22—25.
ἀγαπή cate ἐκτενῶς dvaye Φθαρτῆς ἀλλὰ
ToS.”
ἀφθάρτου διὰ λόγου διότι πᾶσα σὰρξ
Χόρτου ἐξηράνθη ὁ τὸ δὲ ῥῆμα
ἄνθος Κυ µένει εἰς τὸν ala
ΠΕΤΡΟΥ Α γεννηµένοι οὐκ ἐκ
ὡς χόρτος καὶ πᾶσα , 7 A ” Χόρτος καὶ τὸ ἄνθος
ων
σπορᾶς 1 23 ζῶντος Θῦ kai µένο
δόξα αὐτῆς ὡς 24 ἐξέπεσεν
να: τοῦτο δέ ἐστιν τὸ
25
1 The three great uncials (Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus and Ephraemi Rescriptus) put φθορᾶς for σπορᾶς keeping φθαρτῆς: the variant was probably a paraphrase of the whole phrase and possibly implied the identification of ἀφθάρτου with ζῶντος
Θεοὺ καὶ µένοντος.
2 The addition of eis τὸν αἰῶνα to µένοντος is due to verse 25.
of the truth,” relying on Eph. iv. 24, and the probability that ‘‘ St. Peter would have distinctly used some such language as év τῷ ὑπακούειν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ”’. In regard to the latter point it should be observed that St. Peter is curiously fond of using nouns instead of verbs (e.g., 2)—ets Φιλαδε- Ἀφίαν, love of the brethren, Vulgate, tn fraternitalis amore, mutual love which exists between brothers. It is the prim- ary Christian duty, Matt. xxiii. 8, the first fruits of their profession of which St. Paul has no need to remind the Thessa- lonians, | Thess. iv. Ο.--ἀνυπόκρι- τον, unfeigned, contrasted with the love which they professed towards their fellow Christians (cf. ii. 1) which was neither hearty nor eager. There was pretence among them whether due to imperfect sympathy of Jew for Gentile or of wealthy and honourable Gentiles for those who were neither the one nor the other. For a vivid illustration of this feigning see Jas. ii. 15 f. and ii. 1-5, etc., for the fric- tion between rich and Ροοτ.--ἀλλήλ- ους ἀγαπήσατε. St. John’s sum- mary of the teaching of Jesus (John xiii. 34 f., xv. 12, 17) which he repeated in extreme old age at Ephesus, till the dis- ciples were weary of it: ‘‘ Magister quare semper hoc loqueris”. His answer was worthy of him: ‘‘Quia praeceptum Do- mini est et si solum fiat sufficit (Hieron. in Gal. vi. 1Ο).--ἐκτενῶς, intentius (Vulg.), in LXX of ‘strong crying to God” (Jonah iii. 8 = mpi. violently, cf. Jud. iv.12; Joeli.14; 3 Macc.v.Q: in Polybius of a warm commendation (xxxi. 22, 12) a warm and friendly welcome (viii. 21, 1), a warm and magnificent reception (xxxili. 16 4).
Ver. 23. ἀναγεγεννημένοι. So St. John ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους ὅτι... mas ὁ ἀγαπῶν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ γεγέννηται; cf. Eph. iv. 17, ν. 2.--ἐκ σπορᾶς ἀφθάρτον, i.c., of God regarded as