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Apostolic Doctrine - International College of the Bible PDF

563 Pages·2006·2.61 MB·English
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Thessalonians, Corinthians, Galatians and Romans By J. W. McGARVEY and PHILIP Y. PENDLETON INTRODUCTION In presenting this third volume of THE STANDARD BIBLE COMMENTARY to the public we feel that little need be said by way of introduction. The same painstaking care and laborious research which were given to THE FOURFOLD GOSPEL have also been used in preparing this volume. It is true nearly double the number of volumes were consulted in pre- paring the former work, but numbers do not tell the whole story. The text of Paul's Epistles presents such a wilderness of exegetical difficulties that the Gospels seem a smooth and well-worked road in comparison. Moreover, the difficulties of the text are always re- flected in the comments thereon, and therefore the comments on Paul's writings are longer and more intricate than those employed in expounding the Gospels. Again, it should be noted that while the original element in THE FOURFOLD GOSPEL is large, that of this work is, of necessity, very much larger, for it was a common occurrence to find no satisfactory explana- tion, even after every available authority had been consulted, thus compelling original work. We have tried never to dodge, but always to explain, and the public owes a debt of gratitude to our publishers who made the financial sacrifice which permitted us to take the time needful for such carefulness. If the exegetical scholar finds his trained and sensitive ear offended by a roundabout rhetoric which uses many simple words where a single technical term would have better satisfied him, we beseech him to remember that this series of commentaries is writ- ten for Sunday-school workers. It is therefore void of all rhetorical ambitions, not to say vanities, and seeks only to be plain and practical—a simple exposition for busy people. Over thirty years ago Russell Errett iv INTRODUCTION directed our attention to the need of such a com- mentary, so we gratefully acknowledge that the idea did not originate with us. Numberless kind words and commendations which appeared in the press, and which came to us by mail, have encouraged us greatly, though we have been too busy to acknowledge them. It is our hope that this volume may be as helpful as the others seem to have been. PHILIP Y. PENDLETON. CONTENTS PACE. FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS INTRODUCTION ................................................................................... 1 PART FIRST. PERSONAL RELATIONS, AFFECTIONATE DESIRES AND PRAYERS. I. Salutation and Thanks for the Faith of the Thes- salonians ........................................................................... 3 II. How the Word was Preached and How Received................... 7 III. Reasons for Sending Timothy, and Joy over the Re- port He Brought................................................................... 11 PART SECOND. EXHORTATIONS, INSTRUCTION AS TO THE LORD'S COMING, FINAL EXHORTATIONS, PRAYER AND BENEDICTION. I. Sundry Exhortations ............................................................... 15 II. The Resurrection and the Lord's Coming.................................. 19 III. Closing Admonitions, Prayer and Benediction......................... 24 SECOND EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS INTRODUCTION ................................................................................... 28 I. Thanksgiving and Prayer for the Church—God's Im- partial Judgment ................................................................ 30 II. The Coming of Christ and of Antichrist.................................... 33 III. Thanksgiving, Prayer, Exhortation and Benediction... 43 FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 48 PART FIRST. APOSTOLIC RELATIONS, AND ASSERTIONS OF AUTHORITY. I. Greeting, Thanksgiving, Reproof of Divisions, Vanity of Philosophy .................................................................. 50 vi CONTENTS PAGE. II. The Gospel versus Philosophy................................................. 58 III. Supremacy of God and the Church.......................................... 62 IV. Apostolic Stewardship and Authority..................................... 67 PART SECOND. APOSTOLIC RESPONSES AND CONCLUSIONS. I.. Response to Report of Incest.................................................. 71 II. Response to Rumors of Litigation, etc...................................... 74 III. Response as to Marriage........................................................ 78 IV. Fourth Response—Concerning Idolatrous Meat..................... 85 V. Fifth Response—As to His Apostolicity.................................. 88 VI. Renewal of Response concerning Idolatrous Meat------------- 97 VII. Sixth Response—Concerning Head Costume............................ 108 VIII. Seventh Response—As to the Lord's Supper............................. 114 IX. Eighth Response—As to Spiritual Gifts................................... 119 X. As to the Supremacy of Love................................................... 127 XI. Spiritual Gifts Concluded....................................................... 133 XII. Ninth Response—As to the Resurrection.................................. 145 XIII. Concerning the Collection, Personal Matters, Saluta- tions and Benediction ......................................................... 160 SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS INTRODUCTION ................................................................................... 167 PART FIRST. PAUL'S MAINTENANCE OF HIS APOSTLESHIP. I. Thanks for Comfort—Defense as to Change of Plans.. 169 II. Explanation as to Change of Plans—As to the Inces- tuous Person—A Pean of Joy.............................................. 176 III. Apostleship above Human Commendation, and the Min- istry of Moses..................................................................... 181 IV. The Hope of Future Glory Sustains in Present Trials.. 187 V. Reconciliation, and the Ministry of Reconciliation................. 194 VI. Introduction to a Warning, and the Warning............................. 199 VII. An Appeal to be Accepted....................................................... 204 CONTENTS vii PART SECOND. PAGE. CONCERNING THE COLLECTION FOR THE JERUSALEM CHURCH. I. The Collection and the Messengers in Charge of it............................. 210 II. Exhortation to Have His Boasting Sustained.................................. 