CHAP. I. tecost; after which he purposed to go through Macedonia, in his way to Corinth. This alteration of his intention, the apostle notified to the Corinthians in his first epistle, chap. xvi. 5.-8. But the faction having taken occasion therefrom, to speak of him as a false, fickle, worldly minded man, who, in all his actions was guided by interested views, he judged it necessary in this second letter, to vindicate himself from that calumny, by assuring the Corinthians that he always behaved with the greatest simplicity and sincerity, ver. 12.—And by declaring that what he was about to write on that subject, was the truth: namely, That when he sent them word by Timothy and Erastus, of his intention to set out for Corinth immediately by sea, he really meant to do so, ver. 13. 16.-And that the alteration of his resolution, did not proceed either from levity, or falsehood, ver. 17.—as they might have known from the uniformity of the

OLD TRANSLATION. CHAP. I. 1 Paul an

apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Ti mothy our brother, unto the church of God which

is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all

Achaia:

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

Jesus Christ.

GREEK TEXT.

1 Παυλος αποςολος Ιησου Χριςον δια θελήματος Θεου, και Τιμοθεος ο αδελφος, τη εκκλησία του Θεον τη ουση εν Κορινθῳ, συν τοις ἅγιοις πασι τοις ουσιν εν όλη τη Αχαια

2* Χαρις ἱμιν και ειρηνη απο Θεου πατρος ἡμων, και Κυρίου Ιησου Χριςου.

Ver. 1.-1. And Timothy. From this it is evident, that Timothy was with the apostle, when the second to the Corinthians was written.-Timothy was a zealous preacher of the gospel, the apostle's constant companion (See 1 Tim. Pref. sect. 1.) and one, of whose ability and integrity the Corinthians had received recent proofs, during his late visit to them, 1 Cor. xvi. 10. His testimony, therefore, to the things written in this epistle, might have had weight, even with the faction, to convince them that when the apostle sent them word by him and Erastus, that he intended to go directly from Ephesus to Corinth, (See Illustration) he was perfectly sincere, as he declares, ver. 13.-16. And that when he altered his resolution, and delayed his visit, it was on motives purely conscientious.-By allowing Timothy to join in his letter, the apostle did him the greatest honour, and highly

doctrine which he preached to them, ver. 18, 19, 20.—whereby, as well as by the earnest of the Spirit put into his heart, God had fully established his authority with the Corinthians. It was therefore absurd to impute either levity, or falsehood, to one who was thus publicly and plainly attested of God, to be an apostle of Christ, by the spiritual gifts which he had conferred on his disciples, ver. 22, 23.-Lastly, he called God to witness, that hitherto he had delayed his journey to Corinth, expressly for the purpose of giving the faulty among them time to repent, ver. 23.-and that in so doing, he had acted suitably to his character; because miraculous powers were bestowed on the apostles, not to enable them to lord it over the persons and goods of the disciples, by means of their faith, but to make them helpers of their joy, persuading them both by arguments. and chastisements, to live agreeably to their Christian profession, ver. 24.

NEW TRANSLATION. CHAP. 1 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy' Mr brother, to the. church of God which is in Corinth, together with all the saints who are in all Achaia :2

2 Grace BE to you, and peace (see Rom. i. 7. note 4.) from God our Father, and FROM the

Lord Jesus Christ.

COMMENTARY.

CHAP. I. 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, agreeably to the will of God, and Timothy, (See 1 Thess. i. 1. note 1.) my fellow labourer in the gospel of Christ, to the church of God which is in Corinth, and to all who profess to believe in Christ, who are in all the province of Achaia.

2 Grace be to you, with peace temporal and eternal, from God our common father, the author of every blessing, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the Father dispenses his favours.

advanced his credit with all the churches of Achaia. See 1 Thess. Pref. sect. 3.

2. Who are in all Achaia. Corinth being the metropolis of the province of Achaia (See I Thess. i. 7. note.) the brethren of Achaia, no doubt, had frequent intercourse with those in Corinth, and by that means had an opportunity of hearing this letter read in the Christian assemblies at Corinth. But as they had equal need with the Corinthians, of the admonitions and advices contained in this letter, it was addressed to them likewise, that they might be entitled to take copies of it in order to read it in their public meetings, for their own edification. See Essay ii. page 62.

