2– 5. ‘ We thank the one God at all times for you all, making mention of you unceasingly when we are engaged in prayer. And indeed we have good cause to do so, for the thought of your Christian life is for us a constant fragrant memory as we recall how your faith proves itself in active work, and your love spends itself in toilsome service for others, and your hope is directed in all patience and perseverance to the time when Christ shall be revealed. Nor is this all, but, Brothers beloved by God, who know better than we the true character of your election to Christian privileges? Its reality was proved by the power beyond mere words with which our preaching came home to you— preaching, moreover, which we felt to be inspired by the Divine ardour of the Holy Spirit, and by a perfect conviction on our part of the truth of our message, as indeed you yourselves know from the manner of men we proved ourselves to be for your sakes.’ 2. Εὐχαριστοῦμενκτλ.] Εὐχαριστεῖν, originally ‘ do a good turn to,’ in the sense of expressing gratitude is confined to late writers (‘ pro gratias agere ante Polybium usurpavit nemo’ Lob. Phryn. p. 18). It is very common in the papyri, e.g. P.Amh. 133, 2 ff. (2./a.d.) πρὸτῶνὅλωνἀσπάζομαίσεκαὶεὐχαριστῶσοιὅτιἐδήλωσάςμοιτὴνὑγείανσου. In mod. Gk. it appears in the form ὐκαριστῶ. For εὐχ. πάντοτε cf. 2 Thessalonians 1:3; 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 1 Corinthians 1:4, Ephesians 5:20, Philippians 1:3 f., and for the force of the art. before θεῷ see Intr. p. 64. μνείανποιούμενοικτλ.] the first of three conditional or modal clauses describing the nature of the perpetual thanksgiving. For μενείανποιεῖσθαι in the sense of ‘ make mention of’ cf. Romans 1:9, Ephesians 1:16, Philem. 4, and for an interesting instance of its use in the papyri in connexion with prayer, see B.G.U. 632, 5 ff. (2./a.d.) μνίανσουποιούμενοςπαρὰτοῖς [ἐν]θάδεθεοῖςἐκομισάμην [ἓ]νἐπι[ς]τόλιον. ... The phrase occurs frequently in the inscriptions, e.g. Magn. 90, 16 f. (2./b.c.) [ὁδ]ῆμοςφαίνηταιμνείανποιούμενοςτῶν ... κρινάντῶντὰςκρίσε[ι]ς. In the passage before us the customary gen. (ὑμῶν) is not inserted after μνείαν, probably on account of the immediately preceding περὶπάντωνὐμῶν: cf. Ephesians 1:16. In the N.T. προσευχή, when referring to the act of prayer, is used only of prayer to God, and is a more general term than δέησις. The prep. ἐπί retains here a slightly local sense ‘ at,’ ‘ when engaged in,’ cf. Romans 1:10. For a somewhat similar use of εἰς see the ancient Christian letter reprinted in P.Heid. 6, 11 f. (4./a.d.) ἵναμνημον[ε]ύηςμοιεἰςτὰςἁγίαςσουεὐχάς. ἀδιαλείπτως] The exact connexion of ἀδιαλείπτως is disputed. WH. and many modern editors (Tisch., Weiss, Nestle) follow Chrys. and the Gk. commentators in referring it to the following μνημονεύοντες, but on the analogy of Rom 1:9 (cf. 2 Timothy 1:3) it is perhaps better taken as qualifying μν. ποιούμ. (Syr., Vg.), a connexion that is further supported by the position of corresponding phrases in the papyri, e.g. P.Lond. 1. 42, 5 f. (2./b.c.) οἱἐνοἴκῳπάντεςσουδιαπαντὸςμνείανποιούμενοι. The word itself which is confined to late Gk. (e.g. Polyb. 9:3. 9:8) is used in the N.T. only by St Paul, and always in connexion with prayer or thanksgiving (2:13, 5:17, Romans 1:9; cf. Ign. Eph. 10. ὑπὲρτῶνἄλλωνδὲἀνθρώπωνἀδιαλείπτωςπροσεύχεσθε).