pedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago.
The connection is witli v. 8. 'I do not command, I, in this matter, viz., in making collections for the poor, irive my mind ; ' yvw firjv, in the sense of opinion. Comp. 1 Cor. 7,6. JFhr this is expedient for you. This admits of two interpreta- tions. ' I advise you to make the collection, for this giving to the poor is profitable to you. It not only promotes your own moral growth, but it is demanded by consistency. Having begun this work it would be an injury to yourselves to leave it unfinished.' This is the common, and on the whole the preferable explanation. It satisfies all the demands of the context ; and it makes Iv rotJro) and tovto refer to the same thing. ' In this matter (of giving) I express my opinion, for this (giving) is profitable to you.' Meyer, Billroth and many others make tovto refer to the immediately preceding words. 'I give my advice, for advising is better than commanding in your case, seeing ye were willing a year ago.' This, however, is not demanded by the context, and lowers the sense. The former interpretation brings out a higher truth than the second. It is for our own good to do good. Wlio^ otrtvc?, (being such as those who.) ' It is expedient for you, because ye began before not only to do (to Trot^o-at), but to be forward {to ScXetv) a year ago. As the will precedes the deed, many commentators assume an inversion in these words, and reverse their order. ' Ye began not only to will, but to do.' This is arbitrary and unnecessary. Others, as do our translators, take the word ^e'Aetv in an emphatic sense, to be zealous in doing. Luke 20, 48. John 8, 44. ' Ye began not only to do, but to do with zeal.' This, however, does not agree with the following verse, where ^kX^iv is used in its ordinary sense. Others again understand TroLrjaai of the beginning of the work, and the ^eAetv of the purpose to do more. But this requires m.uch to be supplied Avhich is not in the text. Besides it does not agree with the qualifying clause 'a year ago.' According to this explanation the ^cActv does not express what had occurred a year ago, but to the state of mind now assumed to exist and subsequent to the doing begun the year before. De Wette, Winer, and Meyer give a much more natural interpretation. The word Trpoevrjp^ao-^e^ as in V. 6, refers to the Macedonian churches. ' You anticipated the Macedonians not only in the work but in the purpose.' That is, before tliey had begun to