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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadJohn Bengel Commentary - 1 Corinthians 8:6 - 8:6
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1Co 8:6. Ἡμῖν) to us, believers.-ἐξ οὗ τὰ πάντα, of whom are all things) Therefore, we have one God.-τὰ πάντα, all things) by creation.-ἡμεῖς, we) believers.-εἰς αὐτὸν, unto Him) He is the end for whom believers live.-καὶ εἷς, and one) Christ, the object of divine and religious worship. The apostles also, for the purpose of avoiding the appearance of polytheism, more frequently called Christ Lord, than God, when they wrote to the Gentile churches.-Κύριος, Lord) This appellation comprehends in itself the notion of the Son of God, and therefore also of God, along with the idea of Redeemer.-διʼ οὗ, by whom) The dominion of Christ is hereby proved; by Him all things are of God.-διʼ αὐτοῦ, by Him) We come by Him, εἰς, to the Father.
7. Αλλʼ) We have γνῶσιν, knowledge; but others have it not in the same degree.-τινὲς, some) an antithesis to all, 1Co 8:1. Some, viz. the Jews, holding the idol in abomination; the Greeks regarding it with reverence, 1Co 10:32.-τοῦ εἰδώλου, of the idol) They had this feeling,[65] as if the idol were something; or at least as if the thing offered to the idol were polluted thereby.-ἓως ἄρτι, until this hour) when by this time they should have knowledge.-ὡς) as: on this depends the distinction.-μολύνεται, is defiled) a suitable expression, by a metaphor derived from flesh.-βρῶμα, food) used indefinitely, 1Co 8:13.-ἡμᾶς, us) having or not having knowledge.-οὐ παρίστησι) neither as regards pleasing Him in the judgment, nor as regards displeasing Him, πρὸς τὸ ὑστερεῖσθαι [so as to be accounted the worse for it]; συνίστημι, I commend; but the word παρίστημι occupies a middle place between a good and a bad sense, as is evident from the Ep. of Athanasius, προς ʼ Αμοῦν, where he makes this periphrasis, φυσική τις ἔκκρισις ἡμᾶς οὐ παραστήσει πρὸς τιμωρίαν.[66] So 1Co 8:10, οἰκοδομηθήσεται is used as a word in a middle sense. This is the foundation of lawful power [liberty, 1Co 8:9], ἐξονσίας; comp. δὲ in the next verse.-οὔτε-περισσεύομεν οὔτε-ὑστερούμεθα, neither are we the better; nor-are we the worse) because in both cases thanksgiving is retained, Rom 14:6.
[65] Ernesti says, Bibl. th. noviss. T. i., p. 511, that Bengel, along with Heumann, prefers the reading συνηθείᾳ in this verse to the common reading συνειδήσει, and approves of it, but without foundation. Certainly Bengel’s older margin has marked συνηθείαò with γ, the later with δ; and the Germ. Vers. has expressly printed συνειδήσει.-E. B.
[66] Any natural ejection in the animal functions will not bring us to punishment.
Tisch. prefers συνειδήσει with D (A) G Vulg. both Syr. Versions, and fg. Lachm. reads συνηθείᾳ with AB Memph.-ED.