Chapter I.—As a prisoner, I hope to see you.
Through prayer822 to God I have obtained the privilege of seeing your most worthy faces,823 and have even824 been granted more than I requested; for I hope as a prisoner in Christ Jesus to salute you, if indeed it be the will of God that I be thought worthy of attaining unto the end. For the beginning has been well ordered, if I may obtain grace to cling to825 my lot without hindrance unto the end. For I am afraid of your love,826 lest it should do me an injury. For it is easy for you to accomplish what you please; but it is difficult for me to attain to God, if ye spare me.
Through prayer to God I have obtained the privilege of seeing your most worthy faces,827 even as I earnestly begged might be granted me; for as a prisoner in Christ Jesus I hope to salute you, if indeed it be the will [of God] that I be thought worthy of attaining unto the end. For the beginning has been well ordered, if I may obtain grace to cling to828 my lot without hindrance unto the end. For I am afraid of your love,829 lest it should do me an injury. For it is easy for you to accomplish what you please; but it is difficult for me to attain to God, if ye do not spare me,830 under the pretence of carnal affection.
Footnotes
- 822
Some read, “since I have,” leaving out the following “for,” and finding the apodosis in “I hope to salute you.”
- 823
Literally, “worthy of God.”
- 824
Some read, “which I much desired to do.”
- 825
Literally, “to receive.”
- 826
He probably refers here, and in what follows, to the influence which their earnest prayers in his behalf might have with God.
- 827
Literally, “worthy of God.”
- 828
Literally, “to receive.”
- 829
He probably refers here, and in what follows, to the influence which their earnest prayers in his behalf might have with God.
- 830
Some read γε instead of μή, and translate as in shorter recension.