[6] So I render apostolon, to represent something of the sacredness attaching by usage to the word. If I read aright, we have here an instance of gentle pleasantry, quite in harmony with the gravity of the Epistle at large. He takes the Philippians' message of love and gift of bounty as a sort of gospel to himself, and so regards their messenger as a missionary to him. So also with the word leitourgos: its usual associations in New Testament Greek are sacred, or at least solemn; and so St Paul seems to employ it here. Epaphroditus was no mere agent; he was a "ministrant," commissioned from a high quarter—the Philippians' love.
[7] epeidê epidothôn ên: the epistolary past (ên) is rendered in accordance with English idiom. Epipothôn is perhaps too heavily rendered above; but the phrase is certainly a little stronger than epepothei would have been.
[8] Perhaps it was an attack of Roman fever.
[9] Ina mê . . . schô: lit., "that I may not." But the English idiom asks for "might." The Greek puts the past intention into what was its present aspect.
[10] Epempsa auton: the epistolary aorist.
[11] Quite literally, "up to death he drew near." It is as if St Paul had been about to write, mechri thanatou êsthense, and then varied the expression by writing êggise.
[12] Paraboleusamenos tê psychê: so read, not paraboleusamenos (which would mean, "taking evil counsel for his life," neglecting its interests). Paraboleusamenos is a well-attested reading; the verb is not found elsewhere, but the form is abundantly likely. It would be developed from the adjective parabolos, "reckless," connected with the verb paraballesthai, "to cast a die."
[13] Thoughts for Heart and Life, by John Ker, D.D. (1888), p. 92.
[14] See Ep. i. ad. Cor., § 47: "Take up the Epistle of the blessed Paul, the Apostle. . . . He wrote to you in the Spirit (pneumatikôs) about himself, and Cephas, and Apollos."
"One family we dwell in Him,
One Church, above, beneath,
Though now divided by the stream,
The narrow stream of death.