1._Paul an Apostle _As to the reasons why he designates himself an _Apostle of Christ, _and adds that he has obtained this honor _by the will of God, _see the foregoing Epistle, where it has been observed that none are to be listened to but those, who have been sent by God, and speak from his mouth,... [ Continue Reading ]
3_Blessed be God _He begins (as has been observed) with this thanksgiving — partly for the purpose of extolling the goodness of God — partly, with the view of animating the Corinthians by his example to the resolute endurance of persecutions; and partly, that he may magnify himself in a strain of pi... [ Continue Reading ]
4._That we may be able to comfort _There can be no doubt, that, as he had a little before cleared his afflictions from reproach and unfavorable reports, so now he instructs the Corinthians, that his having come off victorious through heavenly consolation was for their sake and with a view to their a... [ Continue Reading ]
5._For as the sufferings of Christ abound _— _This _statement may be explained in two ways — actively and passively. If you take it _actively, _the meaning will be this: “The more I am tried with various afflictions, so much the more resources have I for comforting others.” I am, however, more incli... [ Continue Reading ]
6._Whether we are afflicted. _From the circumstance that before the clause _our hope of you is steadfast, _there is introduced the connecting particle _and, _Erasmus has conceived the idea, that some word must be understood to correspond with those words — _for your consolation and salvation _— in t... [ Continue Reading ]
7._Knowing, that as _However there might be some of the Corinthians that were drawn away for the time by the calumnies of the false Apostles, so as to entertain less honorable views of Paul, on seeing him shamefully handled before the world, he, nevertheless, associates them with himself both in fel... [ Continue Reading ]
8._For I would not have you ignorant _He makes mention of the greatness and difficulty of his conflicts, that the glory of victory may thereby the more abundantly appear. Since the time of his sending them the former epistle, he had been exposed to great dangers, and had endured violent assaults. Th... [ Continue Reading ]
9._Nay more, we had the sentence of death _This is as though we should say — “I had already laid my account with dying, or had regarded it as a thing fixed.” He borrows, however, a similitude from those who are under sentence of death, and look for nothing but the hour when they are to die. At the s... [ Continue Reading ]
10._Who hath delivered us from so great a death _Here he applies to himself personally, what he had stated in a general way, and by way of proclaiming the grace of God, he declares that he had not been disappointed in his expectation, inasmuch as he had been _delivered from death, _and that too, in... [ Continue Reading ]
11._That the gift bestowed upon us through means of many persons. _As there is some difficulty in Paul’s words, interpreters differ as to the meaning. I shall not spend time in setting aside the interpretations of others, nor indeed is there any need for this, provided only we are satisfied as to th... [ Continue Reading ]
12._For our glorying is this. _He assigns a reason why his preservation should be a subject of interest to all — that he had conducted himself (258) among them all in_simplicity and sincerity _He deserved, therefore, to be dear to them, and it would have been very unfeeling not to be concerned in re... [ Continue Reading ]
13._For we write no other things _Here he indirectly reproves the false apostles, who recommended themselves by immoderate boastings, while they had little or no ground for it; and at the same time he obviates calumnies, in order that no one may object, that he claims for himself more than is his du... [ Continue Reading ]
14._For we are your glorying. _We have briefly adverted to the manner in which it is allowable for saints to glory in God’s benefits — when they repose themselves in God alone, and have no other object of aim. Thus it was a ground of pious glorying on the part of Paul, that he had, by his ministry,... [ Continue Reading ]
15._In this confidence. _After having given them reason to expect that he would come, he had subsequently changed his intention. This was made an occasion of calumny against him, as appears from the excuse that he brings forward. When he says that it was from relying on_this confidence _that he form... [ Continue Reading ]
17._Did I use fickleness? _There are two things, more especially, that prevent the purposes of men from being carried into effect, or their promises from being faithfully performed. The one is that they make changes upon them almost every hour, and the other is that they are too rash in forming thei... [ Continue Reading ]
18._God is faithful. _By the term _word _he means doctrine, as is manifest from the reason that he adds, when he says, that the _Son of God, who is preached by him, is not variable, etc. _As to his being always consistent with himself in point of doctrine, and not differing from himself, (280) he in... [ Continue Reading ]
19._For the Son of God _Here we have the proof — because his preaching (283) contained nothing but Christ alone, who is the eternal and immutable truth of God. The clause _preached by us _is emphatic. For, as it may be, and often does happen, that Christ is disfigured by the inventions (284) of men,... [ Continue Reading ]
20._For all the promises of God _— Here again he shows how firm and unvarying the preaching of Christ ought to be, inasmuch as he is the groundwork (289) of _all the promises of God. _For it were worse than absurd to entertain the idea that he, in whom _all the promises of God _are established, is l... [ Continue Reading ]
God, indeed, is always true and steadfast in his promises, and has always his _Amen, _as often as he speaks. But as for us, such is our vanity, that we do not utter our Amen in return, except when he gives a sure testimony in our hearts by his word. This he does by his Spirit. That is what Paul mean... [ Continue Reading ]
23._I call God for a witness. _He now begins to assign a reason for his change of purpose; for hitherto he has merely repelled calumny. When, however, he says that _he spared them, _he indirectly throws back the blame upon them, and thus shows them that it would be unfair if he were put to grief thr... [ Continue Reading ]
24._Not that we exercise dominion _He anticipates an objection that might be brought forward. “What! Do you then act so tyrannically (305) as to be formidable in your very look? Such were not the gravity of a Christian pastor, but the cruelty of a savage tyrant.” He answers this objection first _ind... [ Continue Reading ]