3 Blessed be God, even

3 Ευλογητος ὁ Θεος και

the Father of our Lord πατηρ του Κυρίου ἡμων Ιησου

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

Χριςου, ὁ πατηρ των οικτιρ μων, και Θεος πασης παρακλήσεως

4 ὁ παρακαλων ήμας επι παση τη θλίψει ἡμων, εις το δυνασθαι ἡμας παρακαλειν τους εν παση θλιψει, δια της παρακλήσεως, ἧς παρακαλουμεθα αυτοι ύπο του Θεου.

5 Ότι καθως περισσεύει τα παθήματα του Χριςου εις

consolation also aboundeth ἡμας, έτω δια Χριςου περισ

by Christ.

6 And whether we be

aflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same suf

ferings, which we 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 ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be

also of the consolation.

σευει και ἡ παρακλησις ἡμων. 6 Βιτε δε θλιβόμεθα, ὑπερ της ύμων παρακλήσεως και σωτηρίας, της ενεργουμενης εν υπομονῃ των αυτων παθημάτων, ὧν και ημεις παστ χομεν είτε παρακαλουμεθα, ὑπερ της ύμων παρακλήσεως και σωτηρίας.

7 Και ἡ ελπις ήμων βεβαια ὑπερ ὑμων, ειδότες ότι ὥσπερ κοινωνοι εςε των παΣημάτων, έτω και της παρακλήσεως.

Ver. 4.-1. To comfort them who are in any affliction. According to Locke, the apostle in this passage insinuated, that by his own afflictions he was qualified to comfort the Corinthians, under the distress of mind which they felt from a just sense of their errors and miscarriages. But the afflictions of which the apostle speaks, were chiefly outward afflictions ; being the same with those which he himself suffered, as is plain from ver. 6, 7.

Ver. 5.—1. Our consolation abounded through Christ. The consolation of which the apostle speaks, was derived from the presence of Christ with

him in his affliction; from a sense of the love of Christ shed abroad in his heart; from the joy which the success of the gospel gave him; from the

8 For we would not, 8 Ου γαρ πελομεν υμας

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 despair.

ed even of life:

9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in

αγνοειν, αδελφοι υπερ της θλίψεως ἡμων της γενομένης ήμιν εν τη Ασία, ότι καθ' υπερβολην εβαρηθημεν ὑπερ δυναμιν, ὡςε εξαπορηθήναι ἡμας και του ζην

9 Αλλα αυτοι εν ἑαυτοις Το αποκριμα του θανατου εσχηκαμεν, ἵνα μη πεποιθότες

God which raiseth the ωμεν εφ' ἑαυτοις, αλλ' επι τῷ

dead :

10 Who delivered us

Θεῷ τῷ εγείροντι τους νεκρους

10 ος εκ τηλικουτου θανα

from so great a death, and του ερρύσατο ἡμας, και ρυεται

doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deli

ver 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.

εις ὁν ηλπικαμεν, ότι και ετι ρύσεται

11 Συνυπουργουντων και ὑμων ὑπερ ἡμων τῃ δεήσει, ἵνα εκ πολλων προσώπων το εις μας χαρισμα δια πολλων ευχαριςηθῃ ὑπερ ἡμων.

assured hope of the reward which was prepared for him; from his knowledge of the influence of his sufferings to encourage others; and from the enlarged views which he had of the government of God, whereby all things are made to work for good to them who love God; so that he was entirely reconciled to his sufferings.

Ver. 8.-1. Affliction which happened to us in Asia. This is understood by some, of the riot of Demetrius, when they suppose the apostle was thrown to the wild beasts. But as he did not go into the theatre then (Acts xix. 30.) but kept himself concealed from the rioters, he ran no such risk of his life on that occasion, as to make him pass a sentence of death on himself, ver. 9. and say he was delivered from so great a death, ver. 10. I therefore suppose with Whitby, that this terrible death of which he was in danger, was his being torn in pieces by the wild beasts with which he fought in Ephesus on another occasion, mentioned 1 Cor. xv. 32. See note 1. on that verse.

Ver. 9. 1. However we had the sentence of death in ourselves. Αποκριμα το θάνατο, literally, the answer of death. See Ess. iv. 32.The sentence of death, is that which the apostle, when ordered to fight with wild beasts, pronounced on himself in his own mind. See preceding note.