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the Corinthians to understand that the collection for the saints was to be discontinued or
postponed until some future and remote date. As II Cor. 9: 1-5 makes abundantly
clear, the argument is all the other way.
This, however, is not the only occurrence of epiteleo in II Corinthians.
"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all
filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (II Cor. 7: 1).
Did the Apostle conclude the exhortation commenced in II Cor. 6: 14, by saying
"Discontinue holiness", "Postpone all practical sanctification until a future date"? To ask
the question is to expose its folly.
Paul uses the word epiteleo once more in relation with the verb "to begin":
"Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the
flesh?" (Gal. 3: 3).
We believe we can confidently leave the question of the correct translation of
Phil. 1: 6, to the sane judgment of any believer who can weigh evidence, and who
believes that all scripture is inspired.
(2)
The next objection is that the apostle wrote Philippians in evident
expectation of the nearness of the "second coming", and the passage cited for this
is Phil. 1: 22-25.
The only word in this passage that can be assumed to refer to the Lord's second
coming is in verse 23 where the Apostle uses the word "to depart". This word is
analuo, the origin of the English word "analysis". It occurs in the noun form, analusis, in
II Tim. 4: 6, where the Apostle said "the time for my departure is at hand". This of
itself is convincing enough, but it is fortified by the use of another word, spendomai, "to
be offered", which also occurs only in Philippians and II Timothy. In Philippians Paul
said he would "desire" to depart, and he was willing "to be offered" (Phil. 2: 17). In
II Timothy he says the time for his departure was at hand, and that he was about to be
offered. The fact that out of all his epistles these two words are used by Paul only in
these passages is a fact that cannot be ignored in the attempt to translate his meaning into
English: the one thing that is certain is that Paul was referring to his own death,
"analysis", and not the "return" of the Lord.
The only other occurrence of analuo is in Luke 12: 36, where it means "to break up"
the party, the word erchomai being the word rightly translated "come" and having
reference to the second coming. If the opposition say that this is but a "private
interpretation", we reply by quoting Rotherham's version, whose author, as far as we
know, would not have agreed with the Berean Expositor on many points.
"Once he may break up out of the marriage feast, that when He cometh, etc."