PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Corinthians
Frederic William Farrar [1831-1903] · 297,658 words · 333 reading sections
The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Corinthians — Section 1
THE PULPIT COMMENTARY, EDITED BY THE VERY REV. H. D. M. SPENCE, D.D., DEAN OF GLOO'CBSTER; AND BY THE REV. JOSEPH S. EXELL, M.A. WI'l'H INTRODUCTIONS BY THE VERY REV. F. W. FARRAR, D.D., F.R.S., DEAN OF CANTERBURY. RIGHT REV. H. COTTERILL, D.D., F.R.S.E. VERY REV. PRINCIPAL J. TULLOCH, D.D. REV. CANON G. R…
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5. It is the most emotional, ancl therefore in some respectR-in its style, exprcsf:lions, and caUBal connections-the most difficult of St. Paul's Epistles. The labouring phraseology, the interchange of bitter irony with deep pathos, the manner in which he is haunted and possessed and mastered by word after word which s…
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Erb. i. 17: comp. John xx. 17), but was hithorto umlree.mccl of, and was B new "Bl<>ssed be God, who is also the Fnther of phenomenon in the world. St. Paul always our Lord Jesus Christ." nnd who is there- uses the first person in passo.ges where ho fore "our Father" by ndoption and redemp- is speaking directly of indi…
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ondurnnce in m, and, by OUJ' examplo and that we WM"B weighed down exccerl ingly be- tciiching, in you. yond 011,r power. The trial seemed too lrnnvy Vor. 7 .-And cur hopo of you is stea.dtut; for him to bear. • The phrase here rendered Htomlly, And our hope is steadfast on y011,r "out of measure" occurs in eh. iv. 17…
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tenanoes of those who the.nk him for his them. What ho hl\d to 111y to them o.nd of e.nswer to their prayers on his hehA.lf. The them was here set forth without !\DY sub- word for "gift" is chm-isma, whioh means terfuges or arriere,s pens,fos. Ho had nothing a gift of grace, a gift of the Spirit (1 Cor. esoterio which …
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but place himselr on a level with his converts, necessity mere hwman plans, and therefore 11nd imply that they mutually gloried in liable to be over~uled by God's will?" Thus each other. In the da:, of the Lord J'ellUI the meaning of the" or" is doubtful, and (see on 1 Cor. iii. 13), also the meaning of" ac,x;,,ding t,…
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"yee ; " ntter which be ei..l)hins to them the ~t thte_nd_ of pr~ise an~ prayer. But as the renson whv he decided not to come to them ' yea. 1s 1n Christ, so 1t 1s only through him until he hnd first visited Macedonia, and that we 6an receive the grace to utter a.right so to give them one visit, not two. the "Amen" t…
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81 ; Rom. i. 9: Ga1. I. 20) may be due in Ver. 24.-Not for that we have dominion part to the emotional fervour of his tem- over your faith, The expression, " to spare perament, yet he would hardly hove resorted you," might ha ~e been resented as involving to them in this self-defence, if the calum- a claim "to lord …
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Vers. 6-11.-Personal sufferings. "And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation," etc. The words suggest a few remarks concerning personal sufferings. I. TREY ARE OFTEN EXPERIENCED IN THE BEST OF ENTERPRISES. What a glorious enterprise Paul and his fellow-apostles were engaged in !-nothing less than the re…
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very extreme of suffering, and that led him to look away from self, to put his trust in God. When affliction does this it is indeed a blessing in disguise. When it detaches us from tlte material and links us to the spiritual, takes ns away from self and centres us on God, then, indeed, it worketh out for us a "far more…
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Vers. 23, 24.-A threefold theme. "Moreover I call God for a record," etc.- In these verses we have three things worthy of note. • , I. THE FULFILME~"T OF A PROMISE ADJOURNED. " Moreover I call God for a record upon IllY soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth." Paul here,'in the most solemn way, -assign…
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1, 2.-Saluta,tion. It is a greeting from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from "'l'imothy our brother," instead of Sosthenes, as in the First Epistle. It is to the Church of God at Corinth, with all the saints in the whole of Achaia, all connected in the province with the centra…
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tion," and for what pnrpose? Titus and, Timothy had brought him much cheer and consolation, and why? Was it just to revive his drooping spirit? Just to assuarre his personal pain, soothe his unquiet nerves, invigorate bis tone of mind? Nay; co~sola- tion was not selfish. Happiness is not exclusively or even mainly f…
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apostle was in great distress on their aceount, and they shared with him this peculiar burden of grief; and, secondly, the supporting grace which God had given him was not confined to his soul, but overflowed (e.bot1nded) in thei1 souls.· What a great truth is this I There a.re times in our history as believers when, i…
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Liken away, and, in utter hopelessness, his heart was committed to God with. bis, ,life e,cn the God "which raisetb the dcarl." Could anything represent his marveflou~ deliverance except the resurrection'? "Who delivered us from so great a death ; " it was an act of omnipotence, and as signal as raising the dead. Aft…
