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4:1-8. Final appeal based on the coming judgment and the writer’s approaching death. You have followed me loyally thus far: I charge you to follow me further, and to remain true to the truth until the end.
As in the sight of God and of Christ Jesus who shall come to judge us all whether living or dead, as you would be ready to welcome His Appearing, as you would hope to share His Kingdom, I charge you, preach the message of the Gospel, stand up to your task boldly, in season and out of season, whether you are welcome or unwelcome, refute false teaching, rebuke wrong-doers, pass censure on those who refuse to obey, encourage those who do, never failing in patience, using every method of teaching. For a time will come when men will not tolerate the sound teaching, nay, led, each by his own caprice, they will pile teacher upon teacher, and burden upon burden on their own backs; with ears always itching for some novelty, they will refuse to listen to the simple truth, they will turn aside to listen to all those empty legends. But do you keep calm, keep self-restrained in all things, be ready to face suffering: your work is to preach good tidings, preach them fully; your task is a task of ministry, perform it to the full. For I shall have to leave you to yourself: my life-blood is on the point of being poured out as a libation to God: the moment is close at hand when I must strike my tent and be gone. Yes: I have fought my fight, and it was the right fight: I have come to the end of the course; I have kept faith with my Master. So henceforth there is stored up safely for me the crown of a righteous life: the Lord will award it to me on that great day: yes, but not only to me, but also to all who have set their hearts on His appearing. We shall be together with Him whom we love.
Note.—(i) This paragraph completes the appeal of 1:8, 2:8-13, and prepares the way for the request of 9. For the main thought of it, cf. 2Th_1:5-12, 2Co_5:1-11
(ii) In vv.6-8 there seems to be a conscious reminiscence of Php_1:23, Php_1:2:17, Php_1:3:13, Php_1:14. If St. Paul is the writer, he may be deliberately recalling to Timothy’s mind the words of that Epistle, of which Timothy was probably the amanuensis. “What I dictated to you then—that I was willing to depart and to have my life-blood poured out—is now come to the test. I am face to face with it now.”
(iii) From Chrysostom onwards commentators have wondered whether St. Paul can be cleared of the charge of self-praise in this passage. It is true that St. Paul is always over self-conscious (cf. 1Th_2:3-8, 2Co_11:16-33); the break in his life by conversion, and the constant opposition which he had to face, made him such; but with St. Paul there is always Χιτςbehind the ἐώ(Gal_2:20), always the thought of the grace which enables him who can do nothing by himself to do all things in its strength (1Co_15:10, Php_4:13, 1Ti_1:12); and to one who so recognizes the power which enables him to be what he is, there is a true self-confidence, a legitimate self-praise; especially when, as here, the purpose is to give confidence to a younger man to follow. May it not even be that St. Paul, who was constantly “bearing about the dying of Jesus” (2Co_4:10), may have been thinking of His Master’s confidence that His work was completely done, and that He could confidently commit His spirit into His Father’s hands? (Luk_23:46, Joh_17:4, Joh_19:30).
1. δαατρμικτλ] For a similar appeal to the thought of the judgment, cf. I 5:21, 6:13-16; and for the construction with an accusative, τνἐιάεα: cf. 1Th_5:27, Mar_5:7 ὁκζ σ τνθό.
κίενζ κὶν.] perhaps already a fixed formula in a baptismal creed, cf. Act_10:42, Act_10:1 P 4:5; here perhaps with the personal thought, “you alive and me dead,” or “both of us, whether alive or dead.”
ἐιάεα] cf. I 6:14, Tit_2:13 note; τνβσεα, cf. 18 and 2Th_1:5 εςτ κτξωῆα ὑᾶ τςβσλίςτῦθο. The kingdom which we may hope to share, 2:12.
2. τνλγν] absolutely, cf. 1Th_1:6, Gal_6:6; cf. supr. 2:9 τῦθο, 15 τςἀηεα.
