TEXT.

19 (And not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us, with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind)

20 Avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance, which is administered by us :

21 Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

22 And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things; but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in

you.

23 Whether any do inquire of Titus, he is my partner, and fellowhelper concerning you: or our brethren be inquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ. 24 Wherefore show ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf.

IX. 1. For, as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you.

PARAPHRASE.

19 gospel: (And not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches, to accompany me, in the carrying this collection, which service I undertook for the glory of our Lord, and for your encouragement to 20 a liberal contribution :) To prevent any aspersion might be cast on me, by any one, on occasion of my meddling with the management of so great a sum; 21 And to take care, by having such men joined with me, in the same trust, that my integrity and credit should be preserved, not only in the sight of the 22 Lord, but also in the sight of men. With them I

have sent our brother, of whom I have had frequent experience, in sundry affairs, to be a forward, active man; but now much more earnestly intent, by reason of the strong pursuasion he has, of your con23 tributing liberally. Now, whether I speak of Titus, he is my partner, and one, who, with me, promotes your interest; or the two other brethren sent with him, they are the messengers of the churches of Macedonia, by whom their collection is sent, and are 24 promoters of the glory of Christ. Give, therefore, to them, and, by them, to those churches, a demonstration of your love, and a justification of my boastIX. 1 ing of you. For, as touching the relief of the poor

TEXT.

2 For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago, and your zeal hath provoked very many.

3 Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain, in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready:

4 Lest haply, if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not you) should be ashamed in, this same confident boasting.

5 Therefore, I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up before-hand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.

6 But this I say, He, which soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly and he, which soweth bountifully, shall reap also bountifully.

7 Every man, according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a chearful giver.

PARAPHRASE.

christians in Jerusalem, it is needless for me to write 2 to you. For I know the forwardness of your minds, which I boasted of on your behalf, to the macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago, and your zeal in 3 this matter hath been a spur to many others. Yet I have sent these brethren, that my boasting of you may not appear to be vain and groundless, in this part; but that you may, as I said, have your collec4 tion ready: Lest, if perchance the macedonians should come with me, and find it not ready, I (not to say, you) should be ashamed in this matter, whereof I 5 have boasted. I thought it, therefore, necessary to put the brethren upon going before unto you, to prepare things, by a timely notice before-hand, that your contribution may be ready, as a free benevolence of yours, and not as a niggardly gift, extorted from 6 you. This I say, "He who soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly; and he who soweth plentifully, "shall also reap plentifully." So give, as you find

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NOTE.

2* Achaia, i, e. the church of Corinth, which was made up of the inhabitants of that town, and of the circumjacent parts of Achaia. Vid. cb, i. 1,

TEXT.

8 And God is able to make all grace abound towards you; that ye, always having all-sufficiency, in all things, may abound to every good work:

9 (As it is written, "He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given "to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever."

'10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower, both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness :)

11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth, through us, thanksgiving to God.

12 For the administration of this service, not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also, by many thanksgivings unto God.

13 (Whilst, by the experiment of this ministration, they glorify God, for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men ;)

PARAPHRASE.

yourselves disposed, every one, in his own heart, not grudgingly, as if it were wrung from you; for 8 God loves a chearful giver. For God is able to make every charitable gift* of yours redound to your advantage; that, you having in every thing, always, a fulness of plenty, ye may abound in every 9 good work: (As it is written, "He hath scattered, "he hath given to the poor, and his liberality † re10" maineth for ever." Now he, that supplies seed

to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply your stock of seed ‡, and increase the fruit of 11 your liberality :) Enriched in every thing to all beneficence, which, by me, as instrumental in it, 12 procureth thanksgiving to God. For the performance of this service doth not only bring supply to the wants of the saints, but reacheth farther, even 13 to God himself, by many thanksgivings (Whilst

NOTES.

8* Xápis," grace," rather "charitable gift," or "liberality," as it signifies in the former chapter, and as the context determines the sense here.

9 + Amaroon," righteousness," rather "liberality;" for so dixalocún, in scripture language, often signifies. And so, Matt. vi. 1, for inμoovy, "alms," some copies have dialoon, liberality." And so Joseph, Matt. i. 19, is called Sixaos, "just, benign."

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10 Σóрov," seed sown," rather "your seed, and seed-plot," i, e, increase your plenty, to be laid out in charitable uses.

TEXT.

14 And, by their prayer for you,

which long after

ceeding grace of God in you.

15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

PARAPHRASE.

they, having such a proof of you, in this your supply, glorify God for your professed subjection to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberality, in com14 municating to them, and to all men ;) And to the procuring their prayers for you, they having a great inclination towards you, because of that gracious gift of God bestowed on them, by your liberality. 15 Thanks be to God for this his unspeakable gift.

SECT. IV.

CHAP. X. 1.-XIII. 10.

CONTENTS,

ST. Paul having finished his exhortation to liberality, in their collection for the christians at Jerusalem, he here resumes his former argument, and prosecutes the main purpose of this epistle, which was totally to reduce and put a final end to the adverse faction, (which seems not yet to be entirely extinct,) by bringing the corinthians wholly off from the false apostle they had adhered to: and to re-establish himself and his authority in the minds of all the members of that church. And this he does, by the steps contained in the following numbers.

HE declares the extraordinary power he hath in preaching the gospel, and to punish his opposers amongst them.

TEXT.

1 Now I Paul, myself, beseech you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you.

2 But I beseech you, that I may not be bold, when I am present, with that confidence wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us, as if we walked according to the flesh.

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God, to the pulling down of strong holds:)

PARAPHRASE.

1 Now I, the same Paul, who am (as it is said amongst you*) base and mean, when present with you, but bold towards you, when absent, beseech you, by the 2 meekness and gentleness † of Christ; I beseech you, I say, that I may not, when present among you, be bold, after that manner I have resolved to be bold towards some, who account that, in my conduct and ministry, I regulate myself wholly by carnal consi3 derations. For, though I live in the flesh, yet I do not carry on the work of the gospel (which is a war4 fare) according to the flesh: (For the weapons of my warfare are not fleshly, but such, as God hath made

+ St. Paul, thinking it fit to appear all severity, till he had by fair means reduced as many of the contrary party, as he could, to a full submission to his authority, (vid. ver. 6,) begins, here, his discourse, by conjuring them, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, as an example, that might excuse his delay of exemplary punishment on the ringleaders and chief offenders, without giving them reason to think it was for want of power.

4 + What the ὅπλα σαρκικὰ, "the carnal weapons," and those other, opposed to them, which he calls duvaτà tử ✪eÿ, “ mighty through God," are, may be seen, if we read and compare 1 Cor. i, 23, 24, and ii, 1, 2, 4, 5, 12, 13, 2 Cor. iv, 2, 6.