Biblical commentary on the New Testament - The Christian ...

430
Matthew XI. 23-25.
Testament ; it is the reverse of v^coOqvai, hence dejici, "to be
brouf'-ht clown." Ovpavog, heaven, is contrasted with lidrjg'-' or
u6ov olicog, SCJit-a = V^Ni;. Such expressions, taken from the Greek
mythok^gy (as 2 Pet. ii. 4, alludes even to rdprapog), the language
of Scripture admits without hesitation, if they were prevalent in
the mouths of the people, and had a true foundation. The true
and simple fundamental idea of heaven and hades, is this ; that
evil and good, which, even on earth, though outwardly blended, are
separated in their nature and essence, are to have an ultimate and
complete separation. In so far then as the day of judgment {Kpiaeug,
separation) reduces to its ultimate principle that which appears
here mixed together, the being cast down into hades signifies the
return of individual evil to its element.f At the great separa-
tion, which is impending over the universe, every individual life
will be attracted and governed by the power of that element to
which it granted admission into itself He who admitted the Spi-
rit and light of Christ, will be drawn by him into his kingdom of
light ; he who allowed the spirit of darkness to rule in his heart,
will become a prey to the power of darkness ;
each according to the
degree of his guilt, which only God can determine (see note on
Matth. vii. 1), since it is dependent upon the degree of the impres-
sion which the light made upon man, and against which he harden-
ed himself. Strange that some expositors should have explained
this passage of external prosperity. " Thou art a very wealthy and
prosperous town, but thou shalt greatly decline." Whatever man
cherishes in his heart, he reproduces even in the word of God ; he
makes a god for himself, and makes his Kedeemer speak as suits
him best, and as he would have spoken. (Comp. 2 Pet. ii. 20.) The
more guilty Capernaum is then contrasted with Sodom, with the
remark : it would have remained until this day. These words, un-
less they are empty words, are remarkable, as showing that our
Kedeemer ascribes, even to that which is past, no absolute necessity.
He evidently acknowledges, even here, the freedom of self-determination,
and the possibility of things having been otherwise, if men
had been obedient to God, This, in a moral aspect, so important
a view of history, as being wholly based upon the free actions of
individuals, lies at the foundation of the whole Scripture doctrine.
Ver. 25.—That the following words were not spoken in immediate
connexion with the preceding, Matthew himself indicates by
the words : iv iiceivo) rCJ mip(^^ at that season. This formula of
transition seems to place an interval between that which precedes
* Concerning adtjc, compare the remarks on Luke xvi. 28.
•j- "Being exalted to heaven" and "brought down to hades," seem to be strong figu-
rative expresaions, denoting on the one hand high spiritual privilege, on the other, cor-
responding degradation and ruin, of course, with a spiritual reference.— [K.