ἐίτθ] “insta.” Vulg. stand forward, stand up to your hearers; cf. Jer_46:14 = 26:14 LXX, ἐίτθ κὶἑομσν
εκίω ἀαρς] semi-proverbial, “at all times”: both whether or no the moment seems fit to your hearers, “welcome or not welcome”; cf. 3, 3:1 κιο χλπί Act_24:25 κιὸ δ μτλβνμτκλσμίσ: and “whether or no it is convenient to you” (cf. 1Co_16:12 ὅα εκιήῃ Act_17:21), “in otio vel negotio,” “on duty or off duty,” “in the pulpit or out of it,” “take or make your opportunity.” So Paul himself had preached ἐ δσωηί κὶἐ ποῳκὶπρκιέη ταέη (Thdt.); cf. Sen. Ep. 121, “Et virtutes exhortabor et vitia converberabo; licet aliquis nimium immoderatumque in hac parte me judicet, non desistam” (Wetstein).
ἔεξν (cf. 3:16) ἐιίηο (cf. 2Co_2:6) πρκλσν (ibid. 8). St. Paul’s treatment of the offender at Corinth is a good illustration of this combination, 1Co_5:1-5, 2Co_2:5-11.
3. τςὑ. δδσ.] I 1:10 note, Tit_1:9, Tit_1:2:1; ἐιωωσυι, 3:6, suggests a confused crowd of teachers, each teaching different things, so becoming a burden too heavy for the mind to bear.
κηόεο] “being pleased, having their ears tickled by each new teacher” (τρόεο, Thdt.): cf. Clem. Alex. Strom. i. c. 3, of the Sophists as teachers, κήοτςκὶγραίοτςτςἀοςτνκήαθιγιοέω (Wetstein); Lucian, de Saltat. ii. 266, τ ὅοο ππνὼ τῖ τ ὦαπεῷκωέος(Harrison, P.E., p. 165); or “having itching ears, and desiring to get the itching checked”; “prurientes, ” Vulg.; cf. Act_17:21 εςοδνἕεο εκίονἥλγι τ ἢἀοεντ κιόεο.
4. τὺμθυ] I 1:4, 4:7, Tit_1:14. The article is half contemptuous—those many myths on the knowledge of which they pride themselves (cf. τςφλσφα, Col_2:8), profane and old womanish as they are!
ἐταήοτι] perhaps passive, “will be turned by their teachers,” but more probably middle: cf. I 1:6, 5:15.
5. νφ] The word is probably suggested by the self-control of the athlete in training (7); cf. νφ ὡ Θο ἀλτς Ign. ad Polyc. 2; here it implies free from excitement about novelties, self-controlled, vigilant. “Opposed to the morbid habit of mind which craves for fables rather than the naked truth” (Hort on 1 P 1:13), cf. 1Th_5:6-8, and Marcus Aurelius’ description of his father’s qualities, νφνἐ πσ κὶββινκὶμδμῦἀερκλνμδ κιοόο, Comm. I. §16. κκπθσν, cf. 1:8, 2:3.
ἔγν (cf. 2:15, I 3:1) εαγλσο. Perhaps a special title; cf. Act_21:8, Eph_4:11: “one who has to spread the knowledge of the gospel, a missionary”; but the thought of a missionary is not specially appropriate to Timothy, τνδαοίνthat follows is not official, and this phrase rather sums up the whole teaching of the Epistle than adds a new command. Hence the stress is on εαγλο do the work of one who has a Gospel, not myths and genealogies, to teach, who lays stress on “Jesus Christ risen from the dead” (2:8), and on the whole of my Gospel; Cf. 1:8, 10, 2:8, I 1:11. The command follows κκπθσν for which cf. 1:8 note, and Mar_8:35.
τνδαοίν] thy task of service to the Church and its work, cf. 11, I 1:12.
πηοόηο] “imple,” Vulg., fulfil, carry it out to the end; cf. 17, Luk_1:1.
