proevqeto ] Rom. 1:13; 3:25. See provqesi" Eph. 1:11. ejn aujtw'/ ] Latt. in eo, in the Beloved. The Incarnate Son embodied the purpose of GOD. The end of Creation was reached in Him through Whom it had its origin (Heb. 1:2).
The common text
ejn eJautw'/
adds nothing to the force of
proevqeto
.
oijkonomivan
]
dispensation.
The original word describes the function of a steward (
oijkonovmo"
1 Cor. 4:1 f.), as indeed does the English word according to its derivation. It occurs (in addition to Lk. 16:2 ff.) in 1 Cor. 9:17; Col. 1:25 (1 Tim. 1:4); Eph. 3:2, 9. The exact meaning which it conveys appears to be in each case that of a distribution of Divine treasures, which have been committed by GOD to chosen representatives, that they may be faithfully administered by them. All earlier dispensations were crowned by that of Christ, in Whom are
all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden
(Col. 2:3). These He dispenses with perfect righteousness and love, giving Himself for and to His brethren. The act of dispensation passes naturally into the scheme of dispensation. Compare Lightfoot
Col.
l. c.
tou' plhr. t. kairw'n
] Latt.
plenitudinis
(Tert.
adimpletionis
)
temporum, the fulness of the seasons.
The phrase differs characteristically from that in Gal. 4:4
to; plhvrwma tou' crovnou
the fulness of the time
(contrast Mark 1:15).
to; plhr. t. crovnou
marks the limit of an appointed term:
to; plhr. t. kairw'n
, the close of a series of critical periods, each of which had its peculiar character and was naturally connected in some way with the final issue: comp. Mk 1:15; John 7:8; Lk. 21:24. The words times and seasons are connected in Acts 1:7; 1 Thess. 5:1; Tit. 1:2 f. (a singularly instructive passage as to their difference): see Eph. 5:16. Time (
crovno"
) expresses simply duration: season (
kairov"
) a space of time defined with regard to its extent and character.
ajnakefalaiwvsasqai
] Latt.
instaurare
: Tert. (Ir. int.) Hier.
recapitulare, to sum up
, specially to gather into a brief compass the heads of an argument or statement (Rom. 13:9). The word here expresses the typical union of all things in the Messiah, a final harmony answering to the idea of creation, just as the corresponding word
ajpokatallavxai
used in Col. 1:20 expresses the reconciliation of the parts of creation one to another and to GOD in view of the separation and estrangement wrought by sin. Even apart from sin the
ajnakefalaivwsi"
of created things was required that they might attain their unity in GOD (Rom. 11:36); and sin introduced the necessity for an atonement (
katallaghv
Rom. 5:11). Comp. Ps.-Hipp.
c. Beron.
2
h|"
(
i.e.
th'" aujtou' swmatwvsew"
)
e[rgon hJ tw'n o{lwn ejsti;n eij" aujto;n ajnakefalaivwsi"
. Just. M. ap. Iren. 4.6 (11), 2...unigenitus Filius venit ad nos, suum plasma in semet ipsum recapitulans... This consummation lies beyond the unity of the Church, the Body of Christ, which contributes towards its realisation.
Ouj movnon oiJ katakermatismoi; tw'n oijkonomoumevnwn kai; oiJ kaqj e{na lovgoi tw'n dioikoumevnwn eijsi;n ejn tw'/ tou' qeou' Lovgw/ kai; th'/ sofiva/ aujtou', ajlla; kai; hJ ajnakefalaivwsi" kai;, wJ" a]n ei[poi ti", sugkefalaivwsi" pavntwn
(Orig.).
ta; pavnta
...] Whereas
pavnta
(John 1:3, Heb. 3:4) denotes all things taken severally,
ta; pavnta
properly signifies all things in their unity, actual or ideal the sum of all things. Compare Eph. 1:11, 23;
cc.
3:9; 4:10; Col. 1:16, 17, 20; and especially Heb. 1:3, where see note.
ejn tw'/ cristw'/
]
in the Christ
, in the Messiah. The title appears to be used here with a distinct reference to the Lord as the expected Saviour. With the article (as in this Epistle:
cc.
Eph. 1:12, 20; 2:5, 13; 3:4 (6), 8, 17, 19; 4:7, 12, 13, 20;5:2, 5, 14, 23