John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 8. He therefore that despiseth , etc.] The Vulgate Latin adds, these things; these exhortations now delivered, the commandments given by the Lord Jesus Christ, and the will of God above declared; he that rejects these things with contempt, takes no notice of them, and acts not according to them, despiseth not man ; not men only, the apostles of Christ, and ministers of the Gospel; for, by despising these exhortations, they themselves were despised, though not alone: but God; Father, Son, and Spirit; God the Father, whose will was their sanctification, even to abstain from fornication, and every act of uncleanness, which, if not attended to, was a despising of him; and the Lord Jesus Christ, by whom, and for whose sake they were entreated and exhorted, and in whose name, and by whose authority the apostle gave them these commandments; wherefore to slight them, was to slight Jesus Christ himself; and, by the way, this is a proof of the true and proper deity of Christ. Moreover, such despisers also, in some sense, do despite unto the spirit of grace, by whom the apostles spake, or who spoke in them these things, as follows, who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit ; as he did to the prophets of the Old Testament, and therefore what they said was equally by divine inspiration of God; and hence despising them, was despising the Spirit of God that spake by them. The Syriac and Arabic versions read, who hath given unto you his Holy Spirit; and so all Stephens's copies; which furnishes out a fresh reason or argument, dissuading from uncleanness, since God had given them his Spirit to convince them of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, so that they were not ignorant of the things warned against; and he had given them his Spirit as an holy Spirit, as a Spirit of sanctification, to begin and carry on that work in them, to which uncleanness was very opposite; and he had given his Spirit unto, or into them, to dwell in them, as in his temple, and therefore should be careful not to defile it; and to cause them to walk in his statutes, and to assist them to keep his judgments, and do them, and as an earnest of their inheritance, and a sealer of them up unto the day of redemption; wherefore it became them not to grieve him by an impure life; and they were laid under obligations to live in the Spirit, and to walk after him, and not after the flesh.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - To abide in the faith of the gospel is not enough, we must abound in the work of faith. The rule according to which all ought to walk an act, is the commandments given by the Lord Jesus Christ Sanctification, in the renewal of their souls under the influences of the Holy Spirit, and attention to appointed duties, constituted the will of God respecting them. In aspiring after this renewal of the sou unto holiness, strict restraint must be put upon the appetites an senses of the body, and on the thoughts and inclinations of the will which lead to wrong uses of them. The Lord calls none into his famil to live unholy lives, but that they may be taught and enabled to wal before him in holiness. Some make light of the precepts of holiness because they hear them from men; but they are God's commands, and to break them is to despise God.
Greek Textus Receptus
τοιγαρουν 5105 PRT ο 3588 T-NSM αθετων 114 5723 V-PAP-NSM ουκ 3756 PRT-N ανθρωπον 444 N-ASM αθετει 114 5719 V-PAI-3S αλλα 235 CONJ τον 3588 T-ASM θεον 2316 N-ASM τον 3588 T-ASM και 2532 CONJ δοντα 1325 5631 V-2AAP-ASM το 3588 T-ASN πνευμα 4151 N-ASN αυτου 846 P-GSM το 3588 T-ASN αγιον 40 A-ASN εις 1519 PREP ημας 2248 P-1AP
Vincent's NT Word Studies
8. Despiseth (aqetwn). Better, rejecteth. Setteth aside. Comp. Galatians ii. 21; iii. 15; 1 Cor. i. 19. Used in N.T. both of persons and things. His Holy Spirit (to pneuma autou to agion). Solemn and emphatic: His Spirit, the holy. Similarly, Acts xv. 8, 28; xix. 6; xx. 23; Eph. i. 13; iv. 30.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
4:8 {Therefore} (toigaroun). this old triple compound particle (toi, gar, oun) is in the N.T. only here and #Heb 12:1. Paul applies the logic of the case. {He that rejecteth} (ho aqetwn). this late verb (Polybius and LXX) is from a-qetos (a privative and verbal of tiqemi, to proscribe a thing, to annul it. {But God} (alla ton qeon). Paul sees this clearly and modern atheists see it also. In order to justify their lasciviousness they do not hesitate to set aside God.