6. σέδμι] “delibor,” Vulg.; “libor,” Cypr.; cf. Php_2:17; ubi v. Lightfoot, and cf. Ign. Rom. c. 2, πένμιμ πρσηθ τῦσοδσῆα Θῷ ὡ ἔιθσατρο ἕομνἐτν The metaphor rests on the Jewish belief in the sacrificial value of a martyr’s death; cf. Charles on Rev_6:8. In the similar metaphor as used by Seneca and Thrasea, Tac. Ann. xv. 64 (“libare se liquorem illum Jovi liberatori”), xvi. 35, the comparison seems to be between death and the close of a feast at which a libation was poured to Ζὺ στρ Hence there the active is used; here σέδμιis probably passive. His whole life has been a sacrifice: now the libation is ready to be poured upon it.
ἀαύες] cf. Php_1:23; Clem. Rom. 1:44. Philo, in Flaccum, 21, p. 544 M, τνἐ τῦβο τλυαα ἀάυι. Epigr. Gr. 340. 7, ἐ θοςἀέυα I.G.S. 17942 κὶπςμιββωα κὶπςἀέυαμθσ (Nä, p. 34). The metaphor is either from a sailor loosing from his moorings or a soldier striking his tent: the next words (τνἀῶακτλ make the latter the more probable.
7. The stress is mainly on the perfect tenses: “my fight is over, my task ended.” Cf. Verg. Æ 4. 653-55,
“Vixi et quem cursum dederat fortuna pereli,
Et nunc magna mei sub terras ibit imago,”
but secondarily on his own achievement, “I chose the right contest, I have kept on running, I have kept faith.” There is here a true pride in true achievement, in the power given by Christ. Cf. Joh_17:4, 1Co_15:10: stressed here in order to encourage Timothy. ο μγλγρνἀλ ἀιτςτνπῖα(Chrys.)
τνἀῶατνκλν] cf. I 4:10, 6:12. The metaphor may be from the arena; cf. Philo, Leg. Alleg. ii. 26, p. 86 M, of the fight of the soul against pleasure, κλιτνἀῶατῦο δάλσνκὶσοδσνσεαωῆα . . . κλνκὶεκε σέαο: or from the battlefield; cf. 2:4 and the Athenian Inscription, Syll. 21410 Ἀηαο κὶΛκδιόιι. . . πλοςκὶκλὺ ἀῶα ἠωίατ μτ ἀλλν(M.M. s.v.).
τνδόο ττλκ] cf. Act_20:24, 1Co_9:24, Php_3:14. The metaphor is expanded in full details in Clem. Alex. Quis dives salvetur, c. 3. Christ has gone before as the πόρμς Heb_6:20.
τνπσι ττρκ] perhaps, “I have carefully guarded the faith,” cf. I 6:14, Eph_4:5; or “I have kept faith with my master,” “I have been true to my promises”: cf. Joseph. B.J. vi. §345, κτφγῦιπσεςἐήηα Polyb. l0. 37, τνπὸ Ῥμίυ τρῖ πσι (with other instances in Wetstein and Dibelius).
8. ἀόετι] is stored away safely; cf. Col_1:5 and OGIS.. 383:189 οςἀοεστιπρ θῶ κὶἡώνχρςεσβίς and other inscriptions in M.M. s.v.
τςδκισνς] the crown which belongs to, which is won by righteousness; perhaps also the crown which consists in perfect eternal righteousness; cf. Job_33:26 ἀοώε ἀθώοςδκισνν and this is parallel to τνσέαο τςζῆ, Rev_2:10, Rev_2:1 P 5:4, Jam_1:12, all probably based upon some unwritten saying of the Lord (cf. Resch, Agrapha, p. 252). Cf. Wisd 4:2, of virtue, ἐ τ αῶισεαηοοσ πμεε, τντνἀινω ἄλνἀῶανκσσ.
