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i τηρ. (cf. Acts τῶι 8,
v.18) εντ., 2 πρ κκ J TP ap ἕκαστος "ἐν τῇ " κλήσει 7
τα , η ' ἀκροβυστία
3 ἃ οὐδέν ἐστιν,
et kuz
ἀλλὰ ᾿ τήρησις | ἐντολῶν Θεοῦ. 20.
ἐκλήθη, ἐν ταύτῃ µενέτω: 21. δοῦλος
Sir. xxxii.* ἐκλήθης; µή σοι ᾿ µελέτω" ἀλλ εἰ καὶ δύνασαι ἐλεύθερος γενέσθαι,
23; Wisd. vi. 18 (νοµω»γ). ΤΊΡειν εντ., Μ πι στ Jo. xiv. @ 21, XV. 10%
> ~ ἐστι "Χριστοῦ.
μᾶλλον 'χρῆσαι: 22. 6 γὰρ ἐν Κυρίω " κληθεὶς δοῦλος, ” ἀπελεύ- ν θερος Κυρίου ἐστιν" "ὁμοίως καὶ ! ὁ ἐλεύθερος "κληθείς, ? δοῦλός 23. Ἱτιμῆς Ἱἡγοράσθητε" μὴ γίνεσθε δοῦλοι * ἀνθρώ-
Acts xv. 5 (νομον); 1 Jo. ii. 3 Ε., iii. 22, 24, v. 3; Rev. xiv.12. εντολ. Θε., Mt. xv. 3; Rev. xii. 17,
xiv. I2; Ezra x. 3; cf. Kup. εντ., xiv. 37. 5 times in Gospp. i below.
Pet. i. 1.
o See ver. 3. q See vi. 20.
1Om. και SABP 17, 46, vg. syrr.
The Gentile who embraced circumcision in order to fulfil the law of God was severing himself from Christ and falling from grace. The “abide’’ of 1 Cor. is parl. to the “stand fast” of Gal.
Ver. 21. From the chief religious, the Ap. passes to the chief social distinction of the times: cf. Gal. iii. 28, Col. iii. 11. This contrast is developed only on one side—no freeman wished to become a slave, as Gentiles wished to be Jews; but the slaves, numerous in this Church (i. 26 ff.), sighed for liberty; their con- version stimulated this longing. The advice to the slave is read in two op- posite ways: (a) “In slaveiy wast thou called? never mind (µή σοι pedera)! But still if thou canst also become free, tather make use of it (than not) ’’—so Evy. excellently renders, with Ον., Bz., Gr., Hf., Bt., Gd., Lt., supplying τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳ for. complement to μᾶλλον χρῆσαι; while (6) Est., Bg., D.W., Mr., Hn., Weiss, Weizsacker, Al., El., Sm. supply τῇ δου- λεία, and suppose P. to recommend the slave, with liberty offered, to “‘make use rather” of his servile condition. εἰ καὶ may either mean (a) “if verily”’ (Luke xi. 18; so ἐὰν καὶ in xi. 28, Gal. vi. 1), or (6) ‘“‘although” (Phil. ii. 17, Luke x1. 8, etc.). The ancient commentators differed on this text, with a leaning to (2). The advocates of (b) exaggerate the sense of vv. 20, 24, which condemns change not per se but, as in the case of circumcision, because it compromises Christian faith and standing. ‘ Free- dom ”’ is the object proximately suggested to “rather use” by ‘‘free” just above; and the sense of χράοµαι in ver. 31, ix. 12, 15—to ‘“‘avail oneself of an oppor- tunity of good” (Lt.)—speaks in favour of (a). The οὐ δεδούλωται of νετ. 15 and the μὴ γίνεσθε δοῦλοι ἀνθρώπων of ver. 23 indicate Paul’s feeling for free-
k See i. 26. Mm ver. 31, ix. 12,15; 1 Tim. i. 8, v. 23; Acts xxvii. 17.
lix.9; 1 Pet. v. 7; Acts xviii. 17; i n H.l.; see note
p Rom. i. 1, etc.; Gal. i. 10; Eph. vi. 6; Col. iii. 21, iv. 12; Ja.i.1; 2 t Cf. Gal. i. 10; Eph. vi.6; Col. iii. 22 f.
δε και, DG 37. και only, KL, etc.
dom; and the δύνασθαι ἐλεύθερος γενέσ- θαι was to the Christian slave a precious item in his providential µέρος (17).
Upon this view, ἀλλὰ . . . χρῆσαι forms a parenthesis, resembling in its connexion the οὐ δεδούλ. clause of ver. 15, by which P. intimates that in urging contentment with a slave’s lot he does not preclude his embracing liberty, should it be offered. Having said this by the way, he supports his µή σοι µελέτω by the comforting reflexion of ver. 22a, which is completed in ver. 22b by the cor- responding truth for the freeman.