood to mean the whole works of the law , which the indefinite ὅταν prevents above. γραπτὸν ἐν τ . κ . αὐτ . ] Alluding to the tables of stone on which the law was written: see a similar figure 2 Corinthians 3:3 . συμμαρτ . αὐτ . τ . συνειδ . ] This is a new argument, not a mere continuation of the ἔνδειξις above. Besides their giving this example by actions consonant with the law, their own conscience , reflecting on the thing

Romans 6:16 — is exclusive, cf. Herod. i. 11, δίδωμι αἵρεσιν , ὁκοτέρην βούλεαι τραπέσθαι … ἤτοι κεῖνόν γε τὸν ταῦτα βουλεύσαντα δεῖ ἀπόλλυσθαι , ἢ σὲ τὸν ἐμὲ .… Isocr. ἀντιδ . p. 317, ἦλθεν ἄν ἤτοι κατηγορήσων ἢ καταμαρτυρήσων , and see Hartung, Partikellehre, 2:355 f.) ( servants ) of sin, unto death (‘with death as the result,’ not physical death merely, nor eternal death merely, but DEATH (by sin) in its most general sense, as the contrast to (life by) RIGHTEOUSNESS, the state of misery induced

Romans 7:24 — 24 .] The division of the man against himself, his inward conflict, and miserable state of captivity to sin in the flesh, while with the mind he loves and serves the law of God. From this wretched condition, which is a very death in life, who shall deliver

Romans 8:4 — accomplishment ; not merely = ‘be performed by us,’ for the Apostle has a much deeper meaning, viz. that the aim of God in giving the Law might be accomplished in us, in our sanctification, which is the ultimate end of our redemption, Ephesians 2:10 ; Colossians 1:22 . The passive is used, to shew that the work is not ours, but that of God by His grace, Olsh., Thol., De Wette) who walk (not ‘ walking as we do ,’ which would be anarthrous, but a description of all those of whom

1 Corinthians 1:21 — 21. ] For (explanation of ἐμώρανεν ) when (not temporal , but illative = ‘since,’ ‘seeing that,’ so Plato, Gorg. p. 454, ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν οὐ μόνη ἀπεργάζεται τοῦτο τὸ ἔργον , ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄλλαι …; see Hartung, Partikellehre, i. 259)

1 Corinthians 10:18 — κοινωνία , from the Jewish feasts after sacrifice . τ . Ἰσρ . κατὰ σάρκα ] (= τ . Ἰσρ . τὸν κατὰ σάρκα : so we have τοῖς κυρίοις κατὰ σάρκα , Eph 6:5 ), the actual material Israel , as distinguished from ὁ Ἰσρ . κατὰ πνεῦμα , see Romans 2:29 ; Galatians 4:29 ; and ὁ Ἰσρ . τοῦ θεοῦ , Galatians 6:16 . οἱ ἐσθ . τ . θυσ .] viz. those parts of the sacrifices which were not offered; see on ch. 1 Corinthians 8:1 . The parts to be offered are specified, Leviticus 3:3 ; the practice

1 Corinthians 14:16 — (i.e. is in) the situation of a private man ( ἰδιώτης in speaking of any business or trade, signifies a lay person , i.e. one unacquainted with it as his employment. Thus in state matters, it is one out of office Δημοσθένει ὄντι ἰδιώτῃ , Thuc. iv. 2; in philosophy, one uneducated and rude ἡμεῖς μὴν οἱ ἰδιῶται οὐ δεδοίκαμεν , ὑμεῖς δὲ οἱ φιλόσοφοι δειλιᾶτε , Diog. Laert. Aristipp. ii. 71, &c. &c. See examples in Wetst. So here it is, one who has not the gift of speaking and interpreting . The

1 Corinthians 4:1 — Him, and accountable to God. ἡμᾶς , here , not, ‘ us ministers generally ,’ see below, 1 Corinthians 4:6 , but ‘ myself and Apollos ,’ as a sample of such. ὑπηρ . χριστοῦ , see ch. 1 Corinthians 3:5 ; 1 Corinthians 3:22-23 . But in οἰκον . μυστ . θεοῦ we have a new figure introduced. The Church, 1 Timothy 3:15 , is the οἶκος θεοῦ and those appointed to minister in it are οἰκονόμοι , stewards and dispensers of the property and stores of the οἰκοδεσπότης .