2 Corinthians 1

— unto the church of God &c.] See the note on 1 Cor. i. 2.

— in all Achaia.] The province, of which Corinth was the metropolis or chief town. Dr. Wells.

— and more abundantly to you-ward.] The powerful operations and gifts of the Holy Ghost seem to have been more abundantly exercised by the Apostle in the Corinthian church. Dr. Whitby. Also, his working with his own hands for his maintenance among the Corinthians, Acts xviii. 3; 1 Cor. ix. 15, which he did not do every where, must be a convincing proof of what he here says. Dr. Doddridge.

2 Corinthians 1:2

2. — who is he then that maketh me glad,] St. Paul’s

chief joy in his sufferings were his converts, for whose salvation’s sake he suffered. Bp. Fell.

— but the same which is made sorry by me?] The Apostle, knowing that the sincere part of the church would be made sorry by his punishing their disobedient brethren, wished not to distress his friends by punishing his enemies. Dr. Macknight.

2 Corinthians 1:3

3. And I wrote this same unto you, &c.] I have therefore written you my mind beforehand, that, by a timely reformation of the disorders of your church, I might not have the trouble and vexation of punishing instead of congratulating, when I come to visit you. Pyle.

— my joy is the joy of you all.] Either the Apostle is speaking of the sincere part of the Corinthian church, or the word “all” must be taken in a qualified sense. Dr. Macknight.

2 Corinthians 1:4

4. — not that ye should be grieved,] Not out of any pleasure that I take to censure or afflict you. Dr. Hammond.

2 Corinthians 1:5

5. — the sufferings of Christ] That is, our sufferings for, or on account of, Christ. Drs. Hammond and Wells.

6. But if any have caused grief, &c.] The Apostle here alludes to the incestuous person, the author of all this sadness and severity. Dr. Hammond. Mr. Locke very well observes the great tenderness, which the Apostle uses to this offender; he never once mentions his name, nor does he here so much as mention his crime; but speaks of him in the most indefinite manner, that was consistent with giving such directions as his case required. Dr. Doddridge.

— he hath not grieved me, but in part:] Namely, in respect only of those that defended what he had done. Dr. Wells. As if St. Paul had said, The sorrow, which I have had for the sin and scandal of this notorious offender, I am very far from charging upon the whole church: I dare not load you all with that imputation, as if you were involved in the guilt of it. Burkitt.

2 Corinthians 1:6

6. — which is effectual] That is, which is effectually wrought. Bp. Hall. The Apostle says, that his sufferings and afflictions have had upon the Corinthians the good effect of encouraging them to suffer patiently after his example: and that his blessings and comforts are so many arguments to them, for depending steadily and joyfully upon the same infinite wisdom and power as he did. Pyle.

7. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, &c.] Since he hath been censured according to my order, and hath professed his serious repentance, let this punishment be sufficient, which was inflicted upon him publickly in the congregation. Bp. Hall.

A very striking instance of St. Paul’s mildness and tenderness presents itself in the Apostle’s language to the Corinthians, amongst whom the most atrocious incest had been committed, and allowed to continue with impunity. On such an occasion a violent enthusiast would have instantly thundered forth a ban of eternal condemnation, certainly against the individual offender,

2 Corinthians 1:8

8. — our trouble which came to us in Asia.] Many interpreters here refer to the commotion raised against St. Paul by Demetrius at Ephesus, Acts xix. 26, to the end. But we do not read that in that commotion any hands were laid upon the Apostle, or that he suffered any thing. He therefore had no occasion for the strong expressions, which he uses in these three verses, and which seem rather to signify, that he was in danger of being torn in pieces by the wild beasts with which he fought at Ephesus on another occasion, mentioned 1 Cor. xv. 22. See the note there. Drs. Whitby and Macknight.

2 Corinthians 1:9

9. But we had the sentence of death in ourselves.] I made full reckoning of my present death, as utterly inevitable. Bp. Hall. “The sentence of death” is that, which the Apostle, when ordered to fight with wild beasts, pronounced on himself in his own mind. Dr. Macknight.

2 Corinthians 1:11

11. — that for the gift bestowed upon us &c.] That is, the gracious deliverance. Dr. Wells. The sense is, Then

as you all contribute towards my safety and protection, you may all have the pleasure of rejoicing and giving thanks for it along with me. Pyle.

2 Corinthians 1:12

12. For our rejoicing is this, &c.] The connexion of this with the former verse seems to be, And there is good reason why you should thus pray for us, who have acted with such sincerity towards you, and so much to your advantage. Dr. Whitby.

— the testimony of our conscience, &c.] The judgment of a man’s own heart is of greater regard than the censures of all the men in the world besides. Better the world should condemn us, if our own hearts acquit us; than that our hearts should condemn us, and all the world acquit us. “This is our rejoicing,” saith St. Paul, the “testimony of our conscience.” The approbation of men may give some accession to the rejoicing, the other being supposed; but the main of it hath in “the testimony of the conscience.” This is the highest tribunal under heaven: but not absolutely the highest: there is one in heaven above it. St. Paul, who thought it safe for him to appeal thither from the unjust censures of men, yet durst not think it safe for him to rest here, but appealeth from it to a higher court, to the judgment of the great God. It was “a very small thing with him to be judged of man’s judgment,” 1 Cor. iv. 3; so long as he “knew nothing by himself,” so long as his own heart condemned him not, he regarded not much the censures of men. Yet durst he not justify himself in the acquittal of his own heart. He knew there was much blindness and deceitfulness in the heart of every sinful man; and it were no wisdom to trust to that which might fail. He would have recourse therefore to a higher and unerring Judge, who neither could deceive, nor could be deceived: and that was the Lord. “I judge not mine own self,” saith he, “but He that judgeth me is the Lord.” Bp. Sanderson.

