PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
An Exposition of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians
Hodge, Charles, 1797–1878 · 138,725 words · 304 reading sections
II. CORINTHIANS 5, 11. 129
is so uniformly used to express that reverence and submission which are due only to God, it is clear from this and analogous passages that Christ was to the apostles the object of the religious affections; and that they felt themselves to be re- sponsible to him for their moral character and conduct. The evidence of th…
476 wordsSECTION 122130 II. CORINTHIANS 5, 12.
above. ' Under the influence of the fear of the Lord, we en- deavour to convince men, i. e. as he had said in 4, 2, to com- mend himself to every man's conscience, and whether success- ful in this or not he was at least known to God.' Made manifest u7ito God^ i. e. to God I am (c^avepo?) apparent^ my true character is …
416 wordsSECTION 123II. CORINTHIANS 5, 13. 131
plea that they needed not the disposition, but the ability to defend him. This view, however, is inconsistent with the connection and with the whole drift of the epistle. In the immediately preceding verse he had expressed his assurance of their confidence in his integrity, and throughout the epistle his overflowing lo…
424 wordsSECTION 124132 II. CORINTHIANS 5, 14.
sense, to express undue excitement or extravaGjance. When Festns, Acts 26, 24, said to the apostle, " Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad," he did not mean that he was really insane. And when our Lord's zeal provoked his friends to say of him, "He is beside himself," Mark 3, 21, they certain…
419 wordsSECTION 125II. CORINTHIANS 5, 14. 133
nection is thus plain. The love of Christ here means Christ's love for us, not the love of which he is tlie object. This is obvious, because the apostle goes on to illustrate the great- ness of Christ's love to us, and not of our love to him. Com}). Gal. 2, 20, -where the same idea is expressed by the words " who loved…
488 wordsSECTION 126134 II. COUINTIIIANS 5, 14.
fjiitlj in lilrt li.'ivin.f^ died for ns, is the principle or source of ilio (christian life. And this is the only form in wliich true re- liujion cnn now exist. Thjit is, the only tnie relit^ion now ])<)ssil)le is the worship, love, und service of the Lord .Jesus Christ. It is inij)ossible i'or ;i ni;in to turti his l…
503 wordsSECTION 127II. COUINTIIIANS 5, 14. 135
sficrifico. Died for (ill. Tlio words jircj v-n^^ TravTow. '^Plio pro))()!sili()n v7rc/>, iiiMy lirivo the gtiiuM-jiI Ho.uHi\/or the IjcncjU of\ in, heli(tlf <>/\ or tlu; stricter sense, in the pliiee oJ\ .'is in v. 20 of'tliis (;}»:ij)t(!r. ]*liilem. 113. Ki)]i. 0, 20. In many places the choice between these senses de…
537 wordsSECTION 128136 II. CORINTHIANS 5, 14.
then all died, (aTre^avoi/).' The word must have the same sense in both clauses. It cannot mean were dead, because that is inconsistent with the force of the aorist. All^ (hteral- ly, the all, oX iravTcs^) i. e. the all for whom the one died. His death involved, or secured their death. This was its design and eifect, a…
505 wordsSECTION 129II. CORINTHIANS 5, 15. 137
this passage. The apostle denied that he Hved for himself. He asserts that he lived for God and his people. For, he adds, I died in Christ. This is precisely the argument which he uses in Rom. 6. Shall we continue m sin that grace may abound ? Far from it, he says. How shall they who have died on account of sin live an…
445 wordsSECTION 13013S II. CORINTHIANS 5, 16.
sometimes in reference to its ultimate design ; i. e, sometimes he is said to have died to make a propitiation for sin, and sometimes, to bring ns near to God. Here it is the latter. He died that they which live should not henceforth live tmto themselves. " Those who hve," ot C^vrc?, not, those loho sur- vive his death…
464 wordsSECTION 131II. CORINTHIANS 5, 16. 139
This is an inference, ((Sore, so (hat). 'Such is the nature of the change which I have exj)erienced through the appre- hension of the love of Christ, as just described, that I no longer see or judge of things according to the flesh.' The ice refers primarily to the apostle himself, as he is still engaged in self-vindic…
481 wordsSECTION 132140 II. CORINTHIANS 5, 17.
