2 Corinthians 5

— we pray you in Christ’s stead, &c.] Whatever appears true to any man by his own reason, or to any Christian, by the word of God, he ought to observe, though no one reminded him of it. And whatever any one else proves to him, though absolutely unauthorized, he is bound to admit. But when God Himself, knowing man’s need and yet unwillingness to be taught, hath expressly ordained a succession of persons to execute that employment: if either they neglect to give, or the people to receive instruction, it is a highly aggravated contempt of His authority, and of His mercy. “We have” indeed “this treasure in earthen vessels,” 2 Cor. iv. 7: and too often add sins to our infirmities, by which we dishonour Him we represent, and shall bring down severe punishment on our own heads. But still as in temporal societies, officers, though bad and unfit men, must be duly obeyed, as far as their commission extends, in respect to the supreme power, under which they act; so in the spiritual one of the church, when you hear the truths of religion from the worst of us all, you are to receive them as the word of God, for such indeed they are, not as the word of men. And a message from Him deserves the utmost honour; let them who bring it deserve what they will. Abp. Secker.

— be ye reconciled to God.] By due obedience to the precepts, and unfeigned belief in the truth, of the Gospel, as the terms of your reconciliation. Dr. Wells.

Ver. 1. — that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.] “The grace of God” in a general sense imports His affection and goodwill to men, and all those benefits which freely proceed from thence. In a more restrained sense it signifies the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the terms and privileges of which are the effect of God’s infinite and undeserved goodness; and sometimes the inward workings of His Spirit in and with the minds of men. “The grace of God is received in vain,” generally, when we do not entertain our blessings with thankfulness, nor use them with prudence, nor improve them to good purposes: specially, when the persons, to whom the Gospel is preached, do not act according to its precepts, “denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, and living soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world;” and when they do not attend to and comply with the suggestions and good motions, which the Spirit of God works in our minds. The Apostle is here speaking of the favour of God, dispensed by His ministers in the Gospel. Dean Stanhope.

2 Corinthians 5:4

4. — not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, &c.] Not desiring to put off these bodies, to part with them finally, how weary soever we are; but desiring another sort of body and another sort of life, an eternal immutable life instead of that mortal one, subject to afflictions and even death itself, which we now live. Dr. Hammond.

2 Corinthians 5:5

5. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing &c.] He that hath appointed and prepared us for this glorious change, and hath filled our souls with a longing for this immortal state, is God; who hath also given us by His Spirit those holy affections, fervent desires, and faithful endeavours, which are “the earnest” of heaven, before we enjoy it. Burkitt. See the note on chap. i. 22.

2 Corinthians 5:6

6. Therefore we are always confident.] Howsoever nature is ready to shrink at the thought of dissolution, yet we are confident always to undergo it cheerfully and resolutely. Bp. Hall.

— whilst we are at home in the body, &c.] Knowing that our life is in this case a true pilgrimage, in that while we are present in this body of ours, we are absent from the Lord. We account indeed our body to be our home; but it is a short, uncertain, imperfect, and miserable home; heaven is our true home and country, as being our Father’s house. Bp. Hall.

2 Corinthians 5:7

7. (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)] That is, we regulate our conduct by the hope and expectation of the invisible things of the world to come, not by the enjoyment of the visible things of this world. Dr. Wells.

As brute beasts live by sense, and men by reason, so a Christian, as such, lives by faith, which raiseth up his mind so far above all sensible objects, that they have little or no force or power at all over him: and this is that which distinguishes a Christian from all other men, that whilst others live by sense or sight, so as to be wholly taken up with the affairs of this life, and those sensible objects they meet with here below; be, that is a true Christian, a true disciple of the blessed Jesus, he lives by faith: as the Apostle here speaks in the name of all true Christians, “we walk,” saith he, “by faith, not by sight.” Bp. Beveridge.

2 Corinthians 5:8

8. — to be present with the Lord.] From this passage, in which St. Paul speaks of being “present with the Lord,” as the immediate consequence of death, and

whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

2 Corinthians 5:9

9. — whether present or absent.] Whether we live or die. Bp. Hall.

2 Corinthians 5:10

10. — may receive the things done in his body.] That is, the reward of the things. Dr. Wells. The belief of a future judgment being the strongest of all motives to induce men to strive earnestly to behave in such a manner as to be acceptable to God, the Apostle insists upon it particularly, as what animated him, and what should animate every person, to do his duty conscientiously. Dr. Macknight.

2 Corinthians 5:11

11. — we persuade men;] To a conscientious fear and obedience: and for us, we are careful to be approved of God in our sincerity and faithfulness to Him in our ministry; and I trust also, ye yourselves, in your own consciences, cannot but allow and give testimony thereof. Bp. Hall.

2 Corinthians 5:12

12. For we commend not ourselves again unto you, &c.] As if he had said, We commend not ourselves unto you upon our own account, but only to give you occasion to vindicate us, and to glory to others on our behalf, when need requires; that you may be able to answer the calumnies of the false apostles, who gloried much in outward appearance of piety and zeal, but not in purity of heart and upright intentions. Burkitt.

From this place, and several others in this Epistle, it cannot be doubted, but that his speaking well of himself had been objected to him as a fault. And in this lay his great difficulty how to deal with his people. If he answered nothing to what was talked of him, his silence might be interpreted guilt and confusion: if he defended himself, he was accused of vanity, self-commendation, and folly. Hence it is that he uses so many reasons to shew that his whole carriage was upon principles far above all worldly considerations: and tells them here, once for all, that the account he gives of himself, is only to furnish them who are his friends and adhered to him, with matter to justify themselves, in their esteem of him, and to reply to the contrary faction. Locke.

