Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

1 Corinthians 8:5

may be an interjected comment of the Church Letter upon its creed; (c) the expression “gods many and lords many” applied to heathen divinities, which is foreign to Pauline as to Jewish phraseology, but natural on the lips of old polytheists; (d) the aptness with which ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐν πᾶσιν ἡ γνῶσις (1 Corinthians 8:7) fits in with this explanation, being understood as Paul's reply to his readers' declaration of their enlightened faith. See, on this question, W. Lock in Expositor,., vi., 65. The articles of belief cited from the Cor [1234] in 1 Corinthians 8:4 b and 6 had probably been formulated first by P., like the Πάντα μοι ἔξεστιν of 1 Corinthians 6:12, and so would be fitly quoted to him. οὐδὲν εἴδωλον ἐν κόσμῳ (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:19), being parl [1235] to οὐδεὶς Θεός κ. τ. λ., should be rendered not “An idol is nothing,” etc., but “There is no idol in the world” (so R.V. virtually, Mr [1236], Hf [1237], Bt [1238], Ed [1239], Sm [1240]). Existence is denied to the idol not absolutely (see 5, 1 Corinthians 10:19 f.), but relatively; it has no real place ἐν κόσμῳ, no power over the elements of nature; “the earth is the Lord's,” etc. (1 Corinthians 10:26); there is no Zeus in the sky, nor Poseidon ruling the sea, but “one God and Father” everywhere, a faith emancipating enlightened Christians from every heathenish superstition. οὐδὲν εἴδωλον κ. τ. λ. forms the polemic counterpart to οὐδεὶς Θεὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς (see parls.), the cornerstone of Jehovism, which Christ has made the world's creed. εἴδωλον (sc. a thing possessing εἶδος, form only), semblance, phantasm, renders in the LXX several Hebrew words for false gods esp. 'elîlîm, nothings, and hebhel, emptiness; the term was applied first to the images, then to the (supposed) godships they represent, branding them as shams and shows: see 1 Thessalonians 1:9; Acts 14:15; Psalms 96:5. The κόσμος reveals the being and power of the One God (Romans 1:20); idolaters have no living God, but are ἄθεοι ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ (Ephesians 2:12).

[1234] Corinth, Corinthian or Corinthians.

[1235] parallel.

[1236] Meyer's Critical and Exegetical Commentary (Eng. Trans.).

[1237] J. C. K. von Hofmann's Die heilige Schrift N.T. untersucht, ii. 2 (2te Auflage, 1874).

[1238] J. A. Beet's St. Paul's Epp. to the Corinthians (1882).

[1239] T. C. Edwards' Commentary on the First Ep. to the Corinthians. 2

[1240] P. Schmiedel, in Handcommentar zum N.T. (1893).

[1241] Corinth, Corinthian or Corinthians.

[1242] C. J. Ellicott's St. Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians.

[1243] ad locum, on this passage.

[1244] parallel.

[1245] participle

[1246] Greek, or Grotius' Annotationes in N.T.

[1247] Greek, or Grotius' Annotationes in N.T.

[1248] Greek, or Grotius' Annotationes in N.T.

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Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

1 Corinthians 8:5

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