ἀοώε] corresponding to ἀόετι give as due to him, give back what he has deposited with him, what he has earned (cf. πρθκ p. 90). The thought here is not that of a generous giver, but of a righteous judge. Cf. 14, Rom_2:6 ὃ ἀοώε ἑατ κτ τ ἔγ ατῦ and Heb_12:11 πσ πιεα. . . κρὸ ερνκντῖ δʼατςγγμαμνι ἀοίωιδκισνς and for the thought, Ign. ad Polyc. 6, τ δπστ ὑῶ τ ἔγ ὑῶ. ἵατ ἄκπαὑῶ ἄι κμσσε 2Jn_1:8.
ο μννδ ἐο] added not only to encourage Timothy, but perhaps also to emphasize the blessing in store. We shall be with many others there; cf. 1Th_4:17 σνατῖ . . . σνκρῳ
ὁδκιςκιή] cf. Rom_2:5, Rom_2:6. Here perhaps with intentional contrast to the unjust tribunal at Rome, I 6:15 note and 1 P 2:23.
τῖ ἠαηόι] cf. Jam_1:12 ὃ ἐηγίαοτῖ ἀαῶι ατν here the tense is viewed from the time of the judgment; cf. 1Ti_6:17 ἠπκνι For this aspect of the Christian life, cf. Tit_2:13, 1Co_1:7, and 4 Esdr 7:98—
“They shall rejoice with boldness,
be confident without confusion,
be glad without fear:
for they are hastening to behold the face of him
whom in life they served and from whom they are
destined to receive their reward in glory” (Box).
It is suggestive, but scarcely suitable to the context, to combine with this the thought of love for the first Appearing, or love for the many manifestations of Christ to the believer’s heart (Chrys.).
9-18. Appeal to Timothy to join him quickly, and assurance of God’s protection.
Paraphrase. Make every effort to come speedily; I am very lonely; Demas deserted me; his heart was set not on the appearing of the Lord, but on what this present world can offer, and he went off to Thessalonica; Crescens is gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Luke is with me, but he is single-handed. Pick up Mark on your journey and bring him with yourself, for he is most useful—always ready for any service. As for Tychicus, I am sending him to Ephesus. The cloak which I left behind in the Troad with Carpus, bring with you when you come, also my papers, but above all I want the rolls. Alexander, the worker in bronze, showed me much ill-will and did me much harm: I leave him to the Lord’s judgment, who will give every man his due reward. But I advise you, too, to be on your guard against him, for he bitterly opposed all that we said. At the first hearing of my case no one appeared to support me; nay, every one deserted me: may it not be laid to their charge. But the Lord stood by my side, and inspired me with strength, that by my mouth the proclamation of the Gospel might be fully made, and all the Gentiles might hear it. Aye, and I was delivered from the very jaws of the lion. The Lord will deliver me again from every harmful deed, and will carry me safe into His Kingdom, that Kingdom of His in the heavens. To Him be all glory, age after age. Amen.
This paragraph is partly an appeal to Timothy, partly an encouragement to him by the stress laid on the Lord’s protection of the writer (17, 18). In the latter part the language is perhaps coloured by that of the Lord’s Prayer (cf. Chase, The Lord’s Prayer in the Early Church, Texts and Studies, i. 3, pp. 119-22); and throughout there is much similarity with that of the 22nd Psalm:
Cf. Psa_22:1 ἐκτλπς with 10 and 16.
Cf. Psa_22:5 ἐύω 9 ῥσσω21 ῥσι with 17, 18.
Cf. Psa_22:12 οκἔτνὁβηῶ, with 16.
Cf. Psa_22:14, Psa_22:22 σσνμ ἐ σόαο λοτς with 17.
Cf. Psa_22:17 πνρυμνν with 18.
Cf. Psa_22:6, Psa_22:22 ἐώηα. σσν with 18.
Cf. Psa_22:24 δξστ ατν with 18.
Cf. Psa_22:28 πσια πτιὶτνἐνν with 17.
Cf. Psa_22:29 τῦκρο ἡβσλί, with 18.
