“With them,
We are sending
Our brother
Whom we have often tested
And found eager
In many matters,
But now is more eager
Than ever
Because of his great confidence
In you.”
συνεπέμψαμεν δὲ αὐτοῖς τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἡμῶν, ὃν ἐδοκιμάσαμεν ἐν πολλοῖς πολλάκις σπουδαῖον ὄντα, νυνὶ δὲ πολὺ σπουδαιότερον πεποιθήσει πολλῇ τῇ εἰς ὑμᾶς.
Paul said that with them, we are sending our brother (συνεπέμψαμεν δὲ αὐτοῖς τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἡμῶν) whom we have often tested (ὃν ἐδοκιμάσαμεν) and found eager in many matters (ἐν πολλοῖς πολλάκις σπουδαῖον ὄντα), but now is more eager (νυνὶ δὲ πολὺ σπουδαιότερον) than ever because of his great confidence in you (πεποιθήσει πολλῇ τῇ εἰς ὑμᾶς). Only this Corinthian letter used this word συνεπέμψαμεν, that means to send with or together with, and the word σπουδαιότερον and the word σπουδαῖον, that means hasty, eager, diligent, earnest, or zealous. Only the Pauline letters used this word πεποιθήσει, that means confidence, trust, or reliance. Paul indicated that there was another unidentified brother whom he had often tested. He too was eager in most matters. Now he was also interested to go to the Corinthians because he had great confidence in them. Thus, Paul was sending a prestigious group of early Christians to the Corinthians to take up this collection for the Jerusalem Jewish-Christians. Have you ever met a distinguished group of Christians?
