A Brighter Day Begins with His Word.

Vincent, Marvin R., 1834-1922 • SECTION 92

Chapter Xi.

← Word Studies in the New Testament — Volume 3

20. Well (adds). Admitting the fact. Thou art right, Compare Mark xii. 32. Some take it as ironical. -

22. Goodness and severity (ypnetotnta Kal aTroTouiav). For goodness, see on ch. iii. 12. Azrorowla severity, only here in the New Testament. The kindred adverb, aTroTouos sharply, oceurs 2 Cor. xiii. 10; Tit. i.13. From aTotéuvea to cut off. Hence that which is abrupt, sharp.

Thou shalt be cut off (éxxomjon). Lit. cut out. See on Luke xiii. 7.

23. Able (Suvatos). See on ch. iv. 21. 24. Contrary to nature. See remarks on ver. 17.

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25. Mystery (uvornpiov). In the Septuagint only in Daniel. See ch. ii. 18, 19, 27, 28, 30, of the king’s secret. It occurs fre- quently in the apocryphal books, mostly of secrets of state, or plans kept by a king in his own mind. This meaning illustrates the use of the word in passages like Matt. xiii. 11, “ mysteries of the kingdom of heaven ”—secret purposes or counsels which God intends to carry into effect in His kingdom. So here; Rom. xvi. 25; Eph.i.9; iii. 9; Col. i. 26,27; ii. 2; iv.3; Apoc. x. 7. In Justin Martyr (second century) it is commonly used in connection with ovuBorov symbol, rémos type, mapaBory parable, and so is evidently closely related in meaning to these words. Compare Apoc. i. 20; xvii. 7. This meaning may pos- sibly throw light on Eph. v. 32. In early ecclesiastical Latin pvoTnptov was rendered by sacramentum, which in classical Latin means the military oath. The explanation of the word sacra- ment, which is so often founded on this etymology, is therefore mistaken, since the meaning of sacrament belongs to wuatnprov and not to sacramentum in the classical sense.

In Eph. iii. 3-6, Paul uses the word as here, of the admission of the Gentiles.

Wise (dpovipor). See on the kindred noun dpdvnois wisdom, Luke i. 17. Mostly in the New Testament of practical wisdom, prudence ; thus distinguished from coda which is mental ex- cellence in its highest and fullest sense; and from ovveots in- telligence, which is combinatiwe wisdom ; wisdom in its critical applications. See Col. i. 9, and compare Eph. i. 8.

Blindness (za@pwats). See on ver. 7. Rev., hardening.

In part (azo pépous). Mépos part is never used adverbially in the Gospels, Acts, and Apocalypse. In the Epistles it is rarely used in any other way. The only exceptions are 2 Cor. iii. 10; ix. 3; Eph. iv. 9,16. Paul employs it in several com- binations. With amo from (1 Cor. i. 14; ii. 5), and é« out of (1 Cor. xii. 27; xiii. 9, 10, 12), in which a thing is conceived as looked at from the part, either (dd) as a simple point of view, or (é«) as a standard according to which the whole is es- timated. Thus 1 Cor. xii. 27, “members é« pépous severally, i.e, members from a part of the whole point of view. Also

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130 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Cu. XL

with év én, as Col. ii. 16, with respect to, literally, om the matter of. With dvd up, the idea being of a series or column of parts reckoned upward, part by part. Mépos ts with regard to some part, partly, occurs 1 Cor. xi. 18; and xara pépos, reckoning part by part downward ; according to part, particularly, Heb. be, fp

Construe here with hath happened: has partially befall- en. Not partial hardening, but hardening extending over a part.

26. The deliverer (6 puopevos). The Hebrew is goel re- deemer, avenger. The nearest relative of a murdered person, on whom devolved the duty of avenger, was called goel haddam avenger of blood. So the goel was the nearest kinsman of a childless widow, and was required to marry her (Deut. xxv. 5— 10). It is the word used by Job in the celebrated passage xix. 25. See, also, Ruth iii. 12,13; iv. 1-10.*

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