NONE.filter - rwp dwells:

rwp@1Corinthians:3:17 @{Destroyeth} (\phtheirei\). The outward temple is merely the symbol of God's presence, the Shechinah (the Glory). God makes his home in the hearts of his people or the church in any given place like Corinth. It is a terrible thing to tear down ruthlessly a church or temple of God like an earthquake that shatters a building in ruins. This old verb \phtheir\ means to corrupt, to deprave, to destroy. It is a gross sin to be a church-wrecker. There are actually a few preachers who leave behind them ruin like a tornado in their path. {Him shall God destroy} (\phtherei touton ho theos\). There is a solemn repetition of the same verb in the future active indicative. The condition is the first class and is assumed to be true. Then the punishment is certain and equally effective. The church-wrecker God will wreck. What does Paul mean by "will destroy"? Does he mean punishment here or hereafter? May it not be both? Certainly he does not mean annihilation of the man's soul, though it may well include eternal punishment. There is warning enough here to make every pastor pause before he tears a church to pieces in order to vindicate himself. {Holy} (\hagios\). Hence deserves reverential treatment. It is not the building or house of which Paul speaks as "the sanctuary of God" (\ton naon tou theou\), but the spiritual organization or organism of God's people in whom God dwells, "which temple ye are" (\hoitines este humeis\). The qualitative relative pronoun \hoitines\ is plural to agree with \humeis\ (ye) and refers to the holy temple just mentioned. The Corinthians themselves in their angry disputes had forgotten their holy heritage and calling, though this failing was no excuse for the ringleaders who had led them on. In strkjv@6:19| Paul reminds the Corinthians again that the body is the temple (\naos\, sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit, which fact they had forgotten in their immoralities.

rwp@1Corinthians:6:13 @{But God shall bring to nought both it and them} (\ho de theos kai tautn kai tauta katargsei\). Another proverb about the adaptation of the belly (\koilia\) and food (\brmata\, not just flesh), which had apparently been used by some in Corinth to justify sexual license (fornication and adultery). These Gentiles mixed up matters not alike at all (questions of food and sensuality). " We have traces of this gross moral confusion in the circumstances which dictated the Apostolic Letter (Acts:15:23-29|), where things wholly diverse are combined, as directions about meats to be avoided and a prohibition of fornication" (Lightfoot). Both the belly (\tautn\) and the foods (\tauta\) God will bring to an end by death and change. {But the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body} (\to de sma ou ti porneii alla ti kurii, kai ho kurios ti smati\). Paul here boldly shows the fallacy in the parallel about appetite of the belly for food. The human body has a higher mission than the mere gratification of sensual appetite. Sex is of God for the propagation of the race, not for prostitution. Paul had already stated that God dwells in us as the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit (3:16f.|). This higher function of the body he here puts forward against the debased Greek philosophy of the time which ignored completely Paul's idea, "the body for the Lord and the Lord for the body" (dative of personal interest in both cases). "The Lord Jesus and \porneia\ contested for the bodies of Christian men; loyal to him they must renounce _that_, yielding to _that_ they renounce him" (Findlay).

rwp@1Corinthians:6:19 @{Your body is a temple} (\to sma humn naos estin\). A sanctuary as in strkjv@3:16| which see. Our spirits dwell in our bodies and the Holy Spirit dwells in our spirits. Some of the Gnostics split hairs between the sins of the body and fellowship with God in the spirit. Paul will have none of this subterfuge. One's body is the very shrine for the Holy Spirit. In Corinth was the temple to Aphrodite in which fornication was regarded as consecration instead of desecration. Prostitutes were there as priestesses of Aphrodite, to help men worship the goddess by fornication. {Ye are not your own} (\ouk este heautn\). Predicate genitive. Ye do not belong to yourselves, even if you could commit fornication without personal contamination or self-violation. Christianity makes unchastity dishonour in both sexes. There is no double standard of morality. Paul's plea here is primarily to men to be clean as members of Christ's body.

