and envy, hateful and hating one another. 4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, εν κακια και φθονῳ διαγοντες, ζυγητοι, μισούντες αλ ληλους. 4 Ότε δε ἡ χρηςότης και ἡ φιλανθρωπια επεφανη του σωτηρος ήμων Θεον, 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the - ελεον εσωσεν ἡμας, δια λου washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy 5 Ουκ εξ έργων των εν δικαιοσύνῃ ὧν εποιησαμεν ἡμεις, αλλα κατα τον αυτου Ghost ; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; του παλιγγενεσίας, και ανα- tioned, ver. 6. Jerome, Estius, the author of Misc. Sacra, and Benson, are of opinion that the character of the believing Jews before their conversion is described here; and among the rest the character of the apostle himself. But any reader who compares what he says of his own behaviour in his un. converted state, Acts xxiii. 1. Gal. i. 14. 2 Tim. i. 3. will hardly think the apostle speaks of himself. Only, being about to say things disagreeable to the Jews, he classed himself with them, according to his custom, to prevent their being offended with him. See 1 Thess. iv. 15. note.-The sentiment in this passage is beautiful; namely, that the recollection of our own faults ought to make us equitable in judging of the faults of others, and prevent us from passing severe sentences on them when they fall into sin. Ver. 4.1, of God our Saviour. That the Father is here called God our Saviour is evident from ver. 6. where the same person is said to have poured out the Holy Ghost richly on the Jews through Jesus Christ our Saviour. The title of our Saviour, justly belongs to the Father because he formed the scheme of our salvation, and sent his Son into the world to accomplish it: John iii. 16. Rom. v. 8. 1 John iv. 9. on which account the title of Saviour is given to the Son likewise. Ver. 5.-1. He saved us. The word saved in scripture doth not always denote eternal salvation; but it signifies, sometimes the knowledge of salvation, Rom. xiii. 11. note 2. and sometimes the obtaining the means of salvation: See Rom. xi. 26. note 1. Here saved us, signifies delivered us from the miserable and wicked state in which we were living, before we believed the gospel. This deliverance is called justification, ver. 7. See the note there. the tradition of the fathers, disobedient to God, erring from the truth, slavishly serving diverse inordinate desires and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hated by the Gentiles, and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and philanthropy of God our Saviour, (EQave), chap. ii. 11. note 2.) shone forth to all mankind through the preaching of the gospel, 5 He saved us Jews from the miserable and wicked state in which were living, not on account of any works of righteousness which we had done under the law to merit such a deliverance, but in prosecution of his own merciful purpose, which he accomplished through the bath (adyVEVEGIAs) of regeneration, and (avanavwrews) the renewing of the Holy Ghost, 6 Which he poured out on us richly, in his various gifts at our conversion, through Jesus Christ our Saviour, who procured these gifts for men: 2. Through the bath of regeneration: Through baptism; called the bath of regeneration, not because any change in the nature of the baptized person is produced by baptism, but because it is an emblem of the purification of his soul from sin. Hence Ananias, in allusion to the emblematical meaning of baptism, said to our apostle, Acts xxii. 16. Arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins: Be baptized in token of thy resolution to forsake thy sins, and among the rest thy sin in persecuting the disciples of Jesus. In the term regeneration, when joined with baptism, there is an allusion to the phraseology of the Jewish doctors, who, when they admitted a proselyte into their church by baptism, always spake of him as one born again. Nevertheless the real change in the nature of a believer, which entitles him to be called a son of God, is not effected by baptism, but by the renewing of the Holy Ghost, mentioned in the next clause. Hence our Lord, whom the apostle hath followed here, joined the two together, in his discourse to Nicodemus, John iii. 5. Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 3. And renewing of the Holy Ghost. The gift of the Holy Ghost, which 7 That, being justified by his grace, we should ἵνα δικαιωθεντες τη εκείνου χαριτι, κληρονομοι be made heirs according γενώμεθα κατ' ελπιδα ζωης to the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou afirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works: these things are good and profitable unto men. on some occasions was shed down on the believing Jews and Gentiles from heaven, and on others, was imparted to them by the imposition of the apostle's hands, is with great propriety called the renewing of the Holy Ghost, because by that gift, their belief of the divine original of the gospel was greatly strengthened; so that the doctrines of the gospel, thus confirmed, must have had a powerful influence in producing such a change in their dispositions, as made them new creatures. Ver. 6.-1. Which he poured out on us. Since in the preceding verse, the Holy Ghost, signifies the gift of the Holy Ghost, I have retained the common translation of the relative ou, namely, which, to shew, that what is said to have been poured out, was the gift, not the person, of the Holy Ghost.-When the phrase, poured out, is used in scripture, to signify the communication of the spiritual gifts, it denotes that these gifts were imparted, not by the imposition of the hands of men, but immediately from heaven, accompanied with some visible sign or token; of which we have instances, Acts ii. 2, 3, 4 and x. 44.