1 Corinthians 12:2

Of the three readings given in the note, the first, that of the T. R. (ὅτι alone), is not admissible; would it not be superfluous to say to Corinthian readers, “Ye know that ye were Gentiles”? Holsten answers that the emphasis is not on the predicate Gentiles, but on the explanatory appendix: carried away to idols. Certainly; but even taking this fact into account, the expression retains something offensive. And especially the construction would be so simple in this sense that it would be impossible to account for the origin of the variants. The reading of K and some Fathers (ὅτε alone, when) is not sufficiently supported. And the meaning to which it leads: “Ye know how (ὡς), when ye were Gentiles, ye were carried...,” cannot, as we shall see, be admitted. The true reading is that which has representatives in the three families, and by means of which the other two are most easily explained: ὅτι ὅτε, that when: “ye know that, when ye were Gentiles...” The ὅτι has been confounded with the ὅτε in the one set; the opposite confusion has taken place in the other. This reading no doubt demands that we give to the participle ἀπαγόμενοι, carried away, the force of a finite verb, understanding an ἦτε, ye were; but this word is easily taken from the ἦτε which immediately precedes. Comp. the similar ellipsis Colossians 3:17, and the examples quoted by Meyer in classic Greek. Heinrici, following Buttmann, prefers, as Bengel had already done, to regard the ὡς as a repetition of the preceding ὅτι, in a slightly different form: “Ye know that, when ye were Gentiles, how, I say, ye were carried away...” But, first of all, the interruption contained in the words: “when ye were Gentiles,” is too short to occasion such a repetition; then the proposition: ὡς ἂν ἤγεσθε, is evidently, as is indicated by its very position between the πρὸς...and the ἀπαγόμενοι, a parenthetical clause. For if the participle ἀπαγόμενοι were taken as qualifying ἤγεσθε, it would be superfluous in meaning and awkward in form. The πρὸς τὰ εἴδωλα, to idols, is the regimen of ἀπαγόμενοι (ἦτε): “Ye were carried away to idols...” This forcible term calls up the idea of a whirlwind of impure blasts, to the power of which the Corinthians were formerly given up. There is opposition between the two prepositions ἀπό and πρός : “ far from the true God, toward the objects of a deceptive worship.” These objects were idols, a word in which are combined the ideas of a false divinity and a material statue. This last was regarded as penetrated with the power of the god whose image it was. These inspirations did not proceed from the idols, but they led to them. The epithet is put after the substantive: “the idols, the dumb,” so as to bring out vividly this quality, and so the unworthy character of the worship of these false gods incapable of acting or speaking, and consequently of communicating to the worshipper a Divine inspiration. The parenthetical proposition ὡς ἂν ἤγεσθε, as ye were driven, serves to qualify the ἀπαγόμενοι, ye were carried away. We must beware of reading, as Erasmus, Heinrici, and others do, with some documents of secondary importance, ἀνήγεσθε in a single word: quomodo ascendebatis (Augustine). Not only is the idea of ascending unrelated to the context, but especially we thereby lose the meaning of the particle ἄν, which gives precisely the key to these difficult words. This particle, which contains the notion of contingency, indicates that those breathings were every moment changing their direction, and depended on a capricious will. It has been supposed that Paul had in view the influence of the priests, whose passive instruments the Gentiles were in their worship. Does it not rather follow from 1 Corinthians 10:20 that he is thinking of a diabolical influence exercised by the evil spirits, the authors of idolatry? Now, the fatal storm carried the blinded Gentile, with a whole procession, to the temple of Jupiter; again, it was to the altars of Mars or Venus, always to give them over to one or other of their deified passions; comp. Ephesians 2:2; 2 Timothy 2:26. To the interesting passage of Athenagoras quoted by Meyer, Edwards adds that of Justin (Revelation 1:5; Revelation 1:5): μάστιγι δαιμόνων φαύλων ἐξελαυνόμενοι, “chased with the scourge of evil demons.”