rwp@1John:1:7 @{If we walk} (\ean peripatmen\). Condition of third class also with \ean\ and present active subjunctive (keep on walking in the light with God). {As he} (\hs autos\). As God is light (verse 5|) and dwells in light unapproachable (1Timothy:6:16|). {One with another} (\met' allln\). As he has already said in verse 3|. But we cannot have fellowship with one another unless we have it with God in Christ, and to do that we must walk in the light with God. {And the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin} (\kai to haima Isou tou huiou autou katharizei hms apo pss hamartias\). This clause with \kai\ in true Johannine style is coordinate with the preceding one. Walking in the light with God makes possible fellowship with one another and is made possible also by the blood of Jesus (real blood and no mere phantom, atoning blood of the sinless Son of God for our sins). John is not ashamed to use this word. It is not the mere "example" of Jesus that "cleanses" us from sin. It does cleanse the conscience and life and nothing else does (Hebrews:9:13f.; strkjv@Titus:2:14|). See in verse 9| both forgiveness and cleansing. Cf. strkjv@1John:3:3|.

rwp@2Corinthians:3:17 @{Now the Lord is the Spirit} (\ho de Kurios to pneuma estin\). Some, like E. F. Scott (_The Spirit in the N.T._), take \Kurios\ here to be Christ and interpret Paul as denying the personality of the Holy Spirit, identifying Christ and the Holy Spirit. But is not Bernard right here in taking \Kurios\ (Lord) in the same sense here as in strkjv@Exodus:34:34| (\enanti Kuriou\, before the Lord), the very passage that Paul is quoting? Certainly, the Holy Spirit is interchangeably called in the N.T. the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ (Romans:8:9f.|). Christ dwells in us by the Holy Spirit, but the language here in strkjv@2Corinthians:3:17| should not be pressed unduly (Plummer. See also P. Gardner, _The Religious Experience of St. Paul_, p. 176f.). Note "the Spirit of the Lord" here. {Liberty} (\eleutheria\). Freedom of access to God without fear in opposition to the fear in strkjv@Exodus:34:30|. We need no veil and we have free access to God.

rwp@Acts:17:28 @{For in him} (\en auti gar\). Proof of God's nearness, not stoic pantheism, but real immanence in God as God dwells in us. The three verbs (\zmen, kinoumetha, esmen\) form an ascending scale and reach a climax in God (life, movement, existence). \Kinoumetha\ is either direct middle present indicative (we move ourselves) or passive (we are moved). {As certain even of your own poets} (\hs kai tines tn kath' hums poitn\). "As also some of the poets among you." Aratus of Soli in Cilicia (ab. B.C. 270) has these very words in his _Ta Phainomena_ and Cleanthes, Stoic philosopher (300-220 B.C.) in his _Hymn to Zeus_ has \Ek sou gar genos esmen\. In strkjv@1Corinthians:15:32| Paul quotes from Menander and in strkjv@Titus:1:12| from Epimenides. J. Rendel Harris claims that he finds allusions in Paul's Epistles to Pindar, Aristophanes, and other Greek writers. There is no reason in the world why Paul should not have acquaintance with Greek literature, though one need not strain a point to prove it. Paul, of course, knew that the words were written of Zeus (Jupiter), not of Jehovah, but he applies the idea in them to his point just made that all men are the offspring of God.

rwp@Colossians:2:9 @{For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily} (\hoti en auti katoikei pn to plrma ts theottos smatiks\). In this sentence, given as the reason (\hoti\, because) for the preceding claim for Christ as the measure of human knowledge Paul states the heart of his message about the Person of Christ. There dwells (at home) in Christ not one or more aspects of the Godhead (the very \essence\ of God, from \theos, deitas\) and not to be confused with \theiotes\ in strkjv@Romans:1:20| (from \theios\, the {quality} of God, _divinitas_), here only in N.T. as \theiots\ only in strkjv@Romans:1:20|. The distinction is observed in Lucian and Plutarch. \Theiots\ occurs in the papyri and inscriptions. Paul here asserts that "all the \plrma\ of the Godhead," not just certain aspects, dwells in Christ and in bodily form (\smatiks\, late and rare adverb, in Plutarch, inscription, here only in N.T.), dwells now in Christ in his glorified humanity (Phillipians:2:9-11|), "the body of his glory" (\ti smati ts doxs\). The fulness of the God-head was in Christ before the Incarnation (John:1:1,18; strkjv@Phillipians:2:6|), during the Incarnation (John:1:14,18; strkjv@1John:1:1-3|). It was the Son of God who came in the likeness of men (Phillipians:2:7|). Paul here disposes of the Docetic theory that Jesus had no human body as well as the Cerinthian separation between the man Jesus and the aeon Christ. He asserts plainly the deity and the humanity of Jesus Christ in corporeal form.

