Rom 16:25, 1Cor 2:10, 14:6, Eph 3:5 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 25. Now to him . This and the two following verses are found in many manuscripts at the close of the fourteenth chapter. Its proper place, however, is here; and the apostle thus concludes the whole epistle with an ascription of praise. To him , etc. To God; be glory, . Is of power . Greek, Is able; who has power, , "Now unto him that is able to keep you from failing," etc. God only can keep Christians in the path of salvation; and it was well to bring that truth prominently into view at the close of the epistle. To stablish you . To strengthen and confirm you. According to my Gospel . According to the gospel which I preach; the doctrines which I have been defending in this epistle. It is called his gospel, not because he was the author of it, or because others did not preach it also, but because he had been particularly defending it in this epistle. The doctrines which he had advanced were just those which were fitted to strengthen and confirm them--the doctrine of justification, of election, of perseverance, and of the protection and favour of God to both Jews and Gentiles. These were the doctrines which he had defended; and it might easily be shown that these are the doctrines that give stability to the Christian faith, hope, and love. And the preaching of Jesus Christ . Not his personal preaching; but according to that preaching of which Christ is the author and the subject; and particularly, as the following clause shows, to the doctrines by which the partition between the Jews and the Gentiles was broken down, and by which they were admitted to the same privileges and hopes. According to the revelation . According to the communication of that which has been so long concealed, but which is now made manifest. The word revelation , refers to the publication of the plan by the gospel. Of the mystery . The word mystery means, properly, that which is hidden or concealed , and is thus applied to any doctrine which was not before known. It does not mean necessarily that which is unintelligible ; but that which had not been before revealed. . The word here seems to refer to the principal doctrines of the gospel; its main truths, which had been concealed, especially from the entire Gentile world, but which were now made known. Which was kept secret. Which was kept in silence, Greek, (σεσιγημενου) were not divulged or proclaimed. Since the world began . In all past times. This refers particularly to the Gentiles. The Jews had some obscure intimations of these truths, but they were now made known to all the world. The phrase "since the world began" is, in Greek, "in eternal times;" that is, in all past times; or, as we should say, they have been always concealed. (j) "to him that is of power" (k) "revelation of the mystery"

Romans 16:25

Verse 25. Now to him. This and the two following verses are found in many manuscripts at the close of the fourteenth chapter. Its proper place, however, is here; and the apostle thus concludes the whole epistle with an ascription of praise.

To him, etc. To God; be glory, Rom 16:20.

Is of power. Greek, Is able; who has power, Eph 3:20; Jude 1:24, "Now unto him that is able to keep you from failing," etc. God only can keep Christians in the path of salvation; and it was well to bring that truth prominently into view at the close of the epistle.

To stablish you. To strengthen and confirm you.

According to my Gospel. According to the gospel which I preach; the doctrines which I have been defending in this epistle. It is called his gospel, not because he was the author of it, or because others did not preach it also, but because he had been particularly defending it in this epistle. The doctrines which he had advanced were just those which were fitted to strengthen and confirm them--the doctrine of justification, of election, of perseverance, and of the protection and favour of God to both Jews and Gentiles. These were the doctrines which he had defended; and it might easily be shown that these are the doctrines that give stability to the Christian faith, hope, and love.

And the preaching of Jesus Christ. Not his personal preaching; but according to that preaching of which Christ is the author and the subject; and particularly, as the following clause shows, to the doctrines by which the partition between the Jews and the Gentiles was broken down, and by which they were admitted to the same privileges and hopes.

According to the revelation. According to the communication of that which has been so long concealed, but which is now made manifest. The word revelation, refers to the publication of the plan by the gospel.

Of the mystery. The word mystery means, properly, that which is hidden or concealed, and is thus applied to any doctrine which was not before known. It does not mean necessarily that which is unintelligible; but that which had not been before revealed. Mt 13:11. The word here seems to refer to the principal doctrines of the gospel; its main truths, which had been concealed, especially from the entire Gentile world, but which were now made known.

Which was kept secret. Which was kept in silence, Greek, (σεσιγημενου) were not divulged or proclaimed.