have the same sense in both parts of the verse ; and in the former they do not designate the life before conversion, and therefore when spoken in reference to Christ are not to be understood of his earthly as opposed to his heavenly life. Paul had known Christ after the llesh in the sense of estimat- ing him entirely a…
458 wordsSECTION 133II. CORINTHIANS 5, 17. 141
umencement of a new state of being. Eph. 1, 19. In Gal. 6, 15. Rom. 8, 9, and elsewhere, the same effects are ascribed to union with Christ. If we are miited to him so as to be inter- ested in the merits of his death, we must also be partakers of his life. This is the foundation on which the apostle builds his whole do…
472 wordsSECTION 134142 II. CORINTHIANS 5, 18.
18. And all things (are) of God, who hath recon- ciled ns to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. All things are of God y' this is not spoken of the universe as proceeding from God as its author ; nor does it refer to the providential agency of God, by which all events are con-…
471 wordsSECTION 135II. CORINTHIANS 5, 19. 143
removed, there is no possibility of holiness and love. It is vain to attempt to secure the favom- of God by being holy; we must enjoy his favour before we can be holy. See Rom. 7, 56. As the apostle here ascribes our holiness to our being reconciled to God, he must of necessity refer to the reconciha- tion of God to us…
435 wordsSECTION 136144 II. CORINTHIANS 5, 19.
The principal difference among interpreters in the explana- tion of this verse relates to the question whether (^i^ was is to be referred to (ei/ Xpto-rai) in Christy or to (KaraAAacrcrcov) reconciling. Our version favours the former mode of con- struction, which is adopted both by Luther and Calvin. The sense then is,…
457 wordsSECTION 137II. CORINTHIANS 5, 20. 145
of the TTorld, or, the Saviour of men, Jesus Salvator Hommum. To reconcile unto hhnsfJJ\ docs not mean to convert, or to render friendly to himself. This is plain first, because this re- conciliation is said to be effected by the death of Christ as a sacrifice ; and secondly, because what follows is not a proof of God'…
455 wordsSECTION 138146 II. CORINTHIANS 5, 20.
This is an inference from what precedes. Noio then (ow, therefore). ' Seeing that God in Christ is reconciled, and that he has commissioned us to make known this great truth, it follows that we, as preachers of the gospel, are ambassadors of Christ.' An ambassador is at once a messenger and a representative. He does no…
465 wordsSECTION 139II. CORINTHIANS 5, 21. 147
beseech you by ns we pray, &c.' This is the more natural, because the latter words express the prayer, so to speak, which God through the ministry addresses to sinners. It will be noticed that to be an ambassador for Christ, and that God speaks through us, mean the same thing. Redemption is as much the work of the Fath…
422 wordsSECTION 140148 II. CORINTHIANS 5, 21.
is of special interest, as presenting in a concise form the testi- mony of the Spirit on that all important subject. lie made him icho hnew no sin to he sin for us. The Greek here is, Tov fx-q yvovTa afxapriav vTrep rjfxCjv afxapTLav CTrotT^crev. Our Lord is presented as one whom God contemplated as free from sin and y…
498 wordsSECTION 141II. CORINTHIAXS 5, 21. U9
which he was made sm, is that he was regarded and treated as a sinner. His being made sin is consistent with his being in himself free from sin ; and our being made righteous is con- sistent with our being in ourselves ungodly. In other words, our sins were imputed to Christ, and his righteousness is im- puted to us. J…
467 wordsSECTION 142150 II. CORINTHIANS 5, 21.
made sin does not secure our being made righteonsness, he was not our substitute. Righteousness does not here mean inward rectitude, or moral excellence. It is true that the word often has this sense ; and it is true that the work of Christ does secure the holiness of his people, and was designed to produce that effect…
474 wordsSECTION 143II. CORINTHIANS 6. 151
nor holiness. Christ's bearing our sins did not make him morally a sinner, any more than the victim was morally defiled which bore the sins of the people ; nor does Christ's righteous- ness become subjectively ours, it is not the moral quality of our souls. This is what is not meant. What is meant is equally plain. Our…
272 wordsSECTION 144CHAPTER VI.
