Bible Commentaries

Acts 24:23 — 23. ] διαταξάμενος is in apposition with εἴπας , and both belong to ἀνεβάλετο . ἄνεσιν ] De W. and Meyer explain this of ‘ custodia libera ,’ φυλακὴ ἄδεσμος (Arrian, Exp. ii. 15). But this can hardly be. Lipsius (Excurs. II. on Tacit.

Acts 25:26 — 26. ἀσφαλές ] fixed, definite . The whole matter had been hitherto obscured by the exaggerations and fictions of the Jews. τῷ κυρίῳ ] viz. Nero. Augustus and Tiberius refused this title; Caligula and (apparently) all following bore it. “Thus

Acts 27:38 — 38. ἐκούφ . τ . πλοῖον ] See above on Acts 27:18 . This wheat was either the remainder of the cargo, part of which had been disposed of in Act 27:18 or was the store for their sustenance , the cargo having consisted of some other merchandise. And this latter is much the more likely, for two

Romans 10:1 — there is here a mixture of constructions: the Apostle’s εὐδοκία would be their salvation itself , his δέησις πρὸς τὸν θ . ὑπὲρ αὐτ . was εἰς σωτ . The μέν requires a corresponding δέ , not expressed, but implied in the course of Romans 10:2-3 , where the obstacle to their σωτήρ . is brought out), and my supplication to God on their behalf (Israel, see ch. Romans 9:32 , προσέκοψαν ), ( is) for (their) salvation (lit. ‘towards salvation.’ The insertion of the art. after δέησις

Romans 6:13 — instruments (or, ‘ weapons ,’ as Vulg., most of the Greek expositors, and Luth., Calv., Beza, Tholuck, which latter defends this rendering by Paul’s fondness for military similitudes, and by the occurrence of ὀψώνια below, Romans 6:23 ; but as De W. observes, the comparison here is to servitude rather than soldiership ) of unrighteousness to sin; but render (the present imperat. above denotes habit, the exhortation guards against the recurrence of a devotion of the members to

Romans 6:3 — into (introduced by our baptism into a state of conformity with and participation of) His death ? The Apostle refers (1) to an acknowledged fact, in the signification, and perhaps also in the manner (see below) of baptism that it put upon us ( Gal 3:27 ) a state of conformity with and participation in Christ; and (2) that this state involves a death τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ even as He died τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ( Rom 6:10 ); the meaning being kept in the background, but all the while not lost sight of, that the benefits

1 Corinthians 1:7 — (others) in no gift of grace ; not, lack no gift of grace , which would be genitive. χάρισμα here has its widest sense, of that which is the effect of χάρις , not meaning ‘spiritual gifts’ in the narrower sense, as in ch. 1 Corinthians 12:4 . This is plain from the whole strain of the passage, which dwells not on outward gifts, but on the inward graces of the Christian life. ἀπεκδεχ .] which is the greatest proof of maturity and richness of the spiritual life; implying the coexistence

1 Corinthians 13:3 — supplied from the context: If I bestow in food all my substance . See the quotation from Coleridge in Stanley’s note. παραδ . τὸ σῶμ . μ . ἵνα καυθ .] So ref. Dan., καὶ παρέδωκαν τὰ σώματα αὐτῶν εἰς ἐμπυρισμόν , LXX. Theod.: see also 2Ma 7:37 . He evidently means in self-sacrifice : for country, or friends. Both the deeds mentioned in this verse are such as ordinarily are held to be the fruits of love, but they may be done without it , and if so, are worthless. Stanley prefers καυχήσωμαι

1 Corinthians 14:12 — 12. ] Application of the analogy , as in 1 Corinthians 14:9 . The οὕτως is evidently meant as in 1 Corinthians 14:9 , but is rendered somewhat difficult by the change of the construction into a direct exhortation. It is best therefore to suppose an ellipsis;

1 Corinthians 16:3 — letter of the kind which remains to us (except the Pastoral Epistles), viz. that to Philemon, owes its preservation perhaps to the mere circumstance, that it is at the same time addressed to the church in the house of Philemon. See 1 Corinthians 16:2 .” χάριν ] see reff. Meyer compares Plato, Def. p. 113, E: χάρις , εὐεργεσία ἑκούσιος .

