γνῶτε τὰ περὶ ἡμῶν καὶ παρακαλέσῃ τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν, ^9σὺν Ὀνησίμῳ τῷ
πιστῷ καὶ ἀγαπητῷ ἀδελφῷ, ὅς ἐστιν ἐξ ὑμῶν. πάντα ὑμῖν γνωρίσουσιν τὰ
ὧδε.
γνῶτε τὰ περὶ ἡμῶν] This must be preferred to the received reading, γνῷ
τὰ περὶ ὑμῶν, for two independent reasons. (1) The preponderance of
ancient authority is decidedly in its favour. (2) The emphatic εἰς αὐτὸ
τοῦτο ἵνα seems imperatively to demand it. St Paul in the context twice
states the object of Tychicus’ visit to be that the Colossians might be
informed about the Apostle’s own doings, τὰ κατ’ ἐμὲ πάντα γνωρίσει ὑμῖν
(ver. 7), and πάντα ὑμῖν γνωρίσουσιν τὰ ὧδε. He could hardly therefore
have described ‘the very purpose’ of his mission in the same breath as
something quite different.
It is urged indeed, that this is a scribe’s alteration to bring the
passage into accordance with Ephes. vi. 21. But against this it may
fairly be argued that, on any hypothesis as regards the authorship and
relation of the two letters, this strange variation from γνῶτε τὰ περὶ
ἡμῶν to γνῷ τὰ περὶ ὑμῶν in the author himself is improbable. On the
other hand a transcriber was under a great temptation to substitute γνῷ
for γνῶτε owing to the following παρακαλέση, and this temptation would
become almost irresistible, if by any chance περὶ ὑμῶν had been written
for περὶ ἡμῶν in the copy before him, as we find to be the case in some
MSS. See the detached note on various readings.
παρακαλέσῃ κ.τ.λ.] i.e. ‘encourage you to persevere by his tidings and
exhortations’. The phrase occurs again, Ephes. vi. 22, 2 Thess, ii. 17:
see above ii. 2. The prominent idea in all these passages is not comfort
or consolation but perseverance in the right way.
9. σὺν Ὀνησίμῳ] See above, p. 33, and the introduction to the Epistle to
Philemon.
τῷ πιστῷ κ.τ.λ.] The man whom the Colossians had only known hitherto, if
they knew him at all, as a worthless runaway slave, is thus commended to
them as no more a slave but a brother, no more dishonest and faithless
but trustworthy, no more an object of contempt but of love; comp.
Philem. 11, 16.
γνωρίσουσιν] This form has rather better support from the MSS than
γνωριοῦσιν: see also above, iii. 25. On the Attic future from verbs in
-ιζω in the Greek Testament generally see Winer § xiii. p. 88, A.
Buttmann p. 32 sq. Is there any decisive instance of these Attic forms
in St Paul, except in quotations from the LXX (e.g. Rom. x. 19, xv. 12)?
10–14. ‘I send you greeting from Aristarchus who is a fellow-prisoner
with me; from Marcus, Barnabas’ cousin, concerning whom I have already
sent you directions, that you welcome him heartily, if he pays you a
visit; and from Jesus, surnamed Justus; all three Hebrew converts. They
alone of their fellow-countrymen have worked loyally with me in
spreading the kingdom of God; and their stedfastness has indeed been a
comfort to me in the hour of trial. Greeting also from Epaphras, your
fellow-townsman, a true servant of Christ, who is ever wrestling in his
prayers on your behalf, that ye may stand firm in the faith, perfectly
instructed and fully convinced in every will and purpose of God. I bear
testimony to the earnestness with which he labours for you and the
brethren of Laodicea and those of Hierapolis. Greeting also from Luke
the physician, my very dear friend, and from Demas.’
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