7. ἄνεσιν] Ἄνεσις, lit. ‘ loosening,’ ‘ relaxing’ of the cords of endurance now tightly drawn (cf. Plato Rep. 1:349 e ἐντῇἐπιτάσεικαὶἀνέσειτῶνχορδῶν), is, with the exception of Act 24:23 (‘ indulgence’ R.V.), used in the N.T. only by St Paul, and always with the contrast to θλίψις either stated or implied; cf. 2 Corinthians 2:13 (see v. 4), 7:5, 8:13. In the apocryphal books of the O.T. it is found also in the more general senses of ‘ liberty’ (1Es 4:62) and of ‘ licence’ (Sir 15:20 (21), 26:10 (13)): cf. also Aristeas 284 ἐνταῖςἀνέσεσικαὶῥᾳθυμίαις, P.Tebt. 24, 73 (2./b.c.) ἐνἀν[έ]σειγεγονότας ‘ becoming remiss.’ In the present passage the ‘ rest’ spoken of is practically synonymous with the καιροὶἀναψύξεως of Acts 3:19, where the context again determines the eschatological reference of the phrase: cf. also Asc. Isai. 4:15 ‘ And He will give rest to the godly whom He shall find in the body in this world.’ μεθʼ ἡμῶν] i.e. with Paul and his companions, rather than with Christians in general: cf. 2 Corinthians 1:7, Philippians 1:30. Oecum.: ἐπάγειτὸμεθʼ ἡμῶν, ἵνακοινωνοὺςαὐτοὺςλάβῃκαὶτῶνἀγώνωνκαὶτῶνστεφάνωντῶνἀποστολικῶν. ἐντῇἀποκαλύψεικτλ.] Cf. 1 Corinthians 1:7, and for the original suggestion of the phrase see Luke 17:30 ᾗἡμέρᾳὁυἱὸςτοῦἀνθρώπουἀποκαλύπτεται. Ἐν is not purely temporal but ‘ in and through’ (cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:19 note), the ἀνταπόδοσις being not only associated with the ἀποκάλυψις but actually forming a part of it: cf. 1 Peter 1:7 (with Hort’ s note), and on the distinction between ἀποκάλυψις and παρουσία see Add. Note F. For similar language from Jewish Apocalyptic cf. 4 Ezra 7:28 (quoted 1 Thessalonians 4:17 note); 13:32 ‘ et erit cum fient haec … tunc reuelabitur filius mens quem uidisti uirum ascendentem.’ μετʼ ἀγγέλωνκτλ.] ‘ accompanied by angels of His power’—δυνάμεως not being a mere epithet of ἀγγέλων, but, as the accompanying αὐτοῦ shows, pointing directly to the power of the Lord Himself, of which the angels (cf. 1 Thessalonians 3:13 note) were the exponents and ministers. Calv.: ‘angelos potentiae vocat, in quibus suam potestatem exseret.’