nConstr. ἢ" ἐπαγγελίας τῷ ἁγίῳ, 14. " ὅς ] ἐστιν ' ἀῤῥαβὼν 5 τῆς " κληρονομίας
Mark xv. 16; Gal. 116; ὰ iii. 13, vi. αὐτου. 17; Phil. i. 28 al. fr. 1 Pet. i. 4. 1 Ver. 7 reff. Mal. iii. 17; 2 Chron. xiv. 13.
i2 Cor. i. 22, ν. 5 only; Gen. xxxviii. 17, 18, 20.
ἡμῶν εἰς ' ἀπολύτρωσιν τῆς ™ περιποιήσεως, εἰς " ἔπαινον τῆς δόξης
k=Acts xx. 32; Col. iii. 24;
τῇ t Thess. v. 9; 2 Thess. ii.14; Heb. x. 39; 1 Pet. ii.g from n Ver. 6 reff.
1 For ος, ο (gramm. emendn.) ABFGLP 57, 67", 71, all, Ath., Euthal., Chr.; text
NDEK, most MSS., d, Chr.-comm., Thdrt., Did
2 apaBwy FG 37, 76, Euthal., etc.
like the grace which came to the Jew who had the Messianic hope, was bestowed “in Christ,” and had its ground in Him.— καὶ πιστεύσαντες: having also believed. The καί belongs not to an implied ὑμεῖς but to the πιστεύσαντες. It is the ascen- sive καί, adding to the first condition of hearing the second and higher of be- lieving. The object of the πιστεύσαντες is the previous λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας, “ hav- ing also believed that word of preaching ;” not the ᾧ, ‘believing also in whom” (Calv., Bez., Mey.). In Biblical Greek the phrase πιστεύειν ἔν τινι is of very rare occurrence, especially in the sense of believing or confiding in a ferson (Ps. Ixxviii. 22; Jer. xii. 6). In Mark i. 1 it has τὸ εὐαγγέλιον as the object. In John iii. 15 both the reading and the connection are uncertain; in John xvi. 30 the idea is “by this". The πιστεύ- σαντες here expresses something prior to the fact conveyed by the definite verb, not contemporaneous with it (Harl.). The sealing was in Christ (ἐν ᾧ), and it followed on their πίστις.---ἐσφραγίσ- θητε: ye were sealed, The verb σφρα-
γίζειν (- onn) in the NT expresses
several distinct ideas, ¢.g., confirming or authenticating (John iii. 32, vi. 27; ¢f. σφραγίς in Rom. iv. 11; 1 Cor. ix. 2); securing (Matt. xxvii. 66; Rev. xx. 3); keeping secret (Rev. x. 4, xxii. 10; cf. σφραγίς in Rev. v. 1, 2, 5,9, vi. I, Vili. I, etc.); marking as one’s possession or as destined for something (Κεν. viii. 3-8; οὐ, σφραγίς in 2 Tim. ili, 4; Rev. ix. 4). Here and in iv. 30 the idea seems to be either that of authenticating or certifying them to be of God's heritage, or that of marking them as such. The two ideas are near akin, The latter will be more applicable, if (with Theophyl., Chrys., Cornel. a Lap., Alf., etc.) we take the attestation to be the objective attestation to others, the evidence to our fellows that we are the chosen of God; the former, if (with Mey., Ell., etc.) we take it to be the attestation to our own consciousness.
+» Thi., Oec.
This hope or assurance which is given to ourselves seems rather in view here (cf. Rom. viii. 16). There is no reason to suppose that there is any allusion here to any peculiar use of the seal whether in Jewish custom or in heathen religious service. Nor is the rite of Baptism specially referred to. In ecclesiastical Greek, indeed, baptism came to be de- noted by the term σφραγίς; but there is no instance of that in the NT. The terms σφραγίς, σφραγίζειν, are used in the Pauline Epistles of circumcision (Rom. iv. 11), of the contribution from Mace- donia and Achaia (Rom. xv. 28), of the Corinthians as the witnesses to Paul's apostleship (1 Cor. ix. 2), of the inward certification of believers (2 Cor. i, 22; Eph. i. 13, iv. 30), and of the destination or ownership of the Church or congrega- tion of believers (2 Tim. ii. 19).—t@ Πνεύματι τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τῷ ἁγίῳ: ak the ‘Holy Spirit of promise. The Spirit is that by which (instrumental dative) the sealing is effected; and that Spirit is called the Spirit of promise, not in the active sense of bringing or confirming the promise (Calv., Bez., etc.), but in the age sense of having been announced