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 181
cler1naing wr1s a purification of body and spirit, St. Paul argues that the rnnctilkation bcgnn in regeneration, wae to continue, body and spirit sharing together the Spirit'~ inll11ence, Neither the one nor the other was to be lost sight of; neither part of the work was to be carried on in a wr1y detrimental to perfec…
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80rrow and eonsolation, The rendering of ver, 2, Revised Version, ls full of vigour, "Open your hearts to ua: we wronged no man, we corrupted no man, we took advan~ tn~, of no man." Room in their hearts for whom? Room for him who bad violated no rights, led no _one astray, acted fraudulently in nothing towards any p…
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the eorrow reaohed Buch en extent that be sums it up in the condensed expressions "without were fightings, within were fears.n Things had put on their darkest look'. Yet in that very hour consolation was near by. Titus came with good tidinas from Corinth, end, In bis opportune nrrival, St. Paul sees the good hand of…
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fortitude taxed already to the uttermost; what a lack of the human and of tho genuine manliness of the human, if he had felt no uneasiness, no misgivings, no rebouud I It was not weakness, but weakness struggling into strength, that led him to say, "I did repent.:• . Le_t us t~~e comfort fr?m t~e _apostle's huma~. n…
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desperation, and arming the soul in rleadlier hostility to goodness. The proof of all this wns at hand, Carefulne8s; activity and diligence in ferretin"' out evils anr\ extirpating them. Olearin_q of themselves; anxiety to get rid of th; stain on their Church character, and stand fair with the apostle. Indignation; not…
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Ill THE CHRISTIAN MOTIVES TO BOLINEBS. They are represented hero a11 two. 1. The fear of God, by which we understand a reverence for nls holy character, respect for his holy Law, and a proper dread lest we should by disobedience incur his displelll!ure and indignation. 2. The promises of God, The promises here adduc…
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Ver. 6.-The Comforter of the lowly, We are accustomed to think of the apostle as the soldier of the cross, the hero of the spiritual war. And this is just. Nevertheless, we should not forget that he had a human heart, with human susceptibilities and cravings ; that he knew what it was to be weary, disappointed, and sor…
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Ver.1.-The promises of God an inantive to holy living. I. CoNBIDEB THE DIVINE PROMISES. 1. How numerous they are. Some are specified in preceding •erses. Divine promise is, however, found in all parts of the Scripture. The crown of revelation is thickly studded with the pearls of promise. God encourages his people by m…
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~I. L"EADB TO FA!THFUL UTTERANCE. The ~postle WAS very outspoken to the Corin- thians becP.use of his great love for them. His love rendered silence Impossible. If we love our ~rother much we sba.11 not snffer sin upon him. Blindness and dumbness toward~ the s111s of our brethren are cruelty, not kindness. If we fin…
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clrcmm!lances, it becomes indeccl a Marah of bitterness. 4. Church trrmbles. A Church, carefully planted with prayers and tears and toil, threatened with ruin or with severe Injury, Factious opposition-" fightings without." Misrepre.~ntation • in"ratitude • divieioh. 5. The inconsistencies of believer11. The true pa…
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(ver.11). Before, they had connived; now, they repudil\ted. True repentance involves R desire to be separate from the sin. The evil thing is renounced. To hold to the evil, whilst we profess to repent of it, is to demonstrate that we do not l'.epent at nll. IV. DETEBTATIO~ OF THE EVIL. (Ver. 11.) We may renounce wli…
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with 1111 diligence. "Yea, what II clearing of yourselves!" What solicitucle to be right with Gocl I "Yea, what indignation I" ,vhat lively abhorrence of evil! "Yea, what fear I yea, what longing desire I" ·what anxiety to satisfy the apostle,- or any Dervant of God who has brought our sins home to our conscience, that…
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Word, and t&king every variety of form. They are sometimes: 1. Involved in the Divine dealings with individuals. 2. At other times they are embodied in doctrinal truths, and found as soon as we try to give those truths practicable applioations. 3. And at other times they a.re words which come to us with the seal of …
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Ver. 4.-.A minister's joy in tribulation, The intensity of the apostle's language is explained by the intensity of bis feelings in relation to the Corinthians. He loved them greatly, and was ready to make any sacrifices for them. And be was propor- tionately grieved when the news came, through Titus, of the way in whic…
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I. PURITY, Of this he was supremely zealous, Christians muRt be seen to rliffor essentially from png11n idolaters. Immorality and uncleanness were <lirectly associate,\ with heathenism, and were even consecrated by idolatrous religions; but there mu~t bo no possibility of questioning that the Chrisfom Church was "calle…
