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νοντες.

V. 13. "Combining with them under his direction spiritual knowledge for the spiritually-minded.”. Πνευματικοῖς πνευματικά συγκρι -The primary meaning of rvyxgvw, Schleusner tells us is, to unite or mix together; and that it is used of all things that are cemented, or which grow together naturally, or by artificial means. And this sense of the word seems to be the best for explaining this passage. It will be remembered that St. Paul is shewing that the doctrine of the Cross, though not a system of human philosophy, is, nevertheless, wisdom, or a scheme capable of being rationally proved to those who have a Christian disposition of mind, qualifying them to appreciate it; σoplay EV TOIS TEXÉIOIS, V. 6. With a view to this he says that it is wisdom, or a rational scheme emanating from the Holy Spirit, v. 10., and consequently in its nature spiritual; and that therefore to enable the apostles to understand it, it was necessary that they should be endued with a spiritual turn of mind, v. 12. This scheme thus communicated to them, they delivered to mankind, v. 13. But as it was necessary that for the understanding of it, they should have a spiritual turn of mind, it follows that it could be properly addressed only to the spirituallyminded. As however men are not naturally in that state, it was with a due regard to general instruction delivered, not in terms applicable to a spiritual state of existence, which to human wisdom would seem most proper, but in such as are agreeable to men's ordinary mode of thinking, being taken from images and notions in nature and real life. (See v. 7. n. 1.) At the same time, these terms have the spiritual meaning aptly concealed in them for the information of the spiritually-minded. And thus, the spiritual sense is united to the ordinary one, and both are made to grow together. It is from this circumstance in the mode of conveying to mankind the divine truths of the gospel, that many of the differences of opinion among Christians have arisen, since it is only as the scriptural phrases are, gradually, divested of their bodily and worldly meaning that spiritual knowledge is acquired. One of the great advantages of the Reformation was the advance which was made in this respect.

V. 14. I. "And we thus act because", dɛ.

See Mark,

ch. XVI. 8., where the conjunction de is used elliptically in a similar construction.

II. "He who considers things with a view to this life only", ψυχικός άνθρωπος. The word ψυχικος being a general term signifying animal, is applicable to all cases in which the subject relates to our animal nature; but the particular meaning in each case is regulated by the context. In the present, as it is of the capacity to understand that St. Paul is speaking, it seems most proper to consider it as alluding to the mode of thinking. It is opposed to πVEUparinos; and the word aveguros, signifying the human nature generally under our present bodily constitution, seems to be added for the purpose of increasing the contrast, and intimating that this mode of thinking is thence derived, and is that to which men are naturally inclined.

III. "Is not disposed," &c.- -Under our present constitution there is an inaptitude to spiritual meditation, which it requires considerable effort to overcome. And there is the less inclination to acquire spiritual knowledge, from its not having an immediate concern with the present state of things, in consequence of which "it seems foolishness" to him who regards things only in relation to the present life; and with his views so limited, "he cannot appre

hend it."

of

IV." Since to be rightly apprehended it must be spiritually considered”, ὅτι πνευματικως ανακρίνεται. -The verb avangivw signifies to examine into the particulars of a matter for the purpose forming an opinion, or of giving a judgment. And the words might be more literally rendered "since (in order to be able to know them) they are spiritually examined." It is obvious that, as the knowledge proceeding from the Holy Spirit is in its complete and proper sense of a spiritual nature, it cannot be understood, if considered only under notions derived from the present state of things. If this pe

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culiarity of the gospel doctrines were duly kept in mind by those who desire to understand, or to explain the scheme of redemption, it would have the effect of solving many of the difficulties, and settling many of the differences of opinion which at present exist on theological subjects.

