Throughout the whole world. Hyperbolical, but accord- ing with the position of the metropolitan church. Compare 1 Thess. i. 8.
9. I serve (Aatpevw). See on Luke i. 74. The word was used in a special sense to denote the service rendered to Jehovah by the Israelites as His peculiar people. See Rom. ix. 4; Acts xxvi. 7. Compare Heb. ix. 1,6. As in his Philippian letter, Paul here appropriates the Jewish word for the spiritual Chris- tian service. See on Philip. iii. 3.
10. | might have a prosperous journey (evodaIjcopa). Rev., J may be prospered. The A.V. brings out the etymo- logical force of the word. See on 3 John 2.
11. Some spiritual gift (rv ydpicua). Note the modesty in some. Xdpicpa is a gift of grace (ydpus), a favor received without merit on the recipient’s part. Paul uses it both in this ordinary sense (ch. v. 15,16; vi. 23), and in a special, technic- al sense, denoting extraordinary powers bestowed upon indi- viduals by the Holy Spirit, such as gifts of healing, speaking with tongues, prophecy, ete. See Rom. xii. 6; 1 Cor.i.7; xii. fier ety 10, la tlm) iv, 14 3320 Timsi6, itis used of the sum of the powers requisite for the discharge of the office of an evangelist.
To the end ye may be established (els 7d ornpuySjvac ipas). Not that I may establish you. The modest use of the passive leaves out of view Paul’s personal part. For established, see on Luke xxii. 32; 1 Pet. v.10. The word shows that he had in view their christian character no less than their instruct- ion in doctrine.
8 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Cu. I.
12. That is (robro 5é éotw). The A. V. and Rev. omit 6é however, thus losing an important shade of meaning. That zs is not merely an explanatory repetition of the preceding phrase, but modifies the idea contained in it. It is a modest and deli- cate explanation, by which Paul guards himself against the possible appearance of underestimating the christian stand- point of his readers, to whom he was still, personally, a stranger. Hence he would say: “I desire to impart some spiritual gift that you may be strengthened; not that I would imply a re- proach of weakness or instability ; but that I desire for you the strengthening of which I stand in need along with you, and which I hope may be wrought in us both by our personal in- tercourse and our mutual faith.”
13. | would not have you ignorant. An emphatic ex- pression calling special attention to what follows. Compare iCor, <> 151 Thess. ivy: 13:
Have some fruit (Tuva xaprrév cxy®). For the phrase, com- pare ch. vi.22. A metaphorical statement of what is stated liter- ally in ver. 11. Not equivalent to bear fruit, but to gather as a harvest. Compare John iv. 36; Philip. i. 22; Col. i. 6. Fruit is a favorite metaphor with Paul. He uses it in both a good and a bad sense. See Rom. vii. 4, 5; vi. 22; Gal. v. 22.
14. Debtor (ofevrérns). All men, without distinction of nation or culture, are Paul’s creditors, ‘“ He owes them his life, his person, in virtue of the grace bestowed upon him, and of the office which he has received” (Godet).
Greeks—Barbarians. Gentiles without distinction. Paul takes the conventional Greek division of all mankind into Greeks and non-Greeks. See on Acts vi. 1. The question whether he includes the Romans among the Greeks or the Barbarians, is irrelevant.
15. To you also that are in Rome. Zo you refers to the christian Church, not to the population generally. In every verse, from 6 to 13, bets you refers to the Church.
16. For (yap). Marking the transition from the introduction to the treatise. “Iam ready to preach at Rome, for, though