TEXT. 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing, that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God; and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ: 6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. PARAPHRASE. mighty, to the pulling down of strong holds, i. e. 5 whatever is made use of in opposition:) Beating down human reasonings, and all the towering and most elevated superstructures raised thereon, by the wit of men, against the knowledge of God, as held forth in the gospel; captivating all their notions, and bringing 6 them into subjection to Christ: And having by me, in a readiness, power wherewithal to punish and chastise all disobedience, when you, who have been misled by your false apostle, withdrawing yourselves from him, shall return to a perfect obedience NOTE. 6* Those, whom he speaks to, here, are the corinthian converts, to whom this epistle is written. Some of these had been drawn into a faction, against St. Paul; these he had been, and was endeavouring to bring back, to that obedience and submission, which the rest had continued in, to him, as an apostle of Jesus Christ. The corinthians of these two sorts are those he means, when he says to them, chap. ii. 3, and chap. vii. 13, 15, " You all,” i. e. all ye christians of Corinth and Achaia. For he, that had raised the faction amongst them, and given so much trouble to St. Paul, was a stranger, and a jew, vid. chap. xi. 22, crept in amongst them, after St. Paul gathered and established that church, 1 Cor. iii. 6, 10, 2 Cor. x. 15, 16. Of whom St. Paul seems to have no hopes, chap. xi. 13-15. And, therefore, he every-where threatens, 2 Cor. iv. 19, and here particularly, ver. 6 and 11, to make an example of him and his adherents (if any were so obstinate to stick to him), when he had brought back again all the corinthians, that he could hope to prevail on. ST. Paul examines the false apostle's pretensions, and compares his own with his performances. TEXT. 7 Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself, that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's. 8 For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, (which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction,) I should not be ashamed. 9 That I may not seem, as if I would terrify you by letters. 10" For his letters," say they," are weighty and powerful, but his "bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible." 11 Let such an one think this, that such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed, when we are present. 12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some, that commend themselves: but they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves amongst themselves, are not wise. PARAPHRASE. 7 Do ye judge of men, by the outward appearance of things? Is it by such measures you take an estimate of me and my adversaries? If he has confidence in himself, that he is Christ's, i. e. assumes to himself the authority of one employed and commissioned by Christ, let him, on the other side, count thus with himself, that, as he is Christ's, so 8 I also am Christ's. Nay, if I should boastingly say something more †, of the authority and power, which the Lord has given me for your edification, and not for your destruction ‡, I should not be put 9 to shame: But that I may not seem to terrify 10 you by letters, as is objected to me by some, Who say that my letters are weighty and powerful, but my bodily presence weak, and my discourse con11 temptible. Let him, that says so, reckon upon this, that such as I am in word, by letters, when I am absent, such shall I be also in deed, when pre12 sent. For I dare not be so bold, as to rank or compare myself with some, who vaunt themselves: but 7 Vid. chap. xi. 23. 8" More," vid. chap. xi. 23. them. NOTES. Another reason insinuated by the apostle for his forbearing severity to § "I should not be put to shame," i. e. the truth would justify me in it. TEXT. 13 But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule, which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you. 14 For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also, in preaching the gospel of Christ: 15 Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other PARAPHRASE. they measuring themselves within themselves*, and comparing themselves with themselves, do not un13 derstand t. But I, for my part, will not boast of myself in what has not been measured out, or allotted to me; i. e. I will not go out of my own province, to seek matter of commendation; but proceeding orderly, in the province, which God hath measured out, and allotted to me, I have reached even unto you; i. e. I preached the gospel in every 14 country, as I went, till I came as far as you. For I do not extend myself farther than I should, as if I had skipped over other countries in my way, without proceeding gradually to you; no, for I have reached even unto you, in preaching of the gospel in 15 all countries, as I passed along§: Not extending my boasting, beyond my own bounds, into provinces NOTES. 