διὰ δόξης καὶ�. By glory and dishonour. The δόξα comes from God and His true servants, as when the Galatians treated him as an ἄγγελος θεοῦ (Galatians 4:14): the ἀτιμία (2 Corinthians 11:21; 1 Corinthians 11:14) comes from those who oppose both, as the Jews and heathen (Acts passim). Such δόξα and such ἀτιμία are alike a recommendation of the Apostle and his work. For the opposition between δόξα and ἀτιμία comp. 1 Corinthians 15:43; between τιμή and ἀτιμία, Romans 9:21; 2 Timothy 2:20.

διὰ δυσφημίας καὶ εὐφημίας. While δόξα and ἀτιμία are bestowed on those who are present, δυσφημία and εὐφημία are commonly used of the absent. Note the chiasmus: in the two pairs the good elements are in reverse order. Comp. 2 Corinthians 2:6; 2 Corinthians 4:3; 2 Corinthians 13:3. From these pairs S. Paul passes on to show the nature of the dishonour and evil report, and of the glory and good report. In the first two of the seven clauses, the order δυσφημία, εὐφημία is followed, the evil report being placed first, and the good and true statement second.

ὡς πλάνοι καὶ�. Here, with the change to ὡς, 2 Corinthians 6:9 should begin, as 2 Corinthians 6:8 with the change from ἐν to διά. Christ had been called ἐκεῖνος ὁ πλάνος (Matthew 27:63), and ‘how much more shall they call them of his household’ (Matthew 10:25). This use of καί to introduce an antithesis is specially common in S. John (John 1:10-11; John 3:11; John 3:19; John 3:32; John 5:39-40; John 6:36; John 6:43, &c.). In the N.T. πλάνος is never ‘wandering,’ but ‘misleading, seducing’ (1 Timothy 4:1; 2 John 1:7). Contrast Job 19:4.

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Old Testament