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reputation for religious knowledge of the Jews, generally, compared with the rest of mankind; for it is not so much the power of the Jewish rulers as the superior reputation for religious knowledge which the Jews derived from their dispensation which has been set aside by the introduction of the Christian. Moreover, it is of wisdom in reference to religion that the Apostle is discoursing; and it is between the knowledge in this respect which is derived from revelation, and that which is derived from human wisdom and Jewish traditional learning that he is making a comparison. So that the words agxovαρχον των καταργουμένων properly signify, leaders in religious knowledge, who have ceased to be; which phrase is descriptive of the Jews generally as compared to the heathens, though, at the same time, more especially of the Scribes and Pharisees as compared to other Jews, since they, in popular opinion, took the lead in religious knowledge: and this might justly be said of them immediately on the promul gation of the Gospel, though the Jewish polity continued for some time after. The meaning of these words being thus established, we have next to consider that of alwy; and accordingly we observe that TOU alwvos TOUTOU will in this case, as before, express that the knowledge is derived from our present state of existence. But then it must be remembered that this was done, not, as in the case of the heathens, through the reasonings of moral philosophy, but from the Mosaic dispensation. That institution, it appears, was purposely adapted to our present existence, and in consequence made, primarily, a system of bodily worship (see on this, ch. x. 18. n. 11.) with a concealed spiritual sense; but this sense the Jews failed to discover, and so understood it literally. Their religious knowledge therefore might, equally with that of the heathens, be said to be derived from our present state of existence, though it was done through a different medium. I have accordingly expressed this in the paraphrase. The phrase altogether, viz. copiav (supplied from the preceding clause) των αρχόντων του αιώνος τούτου των καταργού LEVY, signifies the worldly-minded notions which the unbelieving Jews had drawn from their misinterpretations of their scriptures; or, if we supply, as the context authorizes, voogia after agxovrÙV,

the whole phrase would be ουδε σοφίαν των αρχόντων εν σοφια του AIWYOS TOUTOU TWV naтagyouμevwv, and it might be literally rendered; nor wisdom derived from the now extinct leaders in wisdom derived from our present state. The word alwv is in like manner to be determined by the context in v. 7, 8.

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V. 7. 1. "A system of wisdom, emanating from God, undiscoverable by human reason, and partially revealed by types and prophecies,” σοφιαν Θεου εν μυστηρια την αποκεκρυμμενην, -literally; wisdom from God, the (wisdom) hidden in mystery. Since this system is said to be from God, that circumstance sufficiently implies that it was undiscoverable by human reason; and if hidden in mystery, it was so far partially revealed. The word μvorygion, which signifies any thing secret, I apprehend, alludes, in this case, not only to the types and prophecies of the Mosaic institution, but also inclusively to the natural images which are the foundation of them, and, indeed, of the whole figurative language of Scripture. For as the creation and all its results were doubtless planned with a view to their being employed in the explication of the Christian doctrine, and have been so used, this doctrine may very properly be said to have been also partially revealed by those images. The Apostle's design is to intimate that the doctrine of the gospel, though new to the world, and as it appears from what follows, inexplicable to unprepared minds, had from the very beginning been planned in the divine counsels..

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11. Previously to his temporary dispensations" go TWY α. Since the context here has reference to the moral government of the world by God, the word awr being connected with it and denoting duration, generally, may be taken in the plural number to signify the different periods of this government, and thence, the divine dispensations severally instituted therein; that is, the Patriarchal, Mosaic, and Christian. That the scheme of redemption was determined previously to these dispensations, appears from the promise which was given of a Redeemer immediately after the fall; though

this was done with a degree of obscurity suited to that early age of the world (see Gen. ch. 111. 15.).

V. 8. “none-have understood," oudersEyvinɛV. The use of the perfect tense, which expresses past time including the present, intimates that the persons here mentioned Twv AgxovTwv TOU ALWYOS TOUTOU still continued ignorant of the Gospel scheme; as was the case with the unbelieving Jews, who are the persons designated by this phrase. (See v. 6. n. 111.)

V. 9. "But neither," &c.

-Aλλa is here used with an ellip

sis, which is supplied in the paraphrase. See the word in Schleus. Lex. sense 13.

