2 Corinthians 6:1-3
to 2 Corinthians 6:3. AS CHRIST'S AMBASSADOR HE ENTREATS THE CORINTHIANS TO BE RECONCILED TO GOD.... [ Continue Reading ]
to 2 Corinthians 6:3. AS CHRIST'S AMBASSADOR HE ENTREATS THE CORINTHIANS TO BE RECONCILED TO GOD.... [ Continue Reading ]
συνεργοῦντες δὲ καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν κ. τ. λ.: _and working together_ (that is, with God, as is plain from chap. 2 Corinthians 5:20, and also in connexion with 1 Corinthians 3:9; _cf._ Acts 15:4), _we, sc._, I, Paul, _entreat also_ (_cf._ chap. 2 Corinthians 5:20, Θεοῦ παρακαλοῦντος διʼ ἡμῶν) _that ye r... [ Continue Reading ]
λέγει γὰρ, Καιρῷ δεκτῷ κ. τ. λ.: _for He, sc._, God, _saith_ (_cf._ Romans 9:15; Galatians 3:16), “ _At an acceptable time I hearkene to thee, and in a day of salvation did I succour thee_ ” (Isaiah 49:8). The whole verse is parenthetical, and is introduced to remind the Corinthians that the present... [ Continue Reading ]
μηδεμίαν ἐν μηδενὶ κ. τ. λ.: _giving no occasion of stumbling_ (see reff.; Alford aptly quotes Polybius, xxvii., 6, 10, διδόναι ἀφορμὰς προσκοπῆς) _in anything, that our ministration be not blamed_. The clause is parallel with 2 Corinthians 6:1, διδόντες corresponding to συνεργοῦντες, both being des... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀλλʼ ἐν παντὶ συνιστάντες κ. τ. λ.: _but in everything_ (the details being given in the following verses) _commending ourselves_ (see note on 2 Corinthians 3:1) _as God's ministers do_. We now come to the description of the conditions under which and the means by which God's minister commends himsel... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CONDITIONS AND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF HIS APOSTOLIC MINISTRY. We have in this noble description of his service a characteristic outburst of impassioned eloquence on a topic in which the Apostle felt an intense personal interest. But its fervour has not been permitted to interfere with the carefu... [ Continue Reading ]
(_ b_) These outward hardships are next more definitely exemplified from the opposition and persecution which St. Paul encountered from opponents during his missionary experiences. ἐν πληγαῖς, ἐν φυλακαῖς, ἐν ἀκαταστασίαις : _in stripes_ (see reff. and _cf._ Acts 22:24), _in imprisonments_ (see on 2... [ Continue Reading ]
(ii.) The inward gifts and qualities by the display of which the Christian minister commends himself are now enumerated. (_a_) We have, first, four graces, each described by a single word: ἐν ἁγνότητι, ἐν γνώσει, ἐν μακροθυμία, ἐν χρηστότητι : _in pureness, sc._, not only chastity, but purity of int... [ Continue Reading ]
(_ b_) διὰ δόξης καὶ ἀτιμίας, διὰ δυσφημίας καὶ εὐφημίας : _by glory_ (_cf._ John 5:41) _and dishonour, by evil report and good report_. To misrepresentation and slander St. Paul was much exposed, and he evidently felt it deeply (_cf._ 1 Corinthians 4:12). (iv.) Finally, he proceeds to specify the c... [ Continue Reading ]
ὡς ἀγνοούμενοι καὶ ἐπιγινωσκόμενοι : _as unknown, sc._, an obscure person without proper credentials (_cf._ 2 Corinthians 3:2; 2 Corinthians 10:10), _and yet well known_ (_cf._ 2 Corinthians 11:6). ὡς ἀποθνήσκοντες καὶ ἰδοὺ ζῶμεν : _as dying_ (as was doubtless often reported when he was ill; see on... [ Continue Reading ]
