Apostolic Doctrine - International College of the Bible

563 Pages·2006·2.61 MB·English

by  The Boss

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.