1 Corinthians 2:11 — ἀνθρώπων and ἀνθρώπου , as compared with θεοῦ ) except the spirit of a man which is in him? Thus the things of God also none knoweth, except the Spirit of God . We may remark, (1) that nothing need be supplied (as βάθη ) after τά in each case, see reff. (2) that the comparison here must not be urged beyond what is intended by the Apostle. He is speaking of the impossibility of any but the Spirit of God conferring a knowledge of the things of God . In order to shew this, he compares human things with

1 Corinthians 2:2 — 2. ] For I did not resolve to know any thing (hardly = ἔκρινα εἰδέναι οὐδέν , as E. V., but meaning, “ the only thing that I made it definitely my business to know, was ”) among you, except Jesus Christ (His Person) and Him (as) crucified

1 Corinthians 6:13-14 — fornication is not an ἀδιάφορον . It is very remarkable how these verses contain the germ of three weighty sections of the Epistle about to follow, and doubtless in the Apostle’s mind when he wrote them, (1) the relation between the sexes: (2) the question of meats offered to idols: (3) the doctrine of the Resurrection of the Body. See Neander, Pfl. u. Leit. p. 401, note 21.

1 Corinthians 9:19 — determination: and have continued to do so) to all, that I might gain (not τοὺς πάντας , which he could not exactly say, but) the largest number ( of any : that hereafter Paul’s converts might be found to be οἱ πλείονες : see below on 1Co 9:24 ). Bengel has remarked on κερδήσω , ‘congruit hoc verbum cum consideratione mercedis :’ but ‘ congruit ’ is not enough: it is actually THE ANSWER to the question τίς μού ἐστιν ὁ μισθός ; This ‘lucrifecisse’

2 Corinthians 1:20 — 20. ] ὅσαι γὰρ … is an independent relative clause, as in ref., not the subject answering to ἐν αὐτῷ τὸ ναί as a predicate, as E. V.: For how many soever be the promises of God, in Him is the yea (the affirmation and fulfilment of them all); wherefore

2 Corinthians 10:8 — concessive, but hypothetical, as in 1 Corinthians 13:1 . τε γάρ generally has a corresponding clause following, with τε , καί , δέ , or ἤ , as Eur. Phoen. 1313, ἐμός τε γὰρ παῖς γῆς ὄλωλ ʼ ὑπερθανών , … βοᾷ δὲ δῶμα πᾶν , so in reff. and Thucyd. i. 12 bis, but sometimes the corresponding clause is wanting, being understood, or, as apparently here and in Hebrews 2:11 , allowed to pass out of mind while following out the thought of the first clause. See Hartung, Partikellehre, i. 115. 5) somewhat

2 Corinthians 11:17 — character of inspiration or of being said in pursuance of his mission from the Lord. κατὰ κύρ .] as in reff., after the (mind of the) Lord , in pursuance, i.e. in this case , of θεοπνευστία from above: not as in 1 Corinthians 7:10 ; 1 Corinthians 7:25 ; 1 Corinthians 7:40 . ὡς ἐν ἀφρ .] as it were in folly , i.e. ‘putting myself into the situation, and speaking the words of a foolish man vaunting of himself.’ ὑποστάσει , as ch. 2 Corinthians 9:4 , in this present confidence , not

2 Corinthians 6:6 — 6. ] The nine preceding datives (see on 2Co 6:4 ) have expanded ὑπομονῇ . We now resume the main catalogue, with ἐν ἁγνότητι , in purity : which is variously explained: of bodily chastity , Grot.: of unselfishness , Theodoret, and Chrys., as an alternative ( ἢ σωφροσύνην … ἢ τὴν ἐν ἅπασι

Galatians 3:7 — know (q. d. ‘omnibus patet.’ The imperative seems to me to lose the fine edge of the Apostle’s argumentative irony: besides that the usage of that mood with ἄρα is not frequent: indeed apparently only to be found in Homer; cf. Il. κ . 249; ω . 522. See on the other side, Ellicott’s note here). οἱ ἐκ πίστεως ] see Romans 2:8 ; Romans 3:26 , and notes, those who are of faith , as the origin and the ἀφορμή of their spiritual life. οὗτοι ] emphatic; these , and these only (see

Galatians 5:10 — readers that he has confidence in them, but that their perverters shall not escape punishment. Divide et impera! ” Meyer. ἐγώ , emphatic, I, for my part ; ‘quod ad me attinet, …’ εἰς , with regard to , see reff., and Bernhardy, p. 220. On ἐν κυρίῳ , see 2 Thessalonians 3:4 : it is the element or sphere in which his confidence is conditioned. οὐδὲν ἄλλο φρον . ] See ἑτέρως , Philippians 3:15 ; of which this ἄλλο is a kind of softening. We take the meaning here to be, ye will