The apostle continues the vindication of himself, vs. 1-10. Asserts his strong love for the Corinthians, and exhorts them to keep themselves free from all contaminating alliances, vs. 11-18. The apostle's fidelity and love. Vs. 1-18. As the occasion of writing this epistle was the false accusa- tions of his opponents…
83 wordsSECTION 145152 II. CORINTHIANS 6, 1.
governed by the love of Christ, and acted as his ambassador ; as such he was a fellow-worker with God, and exhorted men not to fail of the grace of God, vs. 1. 2. In the exercise of this office he avoided all offence, v. 3, proving his sincerity and fidelity as a minister of God, by the patient endurance of all kinds o…
425 wordsSECTION 146II. CORINTHIANS 6, 1. 153
of your joy." This view of the passage is given by many commentators. It does not, however, so well, as just re- marked, agree with the context; and it would require, to prevent ambiguity, the insertion of vfjuv, with you. As an apostle or minister of the gospel, Paul was a co-worker with God. That ye receive not the …
467 wordsSECTION 147154 II. CORINTHIANS 6, 2.
not, by trusting to the works of the law, make it in vain that God has provided a gratuitous method of salvation.' That great grace or favour he did not make a thing of naught. In Gal. 5, 4, he says, " Whosoever of you are justified by the law, are fallen from grace." That is, ' ye have renounced the gra- tuitous metho…
442 wordsSECTION 148II. CORINTHIANS 6, 2. 155
sacred writers. Although they spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, yet they were probably in most cases uncon- scious of his influence, and acted as spontaneously as the be- liever does under the power of the Spirit in all his holy exer- cises. Hence we find that the sacred writings are constructed according to …
488 wordsSECTION 149156 II. CORINTHIANS 6, 3.
sinners. To this promise the apostle appeals as a reason why- men should accept the grace oifered to them in Christ Jesus. He clothes this promise in scriptural language. He might have expressed it in any other equivalent form. But the lan- guage of the passage in Isaiah being brought to his mind by the principle of as…
426 wordsSECTION 150II. CORINTHIANS 6, 4. 5. 157
Although in the following verses the apostle, as is his wont, gives his discourse free scope, allowing it, as it were, to flow on in its own impetuous and majestic course, Avithout any at- tempt to reduce it to logical arrangement, yet in his mind order was so immanent that a certain method can always be detected even …
412 wordsSECTION 151158 II. CORINTHIANS 6, 4. 5.
As to the first, the terms used are often interchanged and often combined. ©Ati/^ct?, j^^'esstcres, from without or from within ; including every thing which presses on the heart or tries the power of endurance or resistance ; avayKat, necessities, when a man is taxed to the utmost to knoAv what to do or how to bear; c…
470 wordsSECTION 152II. CORINTHIANS 6, 6. 7. 159
derstood not only his working with his own hands to support himself while he made the gospel of no expense, but also the indefatigable exertions which he was constantly called to make, in travelling, and preaching, and in caring for the sick, the poor, and the interests of the church. Watchings^ the sleepless nights wh…
408 wordsSECTION 153160 II. CORINTHIANS 6, 6. 7.
his knowledge of the mystery of Christ, as patent to all his readers. And in Gal. 1, 12, et seq., he appeals to his possession of this knowledge, without any human teaching, as an unde- niable proof of his divine mission. J^i/ lo7ig-siiffering, i. e. patiently submitting to injustice and undeserved injuries. Hy kindnes…
483 wordsSECTION 154II. CORINTHIANS 6, 8-10. 161
honesty, in the comprehensive sense of the terms ; or it means justifying righteousness, the righteousness of faith, so often called the righteousness of God. Calvin and many others take it in the former sense here, and understand by the " ar- mour of righteousness," that armour which integrity affords, or those arms w…
386 wordsSECTION 155162 II. CORINTHIANS 6, 8-10.
the instrumental sense of the preposition. ' By means of honour which we receive from the friends of God, and by means of the dishonour heaped upon us by our enemies.' That the good honoured him, and the wicked defmied him, was proof of his integrity. This requires too much to be sup- 2)hed in order to bring out the se…
474 wordsSECTION 156II. CORINTHIANS 6, 8-10. 163
to actual facts. He was, as he says, 4, 11 and 1 Cor. 15, 31, constantly exposed to death. He died daily, and yet he lived. God always interposed to rescue him from destruction when it seemed inevitable, and to sustain him under calamities which to all appearance no man could bear. As chastened,, hut not hilled. To cha…
476 wordsSECTION 157164 II. CORINTHIANS 6, 11.