Had St. Paul, like his Master, been saying this Psalm in the hour of desertion?
For the interpretation on the assumption that these verses incorporate earlier notes from St. Paul to Timothy, cf. Introduction, p. xxxii.
10. Δμς (probably a shortened form of Demetrius; it appears also as a woman’s name, Pap. Oxyr. iii. 506), Col_4:14 (ubi v. Lightfoot, who suggests that he was a native of Thessalonica), Phm_1:24. In the Acta Pauli et Theclœ, Son_1:4, Son_1:12, Son_1:14, Son_1:16, he appears as a jealous and treacherous companion of St. Paul; in Epiphan. Hœ Lev_6, as an apostate. If he could be identified with the Demetrius of 3Jn_1:12 the opposite was the case, and he, like Mark, returned to true loyalty (cf. J. Th. St., April 1904, pp. 362-66, 527, 528).
ἀαήα] perhaps with intentional contrast to ἠαηόι8, and so τννναῶα to τνἐιάεα. The suggestion is that his courage failed; cf. Polyc. ad Phil. 9, of Paul and other martyrs, ο γρτνννἠάηα αῶαἀλ τνὑὲ ἡῶ ἀοαότ.
Κήκς (a Latin name; cf. Tac. Hist. i. 76 of a freedman of Nero, Ann. xv. 11 of a centurion), not mentioned elsewhere in N.T. By later tradition bishop of Chalcedon in Gaul (Chronicon Pasch. 2121), and founder of the Churches of Vienne and Mayence (Acta Sanctorum, June 27; Menologion, May 30).
Γλτα] i.e. either Galatia, as always in St. Paul, or possibly Gaul; so אC, Γλίν cf. Introd., p. xxxvii; cf. Monum. Ancyr. vi. 20, xvi. 1, ἐ Ἱπνα κὶΓλτα κὶπρ Δλαῶ, and this was the current Greek name for Gaul in the 1st and 2nd centuries a.d. There is a similar ambiguity in 1 Mac 8:2. Theod.-Mops. interprets it of Gaul, τςννκλυέα Γλίς οτςγρατςπνε ἐάονο πλιί and he appeals to Josephus’ history of the Jews (? de Bell. Jud. ii. 16, v. Swete’s note). Theodoret is even stronger—ΤςΓλίςοτςἐάεε·οτ γρἐαονοπλι οτ δ κὶννατςὀοάοσνο τςἔωπιεα μτιηόε. For the usage: v. Lightfoot, Galatians, Php_3 note and 31; Encycl. B., s.v. ii. 1616. If this interpretation is right, it is an indication of St. Paul’s interest in Churches west of Rome, and would support the theory that he went to Spain (Zahn, Einl., p. 415).
Δλαίν (or possibly Δλαίν, Deissmann, B.S., p. 182), the southern part of Illyricum, cf. Rom_15:19.
μνς] perhaps suggesting Luke’s feeling of loneliness and need of some helpers. It has been inferred from this that Luke was the amanuensis who wrote this letter.
11. Μρο] Act_12:25, Act_15:37, Col_4:10, Phm_1:24; for the details of his life, cf. Swete, St. Mark, Introd. i.
ἀααώ] Act_20:13, Act_20:14. εχητς, cf. 2:21, Phm_1:11. εςδαοίν, either for personal service in prison, or for missions to the city, or for help in worship. Mark had proved his capacity as ὑηέη, Act_13:5; as σνρὸ εςτνβσλίν Col_4:11; as a comforter in trouble (ibid.); and, like Onesimus, though once ἄρσο, had become εχητςagain.
12. Τχκν] of Asia (Act_20:4) the companion of the first imprisonment, sent with Ephesians and Colossians, Eph_6:21, Col_4:7, and by later tradition bishop of Colophonia or of Chalcedon (Menologion, Dec. 9). This statement would have come more naturally after 10: perhaps the writer had forgotten it for a moment and now adds it, cf. 1Co_1:16; or it may imply that Tychicus is being sent to take Timothy’s place at Ephesus, cf. Tit_3:12.
