{A minister of God} (	heou diakonos). General sense of
diakonos. Of course even Nero was God's minister "to thee
(soi ethical dative) for good (eis to agathon, for the
good)." That is the ideal, the goal. {Beareth} (phorei).
Present active indicative of phore(935c), old frequentative form of
pher(935c), to bear, to wear. {But if thou do} (ean de poi(8869)s).
Condition of third class, ean and present active subjunctive of
poie(935c), "if thou continue to do." {Sword} (machairan). Symbol
of authority as to-day policemen carry clubs or pistols. "The
Emperor Trajan presented to a provincial governor on starting for
his province, a dagger, with the words, '_For me_. If I deserve
it, _in_ me'" (Vincent). {An avenger} (ekdikos). Old adjective
from ek and dik(885c) (right), "outside of penalty," unjust, then
in later Greek "exacting penalty from one," in N.T. only here and
 1Th 4:6 .