7a. δυνάμενοιἐνβάρειεἶναι] ‘ when we might have been burdensome’ (Wycl. whanne we … myten haue be in charge)— a concessive part. clause subordinate to the preceding ζητοῦντες. Most modern editors follow the A.V. in regarding this clause as part of v. 6. Βάρος is here understood (1) in its simple meaning of ‘ weight,’ ‘ burden’ (Vg. oneri esse), with reference to the Apostles’ right of maintenance, cf. v. 9, and see further 2 Thessalonians 3:8, 1 Corinthians 9:11, 2 Corinthians 11:7 ff., Galatians 6:6, also Jos. Antt. 1. 250 (16:2) οὐδὲγὰρἔσεσθαιβαρὺς ... δαπάναιςἰδίαιςχρησάμενος; or (2) in its derived sense of ‘ authority,’ ‘ dignity’ (Clarom. in gravitate [honore] esse), pointing to the honour they might have expected to receive at the Thessalonians’ hands, cf. 2 Corinthians 4:17 βάροςδόξης, Polyb. 4:32. 7 πρὸςτὸβάροςτὸΛακεδαιμονίων, Diod. Sic. 4:61 διὰτὸβάροςτῆςπόλεως. The two meanings are however compatible, and it is probable that St Paul plays here on the double sense of the phrase: cf. the Latin proverb ‘ Hones propter onus.’ ὡςΧριστοῦἀπόστολοι] Χριστοῦ poss. gen., placed emphatically first to show whose Apostles they were, and why therefore they were entitled to claim honour (cf. Add. Note D). For the title ἀπόστολοι here including Silvanus and Timothy almost in the sense of our missionaries cf. Acts 14:4; Acts 14:14, Romans 16:7, 2 Corinthians 8:23; 2 Corinthians 11:13, Philippians 2:25, Revelation 2:2, Didache 11:3 f.; and for the wider use of the word generally see Lft. Gal.10 p. 92 ff., Harnack Die Lehre der zwφlf Apostel p. 93 ff., Hort Ecclesia p. 22 ff. In class. Gk. ἀπόστολος generally denotes ‘ a fleet,’ ‘ an expedition’ (cf. Dittenberger Sylloge2 153, an Attic inscription 4./b.c., and see Archiv 3. p. 221), but it occurs in Herodotus in the sense of ‘ messenger,’ ‘ envoy’ (1:21, cf. 5:38), and is found with the same meaning in 3 Regn. 14:6 A ἐγὼεἶμιἀπόστολοςπρόςσεσκληρός (cf. Sm. Isaiah 18:2). See also the interesting fragment in P.Par. p. 411 f. (2./b.c.), where, if we can accept the editor’ s restoration of the missing letters, we read of a public official who had sent to a delinquent a messenger (ἀπόστολον) bearing the orders he had disregarded— [ἐπες]ταλκότωνἡμῶνπρόςσετὸνἀπ[όστολον]. Upon the existence of ‘ apostles’ among the Jews see Harnack Miss. u. Ausbr. p. 237 ff. (Engl. Tr. 1. p. 409 ff.), and cf. Krauss Die jόdischen Apostel in J.Q.R. 1905, p. 370 ff. 7b– 12. A positive counterpart to the previously-mentioned hostile charges. 7b, 8. ‘ Nay, we went further, for to establish a sure bond of sympathy with you we showed ourselves ready to act the part of children in your midst. Or we may put it in this way— we yearned over you with the same tender affection that a nursing-mother displays towards her children. With such deep affection indeed did we long after you that we shared with you not only the Gospel of God, but also our very lives— so dear had you proved yourselves to us.’ 7b. ἀλλὰἐγενήθημεννήπιοικτλ.] The reading here is doubtful. If νήπιοι (ΰBCD*G minusc. aliq.) be adopted, the whole clause is the avowal on the writers’ part of their becoming as children to children, speaking what