13. φιόη (Latin pœ, but it is uncertain which language borrowed from the other): either (1) a warm cloak for travelling or winter wear (cf. 21), such as was used by the lower classes at this time, though the use of it was allowed to senators by Alexander Severus; cf. Æ Lampridius, “pæ intra urbem frigoris causa ut senes uterentur permisit, cum id vestimenti genus semper itinerarium aut pluviæfuisset” (Wetstein). It is found either in this form or in the diminutive φιόινin the Papyri (Pap. Oxyr. vi. 933 sq. and other instances in Dibelius). The form φιόινwas used later for the chasuble in the Greek Church, but there is nothing in the context here to suggest such an allusion. Farrar compares the story of Tyndale in prison writing to beg for a woollen shirt and his Hebrew Bible, Grammar, and Dictionary; cf. Pap. Oxyr. xii. 1583, Γνῦπρ Ἰίωο χρντῦ[φι] όο κὶἀέ[ε] κνπρ Κλκν where it is one of a parcel of clothes, cf. Expositor, April 1918: or (2) a woollen wrap for carrying books safely: Chrysostom suggests this as an alternative, and it is adopted by Birt, Das Antike Buchwesen, p. 65; Milligan, N.T. Documents, p. 20; Latham, The Risen Master, p. 463 note. The context suggests this, though the use is not found elsewhere except in comments on the verse and in the Lexica which may draw inferences from it; cf. Dict. Christ. Antiq. s.v.
τ ββί] papyrus letters, possibly copies of his own correspondence.
μμρνς] probably rolls of the O.T. (so Thd. Thdt. Milligan, u.s.; Kenyon, Our Bible and the Ancient MSS, p. 94); or possibly official copies of the Lord’s words or early narratives of His life; cf. 1 Mac 12:9 πρκηι ἐοτςτ ββί τ ἅι (Thom. Aquin.).
14. Nothing is known of this event or of Alexander, but cf. I 1:20. The context would suggest that it happened either at Troas, to which his mind has just gone back, or at Rome at the same time as 16.
ἐεεξτ] cf. Gen_50:15 πνατ κκ ἃἐεεξμθ ατ, Dan 3:44, Dan_3:2 Mac 13:9.
ἀοώε] perhaps with conscious contrast to 8: cf. Pro_24:12, Ps 62:13 σ ἀοώεςἑάτ κτ τ ἔγ ατῦ cf. Rom_2:6, Rom_12:19, and contrast 1 K 2:8, 9. For the reading, v. Introd., p xxxviii.
15. τῖ ἡεέοςλγι] possibly “our arguments” with reference to some part of the trial at Rome; or more likely “our words,” “our preaching”: this opposition might be an element in the βαφμῖ of I 1:20. This suits better ἡεέος(not ἐος cf. Tit_3:14; and for the plural, cf. 1:13, I 4:6, 6:3.
16. τ πώῃἀοο.] either (a) the first process of the present trial: assuming that he had appeared before the court and the case had been adjourned. For a vivid picture of the scene, cf. H. C. G. Moule, pp. 168 ff.; or (b) the first trial at Rome at the end of the imprisonment of Act_28:30; so Euseb. H.E. ii. 22, 3; Zahn, Einl. §33; Wohlenberg; and this suits better the purpose in 17 and the sense of entire deliverance.
πργντ] as advocate or friend to bear testimony for him. πνε, cf. 1:15, all who at Rome might have come forward to support his case.
μ ατῖ λγσεη] cf. Luk_23:34, Act_7:60 (either of which scenes may be before St. Paul’s mind as he writes these words), 1Co_13:5 ἡἀάηο λγζτιτ κκν
17. ἐευάωε] cf. I 1:12 note; ἵα. . . ἔν, that the Lord’s prophecy might be fulfilled (εςπνατ ἔν δῖπῶο κρχῆα τ εαγλο, Mar_13:10), and my task completed (Act_9:15). The time of the fulfilment will depend on the interpretation of 16. It will be either (a) that all the Gentiles who were present at Rome at the time of the present trial might hear his proclamation of the Gospel in his defence; or more probably (b) that after my acquittal at my first trial I might complete my task and all the Gentiles—west of Rome as well as east, cf. Rom_15:20—might hear. This would support the belief that he went to Spain.
