PARAPHRASE AND NOTES ON THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. SECT. I. The apostle Paul, after a general salutation, expresses his grateful sense of the Divine goodness, in preserving him from the dangers to which he had been exposed in Asia; professing his unshaken confidence in God's continued guardianship, supported by the consciousness of his integrity before him. 2 Cor. I. 1—12. 2 COR. I. 1. of Jesus by the will of God, 2 CORINTHIANS I. 1. 2 Cor. PAUL an apostle YOU receive this epistle from Paul, who SECT. hath the honour to call himself an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the sovereign will of God; who hath shewn by the victory of his grace over i. 1 me, how able he is to bend the most obdurate and reluctant will to his own purposes, and triumph over the opposition of the most obstinate heart. And Timothy, a beloved brothera in Timothy, a beloved brother.] This shews, that Timothy was returned to St. Paul, since he wrote the last epistle; and his joining the name of Timothy with his own, is an instance of the generous desire which St. Paul had to establish, as much as possible, the reputation and influ. ence of this excellent young minister. Some have thought this is the reason why the apostle so often speaks in the plural number in this epistle; but it is certain, he often speaks in the singular, and that there are passages here, as well as in the epistle to the Thessalonians, in which he 382 St. Paul begins with his own and Timothy's salutations. SECT. Christ Jesus, joins with me in this second ad- and Timothy our bro i. i. 1 dress to the church of God, that is in Corinth ; ther, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the 2 Cor. world, and united to himself. A society for saints which are in which I have always the tenderest regard; the all Achaia: respective members of which I now most cordially salute; with all, who, by their Christian profession, are numbered among the saints, that 2 Grace be to you, 2 are in the whole region of Achaia. I greet you, 3 creatures as we are. While I sit down to 3 Blessed be God, 4 4 Who comforteth For ever adored be this benevolent and compassionate Being, who comforeth us in all us in all our tribulaour pressing tribulation, by such seasonable uses the plural, without intending to include Timothy. See chap. iii. 1-3; chap. vii. 5 chap xii. 19; 2 Thess. ii. 1-9 He also joins the name of Sosthenes with his own, in the former epistle, as also the name of Timothy to the epistle to the Philippians, and Colossians: yet does not use the plural there. Cannot forbear bursting out, &c] It is very observable, that eleven of St. Paul's thirteen epistles begin with excla mations of joy, praise and thanksgiving. As soon as he thought of a Christian church planted in one place or another, there seems to have been a flow of most lively a ection accompanying the idea, in which all sensibility of his temporal afflictions,or theirs, was all swallowed up, and the fulness of his beart must vent itself in such cheerful, exalted and devout language. C Comforteth us.] It is certain, that He declares his hope concerning the Corinthians. them which are in comforted of God. 383 i. 2 Cor. tion, that we may appearances in our favour. And this, I know, SECT. be able to comfort is not merely for our own sakes, but that we, any trouble, by the taught by our own experience, may be able, in comfort where with the most tender, suitable and effectual manner, 4 we ourselves are to comfort those who are in any tribulation, by the communication of that comfort whereby we ourselves are comforted of Godd and methinks every support I feel, is much endeared to me, by the consideration, that the benefit of it may 5 For as the suf- be reflected upon others. Because as the suf- 5 ferings of Christ a-ferings we endure in the cause of Christ, and in conformity to his example, abound with respect aboundeth by Christ. to us, so our consolation by Christ, the comforts which arise from God in him, does abound bound in us, SO our consolation also much more, and quite overbalance the distress. 6 And whether And much of this satisfaction to us arises 6 we be afflicted, it from the hope we have with relation to you, is for your consolation and salvation, my dear friends and Christian brethren; for which is effectual whether we be afflicted, [it is,] we doubt not, in in the enduring of subservience to the views of your present consothe same sufferings which we also suflation, and your future and eternal salvation; fer; or whether we whish is so much the more effectually wrought be comforted, it is out, by the patient enduring of the same sufferfor your consolation ings, which we also undergo, and which by our and salvation. example you are taught the less to wonder at, and to bear with the greater fortitude: or whether we be comforted, [it is] still with the same view, for your consolation and salvation; that your eternal happiness may be promoted by those comforts which we are enabled to communicate to you with the greater efficacy. 7 And our hope of And our hope concerning you, that this will be 7 is steadfast, knowing that as you the happy end of all, [is] steadfast and cheerful: you the mention of these experiences must have a powerful tendency to conciliate the regard of the Corinthians to St. Paul; and such an introduction to his epistle, as the whole of this is, must naturally preju dice them strongly in his favour; yet this does not seem to have been by any means his aim, nor is there any appearance of art in it; but all is the genuine overflowing of an heart, which rejoiced in the consolations of the gospel felt by itself, and communicated to others. See verse 12, which is much illustrated by this con. nection. d Comforted of God.] Some think this refers particularly to the comfort which the repentance of the incestuous person gave St. Paul, after the affliction he had endured on his account; (compare chap. vii. 7;) but it seems more natural, to understand it of the general consolation arising from the pardon of sin, an interest in God, an assurance that nothing should separate him from Christ, that afflictions thould cooperate for his advantage, and that a crown of glory heightened by these trials should close the scene. On these topics he frequently insists in his epistles, and none can be more important and delightful. Our hope concerning you is steadfast.] These words, in several good manuscripts, are put in connection with the first clause of the 6th verse; and so the version will run thus, Whether we be afflicted, it is in 384 He mentions the trials wherein he had been supported. i. 2 Cor. i. 7 