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JKubeiva from kuvbo" is properly ‘dice-playing’ and hence ‘trickery, deceit.’ Von Soden prefers to take it as expressing conduct void of seriousness; these persons ‘play with’ the conscience and the soul's health of Christians. But this is not the ordinary sense of the word. The ejn is instrumental, the words expressing the means by which the perif. k.t.l. is attained.’

(Dr T. K. Abbott, International Critical Commentary on ‘Ephesians ,’ p. 122.) [The foregoing explanation of kubeiva is taken, by kind permission of Professor
T. K. Abbott of Dublin, from that scholar's admirable
Commentary on Ephesians in the ‘International Critical’ Series.

Permission to do this was asked on the following grounds. There is evidence ( a ) that Dr Westcott was at first uncertain as to the precise meaning of kubeiva in this passage, but ( b ) that he eventually came to the decision that it here means ‘fraud.’

There is also evidence that during the last months of his life and while engaged on ‘Ephesians’ Dr Westcott, who seldom read modern commentaries, consulted this work of Prof. Abbott, some of the MS. notes of his own Commentary now published being found within the pages of a copy of the International Critical Commentary.

It is reasonable to infer that his ‘Additional Note,’ promised but never written, would have contained a reference to Prof. Abbott's note,—in which a meaning, practically identical with that finally accepted by Dr Westcott, is given to kubeiva . J. M.
S.]

Spiritual Powers.

The existence of other orders of rational (spiritual) beings about us is most natural.

That it is possible for us to hold communication with them under certain circumstances is not unlikely.

That it is wrong for us to seek such intercourse is probable. That we may be subject to their assaults seems to be justified by experience. The statements of Holy Scripture, however, on this subject are marked by singular reserve.

Use of kata; c. acc. in the Epistle to the Ephesians.

( a ) kata; qeovn . 4:24. kata; th;n dwrea;n th'" cavrito" t. qeou' . 3:7. kata; to; mevtron th'" dwrea'" . 4:7.
kata; to; plou'to" th'" cavrito" aujtou' . 1:7. kata; to; plou'to" th'" dovxh" aujtou' . 3:16. kata; th;n eujdokivan tou' qelhvmato" aujtou' . 1:5. kata; th;n eujdokivan aujtou' . 1:9.
kata; th;n boulh;n tou' qelhvmato" aujtou' . 1:11. kata; provqesin tou' ta; pavnta ejnergou'nto" . ib. kata; provqesin tw'n aijwvnwn . 3:11.


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