A Brighter Day Begins with His Word.

Bengel, Johann Albrecht, 1687-1752 • SECTION 231

250 1 Timothy Ii. 2.

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supplications — thanksgivings. All, at separate times, have special necessities. — -rai/rwi/, for all) ver. 4, 6.

2. 'T'rrsp /3a<r/Xgwv, for kings) on whom other men depend, [and who frequently enjoy less opportunity of arriving at the knowledge of saving truth. — V. g.] — Kavruv, all) Often the humblest magis trates, even in villages, do much harm, or else are of much benefit. — sv \j<ni?oyr^ in eminent stations, authority} as for instance the counsellors of kings, or, where there is no king, other magis trates. — /Vet, that) The reason, why we must pray for kings. — jjpfpov, quiet) free, aliens being removed out of the country. Chry- sostom, for example, applies r^f^iav to the Holy of Holies in the temple ; and the word agrees with sp^og, lonely, by Metathesis. — ycvyjov, peaceable) free ; those who are aliens, if allowed to reside, at least giving us no disturbance. — svtsfaiq,, in godliness) piety towards God. The word is frequently used in the epistles to Timothy and Titus. [Luke uses the same word in the Acts, and Peter in his second epistle. It may be mentioned among the vile rabble of a most perverse world as a remarkable stratagem, contrary to the kingdom of God and advantageous to the aims of Satan, that piety, in name at least never hitherto lightly esteemed, has at length been converted into a term of reproach, ' Pietist,' by an anonymous person of the worst character, whose death, as ice are informed, was shocking. Nor even does the termination itself involve anything bad in itself, as it corresponds to the words, Statist, Copyist, Linguist. But if the intention is to dis tinguish by a peculiar name fanatics and men assuming the appear ance of holiness (in which case it ought to be made certain, that a blow is not dealt at those really innocent), why, pray, is piety hereby virtually punished ? A serious matter is at stake. Expe rience cries out in witness of the fact ; in conversations and social meetings, wlien a man, having said not as much as a word for the cause of religion, has conducted himself somewhat more modestly, he is easily assailed by this title, of which not even the pronun ciation is in some instances well known to the common people. It can scarcely be told, what a number of sparks of piety have been quenched by the use of the scoffing term, pietist. GOD will execute judgment for all this, Jude, ver. 15. — V. g.] — GS/M- V&YTJTV, [honesty] propriety) on the part of men towards one another.

Public domain historical edition (1857-1858); scan/OCR from Internet Archive.

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