V. 15. I. "But he who by divine influence is become spiritually-minded considers all the truths of the gospel, thus delivered under these modes of speech in their appropriate spiritual point of view, and is therefore able to apprehend them' rightly;" de TVEUματικός ανακρίνει μεν παντα. The word πνευματικως is to be understood from the last clause of the former verse, where the Apostle had said that it was only by so considering the truths of revelation that they could be known; and then the corresponding inference is to be drawn, and the sentence at length would be dɛ πνευματικός ανακρίνει μεν παντα πνευματικως, και ουτω δύναται γνωναι. And now in order to illustrate this observation of St. Paul, and to see how a spiritual mode of thinking sets the truths of the gospel in a clearer light, it may be worth while shortly to consider how one of its more abstruse doctrines would appear regarded, separately, under a natural and under a spiritual view. Let us take, for instance, that of Faith. On this head we may say, generally, that the doctrine of the gospel is that we are saved by faith in our Lord, as being essentially God, accompanied by good works, either as a necessary or a natural consequence. Now to him who views this doctrine merely according to the present constitution of our nature, it could not but appear quite unlike any thing within the range of his experience (the great criterion of his judgment), and altogether repugnant to his ordinary notions; and the consequence would be that he would reject it as absurd. But he who is desirous of taking a spiritual view of this doctrine, reflects that the Christian is destined for a spiritual state of existence, whence his future duties will acquire a new and appropriate character. Under that impression he regards the faith of a Christian as an intimate union of mind with his Lord, producing an entire dependence on him, and

thence, as a natural consequence, a resemblance to him in thought and action. And inasmuch as the human mind of our Lord is inseparably united to the divine, he observes that this devoted attachment of the Christian to his Lord is in truth a voluntary and unreserved submission to the will of God; or rather it is a restoration of the human mind to its original resemblance to the divine, the great end and purpose of the Christian dispensation, our Lord being, as to his human nature, the medium by which this is effected, and, as to his divine, the producing cause. The subject of faith thus viewed appears evidently capable of effecting its intended purpose, and so cannot fail to approve itself to his thoughts as a most reasonable means of salvation rightly adapted to our nature. This two-fold view which has been applied to the subject of faith may, in like manner, be applied to the other Christian doctrines.

II. "And at the same time, his results do not considered by any one in any other point of view." As in the former clause

require to be

AUTOS de in
Αυτος δε

of this verse

ουδενός ανακρινεται. TVεUμatinws was necessary to be supplied in order to give the full meaning of avangivat, so, here, in like manner to complete the sense of avangiveTai, the adverb oudauws seems to be understood as implied in oudavos. Since St. Paul had stated that there were two ways of considering the revealed truths of the gospel, either naturally or spiritually, he very judiciously, in order to do away the notion of there being, on this account, any uncertainty in their sense, reminds his readers that this latter way of considering the subject is conclusive, which it obviously is.

V. 16. I. "And by the Holy Spirit only could we be taught how to publish them.". This previous remark is implied in the question which immediately follows, and which is connected with the first part of v. 13., and I have accordingly marked the intermediate verses by a parenthesis. It has been before observed that the spiritual doctrines of the gospel are taught in terms taken from images, and notions in nature and real life. (See n. v. 13.) And it

is reasonable to suppose that the creation was originally formed with a view to its being made thus subservient to revelation, which opinion also I think is confirmed by scripture. But if this is the case, as the circumstance could be known only to the Holy Spirit, he only could point out the proper mode of teaching the gospel.

II. "For what man has ever known by human wisdom the design of God in the gospel dispensation, and shall therefore instruct him.” Τις γαρ εγνω νουν Κυρίου, ὃς συμβιβάσει αυτον ;-If this sentence be taken as the English translators suppose, and I think rightly, from Isaiah ch. XL. 13, then auro certainly refers to God, as I have explained it in the paraphrase.

III. "And without which knowledge they could not be rightly published?" Since it appears that the design of God was that the spiritual things of the gospel should be taught by means of images and notions taken from common life, no one, without the previous knowledge of this circumstance, could rightly publish them.

IV.

"But we thus have, through the Holy Spirit, a knowledge of the design imparted to us from Christ”, Ημεις δε νουν Χριστου εχομεν. -I apprehend that you here means the same as you Kugiou before-mentioned, and that XgioTou in the genitive, expresses the person from whom, as the source, the possession of it proceeds, and therefore that the sense literally is," but we" (the Apostles, see v. 10. n. 1.)" have the design from Christ."

CHAPTER III.

V. 1. I. "From your want of the requisite disposition of mind.” The Apostle here recurs to what he had said at v. 12. of the last chapter, of the spiritual turn of mind which is required for understanding the divine revelations.

II. "I was unable, brethren, to publish the Gospel to you as I

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