Since the world began. In all past times. This refers particularly to the Gentiles. The Jews had some obscure intimations of these truths, but they were now made known to all the world. The phrase "since the world began" is, in Greek, "in eternal times;" that is, in all past times; or, as we should say, they have been always concealed.

(j) "to him that is of power" Eph 3:20, Jude 1:24 (k) "revelation of the mystery" Eph 1:9, Col 1:26,27

1 Corinthians 2:10

Verse 10. But God hath revealed them. That is, those elevated views and enjoyments to which men everywhere else had been strangers, and which have been under all other forms of religion unknown, have been communicated to us by the revelation of God. This verse commences the third part of this chapter, in which the apostle shows how these truths, so full of wisdom, had been communicated to Christians. It had not been by any native endowments of theirs; not by any strength of faculties or powers, but solely by revelation from God.

Unto us. That is, first to the apostles; secondly, to all Christians--to the church and the world through their inspired instructors; and, thirdly, to all Christians, by the illuminating agency of the Spirit on their hearts. The connexion shows that he did not mean to confine this declaration to the apostles merely, for his design was to show that all Christians had this knowledge of the true wisdom. It was true that this was revealed in an eminent manner to the apostles, and through their inspired preaching and writings; but it is also true, that the same truths are communicated by the agency of the same Spirit to all Christians, Jn 16:12-14. No truth is now communicated to Christians which was not revealed to and by the inspired writers; but the same truths are imparted by means of their writings, and by the illumination of the Spirit, to all the true friends of God.

By his Spirit. By the Holy Spirit, that was promised by the Saviour, Jn 14:26, 15:26,27, 16:7-14. This proves,

(1.) that men by nature are not able to discover the deep things of God--the truths which are needful to salvation,

(2.) That the apostles were inspired by the Holy Ghost; and if so, then the Scriptures are inspired.

(3.) That all Christians are the subjects of the teaching of the Holy Spirit; that these truths are made known to them by his illumination; and that but for this, they would remain in the same darkness as other men.

For the Spirit. The Holy Spirit, or the Spirit of God. 1Cor 2:11.

Searcheth. This word does not fully express the force of the original, ερευνα. It means to search accurately, diligently, so as fully to understand; such profound research as to have thorough knowledge. So David uses the Hebrew word in Ps 139:1. So the word is used to denote a careful and accurate investigation of secret and obscure things, in 1Pet 1:11. Comp. Jn 7:52; Rom 8:27, Rev 2:23, where it is used to denote that profound and accurate search by which the desires and feelings of the heart are known--implying the most profound knowledge of which we can have any conception. See Prov 20:27. Here it means, that the Holy Spirit has an intimate knowledge of all things. It is not to be supposed that he searches or inquires as men do who are ignorant: but that he has an intimate and profound knowledge, such as is usually the result of a close and accurate search. The result is what the apostle means to state--the accurate, profound, and thorough knowledge, such as usually attends research. He does not state the mode in which it is obtained; but the fact. And he uses a word more emphatic than simple knowledge, because he designs to indicate that his knowledge is profound, entire, and thorough.

All things. All subjects; all laws; all events; all beings.

The deep things of God. He has a thorough knowledge of the hidden counsels or purposes of God; of all his plans and purposes. He sees all his designs. He sees all his counsels; all his purposes in regard to the government of the universe, and the scheme of salvation. He knows all whom God designs to save; he sees all that they need; and he sees how the plan of God is fitted to their salvation. This passage proves,

(1.) that the Spirit is, in some respects, distinct from the Father, or from him who is here called God. Else how could he be said to search all things, even the deep purposes of God? To search implies action, thought, personality. An attribute of God cannot be said to search. How could it be said of the justice, the goodness, the power, or the wisdom of God, that it searches, or acts? To search, is the action of an intelligent agent, and cannot be performed by an attribute.

