35 ἐνδυναμοῦσθε (δυναμοῦσθε P46 B33).
33See p. 170, n. 215. In Didache 4.10 masters are called on to have the fear of God before them in their treatment of their slaves, “for he does not come to call people with partiality” (ϰατὰ πϱóσωπον). C. L. Mitton calls the transference of this statement from its context in Colossians to the place it occupies here “a wise adjustment, for in a general letter such as Ephesians emphasis on God’s impartiality is more relevant to masters than to slaves; for it is masters of high social standing, rather than slaves, who normally need more to be reminded that special favours on grounds of worldly importance are not to be looked for from God” (The Epistle to the Ephesians, pp. 70-71).
34Gk. τοῦ λοɩποῦ (as in Gal. 6:17); ℵ2 D F G Ψ and the majority of cursives read τò λοɩπóν (as in Phil. 3:1; 4:8; 2 Thess. 3:1). The phrase is followed by ἀδελφοί (μου) in ℵ2 A F G Ψ and the majority of cursives with the Latin and Syriac versions (possibly under the influence of Phil. 3:1). Apart from this doubtful reading, the characteristic Pauline use of the vocative ἀδελφοί is absent from both Colossians and Ephesians (contrast the singular ἀδελφέ in Philem. 7, 20). The implications of this for the authorship of Colossians and Ephesians are discussed by E. Schweizer, “Zur Frage der Echtheit des Kolosser- und des Epheserbriefes,” ZNW 47 (1956), 287.
35ἐνδυναμοῦσθε (δυναμοῦσθε P46 B 33).
36Lit., “in the power of his might” (ἐν τῷ ϰϱάτεɩ τῆς ἰσϰύος αὐτοῦ, as in Eph. 1:19).
37“Flesh and blood” is literally “blood and flesh” (αἱμα ϰαὶ σάϱξ); cf. Heb. 2:14 (for the commoner σὰϱξ ϰαὶ αἶμα cf. 1 Cor. 15:50; Gal. 1:16). There is no significance in the word order; the phrase (in either form) means “human beings,” “(mortal) humanity.” “We wrestle” is literally “our wrestling is” (ἔστɩν ἡμῖν ἡ πάλη, where P46 B D* F G Ψ 81 al latvet syrpesh read ὑμῖν instead of ἡμῖν).
38τοῦ σϰóτους τούτου, amplified to τοῦ σϰóτους τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου in ℵ2 D2 Ψ and the majority of cursives.
39P46 omits ἐν τοῖς ἐπουϱανίοɩς—probably an editorial emendation arising from unwillingness to associate evil with the heavenly realm.