Ephesians 6:21

ἵνα δὲ εἰδῆτε καὶ ὑμεῖς [καὶ ὑμεῖς εἰδῆτε] τὰ κατʼ ἐμέ, τί πράσσω : but that ye also may know my affairs, how I do. The metabatic δέ, passing on to a different subject. The order καὶ ὑμεῖς εἰδῆτε is given in [876] [877] [878] [879], etc.; εἰδῆτε καὶ ὑμεῖς in [880] [881] [882], Syr., etc. The evidence is almost equally balanced. LTTr prefer the former order; WH give it in the margin. The καί has its proper force of “also,” and points, therefore, to others as well as the Ephesians as possessing or being interested in the knowledge of Paul's affairs. Those who take the Epistle to the Colossians to be prior to this one, naturally think of the Colossians as in view. But in the Epistle itself there is nothing to indicate who these others were. For τὰ κατʼ ἐμέ = “my circumstances,” cf. Philippians 1:22; Colossians 4:7; also Tob 10:8; Esther 1:22; Esther 1:22. τί πράσσω, not = “what I do,” but “how I fare,” in the reflexive sense (Lat., me habeo) common from Æschylus downwards. Here it is explanatory of τὰ κατʼ ἐμέ. πάντα ὑμῖν γνωρίσει [γνωρίσει ὑμῖν] Τυχικός : Tychicus shall make known to you. πάντα is omitted in [883] 1 [884], Syr., etc. ὑμῖν is placed by the TR before γνωρίσει (as in [885] [886] [887], Syr.-P., Chr., Theod., etc.; after it by LTTr WRV (as in [888] [889] [890] [891] [892] [893] [894], 17, 37, 116, 120, Syr.-Sch., Copt., etc.). Τυχικός, usually so accented, but Τύχικος in WH, is mentioned again in Acts 20:4; Colossians 4:7; 2 Timothy 4:12; Titus 3:12. We gather from these passages that he was a native of proconsular Asia (Acts 20:4), possibly of Ephesus itself (see Light., Philip., p. 11); that he was with Paul towards the close of his third missionary journey (Acts 20:4); and again at the time when the Epistle to the Colossians was written; and yet again at the end of the Apostle's career (Titus 3:12; 2 Timothy 4:12). It is probable that he went to Jerusalem, as Trophimus did (Acts 21:29), in all likelihood as a delegate of his Church, the words ἄχρις τῆς Ἀσίας not belonging to the true text of Acts 20:4. We find him here charged with the delivery of the circular letter known as the Epistle to the Ephesians, probably at the chief centres, Laodicea, Colossæ, etc., where Christian communities had been formed in Asia. He is mentioned also in connection with missions to Crete and to Ephesus (Titus 3:12; 2 Timothy 4:12). ὁ ἀγαπητὸς ἀδελφὸς καὶ πιστὸς διάκονος ἐν Κυρίῳ : the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord. In the sister Epistle he is described in the same terms, but with the addition of καὶ σύνδουλος. πιστός = faithful, in the sense of trusty, as in Matthew 24:45 and often elsewhere. The ἐν Κυρίῳ defines the διάκονος, and does not refer to the whole clause. The service to Paul was service rendered in the Lord, in Christ's fellowship and Spirit. The term διάκονος does not carry here the idea of ecclesiastical office, such as the deaconship proper, but refers to ministrations rendered to Paul himself, and so is “servant” or “minister” in the general sense. So in Colossians 4:7 he is called not only πιστὸς διάκονος, but Paul's fellow-servant (σύνδουλος) in the Lord. This is Paul's commendation of him to the Churches which he was to visit.

[876] Codex Sinaiticus (sæc. iv.), now at St. Petersburg, published in facsimile type by its discoverer, Tischendorf, in 1862.

[877] Codex Alexandrinus (sæc. v.), at the British Museum, published in photographic facsimile by Sir E. M. Thompson (1879).

[878] Codex Claromontanus (sæc. vi.), a Græco-Latin MS. at Paris, edited by Tischendorf in 1852.

[879] Codex Augiensis (sæc. ix.), a Græco-Latin MS., at Trinity College, Cambridge, edited by Scrivener in 1859. Its Greek text is almost identical with that of G, and it is therefore not cited save where it differs from that MS. Its Latin version, f, presents the Vulgate text with some modifications.

[880] Codex Vaticanus (sæc. iv.), published in photographic facsimile in 1889 under the care of the Abbate Cozza-Luzi.

[881] Codex Mosquensis (sæc. ix.), edited by Matthæi in 1782.

[882] Codex Angelicus (sæc. ix.), at Rome, collated by Tischendorf and others.

[883] Codex Claromontanus (sæc. vi.), a Græco-Latin MS. at Paris, edited by Tischendorf in 1852.

[884] Codex Augiensis (sæc. ix.), a Græco-Latin MS., at Trinity College, Cambridge, edited by Scrivener in 1859. Its Greek text is almost identical with that of G, and it is therefore not cited save where it differs from that MS. Its Latin version, f, presents the Vulgate text with some modifications.

[885] Codex Alexandrinus (sæc. v.), at the British Museum, published in photographic facsimile by Sir E. M. Thompson (1879).

[886] Codex Mosquensis (sæc. ix.), edited by Matthæi in 1782.

[887] Codex Angelicus (sæc. ix.), at Rome, collated by Tischendorf and others.

[888] Codex Vaticanus (sæc. iv.), published in photographic facsimile in 1889 under the care of the Abbate Cozza-Luzi.

[889] Codex Sinaiticus (sæc. iv.), now at St. Petersburg, published in facsimile type by its discoverer, Tischendorf, in 1862.

[890] Codex Claromontanus (sæc. vi.), a Græco-Latin MS. at Paris, edited by Tischendorf in 1852.

[891] Codex Sangermanensis (sæc. ix.), a Græco-Latin MS., now at St. Petersburg, formerly belonging to the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Its text is largely dependent upon that of D. The Latin version, e (a corrected copy of d), has been printed, but with incomplete accuracy, by Belsheim (18 5).

[892] Codex Augiensis (sæc. ix.), a Græco-Latin MS., at Trinity College, Cambridge, edited by Scrivener in 1859. Its Greek text is almost identical with that of G, and it is therefore not cited save where it differs from that MS. Its Latin version, f, presents the Vulgate text with some modifications.

[893] Codex Boernerianus (sæc. ix.), a Græco-Latin MS., at Dresden, edited by Matthæi in 1791. Written by an Irish scribe, it once formed part of the same volume as Codex Sangallensis (δ) of the Gospels. The Latin text, g, is based on the O.L. translation.

[894] Codex Porphyrianus (sæc. ix.), at St. Petersburg, collated by Tischendorf. Its text is deficient for chap. Ephesians 2:13-16.