TEXT. 6 Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. 7 So that, contrariwise, ye ought rather to forgive him, and com fort him; lest perhaps such an one should be swallowed up with over-much sorrow. 8 Wherefore, I beseech you, that ye would confirm your love to wards him. 9 For to this end, also, did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. 10 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for, if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it, in the person of Christ. 11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. PARAPHRASE. 6 that I may not lay a load on him. The correction he hath received from the majority of you, is sufficient in 7 the case. So that, on the contrary, it is fit rather that you forgive and comfort him, lest he should be swal8 lowed up, by an excess of sorrow. Wherefore, I beseech you to confirm your love to him, which I doubt 9 not of. For this, also, was one end of my writing to you, viż. To have a trial of you, and to know whether you are 10 ready to obey me in all things. To whom you forgive any thing, I also forgive. For if I have forgiven any thing, I have forgiven it to him for your sakes, by the 11 authority, and in the name of Christ; That we may not be over-reached by Satan: for we are not ignorant of his wiles. NOTES. 5 St. Paul being satisfied with the corinthians, for their ready compliance with his orders, in his former letter, to punish the fornicator, intercedes to have him restored; and, to that end, lessens his fault, and declares, however he might have caused grief to the corinthians, yet he had caused none to him. 7 i Tération," on the contrary," here, has nothing to refer to, but icaç, "overcharge," in the 5th verse, which makes that belong to the fornicator, as 1 have explained it. KO TOT," such an one," meaning the fornicator. It is observable, how tenderly St. Paul deals with the corinthians, in this epistle; for though he treats of the fornicator, from the 5th to the 10th verse inclusively; yet he never mentions him under that, or any other disobliging title, but in the soft and inoffensive terms, " of any one," or "such an one. And that, possibly, may be the reason, why he says, μn éCapŵ, indefinitely, without naming the person it relates to. TEXT. 12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas, to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord, 13 I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus, my brother: but, taking my leave of them, I went from thence, into Macedonia. 14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge, by us, in every place. 15 For we are, unto God, a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish. 16 To the one, we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other, the savour of life unto life; and who is sufficient for these things? PARAPHRASE. 12 Furthermore, being arrived at Troas, because Titus, whom I expected from Corinth, with news of you, was not come, I was very uneasy' there; insomuch that I made not use of the opportunity, which was put into my hands by the Lord, of preaching the gospel of Christ, 13 for which I came thither. I hastily left those of Troas, 14 and departed thence to Macedonia. But thanks be to God, in that he always makes me triumph every-where", through Christ, who gives me success in preaching the gospel, and spreads the knowledge of Christ by me. 15 For my ministry, and labour in the gospel, is a service, or sweet-smelling sacrifice to God, through Christ, both in regard of those that are saved, and those that perish. 16 To the one my preaching is of ill savour, unacceptable and offensive, by their rejecting whereof they draw death on themselves; and to the other, being as a sweet savour, acceptable, they thereby receive eternal life. And who is sufficient for these things"? And yet, as I said, NOTES. 121 How uneasy he was, and upon what account, see ch. vii. 5-16. It was not barely for Titus's absence, but for want of the news he brought with him; ch. vii. 7. 14 "Who makes me triumph every-where," i.e. in the success of my preaching, in my journey to Macedonia; and also, in my victory, at the same time, at Corinth, over the false apostles, my opposers, that had raised a faction against me, amongst you. This, I think, is St. Paul's meaning, and the reason of his using the word, triumph, which implies contest and victory, though he places that word so, as modestly to cover it. 16 Vid. ch. iii. 5, 6. TEXT. 17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, speak we in Christ. PARAPHRASE. 17 my service in the gospel is well-pleasing to God. For I am not, as several are, who are hucksters of the word of God, preaching it for gain; but I preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, in sincerity. I speak, as from God himself, and I deliver it, as in the presence of God. NOTE. 17 • This, I think, may be understood of the false apostle. SECT. II. N°. 3. CHAP. III. 1.