20-- 21.
21. ὃς “ μετασχηματίσει τὸ σῶμα τῆς " ταπεινώσεως ἡμῶν, γενέσθαι αὐτὸ 1 ἃ σύμμορφον 3 τῷ σώματι τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ, κατὰ Thy ; ἐνέργειαν τοῦ δύνασθαι αὐτὸν καὶ ὑποτάξαι ἑαυτῷ ὃ τὰ πάντα.
p Luke i. 48 (1 Sam. i. 11)3 Acts viii. 33 (Isa. liii. 8). Four exx. in Wisd.
τ Eph. iii. 7; Col. ii. τα αἱ (only in P),
463
ο το oes Gor: Xi. 13-15. No other exx. in N.T. Late authors.
q For constrn. see note infr. Rom. viii. 29.
1 So Dbetc, EKLP, Chr., Thdrt., Victorin., Aug. (‘an ancient supplement,” Myr.). Edd. om. εἰς to Ύενεσθαι αυτο with S,ABD*FG, ἆ, e, ἢ, g, πὶ, vg. go. cop.,
many Fathers.
2 So Trg., Alf., Ws., W.H. with ABDcEKLP, etc. Ti. συνμ. with 9 ΕΘ.
3 So ΝΕΡΕΕΙ,, vg., Chr.%4!, Thdrt., Dam., Hil.
Ti., Trg., Alf., Myr., Ws. αντω
(W.H. αὑτῷ) with *ABD*FGKP, ἆ, e, g, Eus., Epiph., Euth., Chr.
also ΚΙ.), but strangely rare until the Pastoral Epistles. It corresponds to Paul’s use of σωτηρία.---ἀπεκδεχ. The compound emphasises the intense yearn- ing for the Parousia. It is no wonder that early Christian thought centred round that time. There was nothing to root their affections in the world (cf. Gal. i. 4). The dominant influence of this expectation in Paul’s thinking and work- ing is only beginning to be fully recog- nised. See some suggestive paragraphs in Wernle’s Der Christ τι. die Siinde bei Paul., pp. 122-123.—Kvp. *l. X. This order is always found in the phrase. Ver. 21. µετασχ. It is doubtful whether, in this passage, any special force can be given to μετασχ. as distinguished from μεταμορφοῦν, carrying out the dif- ference between σχῆμα and μορφή. The doubt is borne out by its close connexion here with σύμμορφον. Perhaps, how- ever, the compound of σχῆμα has in view the fact that only the fashion or figure in which the personality is clothed will be transformed. We have here (as Gw. notes) the reverse of the process in chap. ii. 6-11. The locus classicus on the word is 2 Cor. xi. 13-15. It is found in Plato and Aristotle in its strict sense. Cf. also 4 Macc., ix., 22. It is Christ who effects the transformation in the case of His fol- lowers, because He is πνεῦμα ζωοποιοῦν (x Cor. xv. 45). Cf. Apocal. of Βαγ., li. 3: ‘‘As for the glory of those who have now been justified in my law . . . their splendour will be glorified in changes, and the form of their face will be turned into the light of their beauty, that they may be able to acquire and receive the world which does not die”.—1ré σῶμα τ. ταπειν. The expression must apply esp. to the unfitness of the present bodily nature to fulfil the claims of the spiritual life. It is pervaded by fleshly lusts ; it is doomed to decay. ταπειν. is plainly suggested by
δόξα which follows. σῶμα is “pure form which may have the most diverse content. Here, on earth, σῶμα = σάρξ" (see an illuminating discussion by F. Kostlin, Fahrb. f. deutsche Th., 1877, p. 279 ff.). Holst. (Paulin. Th., p. το) notes that for this conception of σῶμα as “organised matter,” the older Judaism
had no word besides ο Later Hel-
lenistic Judaism used the word σῶμα in its Pauline sense (see Wisd. ix. 15).—eis τὸ γ. α. is to be omitted with the best authorities. See crit. note supr.—ovp- µορφον is used proleptically as its posi- tion shows. Cf. τ Thess. iii. 13, στηρίξαι τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν ἀμέμπτους, Perhaps the compound οὗ μορφή is used to remind them of the completeness of their future assimilation to Christ. Cf. Rom. viii. 29. The end of the enumeration in that pas- sage is ἐδόξασεν. δόξα is the climax here.—t. σώμ. τ. δόξης a. With Paul δόξα is always the outward expression of the spiritual life (πνεῦμα). It is, if one may so speak, the semblance of the Divine life in heaven. The Divine πνεῦμα will ultimately reveal itself in all who have received it as δόξα. That is what the N.T. writers mean by the completed, per- fected “likeness to Christ”. This pas- sage, combined with r Cor. xv. 35-50 and 2 Cor. iv. 16-v. 5, gives us the deepest insight we have into Paul’s idea of the transition from the present life to the future. He only speaks in detail of that which awaits believers. Whether they die before the Parousia or survive till then, a change will take place in them. But this is not arbitrary. It is illustrated by the sowing of seed. The Divine πνεῦμα which they have received will work out for them a σῶμα πνευματικόν. Their renewed nature will be clothed with a corresponding body through the power of Christ who is Himself the source of their