CHAP. I. VER. 15. 69

version. The apostle assures them he joins them in their perpetual thanksgiving over this glorious event. Having heard of your faith m the Lord Jesus. As Paul was the founder of the church in Ephesus, and had laboured long in that city, it has always ex- cited remark that he should speak of having heard of their faith, as though he had no personal acquaintance with them. This form of expression is one of the rea- sons why many have adopted the opinion, as mentioned in the Introduction, that this epistle was addressed not to the Ephesians alone or principally, but to all the churches in the western part of Asia Minor. It is, however, not unnatural that the apostle should speak thus of so large and constantly changing a congregation, after having been for a time absent from them. Be- sides, the expression need mean nothing more than that he continued to hear of their good estate. The two leading graces of the Christian character are faith and love—faith in Christ and love to the brethren. Of these, therefore, the apostle here speaks. Your faith ; τὴν καθ᾽ ὑμᾶς πίστιν, which either means the faith which ts with you; or as our version renders the words, your faith. Comp. in the Greek Acts 17, 28. 18,15. Faith in the Lord Jesus, i. e. faith or trust which has its ground in him. For examples of the construction of πίστις with ἐν, see Gal. 3, 26. Col. 1,4. 1Tim. 1,14. 3,13. 2Tim.1,13. 3,15. Comp. Mark 1,15, and in the Septuagint Jer. 12, 6. Ps. 78, 29. This construction, though comparatively rare, is not to be denied, nor are forced interpretations of pas-