St Augustine describes as ‘ decurtata et mutilata verba’ (de catech, rud. 15), baby-language to those who were still babes in the faith: cf. Origen on Matthew 15:17 ὁἀπόστολοςἐγένετονήπιοςκαὶπαραπλήσιοςτροφῷθαλπούσῃτὸἑαυτῆςπαιδίονκαὶλαλούσῃλόγουςὡςπαιδίονδιὰτὸπαιδίον. On the other hand, if the well-attested ἤπιοι (ΰcACbDcKLP 17 &c.) be preferred, the Apostolic ‘ gentleness’ is placed in striking contrast with the slanders that had been insinuated against them (vv. 5, 6): cf. 2 Timothy 2:24 where ἤπιοςεἶναι is mentioned as a mark of the true pastor. This agreement with the context leads most modern editors and commentators to favour ἤπιοι, especially as the reading νήπιοι can be easily explained as due to dittography of the final ν of ἐγενήθημεν. WH.2 (Notes p. 128), on the other hand, point out that ‘ the second ν might be inserted or omitted with equal facility,’ and that ‘ the change from the bold image to the tame and facile adjective is characteristic of the difference between St Paul and the Syrian revisors.’ἐνμέσῳὑμῶν] i.e. ‘ as one of yourselves,’ ‘ without any undue assumption of authority.’ Beng.: ‘ non age-bant, quasi ex cathedra.’ Cf. our Lord’ s own words: Ἐγὼδὲἐνμέσῳὑμῶνεἰμὶὡςὁδιακονῶν (Luke 22:27).ὡςἐὰντροφὸςθάλπῃκτλ.] ‘ as if a nurse were cherishing her own children’ : cf. Galatians 4:19. By a sadden change of metaphor by no means uncommon in the Pauline writings (cf. 5:2, 5:4, 2 Corinthians 3:13 ff.) the attitude of the Apostles is now described as that of a ‘ nurse,’ or rather a ‘ nursing-mother’ towards her children. Th. Mops.: ‘“ nutricem” nero hoe in loco matrem dixit quae filios sues nutrit’ : cf. Aug. Serm. 23:3. Too much stress however in this connexion must not be laid on ἑαυτῆς which in late Gk. has lost much of its emphatic force: cf. the common legal formula in the papyri by which a woman appears μετὰκυρίουτοῦἑαυτῆςἀνδρός, e.g. P.Grenf. 1:18, 1:4 f. (2./b.c.).Τροφός, ἅπ. λεγ. N.T., occurs in the LXX., Genesis 35:8; Genesis 35:4 Regn. 11:2, 2 Chronicles 22:11, Isaiah 49:23 as the translation of ξΕιπΖχΖϊ cf. also B.G.U. 297, 12 ff. (1./a.d.) where a nurse acknowledges that she had received τὰτροφεῖακαὶτὰἔλαιακαὶτὸνἱματισμὸνκαὶτἄλλαὅσακαθήκειδίδοσθαιτροφῷτοῦτῆςγαλακτοτροφίαςδιετοῦςχρόνουκαὶτιθηνήσεωςμηνῶνἕξκτλ. For τροφός = μήτηρ see Kaibel Epigrammata Graeca (1878) 247, 7 (1./2. a.d.).The poetic θάλπω, elsewhere in N.T. only Ephesians 5:29 (ἐκτρέφεικ. θάλπει), means properly ‘ to warm,’ and thence, like the Lat. fovere, comes to signify ‘ cherish,’ ‘ foster’ : cf. Deuteronomy 22:6 καὶἡμήτηρθάλπῃἐπὶτῶννοσσῶν, and for its metaphorical use see O.G.I.S. 194, 6 (1./B.C.) τὴνπόλινἔθαλψε. It may be added that, while the sense seems to favour the use of ἐάν as the ordinary conditional particle, it is possible that we have here an instance of the late use of ἐάν for ἔν (WM. p. 390), ὡςἐάν then implying ‘a standing contingency, —“ as it may be (may be seen) at any time”’ (Findlay). For early instances of this use of ἐάν from the Κοινή cf. P. Petr. 3:43 (2), 3:4 (3./b.c.) ὅσωιἐὰνπλεῖονεὕρηι, P.Grenf. 1:18, 1:27 (2./b.c.) ἐξοὗἐὰναἱρῆται, and see further Moulton Prolegg. pp. 43, 234, Mayser p. 152 f.