τῶν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ : δικαιοσύνη is the sphere in which the works were done, and to which they are related.
κατὰ . . . ἔλεος: The phraseology is borrowed irom Ps. cviii. (cix.) 26, σῶσόν pe κατὰ TO μέγα ἔλεός σου. A remarkable parallel is furnished by 1 Pet. i. 3, ὃ κατὰ τὸ πολὺ αὐτοῦ ἔλεος ἀναγεννήσας ἡμᾶς ; and also by 2 Esdr. viii. 32, ‘‘ For if thou hast a desire to have mercy upon us, then shalt thou be called merciful, to us, namely, that have no works of righteousness ”.
ἔσωσεν ἡμᾶς: The N.T. seldom diverts attention from the main lesson to be taught from time to time by not- ing qualifications, even necessary ones. Here St. Paul is speaking only about the efficient and instrumental and formal causes of salvation, without any thought of man’s part in co-operation with God. It is as when teaching the principles of
4--3.
νώσεως 1 Πνεύματος "Αγίου, 6. οὗ
προς TITON
199
4 ἐξέχεεν ἐφ᾽ ἡμᾶς “ πλουσίως διὰ d Αοἰϑ 11. 17,
Το, 33
Ἰησοῦ «Χριστοῦ ‘tod ᾿σωτῆρος ἡμῶν, 7. ἵνα ἔδικαιωθέντες “τῇ (=Joel
iii. τ).
ξ ἐκείνου ὅ χάριτι ἢ κληρονόμοι γενηθῶμεν 2 κατ |ἐλπίδα ** ζωῆς εϑεετ Tim.
Ρ Vil. 17. ἐκ αἰωνίου. 8. | Πιστὸς | ὁ λόγος: καὶ περὶ τούτων ™ βούλομαί σε f See 2 Τίσι. 1. 1Ο. Ὡς ἔς τῶν ΝΕ: : ig ας ΘΙ Rom: 111. 24. h Rom. iv. 14, viii. 17, Gal. iii. 29, iv. 7, Heb. vi. 17, Jas. ii. 5. ride Gene + k See 1 Tim. i. 16. 1 See 1 Tim. i. 15. πι See 1 Tim. ii. 8.
1Ins. διὰ D*FG, d, e, Ε-
mechanics, we do not confuse the be- ginner’s mind by making allowances for friction, etc. Here, as in Rom. vi. and τ Pet. iii. 21, it is assumed that man co- operates with God in the work of his own salvation. On the force of the aorist, ἔσωσεν, see note on 1 Tim. il. 4.
διὰ λουτροῦ: the washing. λουτρόν may mean the water used for washing, or the process ttself of washing. The R.V.m. laver would be λουτήρ. See Dean Armitage Robinson’s note on Eph. v. 26.
παλινγενεσίας: This defines the na- ture of the λουτρόν which God employs as His instrument in effecting the salva- tion of man; not any λουτρόν whatever, but that of new birth. It is sufficient to observe here that much of the con- troversy about regeneration might have been avoided had men kept before them the analogy of natural birth, followed as it is immediately, not by vigorous man- hood, but by infancy and childhood and youth.
ἀνακαινώσεως: The genitive ἄνακαι- νώσεως depends on διὰ (which is actually inserted in the Harclean Syriac; so R.V.m., and through renewing), not on λουτροῦ, as apparently Vulg., per lavacrum regenerationis et renovations Spiritus Sancti, f. Boh. Arm., fol- lowed by R.V. The λουτρόν, the wash- ing, secures a claim on the Holy Spirit for renewing, just as birth gives a child a claim on society for food and shelter ; but unless we are compelled to do other- wise, it is best to keep the two notions distinct. Birth, natural or spiritual, must be a definite fact taking place at a par- ticular moment ;_ whereas renewing is necessarily a subsequent process, con- stantly operating. Without this renew- ing the life received at birth is at best in a state of suspension. The references to ἀνακαίνωσις and ἀνακαινοῦν, and the similar passage, Eph. iv. 23, show that the terms are always used of those who are actually living the Christian life.
Ver. 6. οὗ ἐξέχεεν : Joel iii. τ (ii. 28) is the passage alluded to. Cf. in addition
2 γενώμεθα Ν«ΡΕΚΙ..
to reff. given above, Acts x. 45, Rom. v. 5, Gal.iv. 6. The οὗ refers of course to mvevpat. ay. by attraction, not to ἀνακαινώσεως. All gifts of the Holy Spirit that come through Jesus Christ are a continuation of the Pentecostal out- pouring. The aorist is due to the Apostle’s thought of that occasion, al- though the ἡμᾶς shows that the im- mediate reference is to the experience of St. Paul and other Christians.