παν. 39—46.
39. πότε δέ σε εἴδομεν ἀσθενῆ,ὶ ἢ ἐν Φυλακῇ, καὶ ἤλθομεν πρός σε; 49. Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς. 6 βασιλεὺς ἐρεῖ αὐτοῖς, ᾽Αμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐφ᾽ ὅσον ἐποιήσατε ἑνὶ τούτων τῶν ἀδελφῶν pou? τῶν ἐλαχίστων, ἐμοὶ
[4 ἐποιήσατε.
4Ι. “Τότε ἐρεῖ καὶ τοῖς ἐξ εὐωνύμων, Πορεύεσθε ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ, ot 3
u Mk. xi. 11. ον αδι Le Rom. xii. καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ. 14. Jas
ii. ϱ.
Ἀκατηραμένοι, εἲς τὸ wip τὸ αἰώνιον, τὸ ἡτοιμασμένον τῷ διαβόλῳ 42. ἐπείνασα γάρ, καὶ οὐκ ἐδώκατέ por φαγεῖν ' ἐδίψησα, καὶ οὐκ ἐποτίσατέ µε: 43. ξένος ἤμην, καὶ οὗ
συνηγάγετέ µε' Ὑυμνός, καὶ οὗ περιεβάλετέ µε: ἀσθενής, καὶ ἐν
Φυλακῇ, καὶ οὐκ ἐπεσκέψασθέ µε.
, > , >= <4 44. Τότε ἀποκριθήσονται αὐτῷ
a , - - καὶ αὐτοί, λέγοντες, Κύριε, πότε σὲ εἴδομεν πεινῶντα, ἢ διψῶντα, ἢ
a
in 1 John
here and ξένον, ἢ γυμνόν, ἢ ἀσθενῆ, ἢ ἐν φυλακῇ, καὶ οὐ διηκονήσαµέν σοι; iv. 18 im 45- Τότε ἀποκριθήσεται αὐτοῖς, λέγων, ᾽Αμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐφ᾽ ὅσον
: ese > > Ul ae ΄ a 3 , 39) > 7 > , (Ezek.xiv, OUK εποιησατε ενι TOUTWY των ἐλαχίστων, οὐδὲ εμ.οι εποιησατε.
3. Wis-
7 dom χίαᾳ; 46. Kat dt “λεύσονται οὗτοι εἰς “Kddacw aidviov: οἱ δὲ δίκαιοι εἰς
xvi. 24 al.
in Sept.). ζωὴν αἰώνιων..
1 BD have ασθενονντα (Tisch., W.H.).
2 B omits των αδελφων µου, probably an error of similar ending.
3 ΕΙ, 33 omit οι, a significant omission.
4 αυτω has only minus. to support. it.
(Heb. vii. 20), used of time in Με. ix. 5. ----ἑνὶ . . . ἐλαχίστων, the Judge’s brethren spoken of as a body apart, not subjects, but rather instruments, of judg- ment. This makes for the non-Christian position of the judged. The brethren are the Christian poor and needy and suffering, in the first place, but ultimately and inferentially any suffering people anywhere. Christian sufferers represent Christ, and human sufferers represent Christians.—7év ἐλαχίστων seems to be in apposition with ἀδελφῶν, suggesting the idea that the brethren of the Son of Man are the insignificant of mankind, those likely to be overlooked, despised, neglected (cf. x. 42, xviii. 5).
Vv. 41-46. κατηραµένοι, cursed, not the cursed (ot wanting), and without τοῦ πατρός pov. God has no cursed ones.—eis τὸ wip, etc., the eternal fire is represented as prepared not for the condemned men, but for the devil and his angels. Wendt brackets the clause κατηραµένοι . . . ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ to suggest that as Jesus spoke it the passage ran: go away from me, for I was hungry, etc.—Vv. 42, 43, simply negative all the statements contained in vv. 35, 36.-—Ver. 44 repeats in summary form the reply of the δίκαιοι, mutatis mutandis, rapidly enumerating the states
Vide below.
of need, and disclaiming, with reference to all, neglect of service, οὐ διηκονήσαµέν σοι; ver. 45 repeats ver. 40 with the omission of τῶν ἀδελφῶν µου and the addition of οὐκ before éwoujoare.—Ver.
6. κόλασιν, here and in 1 John iv. 18 (6 φόβος κόλασιν ἔχει), from κολάζω = mutilation or pruning, hence suggestive of corrective rather than of vindictive punishment as its tropical meaning. The use of this term in this place is one of the exegetical grounds rested on by those who advocate the ‘‘ larger hope’’. Another is the strict meaning of αἰώνιος : agelong, not everlasting. From the combination results the phrase: age- long, pruning, or discipline, leaving room for the hope of ultimate salvation. But the doctrine of the future states must ultimately rest on deeper con- siderations than those supplied by verbai interpretation. - Weiss (Mt.-Evang.) and Wendt (L. ¥.) regard νετ. 46 as an interpolation by the evangelist.
The doctrine of this passage is that love is the essence of true religion and the ultimate test of character for all men Christian or non-Christian. All who truly love are implicit Christians. For such everywhere the kingdom is pre- pared. They are its true citizens and God is their Father. In calling those