— by the grace of God.] Influencing me to despise such fleshly wisdom, and enabling me to perform miracles for the propagation of the Gospel. Dr. Wells.

He excuseth his not coming to the Corinthians.

Anzo DOMINI 60. conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

2 Corinthians 1:13

13. For we write none other things unto you, &c.] That is, we have no other design or meaning in what we write unto you, than what lies open and is legible in “what you read, or” than what ye even “acknowledge” to be so: “and I trust” I shall always so behave myself that “you shall acknowledge” the same simplicity and sincerity in me “even to the end.” Dr. Wells.

2 Corinthians 1:14

14. As also ye have acknowledged us in part.] That is, some of you have acknowledged. Dr. Wells.

— even as ye also are our’s] Are at present, and much more will be ours, in the day when Christ shall come to reward his faithful servants. Drs. Whitby and Hammond.

2 Corinthians 1:15

15. And in this confidence] Of your love and esteem for me. Dr. Wells.

— that ye might have a second benefit:] That, as ye received one main benefit by my first coming, which was your conversion, so ye might receive a second benefit by my coming again, even your confirmation in the Gospel. Bp. Hall.

2 Corinthians 1:17

17. When I therefore was thus minded.] And yet did not accordingly perform it, was it out of any levity, or inconstancy and unsteadiness to my own resolutions? or do I contrive my purposes and determinations out of carnal respects, that according to the occasion of more profit or ease I should alter them? and that I should say and unsay at pleasure, promising and retracting as advantage served? Bp. Hall.

2 Corinthians 1:18

18. But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay.] No surely: but I call the only true God to witness, that neither this purpose and engagement of mine, nor any word of my preaching among you, hath been false, double, variable, deceitful. Bp. Hall. “Yea” is as much as to affirm, “nay” to deny. For a man to have his yea yea, and his nay nay, is to be true and faithful: but to be yea and nay at the same time is to be false and contradictory. Pyle.

2 Corinthians 1:19

19. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, &c.] For, as to

the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea yea, and nay nay?

2 Corinthians 1:20

20. For all the promises of God in him are yea, &c.] Otherwise we should not have faithfully delivered this holy errand that is committed to us; for certainly all the promises of God in the Gospel, which are the matter of our message, are in Him fully and immutably performed; and so are proclaimed and justified to the world by us, to the glory and praise of God. Bp. Hall.

To the glory, both of His merry and truth, which no where shines forth so gloriously as in making and performing such gracious and wonderful promises to mankind. Bp. Beveridge.

“Yea” was the word used by the Greeks for affirming any thing: “Amen” was the word used by the Hebrews for the same purpose. Dr. Macknight.

2 Corinthians 1:21

21. — in Christ.] That is, in the doctrine of Christ. Dr. Whitby. — and hath anointed us.] With the Holy Ghost. Dr. Whitby

2 Corinthians 1:22

22. Who hath also sealed us, &c.] As if he had said, Who has also sealed the truth of what is preached by us, by the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost, vouchsafed not only to myself, but to you also upon your receiving my doctrine; “and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts,” that is, given not only to me, but also to you on receiving my doctrine, His Spirit as the earnest of eternal life. The argument of the Apostle appears to be, that these things being so, as the Corinthians could not but acknowledge, they afforded a sufficient evidence that he, being thus approved by God, could not possibly be such a deceitful self-interested person as his adversaries represented him, and could not reasonably be suspected of dealing fraudulently with them in any thing relating to his ministry. Dr. Wells.

An earnest is part of a sum, given in assurance of receiving the whole afterwards. So the Spirit of God within us is given us by way of “earnest,” to assure us that in due time we shall receive from God all those

His reason for not visiting them. He requireeth them to forgive Anne DOMINI 60.

2 Corinthians 1:23

23. Moreover I call God for a record &c.] St. Paul, having argued against the charge of fickleness, now proceeds to state the true cause of his not having come to Corinth. Dr. Wells. The words are a solemn imprecation of the vengeance of God upon himself, if he departed from the truth in what he was about to write. With this imprecation he begins his apology for altering his resolution. And as he continues it to the fifth verse of the next chapter, either that chapter ought to have begun here, or this should have ended there. Dr. Macknight.

— to spare you] Lest, finding matters amiss and yet unreformed, I should have been forced to use my Apostolical authority amongst you in such severity, as would have seemed very harsh unto you. Bp. Hall.

2 Corinthians 1:24

24. Not for that we have dominion over your faith, &c.] Not as if we would be imperious and overrule you in matter of faith and religion at our pleasure, but only that we would endeavour your reformation, and therein be helpers forward of your joy. Bp. Hall.

— for by faith ye stand.] Or, ‘for ye have stood in the faith.’ The Apostle acknowledges, that they had generally stood firm in the profession of the Christian faith; and accordingly declares it to be the design of his threat to excite them to cure their divisions and contentions, and reform their gross miscarriages, chap. xii. 20, 21: that so he might not be found towards them “such as they would not,” nor create them any farther trouble, but might be a promoter of that joy, which they would find in such a reformation of themselves. Dr. Whitby.

Chap. II. The Apostle proceeds to shew the reason of his not coming to Corinth, so soon as he intended, to be his real clemency towards the scandalous offenders. He expresseth his tenderness towards them all, desires that even the incestuous person should be received into the church again upon his repentance, and declares his own sincerity, and the difficult charge of the Apostolical office; with a reflection upon their new teachers that oppose him. Pyle.

Ver. 1. — in heaviness.] That is, so as to make you sad, if I could possibly avoid it. Dr. Whitby.