afforded them to glorify his name. As sorrotcful, yet always rejoicing. This again may mean, ' Looked upon ag sorrowful, yet in fact always rejoicing;' or, 'Although overwhelmed with sorrow, yet full of joy.' The latter interpretation is to be preferred. This is one of the paradoxes of Christian expe- rience. The belie…
444 wordsSECTION 158II. CORINTHIANS 6, 12-U. 165
was expanded towards them. He was ready to embrace them all, and to take them to his arms as his dear children. 12. Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are strait- ened in your own bowels. The apostle abides by his figure. A large heart is one expanded by love ; a straitened heart is one void of generous affections. …
372 wordsSECTION 159166 II. CORINTHIANS 6, 14.
the heatlien, much less to association with the opponents of the apostle. It no doubt had a special reference or applica- tion to the peculiar circumstances of the Corinthians, and was intended to guard them against those entangling and danger- ous associations with the unconverted around them, to which they were speci…
462 wordsSECTION 160II. CORINTHIANS 6, 14. 167
10. In Lev. 19, 19, hepo^vyoq^ in the Septuagint, means an animal of a different kind. It is the union of incons^ruous, un- congenial elements or persons that is forbidden. With unbe- lievers y as the dative, dTrto-Tois, cannot depend on the preced- ing word, it is explained by resolving the concise phrase of the apost…
461 wordsSECTION 161168 II. CORINTHIANS 6, 15,
misery. Satan's kingdom is called the kingdom of darkness, and the wicked are the children of darkness ; and the state of final perdition is " outer darkness." Nothing can he more in- congruous than light and darkness, whether in the literal or figurative meaning of the terms. The attempt, therefore, of Christians to r…
432 wordsSECTION 162II. CORINTHIANS 6, 16. 169
and unbeliever. It is taken for granted that faith changes the whole character; that it makes a man move in an entirely different sphere, having different feelings, objects, and princi- ples from those of unbelievers ; so that intimate union, com- munion or sympathy between believers and unbelievers is as impossible as…
417 wordsSECTION 163170 II. CORINTHIANS 6, 16.
the introduction of idols into God's temple. For ye are the temple of the Iwing God. There would be no propriety in the preceding illustration if believers were not God's temple. This, therefore, the apostle first asserts and then proves. The text is here uncertain. The majority of MSS. read with the common text, v/xci…
474 wordsSECTION 164II. CORINTHIANS 6, 17. 171
and power. It is what it is because God is in it. So of the human soul, it is said to be full of God when its inward state, its affections and acts, are determined and controlled by him, so as to be a constant manifestation of the divine presence. Then the soul is pure, and glorious, and free, and blessed. This is what…
454 wordsSECTION 165172 II. CORINTHIANS 6, 18.
it is rendered in the Septuagint. The exhortation is founded on the preceding passage. God is most intimately related to liis people. They are his temple. He dwells in them. There- fore they are bound to keep themselves unspotted from the world. Their being God's temple, his presence in them, and his regarding them as …
452 wordsSECTION 166II. CORINTHIANS 7. 173
4. They sometimes give the sense not of any particular pas- sage or passages, but, so to speak, the general sense of Scrip- ture. That is, they quote the Scriptures as saying what is no- Avhere found in so many words, but what nevertheless the Scriptures clearly teach. There is no such passage, for exam- ple, as that c…
91 wordsSECTION 167CHAPTER VH.
