Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
And such were some of you (kai tauta tinev hte). A sharp homethrust. Literally, "And these things (tauta, neuter plural) were ye (some of you)." The horror is shown by tauta, but by tinev Paul narrows the picture to some, not all. But that was in the past (hte, imperfect indicative) like Romans 6:17. Thank God the blood of Jesus does cleanse from such sins as these. But do not go back to them.
But ye were washed (apelousasqe). First aorist middle indicative, not passive, of apolouw. Either direct middle, ye washed yourselves, or indirect middle, as in Acts 22:16, ye washed your sins away (force of apo). This was their own voluntary act in baptism which was the outward expression of the previous act of God in cleansing (hgiasqhte, ye were sanctified or cleansed before the baptism) and justified (edikaiwqhte, ye were put right with God before the act of baptism). "These twin conceptions of the Christian state in its beginning appear commonly in the reverse order" (Findlay). The outward expression is usually mentioned before the inward change which precedes it. In this passage the Trinity appear as in the baptismal command in Matthew 28:19.
Other commentary entries containing this verse:
Acts 22:16
1 Corinthians 1:10
1 Corinthians 6:12
1 Corinthians 10:8
Ephesians 5:26
2 Timothy 2:21
Revelation 22:14
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