Bible Commentaries

John 11:1 — 1. ] δέ , not transitional, but expressing a contrast to the sojourn in Peræa, and thus conveying the reason why our Lord’s retirement (see ch. Joh 10:40 ) was broken in upon. Meyer (but not in edns. 2, 3), and Greswell, maintain that ἀπό means present residence , ἐκ , nativity . But this distinction is wholly untenable: and all the inferences drawn from it in Mr. G.’s dissertation (vol. ii. p. 481 ff.) fall to the ground (see reff., especially

John 16:31 — deeply grounded in knowledge of Him and His appointed course as they imagined. ἄρτι πιστ . is not a question: this very belief was by our Lord recognized and commended, see ch. John 17:8 , also Matthew 16:17-18 . And as Stier remarks (v. 369, edn. 2), “it was the aim and purpose of the whole prophetic office of Jesus, to prepare some first disciples (not the Apostles alone) for the reception of the Spirit of Truth and the fruits of His Death, by grounding in them firm belief in His Person.”

John 16:33 — 33. ] On the first clause, especially ἐν ἐμοί , see ch. John 15:7 . This presupposes the return from the scattering in John 16:32 , the branches again gathered in the vine. ἔχετε , of their normal state in the world. This θλῖψις is not only persecution from the world , but trouble, inward distress, while we are in the world , ch. John 17:11 ; a comforting sign that we are

John 4:21 — 21. ] Our Lord first raises her view to a higher point than her question implied, or than indeed she, or any one, without His prophetic announcement, could then have attained. οὔτε .… οὔτε are exclusive: Ye shall worship the Father, but not (only)

Acts 11:27 — 27. ἐν τ . τ . ἡμ . ] It was during this year , Acts 11:26 . προφῆται ] Inspired teachers in the early Christian church, referred to in the Acts, and in the Epistles of Paul (see reff. and ch. Acts 19:6 ; Acts 21:9 ; Rom 12:6 ; 1 Corinthians

Acts 15:39 — their separate journeys, ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ καὶ κατὰ σύνεσιν γεγενῆσθαι τὸν χωρισμόν , καὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους εἰπεῖν ὅτι ἐπειδὴ ἐγὼ οὐ βούλομαι , σὺ δὲ βούλει , ἵνα μὴ μαχώμεθα , διανειμώμεθα τοὺς τόπους . ὥστε πάνυ εἴκοντες ἀλλήλοις τοῦτο ἐποίουν . Hom. xxxiv., p. 262. Yet it seems as if there were a considerable difference in the character of their setting out . Barnabas appears to have gone with his cousin [see Colossians 4:10 , note] without any special sympathy or approval; whereas Paul was commended to the

Acts 17:13 — 13. ] οἱ ἀπὸ τ . θ . , as E. V., of Thessalonica . No inference that they came from Thess. can be drawn from this expression: but it is asserted below. See Hebrews 13:24 . ἦλθον κἀκεῖ σαλ . ] Not, as E. V., ‘ they came thither also, and stirred up .…,’ which destroys the force of the sentence: but they came, and stirred up there also .…: no journey having been related of them before , but a precisely

1 Corinthians 13:6 — Commentators, as the E. V., altogether overlook the force of the verb and the altered construction, and render, ‘ rejoiceth in the truth :’ others, who respect the verb, make τῇ ἀληθ . = τοῖς εὐδοκιμοῦσι (Chrys.), those to whom, as in 3 John 1:12 , μεμαρτύρηται ὑπ ʼ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀληθείας . But Meyer’s rendering is the only one which preserves the force of both words: rejoices with the Truth , ἡ ἀλήθ . being personified, and meaning especially the spread among men (as opposed to ἀδικία )

1 Corinthians 4:2 — 2. ] Moreover, here (on earth) (see var. readd. and reff. ὧδε is emphatic, and points to what follows, that though in the case of stewards enquiry was necessarily made here below , yet he, God’s steward, awaited no such enquiry ὑπὸ ἀνθρωπίνης

1 Corinthians 7:11 — 11 .] ἐάν to καταλλαγήτω is parenthetical. It supposes a case of actual separation, contrary of course to Christ’s command: if such have really taken place ( καί , veritably: see note on 2 Corinthians 5:3 , and Hartung, Partikell. i. 132), the additional sin of a new marriage ( Mat 5:32 ) must not be committed, but the breach healed as soon as possible. καταλλ . ] see above on χωρισθῇ . κ . ἄνδρ . γυν . μὴ ἀφ . ] The Apostle