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If he h11d this shifting 11nd variable intellect (so said his enemies), what depenclence was to be placed in such an apostle? Then the solemn protestation breaks forth, " As God is true, our word toward you was not ye,a, and nay." It was our purpose to come to you, but it was changed in the spirit of the gospel, and ju…
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There were special reasons why be should so think of himself; the office to which he was calico was special, for he was a commissioned apostle; and the manner in which he was called to that ofl1ce was marvellous, supernatural, and miraculous. But tbo piinciple contained in this languago applies to every Christian; w…
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They know something of that pain which human sin inflicted upon Christ's heart and something of that sympathy which showed itself in Christ's- tears and sighs. 3. By their interest and affection cherished towards those for whose spiritual welfare they are concerned. III. THE RECIPIENTS OF BPmITUAL COMFORT. 1. In order…
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Vers. 21, 22.-The Spirit in the heart. 'l'he signs of an apostle were abundantly manifested in the case of St. Paul. Some of these signs were outward and visible; the wonders which he wrought and the labours which be fulfilled were evidences to many of his high calling. There were other signs which were rather inter…
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I. THE_ CAUSES _OF CHRISTIAN JOY, It is well known what tlic world calls joy- pleasnre, i;nirth, exhilaration of opirits, occasioned by festivity and by prosperity. But the Scriptures,· represent, what Christian experience supports, that there are purer sources of nobler joy. 1. The joy of spiritual delinrance, known b…
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God h&S holiness upon the heart-t.hrone. "Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts ; and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom . . . . Create in mo a clean heart, 0 God; and renew a right spirit within me" (Ps. Ii. 6-10). Holiness must begin In the heart; a holiness. tacked on to us goes for ve…
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world's consolaHons, such as they are, are offered to us when we least need them. Affliction finds few friends; but it finds one Friend. In the dense darkness the Chris• tian has light in his dwelling, like Israel in Egypt. When 'the child of God is sick and troubled, his Father comes to him. 2. In all our aiftiction. …
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Ver. 12.-.The testimony of our conscience. I. THE FAVOURABLE TESTIMONY OF CON- SCIENCE IS A GilEAT SUPPORT IN THE HOUR OF TRIAL AND BUFFERING. Affliction brought upon us directly by our own folly or sin is as wormwood for bitterness. Suffering is then greatly intensified by the reproaches of conscience. We feel that…
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should be associated with his Master or with the doctrines or the gospel. He passes rapidly from a defence of himself to defend that which is of so much more importance. Well would it be if we were equally jealollS of the honour of Christ, equally anxious that thrqugh us no shadow should fall upon his glory. Christ is …
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set a.part, to carry out the Divine purposes. Christ was anointed with the Holy Ghost (A.cts x. 38); so is the believer. With the anointing comes the power to realize the purpose of the anointing (1 John ii. 27). Here is great privilege, but at the same time great responsibility. A.re we fulfilling the design of our…
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at his appearing. .As members of the body of <Jhmt 1.ce 1u.ffl!IT', As the natural body of Christ suffered in the_ ~ays of his flesh, so_ now the mystical body, the Church, suffers in these days of the Spmt. It must have its agony and bloody sweat before the end comes; blows of contempt, scourging, buffeting; and must …
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Ver. 9.-" The sentence of death in ourselves." St. Paul had just recovered from a depression of spirit under which his frame, never very robust, had been bowed down aln:ost to the grave. He was no Stoic. No spidtual mail is. Regenerate life brincrs quickene~ sensibility. . The new heart is both deep and rapid in its…
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of the just at the appearing of Jesus Christ. When we believe in God who raises the dead, the first and chief reference is to his having· raised up the slain .Jesus (sec Ilom. iv. 24; x. 9; 1 Cor. xv. 15). This is in the very heart of the gospel, and this carries with it the sure and certain hope of the resurrection of…
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Faith is a fond fancy. So the mist wraps men in its chilly fold. Against all this we place the e.erlasting Yea. Jesus Christ is God's mighty and loving Yes to the children of men. And whatever the differences among our religious communities, in this testi- mony all are at one. _'J'.he Son of God is he who can give l…
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promises by faith. It was when Abraham believed a promise, and was strengthened In faith, that he gave glory to God. And this way of glorifying our God is open to all of us. Let us not stagger at his promises, but believe his love and rely on his faith- fulness. Be cannot deny himself. Glory be to the Father, who promi…
