"Subjecting [413] yourselves one to another," he says, "in the fear of Christ." For if thou submit thyself for a ruler's sake, or for money's sake, or from respectfulness, much more from the fear of Christ. Let there be an interchange of service and submission. For then will there be no such thing as slavish service. Let not one sit down in the rank of a freeman, and the other in the rank of a slave; rather it were better that both masters and slaves be servants to one another;--far better to be a slave in this way than free in any other; as will be evident from hence. Suppose the case of a man who should have an hundred slaves, and he should in no way serve them; and suppose again a different case, of an hundred friends, all waiting upon one another. Which will lead the happier life? Which with the greater pleasure, with the more enjoyment? In the one case there is no anger, no provocation, no wrath, nor anything else of the kind whatever; in the other all is fear and apprehension. In the one case too the whole is forced, in the other is of free choice. In the one case they serve one another because they are forced to do so, in the other with mutual gratification. Thus does God will it to be; for this He washed His disciples' feet. Nay more, if thou hast a mind to examine the matter nicely, there is indeed on the part of masters a return of service. For what if pride suffer not that return of service to appear? Yet if the slave on the one hand render his bodily service, and thou maintain that body, and supply it with food and clothing and shoes, this is an exchange of service: because unless thou render thy service as well, neither will he render his, but will be free, and no law will compel him to do it if he is not supported. If this then is the case with servants, where is the absurdity, if it should also become the case with free men. "Subjecting yourselves in the fear," saith he, "of Christ." [414] How great then the obligation, when we shall also have a reward. But he does not choose to submit himself to thee? However do thou submit thyself; not simply yield, but submit thyself. Entertain this feeling towards all, as if all were thy masters. For thus shalt thou soon have all as thy slaves, enslaved to thee with the most abject slavery. For thou wilt then more surely make them thine, when without receiving anything of theirs, thou of thyself renderest them of thine own. This is "subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ," in order that we may subdue all the passions, be servants of God, and preserve the love we owe to one another. And then shall we be able also to be counted worthy of the lovingkindness which cometh of God, through the grace and mercies of His only-begotten Son, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Ghost, be glory, might, honor, now and forever and ever. Amen.
[392] [The oun rather resumes the general directions as to how they are to walk (comp. v. 9.) after the digression in ver. 11-14.--G.A.]
[393] [The text of Field omits the clause, "they ended this admonition," leaving the sense obscure and difficult. This clause is attested by five codices, and we have inserted it with Savile.--G.A.]
[394] [And with four of these codices we prefer the reading eusthenesterous, "stronger," to Field's reading asthenesterous (which is "weaker").--G.A.]
[395] kerugma.
[396] ["This is epexegetical of the preceding words, viewed negatively and positively: presenting yourselves in your walk, not as unwise, but as wise.'"--Meyer.--G.A.]
[397] [Or rather, "buying up for yourselves the opportunity": a participial clause, which gives a modal definition to the preceding hossophoi, "as wise." "In this figurative conception the doing of that for which the point of time is fitted is thought of as the purchase-price by which the kairos becomes ours.'"--Meyer.--G.A.]
[398] [Compare on Gal. i. 4. "This clause, because the days are evil,' supplies a motive for buying up the opportunity, namely, because moral corruption is now in vogue."--Meyer.--G.A.]
[399] ["This wherefore' refers to verses 15, 16. For this cause, i.e., because ye ought to walk with such exactness, become not such as do not use the mind aright."--Ellicott.--G.A.]
[400] 1 Tim. v. 23. Cf. Vol. IX., 335.
[401] [sozei: suggested by the word asotia ("riot") which immediately precedes, and which is derived from sozo. Compare asotia in Thayer's N.T. Lexicon.--G.A.]
[402] ["The imperative passive finds its explanation in the possibility of resistance to the Holy Spirit. The contrast does not lie in oinos (wine) and pneuma (spirit), otherwise these words would have stood at the beginning of their clauses, but in the two states,--that of intoxication and that of inspiration."--Meyer.--G.A.]
[403] ["This giving thanks always,' etc., is a third modal definition of the Be filled with the spirit,' likewise coördinate with the two preceding ones, bringing into prominence,--after the general singing of praise' of ver. 19, which is to take place audibly, as well as in the heart,--further and in particular, the thanksgiving' which the readers have always for all things to render to God."--Meyer.--G.A.]
[404] [Meyer says the context limits panton to "blessings."--G.A.]
[405] [On these heretics and their doctrines, see Vol. IX. (this series) p. 65 (notes 3 and 5), and p. 205, second column.--G.A.]
[406] [This difficulty is as old as David. Chrysostom does not here suggest David's solution of the problem,--the spiritual compensations here and hereafter. And Paul could say even to a slave in his day, "Wast thou called being a slave? Care not for it. Nay, if thou art even able to be free, make use of thy having been called as a slave, rather than accept thy freedom." (1 Cor. vii. 21.) And even Epictetus said something similar. A little below, Chrysostom touches this higher Theodicy: "One thing alone is evil; that is, to sin."--G.A.]
[407] [On Chrysostom's geography and astronomy, see Homily IX., Concerning the Statues, Vol. IX. of this series, pp. 403, 404, with notes by Rev. W. R. W. Stevens, M.A. Compare Ps. xxiv. 2.--G.A.]
[408] [Compare what is said by Epictetus concerning his own lameness: "Shall I then, because of one miserable little leg, find fault with the universe? Shall I not concede that accident to the existence of general laws, and cheerfully assent to it for the sake of him who gave it?" And again, concerning his slavery: "He is a slave whose body is free, but whose soul is bound; and on the contrary, he is free whose body is bound, but whose soul is free."--G.A.]
[409] [Job xi. 12, the Sept.: anthropos de allos nechetai logois; but the Rev. Ver., after the Hebrew, has: "Vain man is void of understanding."--G.A.]
[410] [A striking oxymoron. Compare the Greek, hoagnoon tou huposchomenou eidenai sophoteros.--G.A.]
[411] [Compare the Greek again: ou palin he agnoia tes eideseos esti sophotera;--G.A.]
[412] [Compare, Unum scio, quod nihil scio.--G.A.]
[413] ["The words subjecting yourselves one to another' still belong to ver. 20 as a fourth modal definition of Be filled with the Spirit,' and are parallel to giving thanks for all things to God,' thus adding to this relation toward God the mutual' relation towards one another.'"--Meyer.--G.A.]
[414] [Not the fear of "God," as Chrysostom, the textus receptus and the Authorized Eng. Version have, but the fear of "Christ" (as Rev. Ver., Westcott and Hort, and all trustworthy authorities). That is, Christ is to be "feared" as the "Judge" (Meyer). Cornelius a Lapide (in Ellicott) says: "Because we reverence Christ and fear' to offend him": quia scilicet Christum reveremur eumque timemus offendere.--G.A.]