The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 347

they might speBk hBstily Bnd with e. viow ~~ means mpplied hy Prr,virlP,nce and a to self-dlsplBy (see 1 Oor. xiv. 29-33), Bnd spmt ?f generosity might c,mtribute. Th" tbBt there WBs o fnrther gift of r,,&,cp,o-tr n~msgivers of !he Church had their BpP..cial ,rvevµd-ro,v required for distinguishing be- gift a_nd fnnc1;1'?'1; and they mnst exerci3'l tween true e.nd imagined inspiration (see them m wlmplui!y (Iv a.,rll.&-r,rr,), which may 1 Oor. xii. 10; xiv. 29). Further, the perb_ap~ mean illDgleness of heart, with0ut spirits of the prophets were subject to the parl!e.hty, or ostentation, or e,,,CQndary aims. prophets (1 Oor. xiv. 32); they were not But in 2 Cor. viii. 2; ix. II, 13, the w0rd carried away, as the heathen µa.vr,s was seems to have the sense of ltberality. and supposed to be, by an irresistible Divine this may be the meanin"' here. "Uti ·Deus 0 impulse; they retained their reason and dat, Jae. i. 5" (Bengel). 1n the' Shepherd of consciousness, and were responsible for Hermas' (written, it is iltlpposed, not later rightly estimating e.nd faithfully rendering than the :first be.If of the second century) any revelation (a.,ro,c&>..,n/m, 1 Cor. v. 30) ,\,rl\./os is expla.ined tbos: Iliio-w /,a-r,p,,vµJvo« granted to them. Delusion, inconsiderate 1:illtov i\,rl\.ios, µ't, 3,u-ra.(r,,u -r!v, ar;, i, r(., µ+, uttere.nce, extravago.nce, as well e.a repres- l:irps· ,riio-, 1:ill:iov (' Hermm Pastor,' mandatum sion of e.ny real inspi.re.tion may be meant ii.). Possibly this gives the true original evn- to be forbidden in the phrase. (The view ception, from which that of general liberality of -r;js ,r[o-,,.,.,, being meant objectively of would follow. [The idea that the almoners the general Christian doctrine, from which of the Church, rather than the almsgivers, the prophecy we.s not to deviate-whence a.re intended, viz. the deacons (Acts vi 3, the common use of the expression, analogia seq.), is inconsistent with the general pur- fldei-is precluded by the whole drift of the port of the passage, as explained above. passage. It is not found in the Greek Besides, µeTal:i,l:iova, means elsewhere to give Fathers, having been apparently suggested up what is one's own, not to distribute the first by Thomas Aquine.a.) The gift of funds of others. 'o 6ia.1:i,l:io6s might rather ministry (61a.1<ovla.) must be understood in a. have been expected in the la.tter case ( cf. general sense, and not as having exclusive Act.B. iv. 35).] He that rokth ( orpo,cr,-a.,,vos) reference to the order of deacons (Acts vi. means, e.ccording to our view all along, any 1-6; Phil. i. 1; 1 Tim. iii. 8; eh. xvi. 1), one in a. lea.ding position, with authority over who were so called specifically because their others; and not,11s some have thought, exdn- office WIii! one of l:i,a.,covla.. The words sively the p-resbyters. Such a.re not to presume l:i1a.,cov•iv, l:i1a.,covla., l:i,a.,covos, though some- on their position of superiority so e.s to relax times denoting any kind of ministry, even in zealous attention to its duties. He that of the highest kind, were used and under- showeth mercy (cl ,ll.ei;.v) is one who is moved stood in a more specific sense with reference by the Spirit to devote himself especi9.lly 1:0 to subordinnte ministrations, especially in works of mercy, such as visiting the sick temporal matters ( of. Acts vi. 2, " It is e.nd succou:ring the distressed. Such " one not reason that we should leave the Word of is to allow no austerity or gloominess oi God, nnd serve tables (6,a,cov•iv Tpa,rt(ais) "). demeanour to mnr the sweetness of his If e.ny he.d e. gift for any such kind of ad- charity. On the general subject of the,e ministrative work under others, they were gifts for various administrations (cf. 1 Cor. to devote themselves to it, and be content if xii., seq.; xiv.; Eph. iv. ll. seq.) it is to be they could do it well. Teaching (1:i,l:iaa-,ca,;\[ca) observed that in the Rpostolic period, though me.y denote a gift for mere instruction in presbyters and deacons, under the general facts or doctrines, cateohetioo.l or otherwise, superintendence of the Rpostles, seem to ha re different from that of the inspired eloquence been appointed in nil orgnnized Churches for of prophecy. Exhortation (a.s ,rapd,cJ,:r1a-is, ordinary ministrations (Acc. xi. 30; xiv. which boors a.lso the sense of consolation, 23; xv. 2, seq.; xvi. -1; xx. 17; =i. lS; seems hero to be rightly rendered) mny Phil. i. I ; I Tim. iii. 1, S; v. 17; Titns i. be understood with reference to admonitory 5), yet there were other spiritual n;cndes in nddressos, in the oongregation or in prirnte, notivity, recognized as divinely emp,!w,,n..J. lees inspired nnd rousing than prophetio 'l'he "prophets and teachers" nt Antioch utturnnoes. In Aots xiii. 15 the word (Act.B xiii. 1) who, moved by th8 Holy ,rapd1<ll.11cr1s denotes the ea;hortation whioh Ghost, sepamted and onhine<l Barnabas ,md any person in the synngoguo might bo O:\lled Snul for Rpostolic ministry. do not Rppenr to upon by tho rulore to nddross to the pooplo hnve b~'On what we should now t'<lll tho o.fter the roa.ding (a.v&;-v01ow) of tho Lt\W ro~ulnr clergy of the phlcc', but persc,us, and the prophets; of. 1 Tim. iv. 13, whother in nny definito oflkeornot, divindy whore Timothy is told to ~ivo nttentla.nco inspired with the gifts of ,rpo</>>IT<ia nud to reading (ava.-yvc»u,v), to cx/io,-tatim1 (,r11pe1- 8,1:iaa-Kall.la. In lik8 mnuner, th0 npp0int- ""-1Ja-111), 1\llcl to tcaclifog (1:i,6aa-1<al\.(av). Re mont of Timothy to the 01lioc he was c,,m- thal givot/1 (d µ•-ral:i,lfo~s) points t~ tho ~ift missioncd to till, though he w,\s forma.J ly of libornlity, lo tho ondowmont with wlnoh ord1\inl:'d by tlw hying 0n of \muds cif Si. 346 THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS, [ou. :m.1-21,