me to you-ward' (Eph. 3:2).

As in Ephesians 4:21 `If so be that ye have heard Him', these words are

conditional `For surely you have heard'

is the translation of Ephesians 3:2 by Moffatt.  Eige `If indeed'.  The word

only occurs five times in the New Testament:

`If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked'

(2 Cor. 5:3).*

`Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain'

(Gal. 3:4). *

`If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God'

(Eph. 3:2).

`If so be that ye have heard Him'  (Eph. 4:21).

`If ye continue in the faith'  (Col. 1:23).

* The reader who uses Dr. Bullinger's Greek-English Lexicon, should correct

these references on page 399,as the first reads 2 Cor.5:5 and the second

Note also thet some texts and Lexicons give eige as two words ei ge.

In each of these passages the subject is taken for granted.  The word `if' must

not be treated casually as of little importance.  That master of language,

Shakespeare, knew better; `much virtue', he said, `in your "if"`.  The following

Greek particles are translated `if' in the New Testament and their distinctive

meanings should be realized.

Ean  `If haply'.  This implies a condition, which only experience can

determine.  `If he come unto you, receive him' (Col. 4:10).

Ei

`If' putting the condition simply,

(a)  With the indicative it assumes the hypothesis as a fact ...

`If ye be dead with Christ' (Col. 2:20).

(b)  With the optative (the wishing) mood, it expresses mere

assumption `If the will of God be so' (1 Pet. 3:17).

`If at least'-- what is spoken of is taken for granted (as above).

Dr. Bullinger in his Lexicon illustrates the meaning of these words thus:

`If this counsel or this work be of men ... (ean followed by the

subjunctive, a point which the result will decide): but if it be of God

(ei with the indicative, a case which I put)' (Acts 5:38,39).

`If ye know these things (ei with indicative, assuming the case as a

fact), happy are ye if ye do them (ean followed by the subjunctive, a

result which remains to be seen)' (John 13:17).

No uncertainty therefore must be read into Ephesians 3:2, 4:21 or

Colossians 1:23.  `Assuming that ye have heard' would translate the apostle's

meaning.  Here in this opening epistle of the new dispensation, Paul assumes

that those to whom he now writes `had heard'.  How and when did they hear?  The

elders of Ephesus had heard, at least in part, as Acts 20:17-25 makes clear, and

after the setting aside of Israel in Acts 28, we read `Paul dwelt two whole