The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 348

Paul himsl'lf (2 Tim. i. 6) I\Ild of the I John iv, I), and tho Churches a1·0 to pretibytl'n; (1 ir:im. iv. 14). appears to ha\'e oxl'rcise judgment in testing them, If thoy b,.,en aoromparued-perhaJlll 11\Uctionoo-br taught an,:hing oontmry to the received prophtty (1 Tim. iv. H.). PC'ni..,ns Unis doctrine; if they remained for the sake of di,·inely in~pired, or eupposed to be ro, maintenance without working for more thnn uppesr, Ml time WC'llt on, to ha\'e visitoo the two days; if they asked in tho Spirit for y11ri0us Churches, ola.iming authority-eome, worldly goods for themsel vos ; if their 1t would seem, even the 11uthority of manner of life was not whe.t it should be:- ap<>$fla ; the term "apostle" not being then they wero false prophets, t\Dd to be rejeoted. oonfined C'J.clnsively to the original twelve; Similll.l'ly, in the • Shepherd of Hermo.s • el~ Barne.bas oould not he.n been called one, (apparently e. document of the first half of as he is (Acts i;:i\'. 14), or indeed even Pnnl the seoond century, e.nd in some pn.rts cor- himself. But such cleims to inspiration "Were responding olosely with the Teaolling, from not 11lways genuine; and against fa.lse which such parts mn.y have been derived) prophets -w-e find various warnings ( cf. like directions a.re given for distinguishing 2 Cor. ri. S, seq.; Gal. i. 6, seq. ; iii. 1 ; between true and fa.lse prophets, between 1 John iv. 1, seq.; 2 John 10; Rev. ii. those who he.d ,-cl D11ev,u11 -ro ®••011 e.nd those 2). Still, these atrllordina.ry agencies and whose Tv<v,ua was l1rl-ye1ov (me.nde.tum Ii.). ministrations, in addition to the ordinary And even in the • Apostolioal Constitutions' ministry of the presbyters e.nd deacons, were (e. compilntion supposed to de.te from the reoognized u pa.rt of the Divine order for the middle of the third to the middle of the edification of the Church as long as the fourth century) there is e. passage corre- special charinnnta of the apostolic age con- sponding to wbe.t is so.id in the Teaching tinued. .Afterwards, as is well known, the a.bout distinguishing between true and false episcopate. in the later sense of the word as prophets OT teachers who might visit denoting e.n order abo,e the general pres- Churches (eh. vii. 28). The Teaching seems bytery, succeeded the e.post,olat.e, though how to denote a state of things, after the e.postolio IIOOD this system of Chureh government be- period, in which the special charismata of C&Ine u:niversa.l is still a subject of controven,-y. that period were believed to he still in It appe&r&, however, from • The Teaching of actirity, though with growing doubts e.s to the Twelve .Apostles ' (.o.i!axiJ .,.,;;., .o..Sliu:a their genuineness in e.ll cases. As he.s been 'Aro.,.,.cl>..r), recently brought to light by said a.hove, it does not follow the.t this order .A.rcbbisbop Bryennius (the date of which of things continued everywhere e.t the time appean; to have been towards the end of the of the compilation of the Teaching; but the.t fust century or the beginning of the 1!0COnd), it was so, e.t any re.ta in some pe.rts, seems that the earlier and less regular system con- evident; e.nd hence some light is thxown on tinued, in some regions e.t least (it does not the system of things alluded to in the follow that it W11S BO everywhere), a.ft.er the apostolice.l Epistles. It is quite consistent original apostles had passed a.way. For in with the evidence of .the Teaching to suppose this early and interesting document, while the.t in Churches which he.d been organized directioDB are given for the ordination (or by St. Paul or other true apostles, the more election; the word is x••po-rov/iua-re, the settled order of government which soon same es in Acts xiv. 23) of bishops and e.fterwe.rds became universal, and the tmn- deacons in the several Churches, there is no sition to which seems to be pie.inly me.rked allusion to an episcopate of a higher order in the pe.store.l Epistles, e.lree.dy prevailed. e.bcrve'them, but marked mention of t,ea,chers, ap<Allla, and pro:phetA ( especially the last Vers. 9-21.-Various admonitiom, appli- hro, apo«fle, bemg e.lso spoken of e.s cah'le to all; headed by inculcation of the all- 1,ropl.eu), who appear to have been itinerant, pervading principle of love. visiting the various Churches from time to time, and claiming authority as " speaking Ver. 9.-Let love be UJlfeigned (so is ren- in the Spirit." To these '{J'T'ophets great dered elsewhere lt.vinr0Kp1'Tos in the Autho- deferenct: is to be paid; they are to be rized Version, cf. 2 Cor. vi. 6; 1 Tim. i. 5; maio.te.ined during their sojourn ; they are 2 Tim. i. 5; 1 Pet. i 22). Abhor (literally, to be allowed to celebrate the Eucharist in ahlwrring) that which i• evil ; cleave (lite- such words u they will (cf. 1 Cor. Iiv. 16); rally, clearnng) to that whioh is good. The while IIJ)eaking in the Spirit they are not to participles l,..,,ou-rvyov11-res, etc., here e.nd l,e triecf or proved ( o<,3, B1a,cp,11i'i-re ; cf. a,. afterwu.rds, may be understood 11s mildly "P•tr•u ,n,eu,,,J,-r11v, 1 Cor. xiv. 10; aud ol w.o, imperative. Or perhe.p~ the apostle conneoted t,a,cp,vl-r11,ra.,,, eh. Iiv. 29), lest risk be run them in thought with .;, d-y&....,,, J.111J1tOKp1Tos, of bla.l!phemy ag:.inBt the Holy Ghost. ll8 if he had said, Love 11e unfeignedl1J, Still, among the8E: itinerants there might Ver. 10.-In brotherly love (4>v,,a5EAtf>ICf) ofter. be false prophets ( ,j,,u3o,rpotJm-ra, ; cf. IJe kindly deotioned ( 4>v,,ourop-yo1) one to Ltt.. ,'ii 15; uiv. 11, 24; Murk 1ili. 22 another (4>wt.Bt"-flri, e:r.pre1111Dg the love of oe. xn.1-21.] THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS. 347