207
wisdom) viz., by the wisdom of preaching ,l as is evident, from the antithesis, by the foolishness of preaxhing. — sudoxqtev 0sog) it pleased God , in mercy and grace to us. Paul seems evidently to have imitated the words of the Lord, Luke x. 21. — did rrig juwptug, by the foolishness ) God deals with perverse man by con- traries, so that man may deny himself, and render glory to God, through belief in the cross. — xripvy/Marog, of preaching) inas- much as it is concerning the cross.
22. 2 Airova , require) from the apostles, as formerly from Christ. — <rop/a v9 wisdom) [The Greeks require in] Christ the sublime philosopher, proceeding by demonstrative proofs.3
23. ‘H^g 7g, we) Paul, Apollos. — TcripUtfo/isv, we preach) rather historically, than philosophically. — Xpnfrbv htsruvpwgtvov, Christ crucified) without the article. The cross is not mentioned in the following verse. The discourse begins with the cross of Christ, ii. 2 ; those who thus receive it are made acquainted with all connected with Christ and His glory, those who do not receive it, fall short of the whole, Act xxv. 19, xvii. 32. — (fxdvdaXov, a stumbling-block) As folly and wisdom , so a stumbling- block and a sign are opposed to each other, for a sign is an at- tractive work of Omnipotence, as a sign and power are often synonymous, but a stumbling-block , properly applied to a snare or trap, is a very weak thing. \_So things extremely worthless in the present day come under the name of trifles. Germ. Schwach- herten. — V. g.] To such a degree do the Jews and Greeks 4 dread the cross of Christ, that along with it they reject even a sign and wisdom.
24. A vroTg) to them , construe with, Jews , and Greeks. — xXqro/'g,
1 Not, “the world by its wisdom:” but, notwithstanding the preaching of trite wisdom by creation and by prophets of God , the world knew not
God. — Ed.
2 ^Yipceix, signs) powerful acts. We do not find any sign given by Paul at Corinth, Acts xviii. — V. g.
3 They are not satisfied because Christ, instead of giving philosophic and demonstrative proofs, demands man’s belief, on the ground of His word, and a reasonable amount of evidence. — Ed.
4 The Germ. Yer. prefers the reading of Hveai, equal, according to the margin of both editions, to "EXAjjff/, which is doubtless more passable with German readers. — E. B.
ABC corrected later, D corr. 1. Gfg Vulg. Orig. Cypr. Hilary have "6vi<nv. Bee. Text, with Orig. 1, 3Ble, reads "EATm?/. — Ed*
208