2 Corinthians 7:13 — the fulfilment of this purpose) we are comforted: but in addition to (or, on the occurrence of) our comfort, we rejoiced very much more (reff.) at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. A similar declaration to that in 2 Corinthians 7:7 , where not only the arrival of Titus, but his comfort wherewith he was comforted by them, is described as the ground of the Apostle’s joy. According to the received reading, the sense is: ‘ Therefore we are consoled on

2 Corinthians 8:3-5 — allow them a share in that grace and fellowship), and not as we expected (i.e. far beyond our expectation), but themselves they gave first (i.e. above all: as the inducing motive: not first in point of time, but in point of importance , see Rom 2:9-10 ) to the Lord, and to us by the will of God (the Giver of grace, who made them willing to do this: not = κατὰ τὸ θέλ . τ . θ ., which only expresses (whatever it may imply) consonance with the divine will: διὰ τοῦ θελ . τ . θ . makes

Galatians 6:5 — βαστάσει must correspond with the βαστάζετε above, and be a taking up and carrying, not an ultimate bearing the consequences of) come upon himself to bear . φορτίον here, hardly with any allusion to Æsop’s well-known fable (C. and H. ii. 182, edn. 2), but, as distinguished from βάρος , in which there is an idea of grievance conveyed, the load imposed on each by his own fault. The future, in this sense of that which must be in the nature of things, is discussed by Bernhardy, pp. 377 8.

Ephesians 2:11 — application: q.d. ‘but they have it only in the flesh, and not in the heart.’ As Ellic. well states the case “The Gentiles were called, and were the ἀκροβυστία : the Jews were called, but were not truly the περιτομή .” See Col 2:11 ),

Colossians 4:14 — 14 .] This Λουκᾶς has ever been taken for the Evangelist: see Iren. iii. 14.1, p. 201, and Prolegg. to St. Luke, § i. In ὁ ἰατρὸς ὁ ἀγαπητός there may be a trace of what has been supposed, that it was in a professional capacity that he first became attached to St. Paul, who evidently laboured under grievous sickness during the earlier

1 Thessalonians 2:12 — 12 . μαρτυρόμ . ] see reff.: it strengthens the two former participles; conjuring . This is the sense of the verb not only in later but in earlier writers also: see reff. εἰς τὸ … belongs to all three participles preceding: the εἰς implying the direction,

1 Thessalonians 4:5 — μίξιν μόνην ἁπλῶς , ὅπερ πάθος ἐπιθυμίας ἐκάλεσεν . καθ . καί ] the καί so usual after particles of comparison, points to the association in the same category which the particle supposes: καὶ ἡμῖν ταὑτὰ δοκεῖ ἅπερ καὶ βασιλεῖ , Xen. Anab. ii. 1. 22. See examples in Hartung, Partikell. ii. 127: and cf. ch. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 ; 1 Thessalonians 3:6 ; 1 Thessalonians 3:12 , &c. τὰ μὴ εἰδ . τ . θ . ] μή , because the Gentiles are spoken of by the writer from this point of view. It is not

1 Timothy 6:21 — 21 .] which (the ψευδών . γνῶσις ) some professing (ch. 1Ti 2:10 ) erred (reff.: the indefinite past, as marking merely the event, not the abiding of these men still in the Ephesian church) concerning the faith . 1Tim 6: 22 . 22 .] CONCLUDING

Titus 1:6 — 6 .] if any man is blameless (see 1 Timothy 3:10 . No intimation is conveyed by the εἴ τις , as Heinr. and Heydenr. suppose, that such persons would be rare in Crete: see besides reff. Mat 18:28 ; 2Co 11:20 ), husband of one wife (see note on 1Ti 3:2 ), having believing children (‘nam qui liberos non potuit ad fidem perducere, quomodo alios perducet?’ Beng.: and similarly Chrys., Thl. πιστοί implies that they were not only ‘ad

Titus 2:15 — 15 .] gathers up all since Titus 2:1 , where the general command last appeared, and enforces it on Titus. In ch. Titus 3:1 , the train of thought is again resumed. These things (the foregoing: not, the following) speak and exhort (in the case of those who believe and need stirring