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EXPOSITION. Ver. 1.-We do you to wit; rather, t.ae CHAPTER VIII. make 1.nown to you. The phrase is like the Liberality shown by the Macedonian modern " I wish to inform you." In this Churches (vers. 1-5). He is sending Titus and the noxt cho.pter St. Po.ul, ho.ving fully spoken of the joy which ho.d been co.used t…
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hor1vlly (1 These. i. 6; ii, 14), ohiofly through impossible to expect much from them, l,nt tho jealousy of tho Jews, who excited the they surpassed my expecta.tiona in every way. hatred of tho Gentiles (Acts xvi. 20; xvii. The Church of Philippi, perhaps under the 5, 13). The abUDdanoe of their joy, An- in~uence of…
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which I feel in myself. In this graoe &lso; aliilt'ty," ie probably the rig,l1t reading, o.e namely, the grace of Ohristian liberality. we seo from the next verse. Ver. 8.-Not by oommandment. St. Paul Ver. 12.-For if there be first a willing felt on honournblo sensibility which pre- mind, etc. "For if the re!ldincss…
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St. Lulte is meant, Others have conjectured foolish ond reprehensible indifference to Barnabas, Silas (who are out of the questiou), public opinion (1 Pet. ii. 12). Yet with e.11 Era.slue, Mark, a brother of 'fitus, etc. St. his noble carefulness, St. Paul did not Luke is not unlikely to have been selected escape this …
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,or rude, y~u see en emanation from and a _reflection of the Eterno.1. As you mo.y eee ·the ocean ma dewdrop, you may see God m every throb of o.ff'ection In human souls. II. THAT IN SOME MEN IT IS MORE STRONGLY DEVELOPED THAN lN OTHERS, According to St. Paul, the "Churches of Macedonia" displayed it In a remarkable …
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J. JT 18 THE EMDODYmG 011' THE BENEFICJElllT DEBmE m OONTRIBUTIONS FOil, THE GOOD OF 0·1·1mRB. "Herein I give my advice [judgment]: for this is expedient for you, who hove begun before [who were the first to make a beginning], not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago. Now therefore perform [complete] the doing…
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:HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-6.-Christian Uberality in the Macedonian Churches. Grace prepares the way for grace. Denial of self in one direction leads to cross-bearing in other forms. Duty is a spirit, not a mechanical thing; a life, and not a mere performance. If the Corinthians had shown such a "godly sorr…
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e.n opportunity slip w11s more than they could bear. AncJ. thi9 conduct exceeded hie expectations; for they bad given themselves first to the Lord Jesus, and then, anxious to show their affection for the apostlo, had given themselves in thls special matter to him. Heart and property ; what a consecration! What a pag…
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view. Of the Macedonians he had spoken; of the "great trial of affliction," of their "deep ~ovorty," and how it abounded "unto. the riches of their liberality." ·whence came this power? A new heart had been given to poverty, so that now thouah its means were meAgre, its social position unhononred, its claims to infl~en…
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performing it should be exceptional, impressive, and great-hearted, and thus the very mode of the act should prove a blessing as well as the thing done. For this coursu another reason existed. Appearances should always be consulted. No one cau afford to put him~elf above them, to neglect, and still less to despise, the…
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Ver. 9.-1?ie condescension of Christ. According to the teaching of the New Testa- ment, human kindness should be based upon Divine benevolence. Such is the import of this wonderful parenthesis-a jewel which the inspired writer drops by the way and passes on. I. CHRIST'S NATIVE RICIIEB CONTRASTED WITII lllS VOLUNTARY P…
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all the proceedings of the providence of God. Often, as in the case before us1 the righteousness of the principles of the Divina government is 80 apparent that no question can possibly be raised concerning it. I. THE GEl'<"EBAL PBINOIPLE HERE PROPOUNDED, It is that the requirements of God. correspond to the possessi…
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mie11pproprl11tlon, Hence he secured that Titus and two others should be appointed as trustees, so to speak, of the fund, to take charge of it and to carry it to the destined quarter, Of those three Christian men Paul speaks in terms of notable commendation, He terms them- I. His OWN ABB0OIATEB. The expressions used w…
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Vil. 'fHEY GAVE THEMSELVES AS WET,L AB TltEm MONETJ,RY CONTRIDUTION. (Ver. 5.) 1. To the Lord. They solemnly dedicated themselves and their belongings to the Most High. ''l'l\·as easy for them to su1Tender a pBrt when they had surrendered the whole. We give haltingly because we do not believe the Scripture which sni…
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momlly worthless, God loveth a cheerful giver, because a cheerful giver 18 m all certainty a voluntary giver. The "voluntary system" is not one form of charity; it is tho only form. Unless we willingly give, the less said about our charity the better; for we haue none I 2. The" willin,q" must be rightly prompted. True …
