2 Corinthians 1:16

And to pass by you into Macedonia, and to come again out of Macedonia unto you, and of you to be brought on my way toward Judaea. This intention of visiting them on the way to Macedonia, as well as after having passed through it, must have reached the Corinthians in some way or other-perhaps in the lost letter (; ). The sense comes out more clearly in the Greek order, 'By you to pass into Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come unto you.'...

15-24 The apostle clears himself from the charge of levity and inconstancy, in not coming to Corinth. Good men should be careful to keep the reputation of sincerity and constancy; they should not resolve, but on careful thought; and they will not change unless for weighty reasons. Nothing can render God's promises more certain: his giving them through Christ, assures us they are his promises; as the wonders God wrought in the life, resurrection, and ascension of his Son, confirm faith. The Holy Spirit makes Christians firm in the faith of the gospel: the quickening of the Spirit is an earnest of everlasting life; and the comforts of the Spirit are an earnest of everlasting joy. The apostle desired to spare the blame he feared would be unavoidable, if he had gone to Corinth before he learned what effect his former letter produced. Our strength and ability are owing to faith; and our comf...

Verse 16. _TO PASS BY YOU INTO MACEDONIA_] He had purposed to go to Macedonia first, and then from Macedonia return to them, and probably winter in Corinth. Therefore we must understand the δι' ὑμων, by you, as implying that he would sail up the AEgean Sea, leaving Corinth to the west; though he might have taken it in his way, and have gone by land through Greece up to Macedonia. Some think that the meaning is, that he purposed to take Achaia in his way to Macedonia, without calling at Corinth; but Achaia was out of his way considerably, and he could scarcely go through Achaia without passing close by Corinth. I consider the words, therefore, as implying that he purposed not to call at Corinth at that time, but to pass by it, as before stated....

AND TO PASS BY YOU - Through δι ̓ di' you; that is, through your city, or province; or to take them, as we say, in his way. His design was to pass through Corinth and Achaia on his journey. This was not the direct way from Ephesus to Macedonia. An inspection of a map will show at one view that the direct way was that which he concluded finally to take - that by Troas. Yet he had designed to go out of his way in order to make them a visit; and intended also, perhaps, to make them also a longer visit on his return. The former part of the plan he had been induced to abandon. INTO MACEDONIA - A part of Greece having Thrace on the north, Thessaly south, Epirus west and the AEgean Sea east; see the note, Acts 16:9. And of you to be brough

EXPOSITION Address and greeting (2 Corinthians 1:1, 2 Corinthians 1:2). Thanksgiving for the comfort sent to him by God, wherein, as in his affliction which rendered it necessary, they sympathetically shared (2 Corinthians 1:3). He has earned a right to their sympathy by his sincerity (2 Corinthians 1:12). His change of purpose with respect to a visit to Corinth, with digression on the unchangeableness of the gospel (2 Corinthians 1:15). Explanation of his Reasons ...

AND TO PASS BY YOU INTO MACEDONIA,.... It was his first intention and determination to have come first to Corinth, and then to Macedonia, to have took this city in his way thither; which was an argument of his love to them, and his great desire to see them; since he might have gone, as he did, a nearer way to Macedonia, than by Corinth: AND TO COME AGAIN OUT OF MACEDONIA TO YOU; when he had gone through that, and done his business there unto the Corinthians; and after some stay with them, OF YOU TO BE BROUGHT ON MY WAY TOWARDS JUDEA; where he intended to go, with the collections he had made for the poor saints at Jerusalem, in the several churches in Asia; but though this was his first resolution, which he had signified either by letter, or messengers, yet he afterwards changed his mind, for some reasons within himself; it may be, having heard some things disagreeable of them, which he...

2 Corinthians 1:1. _Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,_ Paul is very careful to remind the Corinthians of that fact, since some of them had gone the length of denying his apostleship altogether. 2 Corinthians 1:1. _And Timothy our brother,_ Whom, in all humility, he associates with himself, although he was a younger man, of far less consequence; but Paul loved him very much, and therefore he put his name at the beginning of this Epistle side by side with his own: «and Timothy our brother,» 2 Corinthians 1:1. Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia: grace be to you and peace

2. PAUL'S EXPERIENCE AND EXPLANATIONS. CHAPTER 1:8-24 _ 1. His Experience. (2 Corinthians 1:8)_ 2. His Explanations. (2 Corinthians 1:15) The Apostle speaks, first of all, of the trouble he had when he was pressed out of measure (or “weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power”), in so much that he despaired of his life. What experience did he mean? The question cannot be positively answered. It may have been the trouble in Ephesus (Acts 19:1) to which he refers in 1 Corinthians 15:32, “If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts in Ephesus .” Others think that it was

But had he not laid himself open to a charge of fickleness? Had he not led them to expect that he would ere this have paid them another visit, returning through Corinth from Macedonia, and taking from Corinth his final departure to Judæ a when he went to convey the money collected for the poor Christians at Jerusalem. It was not true that in abandoning that plan he had showed himself one whose word was not to be trusted. It was true that while the confidence he has just referred to was unshaken, he had made and announced this plan. And he had not laid his plans, as men too often do, so that their Yea is lightly turned to Nay. God is to be relied on, and the message delivered by His messengers has always been direct and unambiguous. For there was no ambiguity about Christ, who had been the subject of the apostle's preaching. On the contrary, all the promises of God had received confirmati...

COMFORTED TO COMFORT (2 Corinthians 1:1-7)...