ὡς λυπούμενοι, ἀεὶ δὲ χαίροντες : _as sorrowful_ (this charge in one sense was no doubt quite true), _yet alway rejoicing_. This, which is frequently spoken of by the Apostle as a Christian duty (see reff.), is specially prominent in this Epistle; _cf._ chap. 2 Corinthians 1:24; 2 Corinthians 7:4, a... [ Continue Reading ]
τὸ στόμα ἡμῶν κ. τ. λ.: _our mouth is open_ (ἀνέῳγα = ἀνέωγμαι, as often in later Greek; observe its _present_ signification, as at 1 Corinthians 16:9) _unto you, O Corinthians, i.e._, I am speaking quite candidly and freely to you (see reff.). Only here and at Galatians 3:1; Philippians 4:15, does... [ Continue Reading ]
AFFECTIONATE DECLARATION OF HIS FRANKNESS AND SYMPATHY, AND AN APPEAL THAT THE CORINTHIANS SHOULD SHOW THE SAME.... [ Continue Reading ]
οὐ στενοχωρεῖσθε ἐν ἡμῖν κ. τ. λ.: _ye are not straitened in us_ (this carries on the metaphor of πεπλάτυνται), _but ye are straitened in your own affections; i.e._, his adversaries at Corinth may have said that he was a man of narrow sympathies, and that there was no room in his heart for his Corin... [ Continue Reading ]
τὴν δὲ αὐτὴν ἀντιμισθίαν κ. τ. λ.: _now for a recompense in like kind_ (an accus. abs.) _I speak as unto children, sc._, who should respect and imitate their parents (_cf._ 1 Corinthians 4:14) _be ye also enlarged, sc._, in heart.... [ Continue Reading ]
Μὴ γίνεσθε ἑτεροζυγοῦντες κ. τ. λ.: _be not_ (mark that the pres. tense γίνεσθε indicates the beginning of a state, _sc._, “do not become”) _unequally yoked with unbelievers_, the constr. being “be not unequally yoked, as you would be if you were yoked with unbelievers”. The most obvious application... [ Continue Reading ]
to 2 Corinthians 7:1. PARENTHETICAL. HE WARNS THEM AGAINST TOO FAMILIAR ASSOCIATION WITH THEIR HEATHEN NEIGHBOURS. These verses are somewhat perplexing, inasmuch as they seem to interrupt the appeal of 2 Corinthians 6:11-13 by the introduction of an irrelevant warning. If they be omitted, the argume... [ Continue Reading ]
τίς δὲ συμφώνησις κ. τ. λ.: _and what concord has Christ with Belial? or what portion has a believer, sc._, a Christian (see Acts 16:1; Ephesians 1:1; Colossians 1:2, etc.), _with an unbeliever, sc._, a heathen (see on 2 Corinthians 4:4 above)? בְּלִיעַל = _worthlessness_ is frequently rendered παρά... [ Continue Reading ]
τίς δὲ συγκατάθεσις κ. τ. λ.: _and what agreement has the Temple of God with idols?_ It is quite unnecessary to mark the absence of the article by translating “ _a_ temple of God”: ναὸς Θεοῦ has become anarthrous, as a quasi-technical phrase, and in the Apostle's thought there is only one such Templ... [ Continue Reading ]
διὸ ἐξέλθετε κ. τ. λ.: _wherefore, “Come out from among them and be separate” saith the Lord_, “ _and touch not an unclean thing and I will receive you_.” So, too, the Heavenly Voice of the Apocalypse cried “Come out of her” to those who were in danger of contamination with the sins of pagan Rome (R... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ ἔσομαι κ. τ. λ.: _and “I will be to you a Father, and ye shall be to Me sons and daughters,” saith the Lord Almighty_. The ideal relation of Israel to Jehovah was that of a son to a father (Exodus 4:22; Jeremiah 31:9; Hosea 1:10); but the full meaning of such words was reserved for Him to teach... [ Continue Reading ]