18, “But now (argumentative vov, ‘as things are’: see v. 11) God has appointed the members, each single one of them, in the body as He willed.” It is God’s will that has ranged the physical organs—and by analogy the members of the Church—in their several places and offices (cf. i. 1, iii. 5). Dissatisfaction with one’s particular charism, or con- tempt for that of another, is disloyalty towards Him and distrust of His wis- dom. This is Paul’s ultima ratio: ὦ. ἄνθρωπε, σὺ τίς et κ.τ.λ.; Rom. ix. 20.—
892
a Eph. iv. 28; 1
Tn, 19+ εἰ δὲ ἦν Ta) πάντα ἓν Ἀμέλος, ' ποῦ τὸ copa; 20. "νῦν " δὲ
i. 8, iv. ο, πολλὰ μὲν ὃ "µέλη, ἓν δὲ σῶμα.
12,ν.1; Heb. v.12, ας, 3 έ ω" ο νο Κεν. X 4 Actsii.45,22. ἀλλὰ iv. 353 freq. in GG.
» OAKS P μᾶλλον
ff., vi. 15.
1 Οπι. τα (?) BG, 17; Lach., Tr., W.H.
2 vuvt, GP; see ver. 18.
πάλιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῖς ποσί, “*Xpelav ὑμῶν οὐκ "έχω:
, a oe , 21. O8 δύναται δὲ” ὀφθαλμὸς * εἰπεῖν TH χειρί, “*Xpelay σου οὐκ
32
τὰ "δοκοῦντα µέλη τοῦ Ἱ σώματος
b 2 Cor. iii. 9, rr ; Rom. ν. ο ff.; Phil. i. 23, ii, 12; Mt. vi. 30; Mk. x. 48; Lk. xviii. 39. cIn first sense, 2 Cor. x. 9; Gal. ii. 2, 6,9; Mt. xvii. 25, etc.
For second, see iii. 18. d See vv. 12
bracket.
2 Om. pev (?) BD, 73, Aug. So W.H. txt. ; Lachm., Tr. brackets.
4o οφθαλμος: all uncc. but K, and many minusce. Om. δε ACGP, 17, 37, syrsch- cop. (Alex. and late Western); SBDKL, vg.
retain.
For τίθηµι in mid. voice, cf. ver. 28 and other parls.; the tense refers the Divine appointment constituting the body to past time generally—‘‘has set” rather than “set”, The prefixed ἓν singles out the individual for the Divine regard, distri- buted by ἕκαστον; each limb by itself has its part assigned by God.—a0éAnoev signifies determining will, as βούλεται (αχ, note) discriminating choice.
Vv. το, 20 rehearse the doctrine of vv. 12-14, now vividly illustrated by vv. 15 Π., viz., that a manifold variety of organs is indispensable for the existence of the Church. First the principle is suggested by a rhetorical question, in the strain of ver. 17: ‘‘ But if all were one member, where (were) the body?” Se- condly, it is affirmed, with grave conclu- siveness: ‘*But as the case stands (νῶν $é)—Many members, yet one body” .— Πολλὰ µέλη, ἓν δὲ σῶμα sums up the whole exposition in a concise epigram, which was perhaps already proverbial (cf. ix. 24).---ἐστὶν hardly needs to be sup- plied. Cf., for the thought, x. 17, and notes on vv. 12, 14 above.
§ 41. THE MutTuaAL DEPENDENCE OF tHE Bopy’s MEMBERS, xii. 21-31a. Mul- tiformity, it has been shown, is of the essence of organic life. But the variously endowed members, being needful to the body, are consequently necessary to each other—those that seem ‘‘ weaker ’’ some- times the more so (21 f.), while the less honoured have a dignity of their own; thus all the members cherish mutual re- spect and fellow-feeling (23-26). This holds good of the Church, with its numerous grades of personal calling and endowment (27 f.). No one charism be- longs to all Christians (29 f.). There is choice and purpose in God’s distributive
appointments, which leave, moreover, room for man’s personal effort. We should desire the best of His gifts (31).
Ver. 21 personifies again the physical members, in the fashion of vv. 15 f.: there the inferior disparaged itself as though it were no part of the body at all; here the superior disparages its fel- low, affecting independence. ‘‘ The eye (might wish to say but) cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee! or the head in turn to the feet, I have no need of you!”’ The eye and head are imagined looking superciliously on their com- panions; in vy. 15 f. the ear and foot play the part of discontented rivals.—ov δύναται---ᾱ moral and practical impos- sibility (cf. x. 21): at every turn the eye wants the hand, or the head calls on the foot, in order to reach its ends; the keen eye and scheming head of the paralytic —what a picture of impotence! The famous Roman fable of the Belly and the Members is recalled by the Apostle’s apologue. There is no such thing in the physical, nor in the social, fabric as in- ἀερεπάεποθ.-- πάλιν (cf. iii. 20, 2 Cor. x. 7, Rom. xv. το), vicissim (Hn.), rather than iterum (Vg.) or rursum (Bz.), ad- duces another instance of the same kind as the former.