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Through prayer 822 to God I have obtained the privilege of seeing your most worthy faces, 823 and have even 824 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, p. 74 if I may obtain grace to cling to 825 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 to 828 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.
Some read, “since I have,” leaving out the following “for,” and finding the apodosis in “I hope to salute you.”
73:823 73:824Some read, “which I much desired to do.”
74:825 74:826He probably refers here, and in what follows, to the influence which their earnest prayers in his behalf might have with God.
74:827 74:828 74:829He probably refers here, and in what follows, to the influence which their earnest prayers in his behalf might have with God.
74:830Some read γε instead of μή, and translate as in shorter recension.