Page images
PDF
EPUB

The sincerity of

Chap. i.

8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble,a 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 raiseth the dead;

10 Who delivered us from so great a death,b and doth deliver; in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us; 11 Ye 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.

ye

13 For we write none other things unto you, than what read and acknowledge, and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end:

14 As also ye have acknow

a Trouble. This was probably Paul's being constrained to fight with wild beasts at Ephesus. See I Cor. xv. 32.

b So great a death; this terrible death, from which Paul was deliver ed, was being torn in pieces by wild beasts.

Paul's preaching.

ledged us in part,c that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus.

15 And in this confidence d I was minded to come unto you before, that ye might have a second benefit;

16 And to pass by you into Macedonia, and to come again out of Macedonia unto you, & of you to be brought on my way toward Judea.

17 When I, therefore, was thus minded,e did I use lightness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea, yea, and nay, nay ?

18 But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea, and nay.f

19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me, and Silvanus, and Timotheus,

Ye bave acknowledged us in part, that is, a part of you have acknowledged and rejoiced in me as an apostle.

d In this confidence; in this persua sion, that ye believe me a faithful apostle.

e When I was thus minded, or was determined, to visit you, did I lightly or without reason, alter my determi nation or the purposes I form, do I form them according to the flesh, that with me, yea should be changed into nay, as might best suit my personal interest?

f Our word toward you, &c. My purpose to come unto you, was not, as some insinuate, yea and nay, as suited my worldly purpose.

Paul excuseth himself: II.Corinthians. his reasons wherefore.

was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.

20. For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him amen, unto the glory of God by us.

21 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God:

22 Who hath also sealed us, & given the earnest of the Spirit g in our hearts.

23 Moreover, I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet into Corinth.

24 Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy; for by faith ye stand.

CHAP. II.

1 The reasons of his not coming unto them. 6 of the excommunicated person. 14 The success of his preaching in every place.

[ocr errors]

BUT I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness.

2 For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me?

3 And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice;

g Who bath also sealed or marked me, as an apostle, and as evidence of it, hath given the earnest or pledge of the spirit in my heart; that is, spiritual gifts abiding in me. See also Ephes. i. 13, 14.

having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.

4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love, which I have more abundantly unto you.

5 But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part; that I may not overcharge you all.a

6 Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.b

7 So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, & comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.

8 Wherefore I beseech you, that ye would confirm your love toward him.

9 For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.

10 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also; for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;

11 Lest Satan should get an

If any have caused me grief, it is only a part of you: I would not overcharge or censure you all.

b And sufficient for the person is the punishment of excommunication, which was inflicted on him by the majority of you. (What this punishment was, see 1 Cor. v. 5.)

[blocks in formation]

advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's Gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord,

13 I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother; but, taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia.

14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledgec by us in every place.

15 For we are unto Godd a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved, and in them that perish.

16 To the one we are the

c Savour of his knowledge, or the knowledge of him. Savour signifies smell or odour; but to understand the word in this and the following verses, we should recollect, that St. Paul here uses it in allusion to the ancient triumphs, which were celebrated in honour of distinguished generals, when they returned home victorious from the field of battle. On these occasions the streets, through which the victor and his train passed,

were strewed with flowers, which filled the air with a grateful odour. Behind the triumphal car followed the most noted captives in chains; of these, some had their lives spared; others were put to death immediately after the procession ended; so that to the one, the sweet fragrance of the flowers was a savour of death, to the other, a savour of life.

8 For we are THROUGH God, &c,

Paul's preaching.

savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life; and who is sufficient for these things?

17 For we are not as many which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

CHAP. III.

1'A commendation of Paul's ministry. 6 A comparison between the ministers of the law and the Gospel.

DO we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?

2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men;

3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart.

4 And such trust we have through Christ to God-ward.

5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to think any thing ciency is of God; as of ourselves; but our suffi

6 Who hath also made us able ministers of the new testament ;a not of the letter,b

a New testament, the merciful dispensation of the Gospel.

b. Not of the letter, not of the written law, given from Sinai, which passed sentence of death on every sinner, whether penitent or noti

Of law, but of the spirit;c for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

II. Corinthians.

But if the ministration of death,d written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away;

8 How shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious?

9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.

11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glori

ous.

12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech;

13 And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:

14 But their minds were blinded; for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.

c But of the spirit, the new or gas pel covenant.

d The ministration of death, the law given to Moses.

and Gospel.

15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail upon their heart.

is

16 Nevertheless, when ite shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.

17 Now, the Lord is that Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

1

CHAP. IV.

Paul's sincerity and dili gence in preaching, 7 and his troubles for the same. THEREFORE, seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy we faint not;

2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but, by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

3 But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost;

4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

selves, but Christ Jesus the 5 For we preach not our

e When it, when their Heart...

Paul's comfort

Lord;

Chap. v.

and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

6 For God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed:

10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, & therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;

14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus, shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with

[blocks in formation]

in afflictions, &c.

ing of many, redound to the glory of God.

16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

1

CHAP. V.

In hope of immortal glory, 9 and in expectance of it, and of the general judgment, he laboureth to keep a good conscience.

FOR we know, that, if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:

3 If so be that being clothed, we shall not be found nak. ed.

4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened; not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »