6. Which is come unto you--Greek, "Which is present among you,"
that is, which has come to, and remains with, you. He speaks of the word
as a living person present among them.
as it is in all the world--virtually, as it was by this time
preached in the leading parts of the then known world; potentially, as Christ's command was that the Gospel should be preached to all
nations, and not be limited, as the law was, to the Jews
(Mt 13:38; 24:14; 28:19).
However, the true reading, and that of the oldest manuscripts, is that
which omits the following "and," thus (the "it is" of English
Version is not in the original Greek): "As in all the world
it is bringing forth fruit and growing (so the oldest
manuscripts read; English Version omits 'and growing,' without
good authority), even as it doth in you also." Then what is asserted is
not that the Gospel has been preached in all the world, but that it is
bearing fruits of righteousness, and (like a tree growing
at the same time that it is bearing fruit) growing in
numbers of its converts in, or throughout, all the world.
heard of it--rather, "heard it."
and knew--rather, "came to know"; became fully experimentally
acquainted with.
the grace of God in truth--that is, in its truth, and with true
knowledge [ALFORD].
JFB.
Picture Study Bible