A Practical Exposition

BY THE

RIGHT REV. CHARLES GORE, M.A., D.D.

LORD BISHOP OF WORCESTER

FIFTH IMPRESSION TWELFTH THOUSAND

LONDON JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET 1902

A Series of Simple Expositions of Portions of the New Testament

BY THE

RIGHT REV. DR. GORE.

Oxford HORACE HART, PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY

TO

JAMES L. HOUGHTELING

OF CHICAGO THE FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF THE BROTHERHOOD OF ST. ANDREW AND TO ALL THE BROTHERHOOD WHICH IN MORE SENSES THAN ONE HE REPRESENTS

PREFACE

The favourable reception accorded to an exposition of the Sermon on the Mount has encouraged me to attempt another practical explanation of a portion of the New Testament, in the interest of such readers as are intelligent indeed, but neither are nor hope to become critical scholars. An immense deal has been done of late to assist New Testament scholarship, but while the studies of the scholar make progress, the ordinary Christian 'reading of the Bible' is, I fear, at best at a standstill. This little book then is intended to make one of St. Paul's epistles as intelligible as may be to the ordinary reader, and so to enable him to make a practical religious use of it, 'to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest' it.

The method pursued, in the main, has been to let each section of the epistle be preceded by an analysis or paraphrase of the teaching it contains, in which it is hoped that no element in the teaching is left unnoticed, and followed by such further explanations of particular phrases, or practical reflections, as seem to be needed.

I have avoided as far as possible all discussion of rival views, and given simply what are, in my judgement, the best explanations.

I have ventured to dedicate this book to the President of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew, because (see app. note D, p. 264) that society represents surely a brave attempt to realize some of the chief practical lessons which this epistle is intended to enforce.

CHARLES GORE.

WESTMINSTER ABBEY, Christmas, 1897.