Christ died for all. Paul an ambassador Anno DOMINI 60.

2 Corinthians 5:13

13. For whether we be beside ourselves,] As our opposers pretend. Dr. Wells. ‘Beside myself,’ that is, in speaking well of myself, in my own justification. He that observes what St. Paul says, chap. xi. 1, and 16-21; chap. xii. 6 and 11, will scarce doubt but that the speaking of himself as he did was by his enemies called glorying, and imputed to him as folly and madness. Locke.

— it is to God:] It is for our fervent love to God and His Gospel. Bp. Hall.

2 Corinthians 5:14

14. For the love of Christ constraineth us:] Thus to promote His glory and to seek your good. Dr. Whitby.

— if one died for all,] Thus St. Paul elsewhere teaches us, that Christ “gave Himself a ransom for all,” 1 Tim. ii. 6; and St. John, that He was “a propitiation for the sins of the whole world,” 1 John ii. 2. And this appears from its being said, that “the Word was made flesh,” John i. 14; flesh, or man in general, as the word signifies when applied to men. It does not signify any one or more particular man; but mankind in general, the whole human nature; that which all men are of, who proceed from the first man Adam, in whom it was all contained. And so it is in “the Word made flesh,” who is therefore called “the last Adam,” 1 Cor. xv. 45; and “the second man,” ver. 47; because next to the first, who had the whole manhood in him. Hence it is, that when the Word was made flesh, and died in it, “He died for all,” and “for every man,” Heb. ii. 9; because He died in that nature which is common to all and every man alike. So that all men and every man may now be saved by Him whom God sent into the world to be made flesh, “that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life,” John iii. 16. Bp. Beveridge.

— then were all dead:] That is, obnoxious to eternal death, and condemned to it for sin. Drs. Whitby and Wells.

2 Corinthians 5:15

15. — that they which live] That is, by His death attain to a state of eternal life. Dr. Wells.

— should not henceforth live unto themselves, &c.] Seeking only their own private advantage; but “should live unto Him,” by employing their lives in promoting His Gospel and kingdom. Dr. Wells.

2 Corinthians 5:16

16. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh:] We regard no man in respect of any worldly advantages: “yes, though we have known Christ after the flesh,” though we formerly before our conversion expected and desired the coming of the Messiah, as a temporal king, and hoped for advancement in His kingdom, “yet now henceforth know we Him” so “no more;” that is, now we serve Him out of no temporal

2 Corinthians 5:17

17. — be in Christ,] Truly a Christian. Dr. Wells. Be ingrafted into Christ by the Spirit of Christ received in his regeneration by baptism. See this more fully expressed, Rom. vi. 3. Bp. Fell.

— old things are passed away:] His former affection to the things of this world, and his former designs to promote his worldly interest, are ceased. Drs. Whitby and Wells.

— all things are become new.] He is become a new or quite different man in all these respects, setting his affection on things above, and pursuing his spiritual advantage. Dr. Wells.

2 Corinthians 5:18

18. And all things are of God,] Who hath of His infinite condescension conquered our prejudice. Dr. Doddridge.

— hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation:] Or commission to preach the Gospel to others. Dr. Wells.

2 Corinthians 5:19

19. — that God was in Christ,] United to Him, and manifesting Himself by Him. Dr. Doddridge.

2 Corinthians 5:20

20. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ,] This therefore is the nature of our present employment; to be, as our title of Apostles imports, proxies and negociators of Christ, we supplying the place of Christ on earth, and treating with men after the manner that Christ did when He was here. Dr. Hammond.

The character of the ministers of the Gospel is that of “ambassadours for Christ,” which means “instead of Christ,” as the same word is translated in the latter part of the verse. God sent His Son into the world, as the messenger of His covenant; the Person, by whom He notified His gracious promises, and the conditions of them to mankind. When He ceased to instruct them personally, His words to His Apostles were, “As the Father hath sent Me, even so send I you,” John xx. 21. Nor did He send the twelve only, but gave to His church other pastors and teachers also, for “the work of the ministry, for the edifying of His body, till we all come unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ,” Eph. iv. 12, 13; and promised to be “with them alway even unto the end of the world,” Matt. xxviii. 20. Such therefore the Apostles appointed in every city; deputed them to “work the work of the Lord as they themselves did,” 1 Cor. xvi. 10; directed some of these to appoint others, as “feeders of the flock,” under Christ “the chief Shepherd,” 2 Tim. ii. 2, and 1 Pet. ii. 4; required them to “exhort and rebuke with all authority,” Tit. ii. 15; and commanded Christians “to submit to them, as watchmen over their

for Christ. A faithful minister. Anno DOMINI 60. Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

2 Corinthians 5:21

21. — to be sin for us.] That is, a sin-offering, or sacrifice for sin, as the word is continually used with application to the legal sacrifices: “that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him,” might be justified by God, or made righteous in that manner which God hath ordained, through faith in Him. Dr. Whitby, Parkhurst. That, although we are not perfectly so in ourselves or actions, yet God might accept of us as righteous in Him, by virtue of that perfect obedience and righteousness which He performed in our nature and stead: who is therefore said to be our “righteousness,” as well as our “sanctification,” 1 Cor. i. 30: our sanctification to assist us in what we do, and our righteousness to make it acceptable to God, when it is done. But for both these purposes it is necessary that we actually believe in Him: for it is to our faith in Christ that the Scriptures all along ascribe, both our sanctification, and likewise the justification both of our persons and of our actions before God, Heb. xi. 6. Bp. Beveridge.

Chap. VI. This chapter, to which should be added the first verse of the following, consists of two parts.

WE then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.