—VII. 16. CONTENTS. HIS speaking well of himself (as he did sometimes in his first epistle, and, with much more freedom, in this, which, as it seems, had been objected to him, amongst the corinthians) his plainness of speech, and his sincerity in preaching the gospel, are the things, which he chiefly justifies, in this section, many ways. We shall observe his arguments, as they come in the order of St. Paul's discourse, in which are mingled, with great insinuation, many expressions of an overflowing kindness to the corinthians, not without some exhortations to them. TEXT. 1 Do we begin, again, to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation, to you, or letters of commendation, from you? 2 Ye are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men: 3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ, ininistered by us, written, not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart. 4 And such trust have we, through Christ, to Godward. PARAPHRASE. Do 1 OI begin again to commend myself; or need I, as 2 some, commendatory letters to, or from you? You are my commendatory epistle, written in my heart, known 3 and read by all men. I need no other commendatory letter, but that you being manifested to be the commendatory epistle of Christ, written on my behalf; not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not on tables of stone, but of the heart, whereof I was the amanuensis; i.e. your conversation was the effect of my ministry. 4 And this so great confidence have I, through Christ, in NOTES. 1 a This is a plain indication, that he had been blained, amongst them, for commending himself. Seems to intimate, that their false apostle had got himself recommended to them, by letters, and so had introduced himself into that church. 3. The sense of St. Paul, in this third verse, is plainly this: that he needed no letters of commendation to them; but that their conversion, and the gospel, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of God, in the tables of their hearts, and not in tables of stone, by his ministry, was as clear an evidence and testimony to them, of his mission from Christ, as the law, writ in tables of stone, was an evidence of Moses's mission; so that he, St. Paul, needed no other recommendation: this is what is to be understood by this verse, unless we will make the tables of stone" to have no signification here. But to say, as he does, that the corinthians, being writ upon, in their hearts, not with ink, but with the Spirit of God, by the hand of St. Paul, was Christ's commendatory letter of him, being a pretty bold expression, liable to the exception of the captious part of the corinthians, he, to obviate all imputation of vanity, or vain glory, herein immediately subjoins what follows in the next verse. 4d As if he had said, "But mistake me not, as if I boasted of myself: "this so great boasting, that I use, is only my confidence in God, through "Christ: for it was God, that made me a minister of the gospel, that be"stowed on me the ability for it; and whatever I perform in it is wholly " from him." TEXT. 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to think any thing, as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God: 6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament, not of the letter, but of the spirit; for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 7 But if the ministration of death written and ingraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses, for the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away; PARAPHRASE. 5 God. Not as if I were sufficient of myself to reckon upon any thing, as of myself; but my sufficiency, my 6 ability, to perform any thing, is wholly from God: Who has fitted and enabled me to be a minister of the New Testament, not of the letter, but of the spirit; for the 7 letter kills, but the spirit gives life. But, if the ministry of the law written in stone, which condemns to death, were so glorious to Moses, that his face shone so, that the children of Israel could not steadily behold the bright NOTES. 5 Пeroidno, "trust," ver. 4, a milder term for "boasting," for so St. Paul uses it, chap. x. 7, compared with ver. 8, where also aɔy.ioow, ver. 7, is used, as here, for counting upon one's self; St. Paul also uses winolas, for "thou boastest," Rom. ii. 19, which will appear, if compared with ver. 17; or if acylcaoba shall rather be thought to signify here to discover by reasoning, then the apostle's sense will run thus: "Not as if I were sufficient of "myself, by the strength of my own natural parts, to attain the knowledge of "the gospel truths, that I preach; but my ability herein is all from God." But, in whatever sense hoyioacba is here taken, it is certain rì, which is translated "any thing," must be limited to the subject in hand, viz. the gospel, that he preached to them. 6 Où yanual, anλà anúμato, “not of the letter, but of the spirit." By expressing himself, as he does here, St. Paul may be understood to intimate, that "the New Testament, or covenant," was also, though obscurely, held forth in the law: For he says, he was constituted a minister, vμATO, "of "the spirit," or spiritual meaning of the law, which was Christ, (as he tells us himself, ver. 17.) and giveth life, whilst the letter killeth. But both letter and spirit must be understood of the same thing, viz. "the letter of the law, "and the spirit of the law." And, in fact, we find St. Paul truly a minister of the spirit of the law; especially in his epistle to the Hebrews, where he shows what a spiritual sense ran through the mosaical institution and writings. "The letter kills," i. e. pronouncing death, without any way of remission, on all transgressors, leaves them under an irrevocable sentence of death. But the Spirit, ie. Christ, ver. 17, who is a quickening Spirit, 1 Cor. xv. 45, giveth life. |