[1023] Neither of the two ideas which Chrys. draws from v. 25--(a) that though absent in body, he would be present with them in spirit; (b) that the "all" addressed refers to the whole company--comes naturally from the text. The apostle states his firm conviction that he shall not again visit Ephesus. Whether he ever did so or not, we do not know. The probabilities in the case would depend upon the question of a release from his Roman imprisonment. He hoped for such a release and intended to visit Colossæ (Philem. 22). On the supposition of such a release and on the consequent supposition of the Pauline authorship of the Pastoral Epistles, a visit after this time to Ephesus becomes very probable, especially since we find the apostle (2 Tim. iv. 13, 20) at Troas and Miletus.--G.B.S.
[1024] Hence it appears that St. Chrys. reads Kuriou not Theou in this text, though in the citation the Scribes give it according to the other reading, Theou.
[1025] It is an interesting fact that in this passage where the reading vacillates between Kuriou and theou, while the report of the Homily has given us theou, the citation of the N. T. text favors the reading Kuriou. The great majority of mss. read tou Kuriou: ' and B. have tou theou (the usual Pauline formula). Many critics hold that Kur. was changed to th. in accordance with Pauline usage in the Epistles. The idea of the "blood of God" is against the reading theou. Modern critics are nearly equally divided. Alford, Westcott and Hort, read theou; Meyer, Tischendorf, Kuriou; to us the latter seems decidedly preferable.--G.B.S.
[1026] deiknusi timion to pragma, hoti. Mod. text. polu deikn. di hon eipe timion to pr. So Edd. Multum ostendit dum dicit pretiosam rem. Ben.
[1027] Ou gar ei pollous eide tote epheisato (mod. epheideto). Non enim si multos vidisset, eis pepercisset, Ben. But Cat. has preserved the true reading, ephistato.
[1028] Estai chrestos kai megas aner. The second epithet, being evidently unsuitable, mod. text gives, chrestos aner kai praos genesetai. But perhaps ch. a. kai m. belongs to the next sentence, as an exclamation on v. 22. "A good and great man!" and for malassetai; estai we may read malachthesetai.
[1029] Old text: hina me katachose auton ten dianoian, followed by the latter part of v. 27. Tou anangeilai humin k. t. l. But the connection may also be, "I have not shrunk--of course in due order and proportion" (or something of that kind) "that he may not overwhelm their minds, from declaring," etc. It might seem, however, from the comment which follows, viz ten peri tou parontos pragmatos, that Chrys. is here proposing an interpretation of v. 27 different from what was implied in the first exposition, p. 269, and from that of v. 20: i.e. "painful as it is, I have not shrunk from announcing to you all the counsel of God, to wit, as touching the present matter, my separation from you, so that ye shall see my face no more." But this being very unsatisfactory, it is better to take the connection thus: Nor does he now shrink from declaring to them the whole counsel of God concerning the coming events, and their duty and responsibility therein. (We have therefore placed the mark of an hiatus before this clause.)--Mod. text substitutes, "But what is this (that he adds), Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things.' What then," etc.
[1030] The text is evidently confused or defective here. Mod. text "For that none may fancy it plea enough for his justification, that he is a disciple while yet he does not yield, therefore having said, I take you to record, he adds, for I have not shunned," etc.
[1031] St. Chrysostom succeeded Nectarius in the Archbishopric of Constantinople, 26th Feb. Coss. Honorius iv. and Eutychianus a.d. 398. Socrat. vi. 2.--From the following passage it appears that these Homm. though begun after Easter, perhaps of a.d. 400, extended over a considerable period of time, not being preached every day.--Below, mod. text spoils the sense by altering pikrotera into kouphotera.
[1032] Mod. text inserts a phesin, and makes the sentence interrogative. "And does this, you will say, profit them nothing nor shield them, that they watch for our souls? But then they watch as they that must give an account: and to some indeed this seems to be terrible." The meaning in general seems to be: "If they perish, yet surely you can comfort yourself with the thought, that you at least are pure from their blood. No, this thought avails nothing to ward off (that sorrow). "Because they watch," etc.--this seems a fearful thing. But if you be lost, it is not the thought of my accountability that gives me most concern--it is the thought of your perishing. Oh! that I might in the last day find you saved though not through me, yea, though I myself thereafter were called to account as not having done my part by you!"
[1033] Eterothen men oudamothen, apo de ton genomenon) meaning perhaps, "From what has been done by us in our ministry: we will endeavor to persuade you by reminding you of all our care and pains for our salvation:") ta kath' humas panta apolusometha. 'Apoluesthai (enklemata), is frequent in Chrys., often confused with apolouesthai and apoduesthai. See Mr. Field's Index and Annotat. in Hom. Matth.