r Acts xiv. μυστηρίῳ τοῦ χριστοῦ, 5. ὃ ἑτέραις | * γενεαῖς οὐκ " ἐγνωρίσθη τοῖς
16, XV.20; 0 ς α
t Matt. xi. a5; 1 Cor. ii. 10; Phil. iii. 15; 1 Pet. i. 12.
υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ds νῦν ᾿ ἀπεκαλύφθη τοῖς " ἁγίοις 5 '""ἀποσ-
u Rev. xviii.
ver. 21; Col. i. 26. 8 Here only; Ps. xxv. 7 al. 21 only. v 1 Cor. xii. 28; Rev. xviii. 20; ch. ii. 20, iv. 11.
1 Rec. before erep. inserts ev with a few mss., Copt., Syr. ; om. εν NABCDEFGK LP, most others, It., Vulg., Arm., Slav., Clem., Orig., Chr., Cyrr. Jer., al.
3 Omit rots αγιοις Orig., Thdrt.
garded as a single, accomplished act, the result of the process of reading. The verbs νοεῖν and συνιέναι when contrasted are supposed (cf. Tittmann, Syn., p. ΙΟΣ, and Ell., in loc.) to differ as merken, ‘‘ per- ceive,” differs from verstehen, ‘‘ under- stand”’, But such distinctions are pre- carious as regards NT Greek. The noun σύνεσις, which is applied sometimes to the understanding mind (Mark xiii. 33 ; Wisd. iv. 11), occurs repeatedly in the NT in the sense of mental apprehension (Luke ii. 47; 1 Cor. i. 19; Col. i. 9, ii. 2; 2 Tim. ii. 7). It is defined as “insight depending on judgment and inference" (Mey. on Col. i. 9), usually in the theor- etical sense, but sometimes in the practical (cf. Mark xii, 33). It appears to denote critical understanding, the apprehension of the bearings of things, while φρόνησις conveys the idea of practical, ethical understanding (cf. Light. on Col. i. g; Schmidt, Synonymik, chap. xiii., § το, chap. cxlvil., ὃ 8). Here σύνεσις is followed by ἐν (cf. also 3 Esdras, i. 3), συνιέναι ἐν being a common phrase for having understanding in a matter (2 Chron. xxxiv. 12; Josh. i. 7; Dan. i. Αγ As the σύνεσίν μον ἐν τὼ. etc., makes one idea, the article is dispensed with after the prep. The τοῦ Χριστοῦ is taken by some as that of originating cause (Hofm.), =the mystery of which Christ is the author; by others as the gen. objecti, = the mystery relating to the Christ (Abb., Haupt, etc.), by others still as the gen. of apposition (Mey., Alf., etc.), or of identity (Ell.), = the mystery which ἐς the Christ, which He makes, or which is contained in Him. The latter is thought to be favoured by Col. i. 27. But the idea there is that of the Christ in us, which is not quite the same ; and it seems best on the whole to take the second view, ‘the mystery relating to the Christ,” i.¢., the revelation of the long-hidden purpose of God regarding the Christ as not for Israel only, but also for the Gentiles. Ver. 5.) ὃ ἐν ἑτέραις γενεαῖς οὐκ ἐγνω- ρ τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων : which in other Generations was not made known to the sons of men. The TR inserts ἐν
before ἑτέραις, as in Syr.-Phil. and Copt. But the insertion is due probably to the double dative, and the év (which is not found in BRACDFKL, κ”. rightly omitted by LTTrWHRV. ε γενεαῖς, therefore, is the dat. of time; the term
γενεά, like the ΟΤ "1 (of which it is
the usual rendering in the LXX), mean- ing the period covered by a generation of men (Luke i. 20; Acts xiv. 16, xv. 21; Col. i. 26) as well as the generation or race itself. By τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων are to be understood, not the OT prophets (Beng.) as contrasted with the “ Apostles and prophets" of the next clause, but men generally and in the absolute sense, in conformity with the γενεαῖς. -ὡς viv, ἀπεκαλύφθη τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀποστόλοις αὐ- τοῦ καὶ προφήταις ἐν πνεύματι : as now it was revealed to His holy Apostles and prophets in the Spirit. The ὡς has its proper comparative force. The fact of the revelation made in pre-Christian times to the fathers and the prophets is not questioned. The matter in view is the measure or manner of the revelation, The νῦν = “now,” in these Christian times, and the aor. ἀπεκαλύ defines the fuller revelation as made definitely at a former period in these times. The verb also has its proper force, as dis- tinguished from the ἐγνωρίσθη and as describing the way, viz., by revelation, that the truth was made known. The prophets of the OT dispensation were designated ἅγιοι (2 Kings iv. 9; Luke i. 20; 2 Pet.i. 21). Those of these Chris- tian times are in like manner designated ἅγιοι, as men separated and consecrated to the office and distinguished from the mass of the υἱοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. They are further describedas His (atrod),i.e.,God’s Apostles and prophets, God being the subject implied in the ἐγνωρ and the ἀπεκαλύφθη. The terms ἀποστόλοις and προφήταις have the same sense here as in ii. 20, viz., the Christian Apostles and prophets. Theclause ἐν Πνεύματι defines the ἀπεκαλύφθη ; not the προφήταις, as if = προφῆται θεόπνευστοι (Holzh., Koppe), te the προφῆται need no such