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Vers. 20, 21.-Ministerial caref'lllness in money matters. I. STRICTEST HO?-.TESTY IS, OF COURSE, ESSENTIAL. How can a man preach, this common Christian virtue if be lacks it himself? How can his ministry in spiritual things bo blessed if he is tainted with the slightest dishonesty in things carnal? What peace of: con…
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nn~ in this sense _to. have experienced_ a sing?larl_y complete redemption. B?,t the uct1vo, devoted Christian proves the reality of his faith by works followin". Christ hna not only triumphed over the judgment and heart, but over a.II powers, ;hich are now willingly dedicated to his service, 2. They resemble Ohrist, C…
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take bis motives and arguments directly from Christ and ·the ctoss. "Yo know the grace of our Lord." Dut consider what you know, thll.t it may influence your dis- position and conduct; for nothing is more common than to bold known truth so lroscly and carelessly in the mind that it is as though it had never been kno…
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ncknowlcdgcs tho liberality of the Corinthians, the apostle takes occasion to explain tho value of "readiness," i.e. a disposition stretching forward to serve God and th13 Church, and not needing to be dragged forward by importunity. This is acceptable to God, the supreme Lover and spontaneous Giver of every good an…
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odium which had broken on their Master !\Utl on his cilulle: So they had n:, thought of e.n early visit to the sepulchre. But the women thought less of the cause and more of the Master. And so with their ready mind they got the highest honour. Learn, that the secret of happiness and usefulness lies in having the snme r…
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but tho grace of God which was with me." It is a great and ever-work in" law that all Divine gifts that a.re unused or undervalued will be taken away or Jo~t. 'l'he one condition of the renewal and enlargement of grace is that we have faithfully rcsronded to the grace we have had. We retain the gift of preaching only b…
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ver. 9.-The poverty that made others rich. The question is often asked-Which gives most pleasure to us-the faculty of memory, which vivifies the past, or anticipa- tion, which brightens the future? The answers we make at once depend upon, and become revelations of, character. The apostle in this passage is using the…
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in the salvation that Jesus secured, But no humrm words can exhaust our riches in Christ Jesus. III. THE 0ONNECTION BETWEEN THESE TWO EXCHANGES. "For yowr sake.~." The one exchange was made in order to accompligh the other. To bless us Christ must condescend to become oae of us. IlluBtrate by the missionary makin"' hi…
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Ver. 21.-Honest before God amd man. Comp. Prov. iii. 4-, which, in the Greek Version reads," Write them upon the table of thine heart, and thou shalt find favour, Provide things honest in the sight of God and ma.n." This ma.y be troa.ted as a general precept, applicable to all Christian people; or it may be regarded…
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before resuming the subjret ho observed f. 3. In this sense it resembles tbe H(lhr~w that, after nll, he harl not directly mentioned be'l'achah (Josh. xv. lfl, etc.). As a matti:r Iha contribution, and thcrofore explains that of bounty, and not aa of ooveto1l8Iless ; a• n he thought it superfluous to do so. To the bZes…
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viii. 9). Hie righteoumeae. Mon,ning here furnished by thie ministration (eh, viii. 2), his good doeda. The word is often rendered For your profeSBed auhjeotion; literally, /or ''pity" bv the LXX. (el&morune, from the BtmmMsion of your confession to the gospel whioh word comes our •• o.lms "), and this word of Christ. …
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wbioh I boast of you to them of Macedonia _that Achaia was 1eacl.y a yen,r ago; anrl your ieal bath provoked very many." He gives them full creclit for what they harl 11lre11dy done. They hnd so much cheored him some months before with the readinesR with which they had entered into his beneficent enterprise, that he ha…
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their life-blood. They have been wrung from them, and they groan whon they nto gone. Genuine charity acts not thus; its greatest happiness is in giving. In sooth, ho who gives reluctantly never truly gives at all. "God loveth a cheerful giver." His own happiness is in giving; he rejoices in the happiness of the creatio…
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states and tho outward monifestations of thoso states where good, are rlue to a. secret influcnco of the Spirit of God which eludes our conAciousness. The believer is most tl'uly self-determined when determined by the grace of God" (Hodge). We have seen that the apostle never loses sight for a moment of the one inspiri…
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Vers. 6-9.-0orrespondence between (Jhristian Bowing and reaping. 'l'here was nothing of chance or luck in the operations of beneficence, It was a transaction with God, who had instituted certain laws for its government. 1. As to tho law of pro- portion. If they sowed sparingly, they reaped sparingly; if bountifully,…
