rwp - nominal

rwp@1Corinthians:16:22 @\Anathema\. The word seems a bit harsh to us, but the refusal to love Christ (\ou philei\)...the part of a nominal Christian...\anathema\ (see on ¯12:3| for this word). \Maran atha\. This Aramaic phrase means "Our Lord (\maran\) cometh (\atha\)" or, used as a proleptic perfect, "has come." It seems to be a sort of watchword (cf. strkjv@1Thessalonians:4:14ff.; strkjv@James:5:7f.; strkjv@Phillipians:4:5; strkjv@Revelation:1:7; strkjv@3:11; strkjv@22:20|), expressing the lively hope that the Lord will come. It was a curious blunder in the King James Version that connected \Maran atha\ with \Anathema\.

rwp@Acts:10:33 @{And thou hast well done that thou art come} (\su te kals epoisas paragenomenos\). "And thou didst well in coming." A regular formula for expressing thanks as in strkjv@Phillipians:4:14; strkjv@3John:1:6; strkjv@2Peter:1:19|. The participle completes the idea of \kals poie\...The Samaritans were now nominal Jews...(evangelist), was involved. It was a crisis. Cornelius reveals an open mind for the message of God through Peter. {Commanded thee} (\prostetagmena soi\). Perfect passive participle with the dative case (\soi\). Cornelius is a military man and he employs a military term (\prostass\, old word to command). He is ready for orders from the Lord.

rwp@Acts:12:23 @{Smote him} (\epataxen auton\). Effective aorist active indicative of \patass\, old verb, used already in verse 7| of gentle smiting of the angel of the Lord, here of a severe stroke of affliction. Like Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel:4:30|) pride went before a fall. He was struck down in the very zenith of his glory. {Because} (\anth' hn\). \Anti\ with the genitive of the relative pronoun, "in return for which things." He accepted the impious flattery (Hackett)...glory. He was a nominal Jew....{He was eaten of worms} (\genomenos sklkobrtos\). Ingressive aorist middle participle, "becoming worm-eaten." The compound verbal adjective (\sklx\, worm, \brtos\, eaten, from \bibrsk\) is a late word (II Macc. strkjv@9:9) of the death of Antiochus Epiphanes, used also of a tree (Theophrastus), here only in the N.T. The word \sklx\ was used of intestinal worms and Herodotus (IV. 205) describes Pheretima, Queen of Cyrene, as having swarms of worms which ate her flesh while still alive. Josephus (_Ant_. XIX. 8, 2) says that Herod Agrippa lingered for five days and says that the rotting of his flesh produced worms, an item in harmony with the narrative in Luke. Josephus gives further details, one a superstitious sight of an owl sitting on one of the ropes of the awning of the theatre while the people flattered him, an omen of his death to him. Luke puts it simply that God smote him. {Gave up the ghost} (\exepsuxen\). Effective aorist active of \ekpsuch\, to breathe out, late verb, medical term in Hippocrates, in the N.T. only in strkjv@Acts:5:5,10; strkjv@12:23|. Herod was carried out of the theatre a dying man and lingered only five days.

rwp@James:4:1 @{Whence} (\pothen\). This old interrogative adverb (here twice) asks for the origin of wars and fights. James is full of interrogatives, like all diatribes. {Wars} (\polemoi\) {--fightings} (\machai\). {War} (\polemos\, old word, strkjv@Matthew:24:6|) pictures the chronic state or campaign, while \mach\ (also old word, strkjv@2Corinthians:7:5|) presents the separate conflicts or battles in the war. Songs:James covers the whole ground by using both words. The origin of a war or of any quarrel is sometimes hard to find, but James touches the sore spot here. {Of your pleasures} (\ek tn hdonn humn\). Old word from \hdomai\. Ablative case here after \ek\, "out of your sinful, sensual lusts," the desire to get what one does not have and greatly desires. {That war} (\tn strateuomenn\). Present middle articular participle (ablative case agreeing with \hdonn\) of \strateu\, to carry on a campaign, here as in strkjv@1Peter:2:11|...seems to be addressing nominal Christians,...(\en humin\). Modern church disturbances are old enough in practice.

rwp@John:10:12 @{He that is a hireling} (\ho misthtos\). Old word from \mistho\, to hire (Matthew:20:1|) from \misthos\ (hire, wages, strkjv@Luke:10:7|), in N.T. only in this passage. Literally, "the hireling and not being a shepherd" (\ho misthtos kai ouk n poimn\). Note \ouk\ with the participle \n\ to emphasize the certainty that he is not a shepherd in contrast with \m eiserchomenos\ in verse 1| (conceived case). See same contrast in strkjv@1Peter:1:8| between \ouk idontes\ and \m horntes\. The hireling here is not necessarily the thief and robber of verses 1,8|...may conceivably be a nominal shepherd...(pastor) of the flock who serves only for the money, a sin against which Peter warned the shepherds of the flock "not for shameful gain" (1Peter:5:2|). {Whose own} (\hou idia\). Every true shepherd considers the sheep in his care "his own" (\idia\) even if he does not actually "own" them. The mere "hireling" does not feel so. {Beholdeth} (\therei\). Vivid dramatic present, active indicative of \there\, a graphic picture. {The wolf coming} (\ton lukon erchomenon\). Present middle predicate participle of \erchomai\. {Leaveth the sheep, and fleeth} (\aphisin ta probata kai pheugei\). Graphic present actives again of \aphimi\ and \pheug\. The cowardly hireling cares naught for the sheep, but only for his own skin. The wolf was the chief peril to sheep in Palestine. See strkjv@Matthew:10:6| where Jesus says: "Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves." {And the wolf snatcheth them and scattereth them} (\kai ho lukos harpazei kai skorpizei\). Vivid parenthesis in the midst of the picture of the conduct of the hireling. Bold verbs these. For the old verb \harpaz\ see strkjv@John:6:15; strkjv@Matthew:11:12|, and for \skorpiz\, late word (Plutarch) for the Attic \skedannumi\, see strkjv@Matthew:12:30|. It occurs in the vision of Ezekiel (Ezekiel:34:5|) where because of the careless shepherds "the sheep became meat to all the beasts of the field, and were scattered." Jesus uses \harpaz\ in strkjv@10:29| where no one is able "to snatch" one out of the Father's hand.

CONCORD nominal