and when the Ap. does come he means to stay ‘some time”. His recent short visit had been very unsatisfactory (see Introd., chap. ii.).—For ἄρτι, see note on iv. 11; it is in tacit contrast with the future, as in xiii. 12. For ἐπιμεῖναι, ‘to stay on”’ (in time)—distinguished from καταµένω, ‘to stay fixedly” (in place or condition: 6), see parls.—éav 6 Kup. κ.τ.λ., see parls., also to iv. 19,—pia con- ditio (Bg.): Paul’s plans have been re- peatedly overruled (Acts xvi. 6 f.; 1 Thess. ii. 18). He says “if the Lord permit,” thinking of his visit as a pleasure; but “if the Lord will,” in the parl. clause, iv. 18 f., viewing it as a painful duty.
Vv. 8,9. ‘But I stay on in Ephesus until the Pentecost ’—tijs πεντηκοστῆς (ἡμέρας), “the fiftieth day’ from the 16th Nisan in the Passover Feast (see parls.). This suggests that P. is writing not very long before Whitsuntide; ν. 6 ff. indicated a date for the Ep. immediately antecedent to Easter. Ver. 9 explains why the Ap. must remain at Eph. some time longer, although required at Cor.: “for a door is open to me, great and effectual, and (there are) many adver- saries”. This θύρα is defined in Col. iv. 3 (cf. 2 Cor. ii. 12) asa θύρα τοῦ λόγον--- a door open to the preacher ; in Acts xiv. 27 it is seen from the other side, as θύρα πίστεως---α door for the entrance of the believing hearer; see parls. for kindred applications of the figure. The door is µεγάλη in respect of its width and the region into which itopens, ἐνεργής in re- spect of the influence gained by entering {ε,----ἀντικείμενοι πολλοί (cf. xv. 32): an additional reason for not retreating; cf. Phil. i. 28. The terrible riot that shortly