Bible Commentaries

Acts 6:5 — 5. ] πίστεως , not in the lower sense (Kuin.) of ‘truthfulness,’ but in the higher of faith , the root of all Christian virtues: see ch. Acts 11:24 (De W.). Of these seven, Stephen and Philip (ch. Acts 8:5 ; Acts 8:26 ; Acts 8:40 ; Act 21:8 ) only are elsewhere mentioned. On the idea of Nicolas having founded the heretical sect of the Nicolaitanes, Revelation 2:6 ; Revelation 2:15 (Lightf. and

Romans 5:16 — that since the γάρ following gives the reason for this sentence, this must contain implicitly all that that next expands in detail; which is not merely the distinction between springing from one man and out of many offences , but much more: and (2) that thus διὰ would = ἐκ or vice versa , whereas διὰ characterizes the bringer in , and ἐκ the occasion . Others have supplied τὸ κρῖμα (Bengel, Köllner): τὸ κατάκριμα (Theophyl., Reiche): ὁ θάνατος εἰσῆλθεν (Grot., Estius, Koppe): but inasmuch

Romans 8:15-16 — consequently that the reference is to the O. T. dispensation. In this two different sets of Commentators have found difficulties; (1) those, as Chrys., who would hold from John 7:39 , that the Holy Spirit was absolutely not given under the O. T., and (2) those, as Cocceius, who holding Him to have been given, deny that His character was πν . δουλείας . But there seems to me to be no occasion to go back for the reference of πάλιν to the O. T. The state of the natural man is δουλεία : the Holy Spirit

Romans 8:29-30 — 29, 30 .] The Apostle now goes backward from κλητοῖς , to explain how this CALLING came about . It sprung from God’s fore-knowledge , co-ordinate with His fore-determination of certain persons (to be) conformed to the image of His Son, that

1 Corinthians 7:14 — 14 .] Ground of the above precept . ἡγίασται ] The meaning will best be apprehended by remembering (1) that holiness , under the Gospel, answers to dedication to God under the law; (2) that the ἡγιασμένοι under the Gospel are the body of Christian men , dedicated to God, and thus become His in a peculiar manner: (3) that this being so, things belonging to, relatives inseparably connected with, the people of God are said to be

2 Corinthians 11:23 — 23. ] Meyer remarks, that all three points of Judaistic comparison, of so little real consequence in the matter, were dismissed with the short and contemptuous κἀγώ , ‘ that am I too .’ But that is not enough, now that we are come to the

Philippians 3:13 — 13 .] Emphatic and affectionate re-statement of the same, but not merely so; he evidently alludes to some whom he wishes to warn by his example. Brethren, I (emphatic: cf. John 5:30 ; John 7:17 ; John 8:33 ; Act 26:9 ) do not reckon myself (emphatic) to have laid hold: but one thing (I do: not λογίζομαι , nor διώκω , nor φροντίζω , none of which correspond to the epexegesis following: nor can we say that nothing requires to be supplied (Grot., al.), for even

Colossians 1:19 — γίνεσθαι ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτ . πρωτεύοντα ‘of which there can be no doubt, since it pleased &c.’ ” Meyer. for in Him God was pleased (on the use of εὐδοκέω for δοκέω by the later Greeks, see Fritzsche’s note, on Rom. vol. ii. pp. 369 72. The subject here is naturally understood to be God, as expressed in 1 Corinthians 1:21 ; Galatians 1:15 ; clearly not Christ, as Conyb., thereby inducing a manifest error in the subsequent clause, ‘by Himself He willed to reconcile all things

Colossians 1:27 — 27 .] to whom (‘quippe quibus,’ as Mey.: this verse setting forth, not the contents of the mystery before mentioned, but a separate particular, that these ἅγιοι are persons to whom God, &c.) God willed (it is hardly justifiable to find in

Colossians 2:9 — Colossians 1:19 , and see below) of the Godhead (Deity: the essential being of God: ‘ das Gott sein ,’ as Meyer. θεότης , the abstract of θεός , must not be confounded with θειότης the abstract of θεῖος , divine, which occurs in Romans 1:20 , where see Fritzsche’s note. θεότης does not occur in the classics, but is found in Lucian, Icaromenippus, c. 9: τὸν μέν τινα πρῶτον θεὸν ἐπεκάλουν , τοῖς δὲ τὰ δεὺτερα κ . τὰ τρίτα ἔνεμον τῆς θεότητος . ‘The fulness of the Godhead’

