Col 2:1 | RWP | e4.org | How greatly I strive ( ηλικον αγωνα εχω ). Literally, "how great a contest I am having." The old adjectival relative ηλικος (like Latin quantus ) is used for age or size in N.T. only here and (twice, how great, how small). It is an inward contest of anxiety like the μεριμνα for all the churches ( ). Αγωνα carries on the metaphor of αγωνιζομενος in . For them at Laodicea ( των εν Λαοδικια ). Supply υπερ as with υπερ υμων . Paul's concern extended beyond Colossae to Laodicea ( ) and to Hierapolis ( ), the three great cities in the Lycus Valley where Gnosticism was beginning to do harm. Laodicea is the church described as lukewarm in . For as many as have not seen my face ( οσο ουχ εορακαν το προσωπον μου ). The phrase undoubtedly includes Hierapolis ( ), and a few late MSS. actually insert it here. Lightfoot suggests that Hierapolis had not yet been harmed by the Gnostics as much as Colossae and Laodicea. Perhaps so, but the language includes all in that whole region who have not seen Paul's face in the flesh (that is, in person, and not in picture). How precious a real picture of Paul would be to us today. The antecedent to οσο is not expressed and it would be τουτων after υπερ . The form εορακαν (perfect active indicative of οραω instead of the usual εωρακασιν has two peculiarities ο in Paul's Epistles ( ) instead of ω (see for εωρακεν ) and -αν by analogy in place of -ασιν , which short form is common in the papyri. See εωρακαν .

‏ Colossians 2:1

How greatly I strive ( ηλικον αγωνα εχω ). Literally, "how great a contest I am having." The old adjectival relative ηλικος (like Latin quantus) is used for age or size in N.T. only here and Jas 3:5 (twice, how great, how small). It is an inward contest of anxiety like the μεριμνα for all the churches (2Co 11:28). Αγωνα carries on the metaphor of αγωνιζομενος in 1:29.

For them at Laodicea ( των εν Λαοδικια ).

Supply υπερ as with υπερ υμων. Paul's concern extended beyond Colossae to Laodicea (4:16) and to Hierapolis (4:13), the three great cities in the Lycus Valley where Gnosticism was beginning to do harm. Laodicea is the church described as lukewarm in Re 3:14.

For as many as have not seen my face ( οσο ουχ εορακαν το προσωπον μου ). The phrase undoubtedly includes Hierapolis (4:13), and a few late MSS. actually insert it here. Lightfoot suggests that Hierapolis had not yet been harmed by the Gnostics as much as Colossae and Laodicea. Perhaps so, but the language includes all in that whole region who have not seen Paul's face in the flesh (that is, in person, and not in picture). How precious a real picture of Paul would be to us today. The antecedent to οσο is not expressed and it would be τουτων after υπερ. The form εορακαν (perfect active indicative of οραω instead of the usual εωρακασιν has two peculiarities ο in Paul's Epistles (1Co 9:1) instead of ω (see Joh 1:18 for εωρακεν ) and -αν by analogy in place of -ασιν, which short form is common in the papyri. See Lu 9:36 εωρακαν.