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The observation of these particulars may possibly be of use to give us some light, for the better understanding of his second epistle, especially if we add, that the main business of this, as of his former epistle, is to take off the people from the new leader they had got, who was St. Paul's opposer; and wholly to put an end to the faction and disorder, which that false apostle had caused in the church of Corinth. He also, in this epistle, stirs them up again to a liberal contribution to the poor saints at Jerusalem.

This epistle was writ in the same year, not long after the former.

SECTION I.

CHAPTER I. 1, 2.

INTRODUCTION.

TEXT.

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother, unto the church of God, which is at Corinth, with all the saints, which are in all Achaia :

PARAPHRASE.

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother, to the church of God, which is

NOTE.

1 "Brother," i. e. either in the common faith; and so, as we have already remarked, he frequently calls all the converted, as Rom. i. 13, and in other places; or "brother" in the work of the ministry, vid. Rom. xvi. 21. 1 Cor. xvi. 12. To which we may add, that St. Paul may be supposed to have given Timothy the title of "brother," here, for dignity's sake, to give him a reputation above his age, amongst the Corinthians, to whom he had before sent him, with some kind of authority, to rectify their disorders. Timothy was but a young man, when St. Paul writ his first epistle to him, as appears, 1 Tim. iv. 12. Which epistle, by the consent of all, was writ to Timothy, after he had been at Corinth; and in the opinion of some very learned men, not less than eight years after; and therefore his calling him "brother" here, and joining him with

TEXT.

2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

PARAPHRASE.

in Corinth, with all the Christians, that are in all Achaiab: 2 Favour and peace be to you, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

NOTES.

himself, in writing this epistle, may be to let the Corinthians see, that, though he were so young, who had been sent to them, yet it was one, whom St. Paul thought fit to treat very much as an equal.

Achaia, the country wherein Corinth stood.

SECTION II.

CHAPTER I. 3.-VII. 16.

CONTENTS.

THIS first part of this second epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians is spent in justifying himself against several imputations from the opposite faction, and setting himself right in the opinion of the Corinthians. The particulars whereof we shall take notice of in the following numbers.

SECTION II. No. 1.

CHAPTER I. 3-14.

CONTENTS.

He begins with justifying his former letter to them, which had afflicted them, (vid. chap. vii. 7, 8.) by telling them, that he thanks God for his deliverance out of his afflictions, because it enables him to comfort them, by the example, both of his affliction and deliverance; acknowledging the obligation he had to them, and

others, for their prayers and thanks for his deliverance, which, he presumes, they could not but put up for him, since his conscience bears him witness (which was his comfort) that, in his carriage to all men, and to them more especially, he had been direct and sincere, without any self or carnal interest; and that what he writ to them had no other design but what lay open, and they read in his words, and did also acknowledge; and he doubted not but they should always acknowledge; part of them acknowledging also that he was the man they gloried in, as they shall be his glory in the day of the Lord. From what St. Paul says, in this section, (which, if read with attention, will appear to be writ with a turn of great insinuation) it may be gathered, that the posite faction endeavoured to evade the force of the former epistle, by suggesting, that, whatever he might pretend, St. Paul was a cunning, artificial, self-interested man, and had some hidden design in it, which accusation appears in other parts of this epistle: as chap. iv. 2, 5.

TEXT.

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3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

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.

5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we

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PARAPHRASE.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the 4 Father of mercies, and God of all consolation; Who comforteth me, in all my tribulations, that I may be able to comfort them, who are in any trouble, by the comfort, which 5 I receive from him. Because, as I have suffered abundantly for Christ, so, through Christ, I have been abundantly com6 forted; and both these for your advantage. For my afflic tion is for your consolation and relief, which is effected by a

NOTES.

3 That this is the right translation of the Greek here, see Eph. i. 3, and 1 Pet. i. 3, where the same words are so translated; and that it agrees with St. Paul's sense, see Eph. i. 17.

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4 ↳ He means, here, the Corinthians, who were troubled for their miscarriage towards him; vid. chap. vii. 7.

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6 € Σωτηρία, relief," rather than "salvation;" which is understood of deliverance from death and hell; but here it signifies only deliverance from their pre

sent sorrow.

TEXT.

also suffer or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing that, as you 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 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 ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God, which raised the dead:

10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver; in whom we trust, that he will yet deliver us:

11 You also helping together by prayer for us; that, for the gift bestowed upon us, by the means of many persons, thanks may be given by many on our 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 of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

PARAPHRASE.

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patient enduring those sufferings, whereof you see an example in me. And again, when I am comforted, it is for solation and relief, who may expect the like, from the same 7 compassionate God and Father. Upon which ground, I have firm hopes, as concerning you; being assured, that as you have had your share of sufferings, so ye shall, likewise, have of con8 solation. For I would not have you ignorant, brethren, of the load of afflictions in Asia, that were beyond measure heavy upon me, and beyond my strength; so that I could see no way 9 of escaping with life. But I had the sentence of death in myself, that I might not trust in myself, but in God, who can 10 restore to life even those who are actually dead: Who deli

vered me from so imminent a danger of death, who doth de11 liver, and in whom I trust he will yet deliver me: You also joining the assistance of your prayers for me; so that thanks may be returned by many, for the deliverance procured me, by 12 the prayers of many persons. For I cannot doubt of the prayers and concern of you, and many others, for me; since my glorying in this, viz. the testimony of my own conscience, that, in plainness of heart, and sincerity before God, not in fleshly wisdom, but by the favour of God directing me, I

NOTES.

12 What "fleshly wisdom" is may be seen chap. iv. 2, 5.

•This aλx' xápilo, "But in the favour of God," is the same with åλλà xápis Oεoû où iμol," the favour of God, that is with me," i. e. by God's favourable assistance.

TEXT.

13 For we write none other things unto you, than what you read, or acknowledge, and I trust you shall acknowledge even to the end. 14 As also you have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rẻjoicing, even as ye also are ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus.

PARAPHRASE.

have behaved myself towards all men, but more particularly 13 towards you. For I have no design, no meaning, in what I write to you, but what lies open, and is legible, in what you read and you yourselves cannot but acknowledge it to be so; 14 and I hope you shall always acknowledge it to the end. As part of you have already acknowledged that I am your gloryf; as you will be mine, at the day of judgment, when, being my scholars and converts, ye shall be saved.

NOTE.

14 "That I am your glory;" whereby he signifies that part of them which stuck to him, and owned him as their teacher: in which sense," glorying" is much used, in these epistles to the Corinthians, upon the occasion of the several partisans boasting, some that they were of Paul; and others, of Apollos.

SECTION II. No. 2.

CHAPTER I. 15.-II. 17.

CONTENTS.

THE next thing St. Paul justifies is, his not coming to them. St. Paul had promised to call on the Corinthians, in his way to Macedonia; but failed. This his opposers would have to be from levity in him; or a mind, that regulated itself wholly by carnal interest; vid. ver. 17. To which he answers, that God himself, having confirmed him amongst them, by the unction and earnest of his Spirit, in the ministry of the Gospel of his Son, whom he, Paul, had preached to them steadily, the same, without any the least variation, or unsaying any thing, he had at any time delivered; they could have no ground to suspect him to be an unstable, uncertain man, that would play fast and loose with them, and could not be depended on, in what he said to them. This is what he says, ch. i. 15-22.

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