Bible Commentaries

John 1:3 — . This parallelism of itself refutes the Socinian interpretation of πάντα , ‘all Christian graces and virtues,’ ‘the whole moral world.’ But the history of the term λόγος forbids such an explanation entirely. For Philo (i. 162) says εὑρήσεις αἴτιον μὲν αὐτοῦ ( τοῦ κόσμου ) τὸν θεόν , ὑφ ʼ οὗ γέγονεν · ὕλην δέ , τὰ τέσσαρα στοιχεῖα , ἐξ ὧν συνεκράθη · ὄργανον δέ , λόγον θεοῦ , δι ʼ οὗ κατεσκευάσθη : see also Colossians 1:16 , and Hebrews 1:2 . Olshausen observes,

John 20:17 — illi, i.e. cœlo conveniat, spirituali .” Grotius. With this my view nearly agrees, not confining (as indeed neither does he) the latter enjoyment to in cœlo , but understanding it to have begun here below. So Leo the Great, Serm. lxxiv. (alli [252] . lxxii.) 4, p. 295: “Hinc illud est quod post resurrectionem suam Dominus Mariæ Magdalenæ personam Ecclesiæ gerenti cum ad contactum ipsius properaret accedere dicit; Noli me tangere, nondum enim ascendi ad Patrem meum : hoc est, nolo ut

Acts 21:18 — 18. Ἰάκωβον ] James, ‘the brother of the Lord:’ the president of the church at Jerusalem: see ch. Acts 12:17 ; Acts 15:13 , Galatians 2:12 , and notes, and Prolegg. to the Epistle of James, vol. iv. pt. 1, § i. 24 37.

Acts 24:17 — 17. ] δέ refers back to the former δέ , Acts 24:14 . ‘But the matter of which they complain is this, that after an absence of many years,’ &c. See 1 Corinthians 16:3-4 ; 2 Corinthians 8:9 . notes, ch. Acts 20:4 .

Acts 3:19 — insisted (e.g. Stier, R. d. Apost. i. 89) on rendering it ‘ times, seasons , of ἀναψ .’ But this cannot be maintained. καιρός and καιροί are occasionally anarthrous when they manifestly must have the article in English. Cf. especially Luke 21:24 , καιροὶ ἐθνῶν , where none would think of rendering, ‘seasons of (the) Gentiles.’ See for καιρός Matthew 8:29 ; Mark 11:13 ; 1 Peter 1:5 . And, since philologically we have to choose between ‘seasons’ and ‘the seasons,’

Acts 6:9 — 9. ] Λιβερτίνων is rightly explained by Chrysostom: οἱ Ῥωμαίων ἀπελεύθεροι . Philo, Legat. ad Caium, § 23, vol. ii. p. 568, speaks of τὴν πέραν τοῦ Τιβέρεως ποταμοῦ μεγάλην τῆς Ῥώμης ἀποτομὴν … κατεχομένην κα οἰκουμένην πρὸς Ἰουδαίων , and adds, Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ ἦσαν οἱ πλείους ἀπελευθερωθέντες · αἰχμάλωτοι γὰρ ἀχθέντες εἰς Ἰταλίαν , ὑπὸ τῶν κτησαμένων ἠλευθερώθησαν

Acts 7:2-53 — 2 53: ] STEPHEN’S DEFENCE. In order to understand this wonderful and somewhat difficult speech, it will be well to bear in mind, (1) that the general character of it is apologetic , referring to the charge made against him: but (2) that in this

Romans 13:5 — 5. ] διό , because of the divine appointment, and mission of the civil officer. ἀνάγκη ye must needs submit yourselves there is a moral necessity for subjection: one not only of terror, but of conscience: compare διὰ τὸν κύριον , 1 Peter 2:13 .

Romans 15:29 — 29. ] The fulness of the blessing of Christ imports that richness of apostolic grace which he was persuaded he should impart to them. So he calls his presence in the churches a χάρις , 2 Corinthians 1:15 . See also ch. Romans 1:11 .

