vil.
aRom. xii ΤΙ, 1, Ταύτας οὖν ἔχοντες τὰς ἐπαγγελίας, " ἀγαπητοὶ, " καθαρί-
19; 1 Cor.
58; chap
o Eph. v. 26; Tit. ii. 14 only in Paul. Cor. viii. 7. d iii. 13 only. ii. 6. hx Cor. iii. 17, xv. 33;
Ver. 17. διὸ ἐξέλθετε κ.τ.λ.: where- fore, “Come out from among them and be separate,” saith the Lord, " «πὰ touch not an unclean thing and I will receive you.” So, too, the Heavenly Voice of the Apocalypse cried “" Come out of her” to those who were in danger of con- tamination with the sins of pagan Rome (Rev. xviii. 4). But the command must not be misapplied. St. Peter was wrong in “‘ separating” himself from his Gentile brethren (Gal. ii. 12), as he was wrong in calling that “unclean” which God had cleansed (Acts x. 14). And St. Paul never counsels any at Corinth to “‘sepa- rate’’ himself from the body of his fellow Christians on account of their sinful lives. (1 Cor. v. 13 is a direction to the Church to excommunicate a sinful mem- ber, a quite different thing.) To the Apostle separation from heathendom was imperative, but separation from the Christian Church was a schism and a sin.
Ver. 18. καὶ ἔσομαι κιτιλ.: and “I will be to you a Father, and ye shall be to Me sons and daughters,” saith the Lord Almighty. The ideal relation of Israel to Jehovah was that of a son to a father (Exod. iv. 22, Jer. xxxi. 9, Hos. i. 10); but the full meaning of such words was reserved for Him to teach who came to reveal the Father (Matt. xi. 27), as their full blessedness can be realised only by the heir of the Father's kingdom who “‘overcomes ” at last (Rev. xxi. 7).
Cuaprer VII.—Ver. 1. ταύτας οὖν ἔχοντες κιτιλ.: having therefore these (note the emphasis given to ταύτας by its position) promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all contamination of flesh and spirit (cf. τ Pet. ii. 11, 1 John iii. 3). We find the construction καθαρίζειν ἀπό again in Ecclus. xxxviii. 10 and Heb. ix. 14 (see also Deissmann, Neue Bibelstud., p. 44). We have already pointed out (on vi. 14) that poAvepds is always used of the defilement which springs out of evil (and especially heathen) associations; this may affect the πνεῦμα (see on ii, 13) as well as the σάρξ.-- ἐπιτελοῦντες ἁγιωσύνην κ.τ.λ.; perfecting
Rom. xv. 28; chap. viii. 6, 11; Gal. iii. 3; Phil. i. 6, f Rom. iii. 18 only (Ps. xxxv. 2); Isa. xi. 3; οἵ. chap. ν᾿ 11. ap. xi. 3; Eph. iv. 22.
x 14.x¥. σωµεν ἑαυτοὺς ἀπὸ παντὸς “μολυσμοῦ σαρκὸς καὶ πνεύματος, ; “ ἐπιτελοῦντες "ἁγιωσύνην ἐν ' φόβῳ ! Θεοῦ.
2. "Χωρήσατε ἡμᾶς' οὐδένα ἠδικήσαμεν, οὐδένα " ἐφθείραμεν, ς Here only; Jer. xxiii. 15; 1 Esdras viii. 33; 2 i ν. 27 onl
ε ο. ος g Gen. xiii. 6; John
iv.
holiness in the fear of God, sc., the fear that man ought to feel towards God (see v. 11), which is, indeed, one of the gifts of the Divine Spirit (Isa. xi. 3), and which was repeatedly commended to the chosen people (Deut. vi. 2, Ps. cxi. 1). The practical issue of belief in the promises of the Old Covenant (which have a yet larger meaning under the New) is positive as well as negative, sanctification as well as separation. St. Paul's word for man’s sanctification is ἁγιασμός, the result of which process is here expressed by ἁγιωσύνη (see reff.) ; this is especially an attribute of God in the O.T. (Pss. xcv. 6, xcvi. 12, cxliv. 5, 2 Macc. iii. 12).
Vv. 2-4. HE CLAIMS THEIR Sym- PATHY AGAIN. He now resumes the appeal which is interrupted at vi. 13 by the parenthetical warning vi. 14-vil. 1. —Ver. 2. χωρήσατε ἡμᾶς κ.τ.λ.; make room for us, sc., in your hearts, 4.¢., let there be no στενοχωρία (vi. 12); we wronged no man, we corrupted no man, we took advantage ofno man. Apparently accusations of this sort had been laid to his charge (see esp. chap. xii. 16, 17), and he is, as ever (chap. ii. 17, Acts xx. 33), careful to assert their baselessness. It is an excessive refinement of exegesis which finds here distinct charges hinted