215 PART THIRD. PAUL MEASURES OR COMPARES HIMSELF WITH HIS CHIEF OPPOSERS OR OTHER DETRACTORS. I. Foes, Weapons and Measurements.............................................. 220 II. Apology for Self-condemnation, Denial of Charges and Laying of Counter Charges..................................................... 225 III. A Comparison of Labor, Signs, etc............................................. 229 IV. The Third Visit—Conclusion...................................................... 237 EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS INTRODUCTION .................................................................................... 245 PART FIRST. ARGUMENTS SUSTAINING PAUL'S GOSPEL AND APOSTOLIC OFFICE. I. Paul's Gospel and Apostleship Divinely Derived............................ 248 II. Paul's Gospel Apostolically Approved—His Equality with Peter............................................................................ 256 PART SECOND. BIBLE TEACHING AS TO FAITH. I. Justification by Faith in Christ Biblically Vindicated.. 264 II. Childhood and Manhood—Sarah and Hagar.................................. 271 PART THIRD. EXHORTATIONS TO STEADFASTNESS IN FREEDOM AND TO FAITHFULNESS. I. Exhortation to Maintain Freedom without License, and to Abstain from Legalism....................................................... 279 IT. Exhortations to Mutual Helpfulness—Right and Wrong Glorying ............................................................................ 284 x CONTENTS PART THIRD. PAGE. HORTATORY APPLICATION—VARIOUS PHASES OF FAITH-LIFE OF BELIEVER IN CHRIST. I. Basis of Faith-life Defined—It Is Sacrificial and Sancti- fied ..................................................................................... 484 II. Faith-life Operating in Church Affairs in Humility................ 490 III. Faith-life Operating in Church and Social Affairs in Love and Other Virtues....................................................... 496 IV. Faith-life Discharging Civil Duties........................................ 505 V. Faith-life Recognizing Just Rights of Others............................ 513 VI. Faith-life Finds Its Motives in Ever-impending Com- ing of the Lord..................................................................... 517 VII. Faith-life Operating in Mutual Forbearance............................. 523 PART FOURTH. EPISTOLARY CONCLUSION, CONTAINING PLANS, REQUESTS, ETC. I. The Apostle's Ministry and Plans—A Request for Prayers ............................................................................. 536 II. Commendation of Phoebe—Salutations—Warnings— Benediction,.,.,,, ................. ,,,.,.,,, ..................................... 544 FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSA- LONIANS. INTRODUCTION. On his second missionary journey Paul founded the first European church at Philippi. Continuing his journey one hundred miles farther, he came to Thessalonica, which was the capital of the second Roman district of the province of Macedonia. It was a large and important commercial city, containing much wealth and learning. To this day it is the second city in European Turkey, ranking next to Constanti- nople, and has between 75, 000 and 100, 000 inhabitants. It is now called Saloniki. When Paul entered it, A. D. 52, the Greek element preponderated, and Roman colonists were next in number. The Jews also were there, and had at least one synagogue. In this synagogue Paul and Silas and Tim- othy began their work, but after three Sabbaths they were apparently ejected from that place of worship. Then an uproar was raised by the Jews, and Paul and Silas were led out of the city by night, and conducted by brethren to Beroea. It is not unlikely that Paul was in Thessalonica longer than three weeks, for he succeeded in founding a church there before persecution compelled him to retire. Immediately south of Thessalonica were the snowclad slopes of Mount Olympus, the supposed seat of the mythical gods of Greece. The infant church was therefore not only endangered by the opposition of the Jews, but was also liable to assault on the part of the pagans, being so near one of their geographical centers. As might be expected, Paul felt keenly the perils of this small band of raw, half-instructed Christians, and (probably while in Beroea) he twice tried to return to them, but was hindered by Satan. Then trouble broke out in Beroea, and Paul was hurried off alone to Athens. Timothy, either after 2 FIRST THESSALONIANS his arrival in Athens, or probably before he left Beroea, was ordered by Paul to go and visit the church at Thessalonica, and bring him word as to its condition. From Athens Paul came to Corinth, and here was joined by Silas and Timothy, the latter bringing the apostle a fairly good report of the church at Thessalonica. Timothy, however, seems to have reported that the Thessalonians had not wholly forsaken the sensuality and covetousness which had characterized them as pagans, and Paul exhorts them to forsake these sins. Then, too, the Thessalonians had a wrong view of the second com- ing of the Lord. They expected it to take place in the near future, and had gotten the notion that only those who were alive at the Lord's coming would participate in the glories and joys of that hour. Paul corrects this idea also by showing that the resurrection of Jesus guarantees the resurrection of those who believe in him. The doctrines of the Epistle are simple and practical, for the Judaizing questions discussed in Galatians and Romans, and the Gnostic errors handled in Colossians and Ephesians, had not yet been raised. As a whole, the Epistle may be taken as an argument tending to confirm the faith of the Thessalonians in -the divine origin of the gospel. That the gospel is of God is shown in four ways: i. It had been attested by miracles. 2. It had been preached to the disadvantage of its ministers and despite bitter opposi- tion. 3. It set forth precepts the sanctity of which were worthy of heaven. 4. Its author was divine, having risen from the dead and become the author of the resurrection. On his third journey Paul must have visited Thessalonica fre- quently, and these visits, together with his Epistles, were not without their fruits, for Thessalonica was for centuries the bulwark of Christian faith in the East, and long resisted the invading forces of the Mohammedans. When word went forth in A. D. 1430 that Thessalonica had fallen, all Christen- dom was dismayed.

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