Marvin R. Vincent
1834–1922
American Presbyterian scholar; his Word Studies open up the Greek of the New Testament for readers without the language.
In his own words
The address of the first Epistle is shorter than that of any of the Pauline letters. In the other Epistles Paul either indicates the contents of the letter, or adds details concerning the writer or his correspondents, or amplifies the apostolic greeting. The names of Silvanus and Timothy are added to that of Paul as the senders of the letter. They were with him at Corinth when it was written (Acts xviii. 5; Cor. i. 19). They had assisted him in the foundation of the Thessalonian Church (Acts xvi. 1–3; xvii. 4, 10, 14). Paul's official title 'Apostle' is omitted in the addresses of both Epistles, although in Th. ii. he uses ἀπόστολοι apostles, including Silvanus and Timothy under that title. The title appears in all the other Epistles except Philippians and Philemon. The reason for its omission in every case appears to have been the intimate and affectionate character of his relations with the parties addressed, which rendered an appeal to his apostolic authority unnecessary. Paul does not confine the name of apostle to the twelve. Silvanus. The Silas of the Acts, where alone the form Σίλας occurs. By Paul always Σιλουανός, of which Σίλας is a contraction, as Λουκᾶς from Λουκανός. Similar contractions occur in Class., as Ἀλεξᾶς for Ἀλέξανδρος; Ἀρτᾶς for See Rom. xvi. 7; Cor. ix. 5, 6, and Bp. Lightfoot on 'The Name and Office of an Apostle,' Com. on Galatians, p. 92.
Quoted verbatim from the library, as an answer would quote it.
What we hold of him
Word Studies in the New Testament
Commentary · 27 parts
Ask what Marvin R. Vincent says
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