Ephesians 3:13

Διὸ. Such being the occasion and the effect of my sufferings.

αἰτοῦμαι. Elsewhere in St Paul only Ephesians 3:20; Colossians 1:9; in each case of a request from God. But the context is on the whole in favour of translating ‘I beg you not.’ Otherwise ‘I pray that there be no failing’ is possible. Robinson conjectures that ὑμᾶς has dropped out after αἰτοῦμαι, but cf. 2 Corinthians 5:20; Hebrews 13:19.

μὴ ἐνκακεῖν. 2 Thessalonians 3:13; 2 Corinthians 4:1; Galatians 6:9; Luke 18:1. (So always in the true reading, never ἐκκακεῖν.) ‘Lose heart,’ ‘fail in perseverance.’ Cf. Lightfoot on Galatians 6:9.

ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσίν μου, i.e. his imprisonment (Ephesians 3:1). Notice how in Philippians 1:12-30 he puts a brave face on facts outwardly discouraging. Cf. Colossians 1:24. For ἐν, cf. Philippians 1:28, μὴ πτυρόμενοι ἐν μηδενί.

ἥτις ἐστὶν δόξα ὑμῶν. Cf. 1 Peter 4:14. The antecedent is either (1) ‘my sufferings on your behalf, which are,’ or (2) ‘that ye faint not … which is’ (so Lightfoot). ἥτις in any case is attracted into agreement with δόξα. Cf. 1 Corinthians 3:17; Philippians 1:28. For (1) cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:20; 2 Corinthians 1:14; 2 Corinthians 5:12.