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eujklea' stevfanon, o}n oujdemiva panhvguri" ajnqrwvpwn ejcwvrhse ( Leg. Alleg. ii. § 26; 1:86 M.).

The notes of the Greek Commentators are worth quoting (comp. Theodt. supr. ):
kai; muriavsin ajggevlwn panhguvrei : ejntau'qa th;n cara;n deivknusi kai; th;n eujfrosuvnhn ajnti; tou' gnovfou kai; tou' skovtou" kai; th'" quevllh" (Chrys.). kai; muriavsin ajggevlwn : ajnti; tou' jIoudai>kou' laou' a[ggeloi pavreisi . kai; panhguvrei, fhsivn, ejn muriavsin ajggevlwn uJparcouvsh/ (OEcumen.). kai; muriavsin ajggevlwn panhguvrei . ajnti; tou' laou' e[comen hJmei'" ajggevlwn muriavda" : ajnti; tou' fovbou caravn, tou'to ga;r dhlou'tai dia; tou' panhguvrei : e[nqa ga;r panhvguri" ejkei' carav . hJ panhvguri" ou\n au{th ejn muriavsin ajggevlwn sunivstatai (Theophlct.).
ejkklhsiva/ ... ejn oujranoi'" ] The second constituent body in the divine commonwealth is the ‘church of the firstborn.’ This represents the earthly element (men) as the former the heavenly element (angels). Men are described as a ‘church,’ a ‘congregation,’ gathered for the enjoyment of special rights, even as the angels are assembled for a great festival; and they are spoken of as ‘firstborn,’ enjoying the privileges not only of sons but of firstborn sons.

The word ejkklhsiva occurs again in the Epistle in Heb. 2:12 (LXX.). The thought in each case is that of the people of God assembled to exercise their privileges and to enjoy their rights.

It is worthy of notice that while the word occurs only in two places in the Gospels (Matt. 16:18; 18:17), it is used in the former place in the sense of the universal church and in the latter of a special church. Both senses are found in the Acts (e.g., Acts 9:31; 8:1) and in the Epistles of St Paul (e.g., Eph. 1:22; Col. 4:16). In the Apocalypse, St James (James 5:14) and 3 John the word is used only in the special sense.
prwtotovkwn ] Vulg. primitivorum. In the divine order not one son only but many enjoy the rights of primogeniture, the kingdom and the priesthood (Apoc. 1:6). Perhaps there is still some faint reminiscence of the reckless sacrifice of his birthright (Heb. 12:16 prwtotovkia ) by Esau.

The term ‘firstborn’ here appears to describe a common privilege and is not used in relation to the circumstances of earth, as of the dead compared with the living. Christian believers in Christ, alike living and dead, are united in the Body of Christ. In that Body we have fellowship with a society of ‘eldest sons’ of God, who share the highest glory of the divine order. Thus the idea of the Communion of Saints gains distinctness. The word suggests still another thought. The ‘firstborn’ in Israel were the representatives of the consecrated nation. We may then be justified in regarding these, the firstborn in the Christian Church, the firstborn of humanity, as preparing the way, in Him Who is ‘the Firstborn’ (Heb. 1:6), for many brethren. Through them Creation enters on the beginning of its consummation (comp. Apoc. 1:5; Col. 1:15; Rom. 8:29).

The Greek Commentators are vague in their interpretation of the word. Tivna" de; prwtotovkou" kalei' levgwn kai; ejkklhsiva/ prwtotovkwn ; pavnta" tou;" corou;" tw'n pistw'n . tou;" aujtou;" de; kai; pneuvmata dikaivwn teteleiwmevnwn kalei' (Chrys.).
ejpeidh; koinov" ejsti path;r pavntwn oJ qeov", pavnte" me;n a[nqrwpoi uiJoiv


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