(5) The apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.--The form in which the fragment that thus commences is brought before us suggests, as has been stated before (see Notes on Luke 7:13; Luke 10:1), that it was a comparatively late addition to the collection of "the words of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 20:35), and this is confirmed by the exceptional use of "the Apostles" for "the disciples." It may have stood originally in an absolutely isolated form. On the other hand, its position here indicates a sufficiently traceable sequence. That command of a seven-fold--i.e., an unlimited--forgiveness seemed to make almost too great a strain on their faith. Did it not imply an almost miraculous victory over natural impulses, that could be wrought only by a supernatural grace? Was not the faith that could "remove mountains" wanted, if ever, here--a faith in the pardoning love of the Father, and in their own power to reproduce it? And so, conscious of their weakness, they came with the prayer that has so often come from the lips of yearning, yet weak, disciples of the Christ--reminding us of him who cried, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief" (see Note on Mark 9:24)--"Increase our faith." May we not possibly think of Peter as having struggled to obey the rule which had been given to them before (Matthew 18:22), and as having found himself unequal to the task?

Verse 5. - And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. The disciples, moved by the severe and cutting rebuke of their Master - a rebuke they probably felt their harsh, self-congratulatory state of mind had well merited-come to him and ask him to give them such an increased measure of faith as would enable them to play better the difficult and responsible part he had assigned them. They evidently felt their weakness deeply, but a stronger faith would supply them with new strength; they would thus be guided to form a wiser, gentler judgment of others, a more severe opinion too of themselves.

Parallel Commentaries ...


The
οἱ (hoi)
Article - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

apostles
ἀπόστολοι (apostoloi)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 652: From apostello; a delegate; specially, an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ.

said
εἶπαν (eipan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

to the
τῷ (tō)
Article - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Lord,
Κυρίῳ (Kyriō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2962: Lord, master, sir; the Lord. From kuros; supreme in authority, i.e. controller; by implication, Master.

“Increase
Πρόσθες (Prosthes)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4369: To place (put) to, add; I do again. From pros and tithemi; to place additionally, i.e. Lay beside, annex, repeat.

our
ἡμῖν (hēmin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

faith!”
πίστιν (pistin)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4102: Faith, belief, trust, confidence; fidelity, faithfulness.


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NT Gospels: Luke 17:5 The apostles said to the Lord Increase (Luke Lu Lk)