(2.) The Spirit is omniscient. He searches or clearly understands "all things"--the very definition of omniscience. He understands all the profound plans and counsels of God. And how can there be a higher demonstration of omniscience than to know God? But if omniscient, the Holy Spirit is Divine--for this is one of the incommunicable attributes of God, 1Chr 28:9, Ps 139:1, Jer 17:10;

(3.) He is not a distinct being from God. There is a union between him and God, such as may be compared to the union between a man and his soul, 1Cor 2:11. God is one; and though he subsists as Father, Son, and Spirit, yet he is one God, De 6:4. This passage is, therefore, a very important and a decisive one, in regard to the personality and divinity of the Holy Spirit.

(b) "but God" Jn 16:13 (c) "deep things of God" Rom 11:33

1 Corinthians 14:6

Verse 6. Now, brethren, if I come unto you, etc. The truth which the apostle had been illustrating in an abstract manner, he proceeds to illustrate by applying it to himself, If he should come among them speaking foreign languages, it could be of no use unless it were interpreted to them.

Speaking with tongues. Speaking foreign languages; that is, speaking them only, without any interpreter. Paul had the power of speaking foreign languages, (1Cor 14:18); but he did not use this power for ostentation or display, but merely to communicate the gospel to those who did not understand his native tongue.

Either by revelation. Macknight renders this, "speak INTELLIGIBLY;" that is, as he explains it, "by the revelation peculiar to an apostle." Doddridge, "by the revelation of some gospel doctrine re and mystery." Locke interprets it, that you might understand the revelation, or knowledge," etc.; but says in a note, that we cannot now certainly understand the difference between the meaning of the four words here used. "It is sufficient," says he, "to know that these terms stand for some intelligible discourse tending to the edification of the church." Rosenmuller supposes the word revelation stands for some "clear and open knowledge of any truth arising from meditation." It is probable that the word here does not refer to Divine inspiration, as it usually does, but that it stands opposed to that which is unknown and unintelligible, as that which is revealed αποκαλυψις stands opposed to what is unknown, concealed, hidden, obscure. Here, therefore, it is synonymous, perhaps, with explained. "What shall it profit, unless that which I speak be brought out of the obscurity and darkness of a foreign language, and uncovered or explained?" The original sense of the word revelation here is, I suppose, intended, (αποκαλυψις, from αποκαλυπτω, to uncover;) and means, that the sense should be uncovered, i.e., explained, or what was spoken could not be of value.

Or by knowledge. By making it intelligible. By so explaining it as to make it understood. Knowledge here stands opposed to the ignorance and obscurity which would attend a communication in a foreign language.

Or by prophesying. 1Cor 14:1. That is, unless it be communicated, through interpretation, in the manner in which the prophetic teachers spoke; that is, made intelligible, and explained, and actually brought down to the usual characteristics of communications made in their own language.

Or by doctrine? By teaching, (διδαχη.) By instruction; in the usual mode of plain and familiar instruction. The sense of this passage, therefore, is clear. Though Paul should utter among them, as he had abundant ability to do, the most weighty and important truths, yet, unless he interpreted what he said in a manner clear from obscurity, like revelation; or intelligibly, and so as to constitute knowledge; or in the manner that the prophets spoke, in a plain and intelligible manner; or in the manner usual in simple and plain instruction, it would be useless to them. The perplexities of commentators may be seen stated in Locke, Bloomfield, and Doddridge.

(+) "tongues" "different languages" (b) "revelation" 1Cor 14:26

Ephesians 3:5

Verse 5. Which in other ages. The great purposes of God in regard to the salvation of mankind were not revealed. Rom 16:25.

And prophets. Those who exercised the office of a prophet or inspired teacher in the Christian church. 1Cor 12:1.

By the Spirit. This proves that those who exercised the office of prophet in the Christian church were inspired. They were persons endowed in this manner for the purpose of imparting to the newly-formed churches the doctrines of the Christian system. There is no evidence that this was designed to be a permanent order of men in the church. They were necessary for settling the church on a permanent basis, in the absence of a full written revelation, and when the apostles were away. When the volume of revelation was finished, and the doctrines of the gospel were fully understood, the functions of the office ceased.

(b) "made known" Mt 13:17, Rom 16:25, 1Pet 1:10-12