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3:26 ejn tw'/ ajpostrevfein ). Unbelief might prevail at last even after a temporary victory of faith. The Vulgate rendering is expressive, cor....discedendi.

For ajposth'nai compare Lk. 8:13. It is construed commonly with ajpov (Acts 15:38), but also with the simple genitive (1 Tim. 4:1).
ajpo; qeou' zw'nto" ] from Him Who is a living God. The anarthrous title ( qeo;" zw'n ), which is far more common than oJ q. oJ zw'n (comp. Heb. 9:14; 10:31; 12:22), always fixes attention upon the character as distinguished from the ‘Person’ of God ( oJ qeo;" oJ zw'n Matt. 16:16; 26:63; Apoc. 15:7). In every case it suggests a ground for corresponding thought or action (e.g., Acts 14:15 ejpi; qeo;n zw'nta not to;n q. to;n z. ; 1 Thess. 1:9; Rom. 9:26 LXX.). The title is generally used of God, as the Creator and Preserver and Governor of the world (Deut. 5:26; Josh. 3:10; 1 Sam. 17:26 (A); 2 K INGS 19:4, 16; (J ER . 23:36); D AN . 6:20, 26; (P S . 84:2), IN CONTRAST WITH THE IDOLS (‘ VANITIES ,’

NOTHINGS ,’ QEOI NEKROIV D IDACHE 6.3) OF HEATHENDOM . H ERE IT SUGGESTS , AMONG OTHER THOUGHTS , THE CERTAINTY OF RETRIBUTION ON UNFAITHFULNESS . T HE TITLE IS NOT FOUND IN THE G OSPEL OR E PISTLES OF S T J OHN ( BUT NOTICE
J OHN 6:57 O ZWN PATHVR ).

I N OLD TIMES THE GLORY OF I SRAEL WAS THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE LIVING

G OD ’; BUT NOW TO FALL BACK FROM C HRISTIANITY TO J UDAISM WAS REALLY TO REVOLT FROM H IM ( COMP . H EB . 6:5 FF .), FOR AS G OD IS LIVING SO THE REVELATION WHICH H E GIVES OF H IMSELF IS PROGRESSIVE . O N THE ONE SIDE H E SPAKE IN H IS S ON (1:2 EJLAVLHSEN ), AND ON THE OTHER SIDE H E IS SPEAKING STILL (12:25 TON LALOUNTA ).

T HE PHRASE REAPPEARS IN H ERM . V IS . 2.3, 2 SWVZEI SE TO MH AJPOSTHNAIV SE AJPO QEOU ZWNTO " ...C OMP . 1 C LEM . 3:4 EJN TW AJPOLIPEIN EKASTON TON FOVBON TOU QEOU .

H EB . 3:13. AJLLA PARAKALEITE EAUTOUV " ...] B UT IN PLACE OF UNDUE CONFIDENCE , OF BLINDLY REPOSING IN THE PAST , HELP , ENCOURAGE , EXHORT YOUR OWN SELVES . T HE VIRTUAL NEGATIVE OF THE FORMER CLAUSE (‘ DO NOT NEGLECT THE FRESH VOICES OF G OD ...’) IS NATURALLY FOLLOWED BY AJLLAV . T HE USE OF EAUTOUV " FOR THE MORE SIMPLE AJLLHVLOU " ( QUISQUE SE IPSUM ET ALTERUM B ENGEL ) SUGGESTS THE CLOSE UNITY OF THE C HRISTIAN BODY . T HE SIMILAR USAGE OF THE PRONOUN IN OTHER PLACES WILL REPAY STUDY : 1 P ET . 4:8, 10;

E PH . 4:32 EJI " AJLLHVLOU ", EAUTOI '" ; C OL . 3:13 AJLLHVLWN , EAUTOI '" ; ID . 3:16; 1 T HESS . 5:13.

F OR PARAKALEIN SEE H EB . 10:25; A CTS 14:22; J UDE 3; R OM . 12:1. C HRYSOSTOM SAYS ORA TO HMERON KAI PROSHNEV " . OUJK EIPEN EJPITIMATE , AJLLA PARAKALEITE . OUTW " HMA '" CRH TOI '" AJPO QLIVYEW " STENOCWROUMEVNOI " PROSFEVRESQAI .

KAQJ EKAVSTHN HMEVRAN ] DAY BY DAY . T HERE IS CONTINUOUS , DAILY NEED . ACRI " OU TOV S HVMERON KALEITAI ] V ULG . DONEC HODIE COGNOMINATUR . S O LONG AS THE TERM ‘T ODAY ’ ( TO S HVMERON , NOT H SHVMERON ) IS STILL USED : SO LONG AS , IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE P SALM , THE VOICE OF G OD IS STILL ADDRESSED TO YOU IN ITS APPOINTED TIME .

I N VARIOUS CONNEXIONS THE TERM ‘T ODAY WILL HAVE VARIOUS INTERPRETATIONS . F OR THE C HURCH IT IS THE WHOLE TIME TILL C HRIST ' S COMING . F OR THE BELIEVER THE PERIOD OF HIS OWN LIFE . T HUS T HEODORET SAYS :

SHVMERON TON PAROVNTA KEVKLHKEN BIVON , AND C HRYSOSTOM : EW " AN SUNESTHVKH O KOVSMO " . P RIMASIUS GIVES VARIOUS INTERPRETATIONS IN DETAIL :


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