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statement is, "I declared unto you the testimony of God" (see 1 Cor. ii. 1-6). The object of St. Paul in thus refraining from any assertion of a ri,.ht to dictate was to build the faith of the Church, not on apostles, but on G-od . ., He would not say " Believe because we bid you, and whatever wo tell you." He was o…
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pa1ty. They said evil things of him, but this wa. his strength-he knew that he was an apostle by the will of God~-R. T. _ Ver. 4.-0omforted, and therefore comforters. It may seem strange that the Bible, and Christian ministers following its example, should deal so frequently and so largely with troubles and affliction…
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Ver. 5.-(Jhrist's sufferings renewed in his disciples. '.' For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us." We have expressed here a characte~istic and familiar thought of the apostle's-the one which brought to him the fullest and deepest consolations. It iR true, but it is too easily apprehended to be all the truth, tha…
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to. And the apostle's mind may go further bllCk to the stonin" at Lystra when he was left for dead (see Acts xiv. 19). It bas been remarked that " the Ja~o-uao-e is obviously more vividly descriptive of the collapse of illness than of any othe":- p~ril."' The point to which we now direct attention is that the suffering…
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Vers. 12-14.-.The conscience-testimony. "For our rejoicing is this, the testimony· of our conscience." This passage ma.y be thus paraphrased: "It is this which causes such a. perennial flow of joy and consolation into my heart amid all my anxieties and distresses. I can feel in my conscience that what knits us toget…
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very secrets of JDOtive and. feeling, and it may seem as if there could not be any " self- a,pproval" in his presence. And yet God's Word teaches us that God looks for sincerity, expects it, and knows that we can reach it. , Perfect we cannot be ; sincere we can be. "If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged…
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Thl' vorb mcRnR, JiforRlly, "I judged," but them a visit wllioh oould only be pnin/11! on b rightly rondc>red "detem1ined," 611 in both sides, when the normal relation between I Oor. ii. 2; vii. 37. He is oontmsting hie them should be one of joy on both si<lce, ns final deci1'io.,, with his original desire, men- he ha…
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in expressing it, he put on his feelings a "in part." When St. Paul says that this etroag restraint. With many tears. I wrote man's conduct ha<l e~en to any extent grieved "out or" anguish, and that anguish showed the whole community, hie words may .ree"' itself through the tears which ho.thod my to ~,0nllict with 1 Co…
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retained in this matter their "inflated" sen- power of " binding " and " loosing," of timents of spurious independence; and this "forgiving" and "reta.ining," had only been m,ty, perhaps, have driven others into too given to the arstles representatively e.nd rigid an attitude of severity. collectively, an therefore …
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~fter the tumult, a little earlier than be It was the loftiest parl of St. Paul's nature would naturo.lly have left it. He bad -his spirit-which was utterly incapacitated visited Troae in bis second missionary, from e:lfort by, the restle88ness of his journey (Acts xvi. 8-11), but had left 1t miserable uncertainty ab…
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which sometimes have a factitive senee. But expression recalls the "odour of a sweet in Col. ii. 15 St. Paul uses this word in the smell," of Lev. i. 9, 13, 17 (comp. Epb. v. 2); ouly sense in which H is actually found, "to see on this pneaage the excellent note ol kad in triumph;" and this sense seems both Bishop Word…
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dee.It untruly with the Word of God, led to like the English "to huckster." Suell the substitution of ol ;\onrol, the rest, in deceitful d~lers with the gospel are de- some manuscripts (D, E, F, G, L). But scribed in 2 Pet. ii. 3, and in one of the "the many" here means "the me.ny anta- Iguatiau letters they are ea.lie…
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ness there is a consci.oUs11£SS of Christ. IC For your sakes forgive I it In· the person of Christ." He who 'has Christly love in him has the ".'ery consciousness of Christ, feels e.s:he.feels, "one in the presence of Christ." How often does Christ urge his genuine disciples to proclaim forgiveness where there is genui…
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-11.-Further explanations ancl clireceions touching mattei·s just a;.scussed. The most copious writer in the New Testament is the man whose inward constitution and life are most fully brought into view. If the fact itself is noteworthy, the art of -its management is even more sign…
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he had suffered most keenly, " Out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears." The great soul was not af1aid of words nor of the critics of words. He had a rare kind of courage. It was the bolJness to say how much he thought and how much he felt, and to send forth his words laden with …
