of this fact which led the Macedonians, without any exhorta tion from the apostle, but of their own accord, to make the contribution of which he here speaks. Our translators by the insertion of the words they were alter the sense of this verse. They make the apostle say, ' They were willing beyond their power.' Whereas what he says is, ' They gave spontaneously beyond their power.' The word tSwKav, they gave^ though not expressed until the end of the passage, is clearly implied from the beginning.
Praying us with much entreaty. The thing for which the Macedonians so earnestly prayed was, according to the re- ceived text and our version, that the apostle would receive their alms and take upon him the distribution of them. But by common consent the words Se^^ao-^at i^/^as (tJiat we would receive) should be omitted, and there is nothing in the Greek to answer to the interpolated words taJx:e upon us. The w^ords are, 8eo/xcvot ry/xojv r-qv x'^P^^ '^^^ '^'h^ KOLvoiVLav, begging of us the favour and fellowship., (or participation,) i. e. the favour of a particijoation. The latter word explains the former; the favour they asked was that of taking part in the ministry to the saints. The word StaKovta, ministry^ service., is often used in the sense o^ aid ov relief . 9, 1. 13. Acts 6, 1. 11, 29. Here, according to some, the sentence ends. The more common interpretation supposes kuI ov Ka^ojs rjk-n-Laai.Lev to be a new modification of the principal idea, "and not as we expected," i. e. a moderate contribution, but they first gave their own. selves to the Lord and to us. This does not mean that they gave themselves before they gave their alms ; but they gave themselves first to the Lord, then to us ; Trpwrov belongs to KvpLia and not to cStoKav. First does not mean first in time, but in importance and order. Compare Acts 15, 28. Ex- odus 14, 31. The oftering was immediately and directly to Christ, and subordinately to the apostle. By giving themselves to the Lord the apostle means that not con- tent with giving their money they had given themselves; made an entire dedication of all they had and all they were to their divine Master. This was far beyond his expec- tations. To understand this expression as indicating that devotion to Christ was the motive which determined their liberality is inconsistent with the context. Their inward de- votion to Christ was not a thing to take the apostle by sur- prise ; that was involved in their profession of the gospel. What surpassed his expectations was, that their liberality led