rwp@Hebrews:3:11 @{As I sware} (\hs mosa\). "Correlating the oath and the disobedience" (Vincent). First aorist active indicative of \omnu\, old verb for solemn oath (6:13|). {They shall not enter} (\ei eiseleusontai\). Future middle of \eiserchomai\ with \ei\ as an anacoluthon for the Hebrew _im_ (not). Really it is a condition of the first class with the conclusion not expressed, common in the LXX as here (Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 1024). {Into my rest} (\eis tn katapausin mou\). Old word from \katapau\ (Hebrews:4:8|), to give rest, in LXX, in N.T. only in strkjv@Acts:7:49; strkjv@Hebrews:3:11-4:11|. Primarily the rest in Canaan and then the heavenly rest in which God dwells.

rwp@Revelation:2:12 @{In Pergamum} (\en Pergami\). In a north-easterly direction from Smyrna in the Caicus Valley, some fifty-five miles away, in Mysia, on a lofty hill, a great political and religious centre. Ramsay (_Op. cit._, p. 281) calls it "the royal city, the city of authority." Eumenes II (B.C. 197-159) extended it and embellished it with many great buildings, including a library with 200,000 volumes, second only to Alexandria. The Kingdom of Pergamum became a Roman province B.C. 130. Pliny termed it the most illustrious city of Asia. Parchment (\charta Pergamena\) derived its name from Pergamum. It was a rival of Ephesus in the temples to Zeus, Athena, Dionysos, in the great grove Nicephorium (the glory of the city). Next to this was the grove and temple of Asklepios, the god of healing, called the god of Pergamum, with a university for medical study. Pergamum was the first city in Asia (A.D. 29) with a temple for the worship of Augustus (Octavius Caesar). Hence in the Apocalypse Pergamum is a very centre of emperor-worship "where Satan dwells" (2:13|). Here also the Nicolaitans flourished (2:15|) as in Ephesus (2:6|) and in Thyatira (2:20f.|). Like Ephesus this city is called temple-sweeper (\nekoros\) for the gods. {The sharp two-edged sword} (\tn romphaian tn distomon tn oxeian\). This item repeated from strkjv@1:16| in the same order of words with the article three times (the sword the two-mouthed the sharp) singling out each point.

