t Cf. Kattenbusch: das Apost. Symbol, ii. 597 Ε.
18. ἢ διότι ἠθελήσαμεν ἐλθεῖν
πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἐγὼ " μὲν Παῦλος καὶ ° ἅπαξ καὶ " δίς, καὶ Ρ ἐνέκοψεν 19. τίς γὰρ ἡμῶν ἐλπὶς ἢ “ χαρὰ ἢ “ στέφανος r / ρα πο Ni τε μάννα at , ae 65 A καυχήσεως "(ἢ οὐχὶ καὶ ὑμεῖς) ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ "Κυρίου ἡμῶν “᾿Ιησοῦ
u
ἡ "δόξα ἡμῶν καὶ ἡ
q Phil. iv. 1. τ Cf. Prov. xvi. 31
u Win. § 18,
ferred all such hindrances to the devil as the opponent of God and of God’s cause. The words ἐν ᾿Αθήναις (111. 1) rule out Zimmer’s application of (ϐ) to the emer- gency at Corinth, while the silence of Acts makes any of the other hypotheses quite possible, though (d) hardly fits in with the ordinary view of the Empire in 11. ii. 2 f. and renders it difficult to see why the Thessalonians did not under- stand at once how Paul could not return. The choice really lies between (a) and (ο). Kabisch (27-29), by a forced ex- egesis, takes ver. 20 as the explanation of this satanic manceuvre. Satan pre- vented us from coming, in order to rob us of our glory and praise on the last day, by wrecking your Christian taith ; he was jealous of our success among you.
Ver. 19. Of course we wanted to come back, for (γάρ), etc. The touch of fine exaggeration which follows is true to the situation. Paul's absence from the young church was being misinterpreted in a sinister way, as if it implied that the Achaian Christians had ousted the Thes- salonians from his affections. You τέ is, he protests, who but you (καὶ super- fluous after 4, as in Epict. i. 6, 39; Rom. xiv. το, but really heightening the follow- ing word, as in Rom. v. 7; almost = “‘ indeed ’’ or “‘even”’)—you are my pride and delight !—orépavos, of a public honour granted (as to Demosthenes and Zeno) for distinguished public service. The metaphor occurs often in the inscrip- tions (cf. also Pirke Aboth, iv. 9). -Paul coveted no higher distinction at the ar- rival of the Lord than the glory of having won over the Thessalonian church. Cf. Crashaw’s lines to St. Teresa in heaven :
“Thou shalt look round about, and see Thousands of crown’d souls throng to be Themselves thy crown”.
Παρουσία = royal visit (cf. Wilcken’s Grniech. Ostraka, i. 274 f.), and hence applied (cf. Matt. xxiv.) to the arrival of the messiah, though the evidence for the
1 τς, ΠΡΟΣ ΘΟΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΕΙΣ A
31
III. 1. Διὸ μηκέτι στέγοντες, " ηὐδοκήσαμεν "καταλειφθῆναι ἐνα i.e, Paul an ilva~
᾿Αθήναις μόνοι 2. καὶ ἐπέμψαμεν Τιμόθεον τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἡμῶν καὶ δας, ο ii, συνεργὸν ᾿τοῦ Ocod! ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, εἰς TO“ στηρίξαι " Acts xxv,
- a A 14. ὑμᾶς καὶ “mapaxahecar "ὑπὲρ τῆς πίστεως ὑμῶν, 3. ᾿ τὸ μηδένα ς 2 Macc. ΓΞ μα νι. 7, ® σαίνεσθαι ” ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσι ταύταις - αὐτοὶ γὰρ οἴδατε ὅτι εἰς "τοῦτο εἰς. τ Cor. i ΄ \ XQ .“ κ x Cola a λέ ὃν ον ve 11. 9. κείμεθα - 4. καὶ γὰρ οτε “πρὸς ὑμᾶς NEV, προελεγοµεν ὕμιν ὅτι ἃ II. ii. 17; cf. below, ver. 13. a A e =nept (cf, Ἢ κἀγώ μηκέτι στέγων ἔπεμψα “eis τὸ γνῶναι τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν, μή λα πως " ἐπείρασεν ὑμᾶς 6 πειράζων καὶ Peis κενὸν Ἰγένηται ὁ κόπος ἘΣ. δ: 4οὶ. es : ΧΧΧΙΧ: δ). f Cf. Viteau, i. 272; Blass, § 71, 2, opposition to preceding clause (cf. iv. 6). g Her€only(N.T.), = ‘allured, beguiled ” or “‘ disturbed” (Diog. Laert. viii. 43: οἱ δὲ σαινόμενοι τοῖς λεγόμενοις ἐδάκρυον). ‘h 1.4, τὸ θλίβεσθαι, cf. i. 6, 11. 1. 5. i Phil. i. 16. k = “with” II. iii. 1, το, etc. 1“ We Christians.” m Cf. on ii. 13. n Cf. on ii. 16. o Unrealised purpose, see Gal. ii. 2, iv. 11, for mood; also Burton, M.T. 227. p Win. § 29, 2, b. q deliberative conjunctive.