1:16

The latter: This refers to the same group of people Paul was talking about in 1:15b, that is, those who preached about Christ because of their goodwill toward Paul.

in: This is a different Greek word from that translated by the Berean Standard Bible as “out of” in 1:15a–b. However, it has a similar meaning (“out of, from”) and gives the cause of the actions.

love: The main meaning of love here is that these believers loved Paul, and if you need to supply an object you should supply “me.” This does not mean that they did not also love Christ and the gospel.

I am appointed: There are two ways to understand the Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as I am appointed :

(1) God placed Paul where he was—in prison. He wanted him to be a witness there. (New International Version, Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004), Contemporary English Version, NET Bible)

(2) God appointed Paul to the ministry of preaching and defending the gospel, wherever he went. (Berean Standard Bible, Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Standard Bible)

The first interpretation seems to fit the context best, so it is recommended that you follow it (1).

defense: For ideas on translating defense see the note on 1:7b–c about “defending the gospel.”

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