[933] Still overlooking the reference to the following narrative, B. C. read Ei de autoi hoi 'Ioannou--, "But if even John's disciples," etc.: mod. text and A., Plen ei kai autoi--, reading the next clause affirmatively, Cat. and OEc., ei de houtoi hoi 'Ioannou--, which we adopt. The scribes have further darkened the sense by inserting here v. 27 to the end, and xix. 1-7.
[934] The utter confusion of the text makes it uncertain what Chrys. said concerning Apollos. The probability is that he still stood upon the plane of John's baptism and teaching, a zealous and able man, but not yet instructed in the Christian doctrine of the Spirit, nor understanding the significance of Christian baptism. It is probable that after receiving instruction he was re-baptized with the twelve at Ephesus (xix. 5-7).--G.B.S.
[935] Proetrepsato (Sav, marg. anto) kai houtos (A. houtos). We read proetrepsanto de kai houtoi.
[936] Viz. the Spirit came upon them in baptism, but it did not appear until Paul had laid his hands upon them: then they spake with tongues, etc.
[937] epi Neronos must be removed from the end of the sentence where the mss. and Edd. have it.
[938] Instead of this, Edd. have v. 22, 23.
[939] From this point to the end of the Exposition, all is confused, viz. in the old text the order is as here marked by the letters a, a b b. . i.e. it gives two expositions, severally imperfect, but completing each other. In mod. text the parts are rearranged, but so that the first of the portions marked b is placed after the second of those marked a. It also assigns some of the comments to wrong texts, and in many places alters the sense.
[940] Mod. text "From the baptism itself (i.e. immediately after it) they prophesy: but this the baptism of John had not; wherefore it was imperfect. But that they may be made worthy of such gifts, he more prepared them first."
[941] Mod. text "that they who receive baptism are (therein) thoroughly cleansed from their sins: for were it not so, these would not have received the gifts immediately."
[942] Mod. text "And how is it that they who have received the Spirit taught not, but Apollos did, who had not yet received the Spirit?" An entire perversion of Chrysostom's meaning.
[943] In the mss. it is pos de ouk elabon baptisma; which cannot be right. We restore elaben.
[944] Mod. text besides other alterations: "that communicating in the other things one with another, in the essentials (en tois anankaiois) we do not communicate, and being in peace with all men are at variance one with another."
[945] Ouk apo touton humas enagomen, all' apo ton allon. But the scope seems to require, Ouk apo t. hu. apagomen, i.e. "as these are things not even to be supposed to exist among Christians, we do not make it our business to lead you away from these;"--and for the other clause, "But would lead you on to those other things" which Sirach has not mentioned.
[946] A. substitutes kai gar polla esti ta sunothounta hemas kai sundesmounta pros philias: "For indeed there are many things which perforce impel us to become and bind us to continue friends," viz. independently of our own choice: which is good in point of sense; but the original reading of the passage implies this meaning: "Even the men of the world acknowledge the necessity of friendship, and look out pleas, inducements, and justifications for friendship: hora posa hoi exothen epenoesan philika"--i.e. which are far-fetched, and therefore need epinoeisthai, compared with the near and constraining motives which bring and keep us Christians together. For sunteknian which appears in all our mss. and is retained without suspicion by the Edd. we confidently restore suntechnian, comp. xviii. 2. dia to homotechnon einai. There is a gradation from lower to higher, suntechnian, geitonian (or geitosunen C. A.) sungeneias.
[947] In the old text both sense and syntax are confused by the transpositions of the parts marked (c) and (b)--occasioned perhaps by the homoeteleuton, viz., sumphonian at the end of (a) and (c): hence (d) ouden apeches adousa melos has nothing to agree with, unless it were the mia psuche of (c); accordingly C. omits adousa. Mod. text reforms the whole passage thus: "Just as in an harp, the sounds are diverse, but one the harmony, and one the musician who touches the harp: so here, the harp is Charity itself, and the ringing sounds are the loving words brought forth by Charity, all of them giving out one and the same harmony and symphony: but the musician is the might of Charity: this strikes out the sweet strain. I could wish to lead you into such a city, were it possible, wherein were one soul, and thou shouldest see how than all harp and flute more harmonious is the symphony there, singing no dissonant strain,"--Instead of ouden apeches adousa melos Touto..., we place the full stop after adousa, so that the next sentence begins Melos touto kai angelous k. t. l. and at the end of it, instead of Theon euphrainei to melos Olon...., we read euphrainei Touto melos holon k. t. l.
[948] The omission in B. C. of this clause and the following which A. and Mod. text retain, may be explained by the like ending hupothesin schein. Mod. text has also after thumedias; the clause en geloti aei esti kai truphe.
[949] eis to pleon timethenai epispomenos. As epispasthai, epispasasthai in Chrys. is generally transitive with accusative of the thing, which is here to pleon timethenai, we read, eis sauton to pl. t. '.