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(Revised Version). The fact is always grander than the figure, and hence we may believe that tho fruit~ of righteousness will infinitely surpass the work done, Observe now that this was a present thing os well as a future thing. Just then a gracious influenca :,vns spreading through the Churches and uniting them in …
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J. 'J.'HE LAW OF CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN SOWING A1''1> -REAPmG IS A JUST LAW. Jt is an appointment of a Goa of righteousness. It is in harmony with the principles of his government. Its maintenance is evidently productive of the welfare of Christian society: II. '!.'ms LAW IS ONE THE OPERATIONS OF WHICH WE CAN IJ:, S…
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IV. TrurnE JB A SPECIAL IlECOMPENSE ASSURED TO THE CTIV.ERFUL GIVER. "The Lorn loveth him." 'l'ho Lord sees his own character reflected in that of his servant• he witnesses in the gonerons and unselfish spirit the fruit of the redemption wroul7h( by his Son, 11nd of the fertilizing operation of hie own gracious, free a…
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. Ver. 15.-The unspeakab'le gift. The gifts of the Corinthians to their poor brethren m Judma were welcomed, acknowledged, approved. But every Christian duty and 5ervice led the mind of the apostle up to Christ himself. Earthly gifts sugaested to his mind that Gift which is heavenly and supreme. b I. Gon's GrFT TO …
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legitimate instrument for moving sluggish natures, Whilst we may be silent respect- ing our own charity, we may often profitably speak of_the charity of others.-H. Ver. 7.-The cheerful giver. I. How THE 0HEERFOL GIVER GIVES. 1. Bountifully. His cheerfulness ensures liberality. It is the grudging giver who gives but li…
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(JaB. v. 16). Men are willing to give much if their friend will but speak for them to the sovereign; but the cheerful giver is often spoken for to the King of kings. 2. Their wve. (Ver. 14.) Love is not to be lightly estimated; it is spiritual gold, much more precious than material. A man is rich if his treasury is wel…
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, Terrible thought I The unspeakable Gift may be rejected I What unspeakablo folly, wbo.t unspeakable guiH, what unspeakable condemnation, must follow !-H. Ver. 8.-" Always." Let us not take our standard of Christian life and experience from our own hearts, or from the customary piety which shows itself around us. The…
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holiness, in vigilant resistance to the devil, and in tender affection for the saints, ho WI\S always the same, and wavered not. Accordingly we :find the word "always" oft.en used in regard to his own spiritual experience and missionary life (see Acts xxiv. 16 on conscience; eh. ii. 14 on the career of a missionary; eh…
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tiRn individual, affords prominent illustralion of any grace or duty, they properly become, in such maUers, models and examples for thu inspiration of others. All who attain above an averngo level in Christian living ought to be nsed for the permanent raising of the avoragc. It is a somewhat difficult question, how fa…
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which ooaches him to aspire heavenward and GM.ward; or of a law not less prhnaty- the law of self-preservation. It is the ruling passion of nearly all men, of all tnstes e.nd times. ' Take heed, and beware of covetousness,' sa.id the All-\vise; and though liis ·word teems with such warnings against the sin, men have…
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Paul was deeply Interested in o. collection, which be set on foot throughout the Churches ho had founded, on behalf of the poor saints at Jerusalem, and his last journey to the holy cit.y was occasioned by his earnest desire to present these "alms and offerin<rs of the Gentiles" with his own hands to the apostles an…
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I need ; able to meet me at every point; able to give the grace accordina0 to the day, able to adapt himself to all the changes and fluctuations of my moods and circum~ stances? The little child brings all her broken dolls and damaged toys to her father• she is perfectly sure that, however dreadful the damage may be…
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~11n givo, And Job reminds ns how the good man, tho gracious man gets his reward in the love of the poor whom he seeks to bless (Job xxix. 11-17). ' II!. So~L-CULTUilE, For it \s _a steadfast _law of soul-lire, that it cannot grow hy keepmg; 1t can only grow by g1vmg, expendmg. The law of receiving more 0,,.race i~ th…
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EXPOSITION. e.ud that he roferrcd all grounds of boast- CHAPTER X. ing solely to the judgment of God (vers. 17, 18). With this ch&pter begins the 11\et groat Ver. 1.-Now I Paul myself. The words, section of the Epistle (ver. I-oh. xiiL 10), as Theodoret says, express the emphasis of which contains e.n impassioned…
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nnd tempto.tlons wore not tho guiding force surrace I" or, (3) "CrnHirlor tl1e JHlrsonnl of hie life. Wa do not war arter the flesh. 11spect of tho qucstiori." The Authorized His crtmp11ign8 (Luke iii. 14) wore fought Version is probably right (comp. John vii. with spiritual wea.pons. Tho metaphor is a 24). Il any m…
1,008 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.