1 Thessalonians 3:3 — 3 .] that no one might be disquieted (ref.: Soph. Antig. 1214, παιδός με σαίνει φθόγγος : Eur. Rhes. 53, σαίνει μ ʼ ἔννυχος φρυκτώρια , &c. In these places σαίνω is a vox media , conveying the meaning of agitation, disquieting, which the context must interpret for better or worse) in (in the midst of) these

2 Timothy 4:2 — 2 .] proclaim (notice the sudden and unconnected aorists. Ellic. well observes after Schoemann, Isæus, p. 235, that the use of the imper. aor. seems often due, both in the N. T. and in classical authors, to the “lubitus aut affectus loquentis”)

Hebrews 11:11 — “even S. who was once incredulous:” and so De W., Winer, Lünem. But I believe Delitzsch is perfectly right in rejecting all these and falling back on St. Luke’s usage of αὐτός and καὶ αὐτός , which is very frequent, as Winer remarks, § 22. 4, Remark: see Luke 20:42 , καὶ αὐτός Δαυείδ : Luke 24:15 , καὶ αὐτὸς Ἰησοῦς : Acts 8:13 , ὁ δὲ Σίμων καὶ αὐτός : and especially καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν Ἰησοῦς ὡσεὶ ἐτῶν τριάκοντα ἀρχόμενος , Luke 3:23 ; from which it appears that the words merely indicate transition

Hebrews 4:14 — 14 .] Having therefore ( οὖν refers rather to the whole exhortation than to the ἔχον τες : see Delitzsch) a great High Priest (the fact of this being Christ’s office is as yet assumed : see above ch. Hebrews 2:17 ; Hebrews 3:1 ; and Philo cited in note there: but now with more points of contact with what has been already said; e. g. Hebrews 4:10 , where the εἰσελθὼν εἰς τ . κατάπαυσιν αὐτοῦ has close connexion with the High Priest entering within the veil.

2 Peter 3:10 — 10 .] Assertion of the conclusion as against the scoffers the certainty, suddenness, and effect of the day of the Lord . But (notwithstanding the delay) the day (the art. is not needed for definiteness in the later Epistles, cf. 2 Peter 3:7 ; Philippians 1:6 ; Philippians 1:10 ; Php 2:16 ) of the Lord (= τοῦ θεοῦ , below, 2Pe 3:12 ) shall come ( ἥξει has the emphasis, as opposed to all the doubts of the scoffers. It is more than merely “shall come,” though no one

1 John 3:20 — 20 .] takes up this matter of the persuading our hearts before God , and shews its true importance and rationale. This is carried on in the following verses, but is here and in 1Jn 3:21 placed as its ground. If our heart, ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ , judges us

1 John 4:8 — co-essential with Him: He is all love, love is all of Him: he who has not love, has not God. It is not the place here to enter on the theological import of this weighty and wonderful sentence. It will be found set forth in Augustine, de Trinitate, ix. 2 ff., vol. viii. p. 961 ff.: in Sartorius, die Lehre von der heiligen Liebe, i. 1, and in the first of my Sermons on Divine Love, which are founded on Sartorius’s work. Düsterd. refers also to Nitzsch, über die wesentliche Dreieinigkeit Gottes,

3 John 1:12 — 12 .] The praise of Demetrius . Testimony hath been borne to Demetrius by all (scil. who know him, and have brought report concerning him: “nemo qui non”), and by the truth itself (it is not very easy to explain this expression. If we understand

Revelation 15:1-8 — Revelation 15:1-8 .] PREFATORY: the description of the vision , Revelation 15:1 ; the song of triumph of the saints victorious over the beast , Revelation 15:2-4 ; the coming forth of the seven angels and delivering to them of the seven vials , Revelation 15:5-8 . And I saw another sign in heaven great and marvellous, seven angels having seven plagues which are the last ( plagues ), because in them is

Revelation 20:7-10 — 7 10 .] Loosing of Satan at the end of the millennium: gathering together and destruction of the nations: final condemnation of Satan . And when the thousand years are completed, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison (see Revelation 20:3 . The prophetic future is here used: but in Rev 20:9 the historic form with aorists is resumed) and shall go forth to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth (there will be nations on earth besides the saints reigning with