of which the reason (the regulating principle), power, knowledge, and revelation, is in His own hand. So 7<3/og, ch. ii. 6 ; 2 Tim. i. 9 ; Tit. i. 3. A divine reservation. — fai%ei, He shall show) To be shown is an expression used of what formerly existed. God will show Him (Acts iii. 20), of whom a most magnificent panegyric follows, involving in it the glory of Christ itself [as well as that of God the Father]. — o ^a'/.dpioc, xai povog dwdtrris, the blessed and only Potentate) These are two predicates i1 the first, with the addition also of only, is treated of in ver. 16 ["who only hath immortality"] ; for the word paxdpios and dx^aro;2 have the same derivation, and signify immortal; and hence honour (ver. 16) is due to Him : the second is treated of pre sently after in this verse, and hence power everlasting (ver. 16) is due to Him. This is the reason why men in power, and death threatened by them, should not be feared in the confession of the Gospel. So eternal power is mentioned at Rom. i. 20. — ruv paffiXevovrvv — xvpiev6vruv, of those reigning — of those ruling) Spiritually and politically.
16. Mo'voc, only) This word only was properly put off in being treated of till now, because another similar phrase follows, l( Whom no man hath seen, nor can see." — s^uv) having, and therefore about to give to us. — aQavuffiav, immortality) The adjective Mdvarog, immortal, is not found in the New Testament, but apQaprog, incorruptible. The LXX. has neither d6dvaro$ nor adavaffia. The Book of Wisdom, which never existed but in Greek, has both. — pug, light) After life, mention is immediately made of light. — avrpoffirov) inaccessible to creatures, unless in as far as they are both admitted by Him and He goes forth to them. — ovdetg dvfyu-Truv, no man) So Exod. xxxiii. 20 : That which is denied to mere men, John i. 18 ; 1 John iv. 12, will be vouchsafed to the saints ; Matt. v. 8 ; 1 Cor. xiii. 12; 1 John iii. 2 ; Rev. xxii. 4.
17. To/$ -rXouff/o/s, the rich) There were many rich men at
1 Who is the blessed and only Potentate, o Ivuuarvis is not the subject of 3g/fg/, but a predicate of its subject. — ED.
2 Bengel derives p<x,K»pio$ from py, and xqp, death ; and so dxqpetfros fr°m * privative, and x.vip, death. The derivation of d^patrog is rather from a. and Mpavvvpi : and fAettdipios is of dubious etymon. Some give #*//»» (?). —ED.