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2Co_8:24. According to the Recepta, ἐνδείξασθε is here a direct exhortation, in conformity with the points adduced in 2Co_8:23 ( οὖν ), to furnish towards those three ( εἰς αὐτούς ) the demonstration ( τὴν ἐνδ .) of their love, etc., which demonstration of love is shown to the churches that were represented by them ( εἰς πρόσωπ .). Since, however, the Recepta is a gloss (see the critical remarks), and ἐνδεικνύμενοι is the correct reading, we have here an indirect exhortation, which puts the matter as a point of honour, and so touches the readers the more effectively, without directly making a demand on them. “When you accordingly show towards them the demonstration of your love and of what we have boasted regarding you, you do it in presence of the churches.” In this way εἰς αὐτούς and εἰς πρόσωπον τῶν ἐκκλ . emphatically correspond with each other, and after the participle ἐνδεικν . the second person of the present indicative of the same verb is to be supplied. Comp. Soph. O. C. 520; El. 1428 (1434): τὰ πρὶν εὖ θέμενοι τάδʼ ἑς πάλιν , sc. εὖ θῆσθε . See Schneidewin in loc., and, in general, Doederl. de brachyl. 1831, p. 10 f.; also Dissen, ad Dem. de Cor. 190, p. 359. We might also simply supply the imperative ἐστέ with ἐνδεικν . (see on Rom_12:9), so that also with this reading there would be a direct, stern summons. But with the former interpretation the contextually appropriate emphasis of εἰς πρόσωπον τῶν ἐκκλ . comes out more strongly and more independently.
On points of detail we may further observe—(1) The οὖν does not draw the inference simply from the second half of 2Co_8:23, but from both halves, since the exclusion of reference to Titus is not warranted by εἰς πρόσωπ . τ . ἐκκλ ., which, in fact, suits all three together, and ἡμῶν καυχησέως κ . τ . λ . includes specially a glance at the apostle’s relation to Titus; comp. 2Co_8:6; 2Co_7:14. (2) Πρόσωπον is here also not (see on 2Co_1:11) person, which would be against the usage of the N. T., and, besides, in the singular would be unsuitable here; but εἰς πρόσωπον means to the face, i.e. coram in the sense of the direction. The conception, namely, which Paul wishes to excite in the minds of his readers, is this, that in those three men they have to think of the churches themselves, whose instruments these men are in the matter of the collection, as present and as witnesses of the demonstrations of love that fall to the share of the representatives, and to measure their demeanour towards them accordingly. According to this view, every evidence of love, which is shown to these men, comes, when it takes place, before the eyes of the churches (ideally present in the case). The churches stand by and look on. (3) τῆς ἀγάπης ὑμ . is not the love to Paul (Grotius, Billroth, de Wette, Ewald, and others, following Chrysostom and Theophylact), but the Christian brotherly love, which thereupon has its definite object marked out by εἰς αὐτούς .
On τὴν ἔνδειξιν ἐνδείκνυσθαι , comp. Plat. Legg. 12, p. 966 B. The demonstration of the boasting: namely, how true it was. Comp. 2Co_7:14.