ἐλπίδα τὴν ἀποκειμένην ὑμῖν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, ἣν προηκούσατε ἐν τῷ λόγῳ
τῆς ἀληθείας τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, ^6 τοῦ παρόντος εἰς ὑμᾶς, καθὼς καὶ ἐν
παντὶ τῷ κόσμῳ ἐστιν
τὴν ἀποκειμένην] ‘_which is stored up_.’ It is the θησαυρὸς ἐν οὐρανῷ of
the Gospels (Matt. vi. 20, 21, Luke xii. 34, xviii. 22).
προηκούσατε] ‘_of which ye were told in time past_.’ The preposition
seems intended to contrast their earlier with their later lessons—the
true Gospel of Epaphras with the false gospel of their recent teachers
(see the next note). The expression would gain force, if we might
suppose that the heretical teachers obscured or perverted the doctrine
of the resurrection (comp. 2 Tim. ii. 18); and their speculative tenets
were not unlikely to lead to such a result. But this is not necessary;
for under any circumstances the false doctrine, as leading them astray,
tended to cheat them of their hope; see ver. 23. The common
interpretations, which explain προ- as meaning either ‘before its
fulfilment’ or ‘before my writing to you,’ seem neither so natural in
themselves nor so appropriate to the context.
τῆς ἀληθείας τοῦ εὐαγγελίου] ‘_the truth of the Gospel_,’ i.e. the true
and genuine Gospel as taught by Epaphras, and not the spurious
substitute of these later pretenders: comp. ver. 6 ἐν ἀληθείᾳ. See also
Gal. ii. 5, 14, where a similar contrast is implied in the use of ἡ
ἀληθεία τοῦ εὐαγγελίου.
6. τοῦ παρόντος εἰς ὑμᾶς ‘_which reached you_.’ The expression παρεῖναι
εἰς is not uncommon in classical writers; comp. παρεῖναι πρὸς in Acts
xii. 20, Gal. iv. 18, 20. So also εὑρεθῆναι εἰς (Acts viii. 40),
γενέσθαι εἰς (e.g. Acts xxv. 15), and even εἶναι εἰς (Luke xi. 7). See
Winer § l. p. 516 sq.
ἐν παντὶ τῷ κόσμῳ] For a similar hyperbole see Rom. i. 8 ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ
κόσμῳ; comp. 1 Thess. i. 8, 2 Cor. ii. 14, ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ. More lurks
under these words than appears on the surface. The true Gospel, the
Apostle seems to say, proclaims its truth by its universality. The false
gospels are the outgrowths of local circumstances, of special
idiosyncrasies; the true Gospel is the same everywhere. The false
gospels address themselves to limited circles; the true Gospel proclaims
itself boldly throughout the world. Heresies are at best ethnic: truth
is essentially catholic. See ver. 23 μὴ μετακινούμενοι ἀπὸ τῆς ἐλπίδος
τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ὁῦ ἠκούσατε, _τοῦ_ κηρυχθέντος _ἐν πάσῃ κτίσει_
τῇ ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανόν.
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