12 This is spoken ironically: iv auToïs," amongst themselves," rather "within themselves." For, in all likelihood, the faction and opposition against St. Paul was made by one person, as we before observed. For though he speaks here in the plural number, which is the softer and decenter way in such cases; yet we see, in the foregoing verse, he speaks directly and expressly, as of one person; and therefore è aurois may, most consonantly to the apostle's meaning here, be understood to signify, "within themselves," i. e. with what they find in themselves. The whole place showing, that this person made an estimate of himself, only by what he found in himself; and thereupon preferred himself to St. Paul, without considering what St. Paul was, or had done. + "Do not understand," that they ought not to intrude themselves into a church, planted by another man, and there vaunt themselves, and set themselves above him that planted it; which is the meaning of the four next verses. 13 "Aμerpa, here, and in ver. 15, doth not signify immense or immoderate, but something that hath not been measured out, and allotted to him, something that is not committed to him, nor within his province. 14 § This seems to charge the false, pretended apostle, who had caused all this disturbance in the church of Corinth, that, without being appointed to it, without preaching the gospel, in his way thither, as became an apostle, he had crept into the church at Corinth. 15 "Boasting,” i. e. intermeddling, or assuming to myself authority to meddle, or honour for meddling. TEXT. men's labours: but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you, according to our rule, abundantly: 16 To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast, in another man's line, of things made ready to our hand. 17 But he, that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 18 For not he, that commendeth himself, is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth. PARAPHRASE. not allotted to me, nor vaunting myself of any thing, I have done, in another's labour*, i. e. in a church planted by another man's pains: but having hope, that, your faith increasing, my province will 16 be enlarged by you yet farther: So that I may preach the gospel to the yet unconverted countries beyond you, and not take glory to myself, from another man's province, where all things are made 17 ready to my hand*. But he that will glory, let him glory, or seek praise, from that which is committed to him by the Lord, or in that which is ac18 ceptable to the Lord. For not he, who commends himself, does thereby give a proof of his authority, or mission; but he, whom the Lord commends by the gifts of the Holy Ghost †. NOTES. 15, 16* Here St. Paul visibly taxes the false apostle, for coming into a church, converted and gathered by another, and there pretending to be some body, and to rule all. This is another thing, that makes it probable, that the opposition made to St. Paul, was but by one man, that had made himself the head of an opposite faction. For it is plain, it was a stranger, who came thither, after St. Paul had planted this church, who pretending to be more an apostle than St. Paul, with greater illumination, and more power, set up against him, to govern that church, and withdraw the corinthians from following St. Paul's rules and doctrine. Now this can never be supposed to be a combination of men, who came to Corinth with that design, nor that they were different men, that came thither separately, each setting up for himself; for then they would have fallen out, one with another, as well as with St. Paul. And, in both cases, St. Paul must have spoken of them, in a different way from what he does now. The same character and carriage is given to them all throughout both these epistles; and 1 Cor. iii. 10, he plainly speaks of one man; and that setting up thus to be a preacher of the gospel, amongst those, that were already christians, was looked upon, by St. Paul, to be a fault, we may see, Rom. xv. 20. 18+ It is of these weapons of his warfare, that St. Paul speaks, in this chapter: and it is by them, that he intends to try, which is the true apostle, when he comes to them. SECT. IV. No. 3. CHAP. XI. 1-6. CONTENTS. He shows that their pretended apostle, bringing to them no other Saviour or gospel, nor conferring greater power of miracles, than he [St. Paul] had done, was not to be preferred before him. TEXT. 1 WOULD to God ye could bear with me a little, in my folly; and, indeed, bear with me. 2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear lest, by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve, through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he, that cometh, preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached; or if ye receive another Spirit, which ye have not received; or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. PARAPHRASE. 1 WOULD you could bear me a little, in my folly * ; 2 and, indeed, to bear with me. For I am jealous over you, with a jealousy, that is for God: for I have fitted and prepared you for one alone, to be your husband, viz. that I might deliver you up a pure 3 virgin, to Christ. But, I fear, lest, some way or other, as the serpent beguiled Eve by his cunning; so your minds should be debauched from that singleness 4 which is due to Christ t. For if this intruder, who NOTES. ] # " Fally;" so he modestly calls his speaking in his own defence. 3 + Απλότηλος τῆς εἰς τὸν Χρισόν, "The simplicity that is in," rather "to"wards, Christ," answers to avopì Xpisy, “ to one husband, Christ," in the immediately foregoing verse. For ἑν, one," is not put there for nothing, but makes the meaning plainly this: "I have formed and fitted you for one person alone, one husband, who is Christ: I am concerned, and in care, "that you may not be drawn aside from that submission and obedience, that 66 temper of mind, that is due singly to him; for I hope to put you into his "hands, possessed with pure virgin thoughts, wholly fixed on him, not divided, 66 |