2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
To which end ( εις ο ). So Col 1:29. Probably purpose with reference to the contents of verses 5-10. We have had the Thanksgiving (verses 3-10) in a long, complicated, but rich period or sentence. Now he makes a brief Prayer (verses 11-12) that God will fulfil all their hopes and endeavours. Paul and his colleagues can still pray for them though no longer with them (Moffatt).That ( ινα ). Common after προσευχομα (Col 4:3; Eph 1:17; Php 1:9) when the content of the prayer blends with the purpose (purport and purpose).
Count you worthy ( υμας αξιωση ). Causative verb (aorist active subjunctive) like καταξιοω in verse 5 with genitive.
Of your calling ( της κλησεως ). Κλησις can apply to the beginning as in 1Co 1:26; Ro 11:29, but it can also apply to the final issue as in Php 3:14; Heb 3:1. Both ideas may be here. It is God's calling of the Thessalonians.
And fulfil every desire of goodness ( κα πληρωση πασαν ευδοκιαν αγαθωσυνης ). "Whom he counts worthy he first makes worthy" (Lillie). Yes, in purpose, but the wonder and the glory of it all is that God begins to count us worthy in Christ before the process is completed in Christ (Ro 8:29f.). But God will see it through and so Paul prays to God. Ευδοκια (cf. Lu 2:14) is more than mere desire, rather good pleasure, God's purpose of goodness, not in ancient Greek, only in LXX and N.T. Αγαθωσυνη like a dozen other words in -συνη occurs only in late Greek. This word occurs only in LXX, N.T., writings based on them. It is made from αγαθος, good, akin to αγαμα, to admire. May the Thessalonians find delight in goodness, a worthy and pertinent prayer.
Work of faith ( εργον πιστεως ). The same phrase in 1Th 1:3. Paul prays for rich fruition of what he had seen in the beginning. Work marked by faith, springs from faith, sustained by faith.
With power ( εν δυναμε ). In power. Connect with πληρωση (fulfil), God's power (Ro 1:29; Col 1:4) in Christ (1Co 1:24) through the Holy Spirit (1Th 1:5).
That ( οπως ). Rare with Paul compared with ινα (1Co 1:29; 2Co 8:14). Perhaps here for variety (dependent on ινα clause in verse 11).
The name ( το ονομα ). The Old Testament (LXX) uses ονομα embodying the revealed character of Jehovah. So here the
Name of our Lord Jesus means the Messiahship and Lordship of Jesus. The common Greek idiom of ονομα for title or dignity as in the papyri (Milligan) is not quite this idiom. The papyri also give examples of ονομα for person as in O.T. and Ac 1:15 (Deissmann, Bible Studies, pp. 196ff.).
In you, and ye in him ( εν υμιν, κα υμεις εν αυτω ). This reciprocal glorying is Pauline, but it is also like Christ's figure of the vine and the branches in Joh 15:1-11.
According to the grace ( κατα την χαριν ). Not merely standard, but also aim (Robertson, Grammar, p. 609).
Of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ ( του θεου ημων κα κυριου Ιησου Χριστου ). Here strict syntax requires, since there is only one article with θεου and κυριου that one person be meant, Jesus Christ, as is certainly true in Tit 2:13; 2Pe 1:1 (Robertson, Grammar, p.786). This otherwise conclusive syntactical argument, admitted by Schmiedel, is weakened a bit by the fact that Κυριος is often employed as a proper name without the article, a thing not true of σωτηρ in Tit 2:13; 2Pe 1:1. So in Eph 5:5 εν τη βασιλεια του Χριστου κα θεου the natural meaning is
in the Kingdom of Christ and God regarded as one, but here again θεος, like Κυριος, often occurs as a proper name without the article. So it has to be admitted that here Paul may mean "according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ," though he may also mean "according to the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ."
Copyright information for
RWP