Chapter I.--As a prisoner, I hope to see you.
Through prayer 1 to God I have obtained the privilege of seeing your most worthy faces, 2 and have even 3 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 to 4 my lot without hindrance unto the end. For I am afraid of your love, 5 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, 6 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 to 7 my lot without hindrance unto the end. For I am afraid of your love, 8 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, 9 under the pretence of carnal affection.
-
Some read, "since I have," leaving out the following "for," and finding the apodosis in "I hope to salute you." ↩
-
Literally, "worthy of God." ↩
-
Some read, "which I much desired to do." ↩
-
Literally, "to receive." ↩
-
He probably refers here, and in what follows, to the influence which their earnest prayers in his behalf might have with God. ↩
-
Literally, "worthy of God." ↩
-
Literally, "to receive." ↩
-
He probably refers here, and in what follows, to the influence which their earnest prayers in his behalf might have with God. ↩
-
Some read ge instead of me, and translate as in shorter recension. ↩