Romans 3:9 — 9. ] τί οὖν cannot be joined with προεχόμεθα (Œc [12] , &c.), because οὐδέν would then have been the answer. [12] Œcumenius of Tricca in Thrace, Cent y . XI.? There is considerable difficulty in προεχόμεθα . The meaning of προέχομαι every where else is passive , ‘to be surpassed,’ and

Romans 5:13 — were accounted sinners because of Adam’s sin; the Apostle reminds us of the historical fact , that there was sin in the world during this period): but sin is not reckoned (as transgression) where the law is not . [33] Origen, b. 185, d. 254 ἐλλογεῖται has given rise to much dispute. Very many Commentators (Aug [34] , Ambr [35] , Luth., Melanc., Calv., Beza, Rückert, Tholuck, Stuart, al.) explain it of consciousness of sin by the sinner himself , as in ch. Romans 7:7 ; but (1) as De

Romans 8:26 — 26. ] Likewise (another help to our endurance, co-ordinate with the last our patience is one help to it, but not the only one) the Spirit also (the Holy Spirit of God) helps our weakness (not, helps us to bear our weakness, as if the weakness were

1 Corinthians 3:13 — shew the vanity of Judaizing doctrines: so Hammond (but not clearly nor exclusively), Lightf., Schöttg., al., against both the context, and our Apostle’s habit of speaking, and under the assumption, that nothing but Jewish errors are spoken of: (2) ‘ the lapse of time ,’ as in the proverb, ‘ dies docebit ;’ so Grot., Wolf, Mosheim, Rosenm., al., which is still more inconsistent with the context, which necessitates a definite day , and a definite fire : (3) ‘

2 Corinthians 10:12 — 12. ] disclaims resemblance to those false teachers who made themselves their only standard. For we do not venture (ironical; “dum dicit quod non faciat, notat quid isti faciant.” Bengel) to number ourselves with ( συναριθμῆσαι , Theophy.,

Galatians 3:4 — 4 .] Did ye suffer (not, ‘ have ye suffered ,’ as almost all Commentators, E. V., &c., i.e. πεπόνθατε , Hebrews 2:18 ; Luk 13:2 ) so many things in vain? There is much controversy about the meaning. (1) Chrys., Aug., and the ancients, Grot., Wolf, Rück., Olsh., &c., understand it of the sufferings which the Galatians underwent at the time of their reception of

Galatians 4:10 — decadence, he puts the observation of days in the forefront of his appeal, as one of those things which they already practised. Circumcision he does not mention, because they were not yet drawn into it, but only in danger of being so (ch. Galatians 5:2 , al.): nor abstinence from meats, to which we do not hear that they were even tempted. ἡμέρας , emphatic, as the first mentioned, and also as a more general predication of the habit, under which the rest fall. The days would be sabbaths, new moons,

Ephesians 2:1 — 1 .] You also ( καί is much more than merely copulative. It selects and puts into prominence ὑμᾶς , from among the recipients of God’s grace implied in Eph 2:19-22 of the former chapter. See below), who were (“ ὄντας clearly marks the state in which they were at the time when God quickened them: this in Eph 2:5 is brought prominently forward by the καί : here however καί is joined with and gives

Ephesians 4:16 — 16 .] from whom (see Colossians 2:19 , an almost exact parallel, from which it is clear that ἐξ οὗ belongs to τὴν αὔξησιν ποιεῖται He being the source of all growth) all the body (see on Col.), ( which is ) being closely framed together (note the present participle the framing is

1 Timothy 1:16 — found here only. If the rec. reading be in question, in all other cases where ὁ πᾶς occurs with a substantive in the N. T., it is one which admits of partition, and may therefore be rendered by ‘all the ‘or ‘the whole:’ e.g. Acts 20:18 , πῶς μεθ ʼ ὑμῶν τὸν πάντα χρόνον ἐγενόμην : see also ref. Wetst. has two examples from Polyb. in which ὁ πᾶς has the meaning of ‘ the utmost :’ τῆς πάσης ἀλογιστίας ἐστὶ σημεῖον , and τῆς ἁπάσης (as here) ἀτοπίας εἶναι σημεῖον ) long-suffering

Hebrews 5:2 — 2 .] being (one who is) able (this clause is closely bound to the last, and belongs to it, not to the whole sentence. It is in fact a conditioning participial clause to ἵνα προσφέρῃ , and at the same time a retrospective epexegesis of ἐξ ἀνθρώπων λαμβανόμενος