38
594
20. ᾿Ἐπερωτηθεὶς δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν Φαρισαίων, πότε ἔρχεται ἡ βασιλεία
τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀπεκρίθη αὐτοῖς, καὶ εἶπεν, “΄Οὐκ ἔρχεται ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ
c here only Θεοῦ μετὰ "παρατηρήσεως: 21. οὐδὲ ἐροῦσιν, “ISod ὧδε, ἤ, ἰδοὺ 1 19 N.i.
πια εκει.
ἰδοὺ γάρ, ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐντὸς ὑμῶν ἐστίν.”
22. Εἶπε
δὲ πρὸς τοὺς µαθητάς, ““᾿Ελεύσονται ἡμέραι, ὅτε ἐπιθυμήσετε µίαν
1 The second ιδου in D and many other uncials is omitted in BL 157.
it was an abrupt conclusion, might add ἡ πίστις σ. o σ. to round off the sentence, which may therefore be the true reading.
Vv. 20-37. Concerning the coming of the Kingdom and the advent of the Son of Man. In this section the words of Jesus are distributed between Pharisees and disciples, possibly according to the evangelist’s impression as to the audience they suited. Weiffenbach (Wieder- kunftsgedanke Fesu, p. 217) suggests that the words in vv. 20, 2I were originally addressed to disciples who did not yet fully understand the inward spiritual character of the Kingdom of God. I am inclined to attach some weight to this suggestion. I am sure at any rate that it is not helpful to a true understanding of Christ’s sayings to lay much stress on Lk.’s historical introduc- tions to them.
Vv. 20, 2Ι. μετὰ παρατηρήσεως: there is considerable diversity of opinion in the interpretation of this important expression. The prevailing view is that Jesus meant thereby to deny a coming that could be observed with the eye (έπος with observation”). The older interpretation “not with pomp” (μετὰ περιφανείας ἀνθρωπίνης is the gloss of Euthy. Zig.) is closely related to this view, because such pomp alone would make the kingdom visible to the vulgar eye. J. Weiss (Meyer) contends that it is not visibility but predictability that is negated. Παρατήρησις, he remarks, “is used of the observation of the heavenly bodies, from whose movements one can calculate when an expected phenomenon will appear. In a similar way the apocalyptists sought to determine by signs the moment when the kingdom should be set up. That was what the Pharisees expected of Jesus with their πότε ἔρχεται. And itis just this that Jesus declines. The Kingdom of God comes not so that one can fix its appearing by observation beforehand.”” The assump- tion is that when it does come the kingdom will be visible. It does not seem possible by mere verbal interpreta-
tion to decide between the two views. Each interpreter will be influenced by his idea of the general drift of Christ’s teaching concerning the nature of the kingdom. My own sympathies are with those who find in Christ’s words a denial of vulgar or physical visibility. —Ver. 21. οὐδὲ ἐροῦσι, nor will they say ; there will be nothing to give occa- sion for saying: non erit quod dicatur, Grotius.— ae, éxet, here, there, implying a visible object that can be located.— ἐντὸς ὑμῶν, within you, in your spirit. This rendering best corresponds with the non-visibility of the kingdom. The thought would be a very appropriate one in discourse to disciples. Not so in dis- course to Pharisees. To them it would be most natural to say “among you” = look around and see my works: devils cast out (Lk. xi. 20), and learn that the kingdom is already here (ἔφθασεν ἐφ᾽ tpas). Kindred to this rendering is that of Tertullian (ο. Marcionem, L. iv., 35): in your power, accessible to you: in manu, in potestate vestra. The idea “among you”? would be more clearly expressed by ἤδη ἐν µέσῳ ὑμῶν. Cf. John i. 26. µέσος ὑ. στήκει, etc., one stands among you whom ye know not— cited by Euthy. to illustrate the meaning of our passage. Field (Ot. Nor.) con- tends that there is no clear instance ot ἐντὸς in the sense of ‘‘ among,” and cites as an example of its use in the sense of “within ”’ Ps. ciii. 1, πάντα τὰ ἐντός µου.