solation. SECT. knowing, that as ye are partakers of the suffer- are partakers of the ings to which we refer, so you also have already, sufferings, so shall in some degree, your share of the consolation ye be also of the conwhich arises from principles and hopes which are not peculiar to us, who are apostles, or inferior ministers of the gospel, but common to all sincere believers; in which number I persuade myself that you in the general are. 8 We write thus concerning the trials of the 8 For we would Christian life, having so lately experienced them not, brethren, have in a large measure: for we would not have you, trouble which came you ignorant of our our dear brethren, ignorant concerning our afflic- to us in Asia, that tion, which within these few months befel us in we were pressed out Asia, and particularly at Ephesus; that we were of measure, above strength, ins much exceedingly pressed with it, even beyond our that we despaired power; so that we despaired of being able even to even of life: live any longer, and were looked upon by others 9 as dead men. And not only did others appre- 9 But we had the hend this concerning us, but we ourselves did sentence of death in indeed think, that the appointed end of our should not trust in ministry and life was come; and had, as it were, ourselves,but in God received the sentence of death in ourselves, the execution of which we were continually expecting; but the event shewed, that it was wisely appointed by Divine Providence to make our deliverance the more remarkable; and that we might learn for the future, not to trust in ourselves, nor merely to regard human probabilities, but in the greatest extremities to repose a cheerful confidence in the power and providence of subservience to your consolation and salvation, which is effectually wrought out by the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also undergo; and our hope concerning you is steadfast: or, whether we be comfort ed, it is for your consolation and salvation; knowing that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so also of the consolation. And the repetition of the words consolation and salvation, shews how agreeable the thought was to him; so that he loved to speak of it again and again. ourselves, that we favourably of him, when they considered in what painful and dangerous circum. stances he had, on the present openings of duty, been spending that time in which they had been expecting him at Corinth. As for the afflictions here spoken of, some have thought, that this may refer to the persecutions at Lystra, where St. Paul's danger had been so extreme, and he had been recovered by miracle; (Acts xiv. 19, 20 ;) but as that happened so long be. fore the visit to Corinth, in which he plantThe afflictions which befel us in Asia.] ed the church there, (Acts xviii. 1,) it Mr. Cradock thinks, that here he begins seems more probable, that he either reto apologize for not coming to Corinth, fers to some opposition which he met with and introduces these troubles as an excuse in his journey through Galatia and Phryfor not seeing them. I think it is rather to be connected with the preceding discourse. Yet still it might incline them to drop their complaints, and judge more gia, (Acts xviii. 23,) of which no particular account has reached us; or to what happened at Ephesus, (Acts xix. 29, 30,) which is Dr. Whitby's opinion. dead. And the joy the testimony of his conscience gave him. 385 i. 2 Cor. i. 10 which raiseth the that God, who raiseth the dead, at his holy pleas- SECT. ure, by his omnipotent word: Who rescued 10 Who delivered us from so great a us, on this ever memorable occasion, from so death, and doth de- great a death as then threatened us, and doth liver in whom we rescue us from every danger which now surtrust that he will yet rounds us, and in whom we trust that he will make our deliverance complete, and still rescue us from every evil, and preserve us to his heavenly kingdom. deliver us: may be given by many on our behalf. 11 Ye also helping I say, that I have this confidence in God's 11 together by prayer continual care; and it is the more cheerful, for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us as I persuade myself you are, and will be, by the means of ma- working together in prayer for us, that so the ny persons, thanks favour [obtained] for us by the importunate prayers of many, may be acknowledged by the thanksgiving of many on our account; as nothing can be more reasonable, than that mercies obtained by prayer, should be owned in praise. 12 For our re- And this confidence which we have both to- 12 joicing is this, the wards God and you, is much emboldened, as testimony of our conscience, that in sim- we have an inward assurance of our own inplicity, and godly tegrity, however men may suspect, or censure sincerity, not with us: for this is still our rejoicing, which no exfleshly wisdom, but ternal calamities can impair, or injuries destroy, by the grace of God, we have had our even the testimony of our conscience in the sight conversation in the of God, who searcheth the secrets of all hearts, world, and more that in simplicity, and godly sincerity, maintainbundantly to youwards. ing perpetually that sense of the Divine presence and inspection, which is the surest guard upon unfeigned integrity, and not with that carnal wisdom which is so ungenerously and unrighteously imputed to us, but by the grace of God and such sentiments of fidelity and benevolence as that blessed principle inspires, we have had, and still continue to have, our conversation in the world; and more especially towards you, That so the favour obtained, &c.] This would be a sentiment worthy an There is something very perplexed and apostle; but the rendering in the paraambiguous in the structure of this sen- phrase seemed, on the whole, the most tence. I have sometimes thought it might natural and simple; especially as did be rendered, that, (ung nμov,) on our ac- with a genitive, seldom, if ever, signifies count, thanks may be rendered by many per- for the sake, but rather by the means of any sons, for (To use as xapioμa,) the gift, afterwards mentioned. or miraculous endowment, which is in us, or deposited with us, (dinnar,) for Simplicity, plain heartedness.] Not the sake of many as if he had said, That only meaning well on the whole, but demany may join with us, in returning clining an over artful way of prosecuting thanks for these miraculous endowments a good end. which were lodged with me, not for my Especially towards you] His working own sake, but for the benefit of many, with his own hands for his maintenance, VOL. 4. 50 |