An exhortation founded on what is said in the preceding chapter, v. 1. Paul's consolation derived from the favourable account which he had received from Corinth, vs. 2-16. The effect produced 07i the church in Corinth by the apostle's former letter^ and his consequent satisfaction and joy. After in v. 1 exhorting the…
260 wordsSECTION 168174 II. CORINTHIANS V, 1.
of the good dispositions of the Corinthians had proved to be true, vs. 13-16. 1. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. This verse properly belongs to the preceding chapter. It is the appropriate co…
446 wordsSECTION 169II. CORINTHIANS 7, 2. 175
is the motive which is to determine our endeavours to purify ourselves. It is not regard to the good of others, nor our ovra happiness, but reverence for God. We are to be holy, be- cause he is holy. 2. Receive us ; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man. deceive us ; literally, ma…
467 wordsSECTION 170176 II. CORINTHIANS 7, 3.4.
relief of the poor. 8, 19. 20, and no doubt his enemies were ready enough to insinuate that he appropriated the money to his own use. He had therefore occasion to show that he had never made gain of them, that he had defrauded no man. 3. I speak not (this) to condemn (you) : for I have said before, that ye are in our …
405 wordsSECTION 171II. CORINTHIANS T, 4. 177
There is a climax here, as Calvin says: Gradatim procedit amplificando : plus enim est gloriari, quani secure et quieto esse animo : liberari vero a moerore ex multis afflictionibus concepto, utroque majus. His boasting of them was more than having confidence in them ; and his rejoicing in the midst of his afflictions …
468 wordsSECTION 172178 II. CORINTHIANS 7, 5. 6.
5. For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesli had no rest, but we were troubled on every side ; without (were) fightings, within (were) fears. The connection is with the last clause of the preceding verse. I was comforted in tribulation, for also [koX ydp) hav- ing come into Macedo7iia^ our flesh had no rest. P…
417 wordsSECTION 173II. CORINTHIANS T, 1. 179
a consoler, are described not by a term expressive of moral excellence, but by a word which simply designates them as sufferers. The Tair^woi are properly simply the low, those who are in depressed circumstances. As, however, it is the ten- dency of such circumstances to render men fearful, or meek, or humble, the word…
444 wordsSECTION 174180 II. CORINTHIANS 7, 8.
a church in which he had met with so much opposition, and in which the false teachers had exerted so great and so evil an influence, the mass of the people proved themselves devoted to him. Devotion to Paul, however, involved devotion to the truth and holiness, just as zeal for the false teachers involved the opposite.…
432 wordsSECTION 175II. CORINTHIANS 7, 8. 181
conscious of the operations of grace, neither were the apostles conscious of inspiration. As the believer, however, may know that he is the subject of divine influence, so the apostles knew that they were inspired. But as the believer may doubt the wisdom of some of his holiest acts, so the apostles might doubt the wis…
458 wordsSECTION 176182 II. CORINTHIAKS 7, 9. 10.
videns quod epistola ilia (etsi ad hofam) vos contristavit, nunc gaudeo, &c." So also Luther. 9. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance : for ye were made sor- ry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. He rejoiced, not in their grief, but that thei…
380 wordsSECTION 177II. CORINTHIANS V, 10. 183
is a change of views, feelings and purposes, resulting in a change of life. Godly sorrow icorketh repentance, i. e. that sorrow on account of sin, which arises from proper apprehen- sions of God and of our relation to him, necessarily leads to that entire change in the inward life which is expressed by the word repenta…
475 wordsSECTION 178184 II. CORINTHIANS 7, 11.
are made by the Spirit of God to call into exercise the resig- nation, patience and faith of the sufferer, that they bring forth fruit unto righteousness. The natural element of holiness is happiness, and misery is the natural element of sin. They stand severally in the relation both of cause and effect. The more miser…
387 wordsSECTION 17911. CORINTHIANS V, 11. 185
which had been regarded as of little account, are apprehended in their true character ; and deep feeling takes the place of unconcern. Yea^ ichat clearing of yourselves. The particle dAAa is here and through the verse rendered yea. It is used, as in 1, 9, to indicate a gradation — still more. 'Not only so- licitude, bu…
450 wordsSECTION 180186 II. CORINTHIANS 7, 12.
the object. Zeal for liis reformation or punishment What revenge, (cVStKryo-ts,) vincllcUve justice. One of the sentiments which godly sorrow had aroused in them was the sense of justice, the moral judgment that sin ought to be punished. This is an instinctive feeling, one belonging to our moral con- stitution, and the…
408 wordsSource & rights
Public-domain historical edition (1860). Text from OCR of an original Internet Archive scan; OCR may contain recognition errors.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.