2 Corinthians 10:14

οὐ γὰρ ὡς μή (אDFGKLM, dfg Vulg.) rather than ὡς γὰρ μή (B 114, 116) or οὐ γὰρ μὴ ὡς (P).

14. οὐ γὰρ ὡς μή. See critical note. The punctuation is doubtful, both as regards the whole verse, which may be a parenthesis (WH.), and as regards the arrangement of its parts, which may have either a comma or an interrogation at ἑαυτούς, and either a comma or a colon at τοῦ χριστοῦ. Reading οὐ γὰρ ὡς μὴ ἐφικνούμενοι, it is best to treat the verse as not parenthetical, and to connect 2 Corinthians 10:15 with 2 Corinthians 10:14; also to make no part of 2 Corinthians 10:14 a question: For we are not, as if we did not reach unto you, overstretching ourselves; for as far as even you we were the first to come in the gospel of the Christ. Or we may fill in the opening words thus; For we are not overstretching ourselves, as we should be doing if we did not reach unto you. See Winer, p. 595. If S, Paul’s province did not include Corinth, then he would be over-extending himself by transgressing limits: but manifestly it does include Corinth. Possibly ἐφθάσαμεν means no more than ‘came’ (R.V.). It is one of many words which in late Greek lost their sharpness of meaning, and perhaps here there is no thought of anticipating others, of being the first to come: comp. Romans 9:31; Philippians 3:16; 1 Thessalonians 2:16; Luke 11:20. In 1 Thessalonians 4:15, where it is not followed by a preposition, the idea of anticipating survives. Here no doubt the main point is that he came as far as Corinth with the Gospel; but it adds to the point to say that he was the first to preach in those regions, ἐν τοῖς κλίμασι τῆς Ἀχαίας (2 Corinthians 11:10). Comp. what Horace says of his being the first to introduce iambics into Italy. Libera per vacuum posui vestigia princes, Non aliena meo pressi pede (Epp. I. xix. 21). And with ὑπερεκτείνομεν comp. Sunt quibus in satira videor nimis acer et ultra Legem tendere opus (Sat. II. i. 1).

If we read ὡς γὰρ μὴ ἐφικνούμενοι, the first half of the sentence becomes a question expecting a negative answer, as the strong verb ὑπερεκτείνομεν shews; For are we overstretching ourselves as if we did not reach unto you? For other doubtful interrogatives see on 2 Corinthians 10:7.