? Against all edd., who keep the received text, Weiss finds himself compelled, instead of πληρωσαι vpas πασης χαρας και ειρηγης, to read πληροφορησαι υμας ev
παση χαρα κ. ειρήνη.
This is the reading of B, and is found with only the omission
of εν in FG; Weiss thinks it quite inexplicable except as the original ; πληροφ. has a point of attachment in xiv. 5, and the double εν (εν παση xapa . . . εν τω πιστενειν) in this clause answers exactly to that in the next (ev τη ελπιδι, εν Suvaper πν. αγιου). The other reading is supported by RACDLP.
idea that God’s glory (the glory of His faithfulness and of His mercy) is the end contemplated by Christ’s reception alike of Jew and Gentile.
Ver. 8. λέγω yap Χριστὸν διάκονον γεγενῆσθαι περιτομῆς = what I mean is this—Christ has been made, etc. διά- κονον περιτομῆς is usually understood as ‘‘a minister to the Jews, to circum- cised people” (cf. iii. 30, iv. 9), and this seems to me the only intelligible explana- tion. In exercising this ministry (and He exercised directly no other: Matt. xv. 24) Christ was of course circumcised Himself and set from His birth (Gal. iv. 4 f.) in the same relation to the law as all who belonged to the old covenant; but though this is involved in the fact that Christ was sent to the Jews, it is not what is meant by calling Him διά- κονον περιτομῆς. ὑπὲρ ἀληθείας θεοῦ: in the interest of God’s truth (cf. 1. 5: ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ). The truth of God, as the giver of the promises to the fathers, was vindicated by Christ’s ministry; for in Him they were all ful- filled, 2 Cor. i. 20. τὰς ἐπαγγ. τῶν πατέρων: the promises belonged to the fathers, because they were originally made to them.
Ver. 9. τὰ δὲ ἔθνη ὑπὲρ ἐλέους δοξάσαι τὸν θεόν: Some expositors make this depend directly on λέγω, as if Paul had meant: ‘I say Christ has become a minister of circumcision, in the interest of the truth of God ... and that the Gentiles have glorified God for His
”
mercy,’ the only contrast being that be- tween God’s faithfulness, as shown to the descendants of Abraham, and His mercy as shown to those without the old covenant. But if τὰ δὲ ἔθνη κ.τ.λ. is made to depend on eis τὸ, as in the A.V., there is a double contrast brought out: that of faithfulness and mercy being no more emphatic than that of the fathers and the Gentiles. Indeed, from the pas- sages quoted, it is clear that Paul is pre- occupied rather with the latter of these two contrasts than with the former; for all the passages concern the place of the Gentiles in the Church. At the same time it is made clear—even to the Gen- tiles—that the salvation which they enjoy is ‘‘of the Jews’’. Hence the Gentiles must not be contemptuous of scruples or infirmities, especially such as rise out of any associations with the old covenant; nor should the Jews be censorious of a Gentile liberty which has its vindication in the free grace of God. καθὼς γέγραπ- ται: the contemplated glorification of God answers to what we find in Ps. xviii. 50, LXX. Christ is assumed to be the speaker, and we may say that He gives. thanks to God among the Gentiles when the Gentiles give thanks to God through Him (Heb. ii. 12).
Ver. το. καὶ πάλιν λέγει: Deut. xxxii. 43, LXX. The Hebrew is different.
Ver. 11. καὶ πάλιν, αἰνεῖτε: Ps. cxvii. 1, LXX—only the order of the words varying.
Ver. 12. καὶ πάλιν Ἡσαίας λέγει: Isa,