resses the motive of the Saviour by the addition ὅπως ἐξέληται . . .—aldvos. In early Greek this word denote/ the appointed lifetime of man, and so com- bined the thought ofan overruling destiny with the course of human life. From the conception of individual life was developed that of corporate life, whether of families, nations or societies, and the idea of divine appointment was more distinctly fastened on the word in Scripture, so that every successive dispensation of God was designated as an αἰών. In this place αἰῶνος denotes the world which Jesus found existing at the time of His coming, out of which He chose His disciples.
2—6.
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ἡμῶν, ὅπως ἐξέληται ἡμᾶς ἐκ τοῦ ἐνεστῶτος αἰῶνος πονηροῦ, 5.
κατὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀμήν.
αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.
‘ ς - καὶ πατρὸς ἡμῶν, ᾧ
» ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς
t
6. Θαυμάζω ὅτι οὕτω ταχέως μετατίθεσθε ἀπὸ τοῦ καλέσαντος
1 αιωγος T. ev. NAB 17, 39; 7. εν. αι. Noor DEFGHKLP,
World is the nearest English equivalent to αἰών in this sense, if only it be under- stood to mean a particular phase of human society, as in the phrases religious world, scientific world, etc., and not the material universe.—éveotGtos: existing. This participle is twice elsewhere applied to things existing by way of contrast to things future (μέλλοντα), in Rom. viii. 38 and τ Cor. iii. 22. A similar contrast is here suggested between 6 ἐνεστώς and ὃ μέλλων αἰών, 1.6., between the world which Christ found existing on earth and the Messianic world whose coming Hebrew prophets had foretold.—zovy- pov. This sweeping condemnation of the existing world corresponds to the language of the Baptist and to Christ’s own denunciations of the evil generation to which He came. In spite of all that revelation and conscience had done to leaven it, He found the faithful few in number, and evil predominant in the mass.—éééAntat. Here, as in Acts xxvi. 17, this verb coupled with ἐκ can only denote choice out of the world, not deliverance from it, which would require the addition of ἐκ χειρός, as in Acts xii. II, or some equivalent. The clause describes the process of selection begun by Christ on earth, and still continued by the risen Christ as He calls fresh disciples into His Church continually. Ver. 5. ᾧ ἡ δόξα, sc. ἐστιν. Our versions supply ἔστω and turn the clause accordingly into an invocation of praise. But the insertion of the article points rather to an affirmation, whose is the glory. The verb is usually omitted in the doxology, but ἐστιν is added in I Pet. iv. τὶ. The glory consists in the manifestation of the Father’s character throughout all the ages in the continual redemption of mankind according to His will, Hereby is revealed His union of perfect wisdom, holiness, and love.—eis τ. αἰῶνας τ. αἰώνων. αἰών denotes in Scripture a divinely appointed period (see note on ver. 4). The larger of these divine dispensations comprehend within them other shorter periods, and are therefore designated αἰῶνες αἰώνων. The phrase in the text ascribes the glory
to God for the whole term of these dispen- sations, 2.6., for all the ages of human life, since these together make up the sum of man’sexistence. The full form is used by the Apostle in Phil. iv. 20, 2 Tim. iv. 18, but he uses elsewhere the shorter form eis τ. αἰῶνας.--ἀμήν. This Amen crowns the previous declaration of the glory of God by an invitation to the Churches to join in the ascription of praise.
Vv. 6-9. THE APOSTLE EXPRESSES SURPRISE AT THE SUDDEN DEFECTION OF HIS CONVERTS FROM THE ONLY TRUE GOSPEL, AND PRONOUNCES ANATHEMAS ON ALL PERVERTERS OF THE TRUTH.— Paul is evidently startled at the tidings of a sudden revolution in Galatian feel- ing. His intense indignation is evinced by the vehemence of his language and the solemnity of his anathema. There could be but one true Gospel; this new doctrine was no Gospel at all, but only a heretical perversion of the truth by foreign agitators. They were probably emis- saries of a Pharisaic party in the Church, which advocated circumcision and legal observances for all converts alike.