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embittered his career. St. Paul was subjected to these annoyances tbrou!(h all the middle period of bis apostolic life. And what did he learn from them? To he <listrnstful of his own heart, to keep _an open and vigilant eye on his in6rmities, to he specially guBrded as to the amb1t1ous uses of power, and to foreclose e…
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"And who is sufficient for these things?" Here is no one-sided gospel, that accommo. dates conscience to taste, and allows a compromise between duty and inclination. Here is a gospel that is the "savour of death unto death" and of "lifo unto life." Who is competent to maintain its stem truthfulness by preaching both…
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Ver. 12.-.An open door, Men a.re prone to think what doors are open to them to enter, through which they may pass to their own profit, or advancement, or pleasure. Paul's was an unselfish and benevolent nature. He was a true follower of Christ, who came, not to do his own will, and not to be ministered unto, but to min…
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, upon the sight were the vast population of the city. Before, the victor passed onwarJs 1 the captives taken in the campaign, and the spoil which had been wrested from the foe. Behind, followed the army, flushed with victory and rejoicing in the insolence and i pride oi' military m1.gbt. 'l'he conqueror himself, mou…
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enough what it is to be cast down. The higher the hope, the bitterer the sorrow when that hope is frustrated. It sometimes happens that, where the Christian warrior spends all his strength, and attacks the enemy with courage and perseverance, -there he experiences the most humiliating rebuff. Then let him be assured th…
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Vers. 5-11.-Restoring the backslider. L CHURCH DISCIPLINE SHOULD BE ADMINIS- TERlm BY THE CHURCH. "This punishment which was inflicted by the many" (ver. 6). Not by an individual, be he the pope himself, nor by priests or clei·"y, but by the whole body of the individual Church or a majority of its memb~rs. A Christian …
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death. This is very dishe\irtening when viewed under one aspect. But Christ is preached, the work is acccptal1lo to God, the Divine mercy is vindicated, and the respon- sibility of the disastrous issue re.sts solely on the rejecters. The excellence of the truth is aemonstrated by its rejection on the part of the vile a…
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of her witness and her duty because she has no "discipline," no severe dea\incrs for har grave offenders. She bas no love to burn against transgressors. " III. Suen SORROWING LOVE CAN SHOW FINE CONSIDERATION FOR THE FEELINGS OP OTHERS. Paul did not wish to make his second visit to Corinth in grief, and if he had carri…
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suffering, for good, through them bringing the Rinner to a hopeful penitence and humility of heart. There was, however, this danger to be recognized anJ. guarded against. Satan might, as it were, outwit the Church, in its dealing with erring members, and make the suffering following on sin produce remorse rather than r…
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gettings, and restorings. For he casts our sins behind his back, and into the depths of the sea. "As the punishment of man is representative of the punishment and wrath ?f God, so_ the absolution of man is representative of the forgiveness of God." I:npress, m concl1:1s1?n, the extreme painfulness of the possibility th…
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officers, the horse-soldiers, and the vast army of foot-soldiers, each one holding aloft a spear adorned ~ith laurel boughs. And so the procession moved on through the crowded, shouting· streets until it reached the Capitoline hill. There they halted, dragged some of tl;iose poor captives aside to be killed, and then o…
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with what we preach; we do not meet the taste~ of our hearers by prophesying deceits. The ,ery fact that we know the tremendous issues of our work would hinder that." God's gospel word, the message of eternal life in Christ Jesus, may be adulterated or corrupt~d in three ways. 1. By mixing up with it foreign, inharm…
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Ver. 1.-Do we begin age.in to oommend abused by idle, restless, and intriguing ourselves l The last verse of the last cho.p- persons, who h~vo never found it very diffi- ter might be seized upon by St. Paul's cult to procure them. We find traces of opponents to renew their charge-that he their lwnut use by Phc:ebe, by …
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converts, which was written on the apostle's but it does not come from his own resources hco.rt, nnd which therefore rendered the (l&cf>' fou.-ciiv) or his own indepondent origi- notion of any other letter of commendation nation (l! fov.-aiv): oomp. 1 Cor. xv. 10. to or from them superfluous nnd even ab- But our sufl…
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Rom. vii. '7-2St • But in the' gospel the course with God (Exod. xxiv. 16). Could spirit is everything; the mere letter is as not steadfastly- behold the face of Moses nothing (J«?hn vi. 63). For the letter killeth, (Exod. x.txiv. 29, 80). St. Panl has been but the spirit giveth life. This is one of led quite incident.…
1,000 wordsSource & rights
Public domain historical Pulpit Commentary. Source page identifies the volume as Public Domain; text extracted from its historical PDF.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.