V. 10. Ι "To us his Apostles".

-That u denotes the

Apostles as teachers, is evident from v. 13; see also v. 6. n. 1.

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Lord's promise made to them in his discourse on the night before the crucifixion; "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all (revealed) truth :" John, ch. XVI. 13. cią

III." Can trace" apɛuva.- -The use of this word is not to signify the extent of the knowledge which the Holy Spirit possesses of the divine counsels, but to intimate that it is by pointing them out step by step as they are declared in revelation, that the Spirit instructs us in them; which is all that we are concerned with in this matter.

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The word

V. 11. 1. "What human being" Tis av0gwrwv.. avgwπwv is properly introduced to intimate that, to the omniscience of God, the secrets of all hearts are open.

1. "The Spirit of God," TO VEUμA тOU εOU.The use by the sacred writers of the same word TVEU to express the soul (Acts,

ch. VII. 59.), and (in this verse) the mind in man, and the Holy Spirit; and St. Paul's having in this and the former verse described the Spirit of God as bearing a similar relation in the Godhead to that which the intellectual faculty does in men, authorises us to consider both the human soul and the Holy Spirit under the similitude of the mind. But we are not to suppose that it was intended by this and the other passages in scripture, wherein other eircumstances, such as personality, &c. are ascribed to the Holy Spirit, to give us a notion of the essential nature of the Godhead. These descriptions are to be regarded only as representations, under which it is most suitable for in our present state, to consider the matter for the purpose of improving in divine knowledge and virtue.

us,

V. 12.

39.66
"We,"
I.

upon us".

See v. 10. n. I.

-St. Paul having

II." Not a worldly disposition of mind”. stated in v. 9. that the subjects of the Christian dispensation were quite beyond the reach of human conception, and in v. 10. that they had been revealed to the Apostles by the Divine Spirit, and proved in v. 11. that the Holy Spirit only was competent to reveal them, proceeds, in this verse, to the conclusions which naturally result from these premises; viz. that such being the nature of the subjects imparted, and such the person communicating them, the qualification to enable the apostles to receive and impart these communications must necessarily be suitable to the above circumstances; and hence, that as they were not matters relating to this life, the proper requisite was, not a disposition of mind leading them to view things only within the limits of this life. (See the next note.)

III.

Θεου.

"But a spiritual one derived from God", TO пVEUμa TO EX TOU -St. Paul having contrasted the turn of mind of which he is here speaking with the worldly one το πνεύμα του κόσμου, and told us that it is derived from God, suggests to us that it is one that resembles the divine nature, and is therefore spiritual. It may be defined to be the habit of considering ourselves as divested of our

present bodily constitution, and reasoning on the divine revelations with reference to such a state. And hence it is termed a spiritual disposition of mind, either from the subjects contemplated, or from the Holy Spirit by whom it is produced. It is from him only that it can proceed, since all knowledge of any state of existence different from the present, must be derived solely from divine revelation.

IV.

"As the means for enabling us to understand the revelations" &c.- -As the subjects of these revelations are the concerns of the spiritual world, it was essentially necessary that the apostles should, as Christian teachers, be endued with a spiritual turn of mind in order to their rightly understanding the divine plans; since the strongest intellectual powers, if employed in considering things solely through the medium and within the limits of nature, would have been unavailable for the purpose. To the apostles this spiritual view of religion was peculiarly requisite from the important and extensive nature of their office; and it is of them that St. Paul here speaks. But it may be observed, that this spiritual turn of mind is, also, needful to every Christian to enable him to acquire a just and accurate knowledge of the scheme of redemption, as far as it has been revealed, and even of his present duties, for these are necessarily in some measure affected by his ultimate destiny: and his advancement in his profession will depend on the degree in which the habit is cultivated. For as a clearer knowledge of the subject may be expected to produce a more lively faith; so, the faith, thus invigorated, will naturally evince itself in the improvement of the conduct. The apostles, we may conclude, were extraordinarily assisted in acquiring this, as they were the other qualifications of their office. But yet there is nothing in the nature of this habit that should preclude its being looked for to be gradually obtained by every Christian, under the ordinary influence of the Holy Spirit, through prayer, and a diligent use of the means by which it is properly cultivated; viz. continued devout reflection on the divine revelations, and the pursuit of holiness in thought and action.

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