—Seeing the apostle speaks of himself here as one of those on whom the Holy Ghost was poured out, we are warranted to believe that he received the gift of the Holy Ghost by an immediate illapse from heaven, and not by the imposition of the hands of Ananias; and that Ananias's words to Saul, Acts ix. 17. The Lord Jesus bath sent me that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, though preceded by putting his hands on the apostle, do not mean that Ananias was sent to communicate the Holy Ghost to him by the imposition of his hands: For, in that case Paul could not have said, 2 Cor. xi. 5. I am in nothing behind the very greatest of the apostles. But, his meaning is, that he was sent to restore Saul's sight, and to baptize him, that after his baptism he might be filled with the gifts of the Holy Ghost immediately from heaven, accom. panied with the usual sensible sign, which Saul, having recovered his sight, was to see. Agreeably to this account of the matter, in Christ's commis. sion to Ananias, Acts ix. 12. no mention is made of his communicating the Holy Ghost to Saul, but only of his putting his hands on him that he might 7 That being delivered by the mere favour of God, from the wickedness and misery of our former state, we might be made children and heirs, agreeably to the hope of eternal life given us by the promise of God. 8 This doctrine, that men are justified and made heirs merely by God's grace, is true: Yet concerning these heirs I command thee strongly to affirm, That they who have believed in God should take care to promote good works. These are the things honourable and profitable to men: They are good for others, as making them. happy; and most profitable to one's self, as productive of happiness both here and hereafter. receive his sight: neither is any thing else mentioned by the apostle himself, Acts xxii. 13. 16. Ver. 7.-1. Being justified. Concerning the forensic sense of the terms justify and justification. See Rom. ii. 13. note 2. The word justify, signifies likewise to deliver one from evil, Rom. iv. 25. note 2. 2. By his grace. As the pronoun used in this passage is not the relative OUTS, but the demonstrative «uv8, which commonly denotes the remote antecedent, it is probable that the grace, not of Christ, who is last mentioned, but of God, who is mentioned ver. 4. is meant. By ascribing men's justification to the grace of God, the apostle did not mean to insinuate that good works are not necessary to justification. For he tells us, chap. ii. 12. that the grace of God which bringeth salvation teacheth us to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. Ver. 8.-1. That they who have believed in God, 'O TEISEUROTES. They whe have believed, and who continue to believe; according to the known use of the preterite tenses, Ess. iv. 10. 2. Take care to promote good works. Пgosadai xaxav gyav, literally to preside over good works; that is, to practise them ourselves, and by our example and exhortation to encourage others to practise them, and to argue in their defence, against those who speak of them slightingly as not necessary to salvation.-In this, as in other places of scripture, good works signify virtuous actions in general, but especially charitable and beneficent actions. Thus, Matt. v. 16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works.—John x. 33. For a good work we stone thee not.—1 Tim. v. 10. Borne witness to for good works; That she hath brought up children; That she hath lodged strangers; That she hath washed the saint's feet; That she bath relieved the afflicted; That she hath diligently followed every good 9 But avoid foolish 9 Μωρας δε ζητήσεις, και questions, and genealo- γενεαλογίας, και έρεις, gies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. 10 A man that is an he retic, after the first and second admonition, reject; μαχας νομικάς, περιςάσο εισι γαρ ανωφελεις, και μα ταιοί. 10 Αἱρετικον ανθρωπον, μετα μιαν και δευτέραν νουπεσίαν, παραιτου. work.-1 Tim. vi. 18. That they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, &c.— What a blessing, as Benson observes, would the ministers of the gospel be to the world, if all of them were careful strongly and often to urge their peo. ple to good works, and were themselves examples of such works!-We have the phrase, xuñæv igjwv wg01520921, repcated ver. 14. But there the connection leads us to adopt the translation mentioned in the margin of our Bible; to practise honest trades. Ver 9.-1. And genealogies. The genealogies condemned in this and other passages of scripture, in the opinion of Bengelius, are the absurd genealogies of the Eons, taught by the Gnostics. See Col. ii. 9. note. But as the genealogies of the Æons were not invented till long after this epistle was written, I prefer the account given of them in the commentary; the rather that the apostle hath joined genealogies, with strifes and fightings about the law. See also 1 Tim. i. 4. 2. Fightings about the law. Mazas vopnas, are those disputes about the efficacy and necessity of obedience to the law in order to salvation, which the Judaizing teachers in Crete maintained with great violence, against all who asserted that obedience to the gospel alone was sufficient to salvation. Ver. 10.-1. An heretical man. Sce 2 Pet. ii. 1. note 2. where it is shewed, that an heretic is one who, from worldly motives, teaches doctrines which be knows to be false; as the Judaizers did, who made the rituals enjoined by the law, more necessary to salvation than a holy life. He also is a heretic who from the same motives makes a party in the church, in opposition to those who maintain the truth. In this latter sense, some understand 'ArgeTinov avSparov here; and think the phrase should be translated, a man who maketh a sect: And that dipsos, properly is a sect, either in philosophy or religion. In the first age, when the doctrines of the gospel were delivered by the apostles in person, under the guidance of inspiration, and when the true meaning of these doctrines was not liable to any doubt, because it was ascertained by the apostles themselves, if any teacher taught differently from them, and made a party in the church in opposition to them, he must have done these things contrary to his conscience, either from the love of money, or the lust of power, or from an immoderate propensity to sensual pleasures. Hence, Gal. v. 20. Heresy is reckoned among the works of the flesh.-Doddridge, by heresy, understands the denying the fundamental doctrines of the gospel, and the maintaining of that denial with obstinacy, to |