THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. a CHAP. I. PAUL, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will b of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia : с a 1 Cor. i. 1. Eph. i. 1. Col. i. 1. 1 Tim. i. 1. 2 Tim. i. 1. b Phil. i. 1. Col. i. 2. c Rom. i. 7. 2 Grace be to you and peace from God our 1 Cor. i. 3. Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Gal. i. 3. Phil. 1. "Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy," &c. This second letter was written from some city of Macedonia, and Timothy had returned, and was now with the Apostle. The same may be said of St. Paul's association of Timothy with himself as I have said of that of Sosthenes (1 Cor. i. 1). In all probability not one line of the Epistle was written or dictated by Timothy. Every sentence was the overflow of the Apostle's own mind, but he thought good to associate his chief companions in labour with himself, in order that the Churches might as far as possible look upon them as identified with himself, and honour and obey them as his partners in the Lord. "Unto the Church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia." The parallel phrase in 1 Cor. i. is "with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.' 2. "Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." The Lord Jesus Christ is, side by side with God, the fountain of blessing. "The river of the water of life, clear as crystal," proceeds out of the throne of God and of the Lamb (Rev. xxii. 1). 308 THE FATHER OF MERCIES. [II. COR. 3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; d Eph. i. 3. 1 Pet. i. 3. 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. e Acts ix. 4. ch. iv. 10. Col. i. 24. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 3. "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father," &c. Instead of the usual, "I thank my God," we have a doxology similar to that in Ephes. i. 3, 4: "The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ-the Father of mercies." He personifies, as it were, the mercies which come to us in and through Jesus Christ. This teaches us that God's mercies are not gifts apart from Himself, but come, if one may so say, from His very Essence. Similarly He is called the Father of Glory and the Father of lights. 4. "Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort," &c. Wonderful truth! We should suppose that any comfort under any private trouble is for ourselves alone-that it cannot belong to others, and can only be enjoyed by ourselves; but here we are told that when God imparts comfort to any soul, it is that that soul may be enabled in its turn to impart the same comfort to its afflicted brother. 66 5. "For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so also our consolation (comfort)," &c. There is a remarkably analogous passage in Coloss. i. 24: "Who fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the Church." Compare also Phil. iii. 10: That I may know him and the fellowship of his sufferings.” It seems to mean that the sufferings of Christ are reproduced in the sufferings of the members of His mystical Body, in order that they may be comforted with no human consolation, but may partake of the consolation with which Christ was consoled. And this not for the private consolation of any particular sufferer, but, as he proceeds to say, 6, 7. "And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation CHAP. I.] OUR HOPE OF YOU IS STEADFAST. f 309 6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which || is effectual in the en- f ch. iv. 15. during of the same sufferings which we also wrought. suffer or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, || Or, is g that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so & Rom. viii. 17. shall ye be also of the consolation. 8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant 6. There is some difference amongst manuscripts respecting the order of the words. The Revisers, following A., C., D., read, "Whether we be afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation, or whether we be comforted, it is for your comfort, which worketh in the patient enduring-and our hope for you is steadfast." and salvation so shall ye be also of the consolation." Many suggestions are given of the meaning of this verse. That given by Chrysostom seems in every way satisfactory: "Your salvation is not our work alone, but your own as well; for both we in preaching the word to you, endure affliction, and ye, in receiving it, endure the very same; we to impart to you that which we received, ye to receive what is imparted, and not let it go." The afflictions and consolations of ministers, especially, are often intended for the sake of the people as well as themselves, that by their own example, experience, counsels, and exhortations, they may promote the salvation and consolation of others also. For these blessings are commonly brought home to the hearts of men, and the word of God is rendered effectual for every saving purpose by means of trials and afflictions; and the minister who is a stranger to sufferings and divine consolations, can seldom duly sympathise with the mourners, counsel the tempted, encourage the dejected, or even bear with the infirmities of the weak. 7. "And our hope of you is steadfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers," &c. He could scarcely have written this in his first Epistle-so full of misgiving and upbraiding: but now having received from Titus the account of their repentance and altered state of mind towards him, he can say with confidence, as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation." 8. "For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble, which came," &c. Two or three explanations have been given of this 66 310 of h our h Acts xix. 23. 1 Cor. xv. 32. & xvi. 9. Or, answer. WE DESPAIRED EVEN OF LIFE. [II. COR. trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: 9 But we had the || sentence of death in ouri Jer. xvii. 5, 7. selves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: k2 Pet. ii. 9. k 10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us: 10. “And doth deliver.” So E., F., G., K., L., M., most Cursives, f; but A., D., d, e, Syriac, omit, and N, B., C., P., 17, 47, 73, 93, 211, g, Vulg. (Amiat.), read, “shall deliver." the “trouble in Asia.” The first, and by far the most probable, is that it was the dangerous riot described in its leading incidents in Acts xix. 28-41, in which the Apostle narrowly escaped being murdered. This seems most consonant with the words "our trouble in Asia." Others, as Dean Plumptre, consider it to have been a dangerous illness which had brought him to the gates of grave; and others suppose, but I think with very little reason, that it was the disheartening news from Corinth respecting the state of his beloved Church there which well-nigh overwhelmed him. 9. “But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should," &c. That is, we were as certain of death as one who had had the sentence of death pronounced upon him by a judge, and for whom, humanly speaking, there could be no escape or reprieve. So that there was no human hope; the only source of hope was to trust in that God Who not only rescueth from death, but restoreth the dead to life. 10. "Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom," &c. He delivered us from so imminent a death. Nothing could exceed the fury of the silversmiths, and yet nothing could be more remarkable than the sudden cessation of the riot, and the escape of the Apostle (Acts xx. 1). We cannot, however, help noticing the evangelical application of this verse. The Lord hath delivered us by His Death and Resur rection from death in its three terrible forms-death temporal, death spiritual, death eternal. "He doth deliver." He doth de CHAP. I.] OUR REJOICING IS THIS. 311 1 Rom. xv. 30, 11 Ye also 'helping together by prayer for us, that "for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many Phil. i. 19. persons thanks may be given by many on our Philem. 22. behalf. 12 For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and "godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace 0 m ch. iv. 15. & iv. 2. 13. ch. ii. 17. 12. "In simplicity." So D., E., F., G., L., most Cursives, d, e, f, g, Vulg., Goth., Syriac; but N, A., B., C., K., M., P., 17, 37, 67**, 73, Copt., Arm., read, "in holiness." liver us now from the assaults of Satan and from the dominion of our evil passions, and He will deliver us from every evil work, and make us partakers of His heavenly kingdom. 11. "Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us." St. Paul seems to have had an extraordinary sense of the value of intercessory prayer. In the Epistle to the Philippians he seems to make even his own salvation in a measure to depend upon it. "I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ" (Phil. i. 19). "Bestowed upon us by the means of," &c. He seems to think it a great advantage to all that they should pray for him, and then that their prayers having been answered, they should give thanks to God. All intercourse with God such as this cannot but be most acceptable to God and beneficial to their souls. "This he said, at once to stir them up to prayer for others, and to use them always to give thanks to God for whatever befalletli others, showing that He too also willeth this exceedingly and observe, I pray you, this also, that even if God doeth anything in mercy, yet prayer doth mightily contribute thereunto. For at the first he attributed his salvation to His mercies; for 'the God of all mercies' he says Himself delivered us; but here to their prayers also." (Chrysostom.) 12. "For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience," &c. The word translated "rejoicing" is usually rendered "boasting." "The testimony of our conscience." This was a great matter with St. Paul. Before the Sanhedrim he affirmed, "I have lived in all good conscience before God unto this day." 'Herein," he 66 |