1._These promises, therefore. _God, it is true, anticipates us in his promises by his pure favor; but when he has, of his own accord, conferred upon us his favor, he immediately afterwards requires from us gratitude in return. Thus what he said to Abraham, _I am thy God, _(Genesis 17:7,) was an offe... [ Continue Reading ]
2._Make room for us. _Again he returns from a statement of doctrine to treat of what more especially concerns himself, but simply with this intention — that he may not lose his pains in admonishing the Corinthians. Nay more, he closes the preceding admonition with the same statement, which he had ma... [ Continue Reading ]
3._I say not this to condemn you. _As the foregoing apology was a sort of expostulation, and we can scarcely avoid reproaching when we expostulate, he softens on this account what he had said. “I clear myself,” says he, _“ _in such a way as to be desirous to avoid, what would tend to your dishonor.”... [ Continue Reading ]
4._Great is my boldness. _Now, as if he had obtained the enlargement of heart that he had desired on the part of the Corinthians, he leaves off complaining, and pours out his heart with cheerfulness. “What need is there that I should expend so much labor upon a matter already accomplished? For I thi... [ Continue Reading ]
5._For when we had come into Macedonia _The heaviness of his grief tends to show, how efficacious the consolation was. “I was pressed on every side,” says he, “by afflictions both internal and external. All this, however, has not prevented the joy that you have afforded me from prevailing over it, a... [ Continue Reading ]
6._Who comforteth the lowly. _This is mentioned as a reason; for he means that consolation had been offered to him, because he was borne down with evils, and almost overwhelmed, inasmuch as God is wont to _comfort the lowly, _that is, those that are cast down. Hence a most profitable doctrine may be... [ Continue Reading ]
7._And not by his coming only. _Lest the Corinthians should object in these terms — “What is it to us if Titus has cheered you by his coming? No doubt, as you loved him, you would feel delighted to see him;” he declares, that the occasion of his joy was, that Titus had, on returning from them, commu... [ Continue Reading ]
8._For though I grieved you. _He now begins to apologize to the Corinthians for having handle them somewhat roughly in the former Epistle. Now we must observe, in what a variety of ways he deals with them, so that it might appear as though he sustained different characters. The reason is that his di... [ Continue Reading ]
9._Not because you have been made sorry_. He means, that he feels no pleasure whatever in their sorrow — nay more, had he his choice, he would endeavor to promote equally their welfare and their joy, by the same means; but that as he could not do otherwise, their welfare was of so much importance in... [ Continue Reading ]
10._Sorrow according to God _(644) In the _first _place, in order to understand what is meant by this _clause according to God, _we must observe the contrast, for the _sorrow that is according to God _he contrasts with the _sorrow of the world _Let us now take, also, the contrast between two kinds o... [ Continue Reading ]
11._What earnest desire it produced in you _I shall not enter into any dispute as to whether the things that Paul enumerates are effects of repentance, or belong to it, or are preparatory to it, as all this is unnecessary for understanding Paul’s design, for he simply proves the repentance of the Co... [ Continue Reading ]
11.]_Ye have approved yourselves to be clear_. The Old Interpreter reads, “Ye have shown yourselves.” Erasmus renders it, “Ye have commended yourselves.” I have preferred a third rendering, which appeared to me to suit better — that the Corinthians showed by clear evidences, that they were in no deg... [ Continue Reading ]
13._We received consolation. _Paul was wholly intent upon persuading the Corinthians, that nothing was more eagerly desired by him than their advantage. Hence he says, that he had shared with them in their consolation. Now their consolation had been this — that, acknowledging their fault, they did n... [ Continue Reading ]
14._But if I have boasted any thing to him. _He shows indirectly, how friendly a disposition he had always exercised towards the Corinthians, and with what sincerity and kindness he had judged of them; for at the very time that they seemed to be unworthy of commendation, he still promised much that... [ Continue Reading ]
15._His bowels more abundantly. _As the _bowels _are the seat of the affections, the term is on that account employed to denote compassion, love, and every pious affection. (657) He wished, however, to express emphatically the idea, that while Titus had loved the Corinthians previously, he had been,... [ Continue Reading ]