rwp@Revelation:2:13 @{Where} (\pou--hopou\). \Pou\ is interrogative adverb used here in an indirect question as in strkjv@John:1:39|. \Hopou\ is relative adverb referring to \pou\. Satan's throne (\ho thronos tou Satan\). Satan not simply resided in Pergamum, but his "throne" or seat of power of king or judge (Matthew:19:28; strkjv@Luke:1:32,52|). The symbol of Asklepios was the serpent as it is of Satan (12:9; strkjv@20:2|). There was, besides, a great throne altar to Zeus cut on the Acropolis rock, symbol of "rampant paganism" (Swete) and the new Caesar-worship with the recent martyrdom of Antipas made Pergamum indeed a very throne of Satan. {Holdest fast my name} (\krateis to onoma sou\). Present active indicative of \krate\, "dost keep on holding," as in strkjv@2:25, strkjv@3:11|. This church refused to say \Kurios Kaisar\ (_Martyrd. Polyc_. 8f.) and continued to say \Kurios Isous\ (1Corinthians:12:3|). They stood true against the emperor-worship. {Didst not deny} (\ouk rns\). First aorist middle second person singular of \arneomai\. Reference to a specific incident not known to us. {My faith} (\tn pistin mou\). Objective genitive, "thy faith in me." {Of Antipas} (\Antipas\). Indeclinable in this form. It is possible that \Antipa\ (genitive) was really written, though unimportant as the nominative follows in apposition. Nothing is really known of this early martyr in Pergamum before the writing of the Apocalypse. One legend is that he was burnt to death in a brazen bull. Other martyrs followed him at Pergamum (Agathonice, Attalus, Carpus, Polybus). {My witness} (\ho martus mou\). Nominative in apposition with a genitive as in strkjv@1:5| (with ablative), common solecism in the Apocalypse. "Witness" as Jesus had said they should be (Acts:1:8|) and Stephen was (Acts:22:20|) and others were (Revelation:17:6|). The word later (by third century) took on the modern meaning of martyr. {My faithful one} (\ho pistos mou\). Nominative also, with \mou\ also. Jesus gives Antipas his own title (Swete) as in strkjv@1:5; strkjv@3:14|. Faithful unto death. {Was killed} (\apektanth\). First aorist passive indicative of \apoktein\, this passive form common in the Apocalypse (?2:13; strkjv@6:11; strkjv@5:9,13; strkjv@13:10,15; 18, 20; strkjv@19:21?). {Among you} (\par humin\). By your side. Proof of the throne of Satan, "where Satan dwells" (\hopou ho Satans katoikei\), repeated for emphasis.

rwp@Revelation:12:14 @{There were given} (\edothsan\). As in strkjv@8:2; strkjv@9:1,3|. {The two wings of the great eagle} (\hai duo pteruges tou aetou tou megalou\). Not the eagle of strkjv@8:13|, but the generic use of the article. Every eagle had two wings. Probably here, as in strkjv@Matthew:24:28|, the griffon or vulture rather than the true eagle is pictured. For the eagle in the O.T. see strkjv@Exodus:19:4; strkjv@Isaiah:40:31; strkjv@Job:9:26; strkjv@Proverbs:24:54|. {That she might fly} (\hina pettai\). Purpose clause with \hina\ and present middle subjunctive of \petomai\, old verb, to fly, in N.T. only in the Apocalypse (4:7; strkjv@8:13; strkjv@12:14; strkjv@14:6; strkjv@19:17|). Resumption of the details in verse 6| (which see) about the "wilderness," her "place," the redundant \ekei\ with \hopou\, the "time and times, and half a time" (\kairon kai kairous kai hmisu\), 1260 days, but with \trephetai\ (present passive indicative) instead of \trephsin\ (general plural of the present active subjunctive), and with the addition of "from the face of the serpent" (\apo prospou tou ophes\), because the serpent rules the earth for that period. "To the end of the present order the Church dwells in the wilderness" (Swete), and yet we must carry on for Christ.

rwp@Revelation:14:17 @{He also} (\kai autos\). As well as the Reaper on the cloud. This is the fifth angel who is God's messenger from heaven (temple where God dwells). This fifth angel with his sharp sickle is to gather the vintage (18-20|) as Christ did the wheat.

rwp@Revelation:21:1 @{A new heaven and a new earth} (\ouranon kainon kai gn kainn\). This new vision (\eidon\) is the picture of the bliss of the saints. {The first heaven and the first earth} (\ho prtos ouranos kai h prt g\) {are passed away} (\aplthan\, went away, second aorist active indicative of \aperchomai\). "Fled away" (\ephugen\) in strkjv@20:11|. {And the sea is no more} (\kai h thalassa ouk estin eti\). The sea had given up its dead (20:13|). There were great risks on the sea (18:17ff.|). The old physical world is gone in this vision. It is not a picture of renovation of this earth, but of the disappearance of this earth and sky (not heaven where God dwells). It is a glorious picture here in strkjv@21:1-8| in sharp contrast to the lake of fire in strkjv@20:11-15|. The symbolism in neither case is to be pressed too literally, but a stern and a glorious reality exists behind it all.