ἐ σόαο λοτς] a proverb for extreme danger, probably consciously borrowed from Psa_22 (cf. Psa_7:2, Psa_35:17, Ecclus 51:3, Esth 14:13 (LXX), Pss.-Sol 13:3 θραἐερμσνατῖ πνρ·ἐ τῖ ὀοσνατνἐίλσνσρα ατν κὶἐ τῖ μλι ἔλνὀτ ατν κὶἐ τύω ἁάτνἐρστ ἡᾶ κρο): hence there is no need to attempt to identify the lion—whether with Nero (so Chrys., cf. Pro_19:12 βσλω ἀελ ὁοαβυμ λοτς Josephus, Ant. xviii. 6. 10, τθηε ὁλω of Tiberius) or with Satan (1 P 5:8).
18. ῥστι] in the future as He had done in the past, 3:11. ἀὸ…πνρῦ, not “from any wrong-doing, any failure of courage” (as in Deu_23:9, Job_1:8, Test. XII. Patr., Dan_6:8; ἀὸπνο ἁατμτς Chrys.), but “from any harmful attack,” “from anything that may harm me,” whether coming from πνρὶἄθωο, 3:13, or from ὁπνρς The phrase is perhaps based on the Lord’s Prayer, ῥσιἡᾶ ἀὸτῦπνρῦ which itself may be based on Jewish liturgical forms; cf. Taylor, Sayings of the Jewish Fathers, p. 142.
τνἐορνο] “regnum Neroniano melius” (Bengel); but the contrast is rather with the present kingdom on earth, Col_1:13 “that kingdom whose real seat is in the heavens,” cf. 1. ᾧἡδξ, so 4 Mac 18:24; cf. Charles, Revelation, 1:6.
19. ΠίκνκὶἈύα] Act_18:2, Act_18:18, Rom_16:3, 1Co_16:19: very probably freed members of the gens Acilia at Rome; v. S.-H. on Rom_16:3.
τνὈηι. οκν] cf. 1:16-18.
20. Ἔατς] probably the same as in Rom_16:23, and perhaps also as in Act_19:22.
Τόιο] Act_20:4, Act_21:29. These facts would naturally have been mentioned in 10 or 13: they are perhaps added here to explain why no greeting is sent to or by them.
21. πὸχιῶο] as quickly as possible: before winter sets in which will make travelling dangerous for you, and when I shall specially need your presence—and (perhaps) the warm cloak.
These are members of the Roman Church, not companions of St. Paul, cf. 10, 11, and probably not of sufficient standing in the city to have appeared in court in support of him (cf. 16). Linus is probably the bishop of Rome (Iren. Hœ iii. 3). Of Eubulus nothing is known. For an examination of the untrustworthy legends which have grown up round the names of Pudens and Claudia, cf. Lightfoot, Clement of Rome, i. pp. 76-79; Edmundson, The Church in Rome, note C.
22. Probably an autograph blessing, cf. 2Th_3:17; and indeed the whole paragraph, 9-22, so full of human personal feeling, may well have been written with his own hand.
μθ ὑῶ] so I 6:21, Tit_3:15; v. Introd., p. xxxiii. Thdt., who read μθ ἡῶ, ends his comment with the prayer, “And may it be our lot, too, to gain that grace through the intercessions of him who wrote and him who received this letter; and may we see them in their everlasting habitations, not from afar, as the rich man saw Lazarus, but dwelling side by side with them and enrolled under their leadership.”
Nä Das Wortschatz des Apostel’s Paulus, von T. Nä 1905.
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