ayioTT/?, purity or sanctity^ which the recent editors generally adopt. The former word is much more common in Paul's writings, and is better suited to the following term, ciXtKptVeta, w^hich means translucence, clearness, sincerity of mind. It is called the sincerity of God^ which our translators exj^Iain as meaning godly sincerity, either in the sense of religious, as distinguished from mere natural sincerity as a moral virtue ; or in the sense of divine, what comes from God. The latter is the true explanation. It is the sincerity which God gives.. The Bible often uses such expressions as " the peace of God," "joy of the Spirit," &c., meaning the peace or joy of which God or the Spirit is the author. There is a specific diiference between moral virtues and spiritual graces, although they are called by the same names. Simplicity, sincerity, meekness, long-suffering, when the fruits of the Spirit differ from the moral virtues designated by those terms, as many external things, though similar in appearance, often differ in their in- ward nature. A religious man and a moral man may be very much alike in the eyes of men, though the inward life of the latter is human, and that of the former is divine. What Paul means here to say is, that the virtues which distinguished his deportment in Corinth were not merely forms of his own ex- cellence, but forms of the divine life ; modes in which the Spirit of God which dwelt in him manifested itself. This is expressed more clearly in what follows. N'ot in fleshly wis- dom, that is, not in that w^isdom which has its origin in our own nature. The familiar meaning of the word fl.esh in the New Testament, especially in the writings of St. Paul, is hu- man nature as it now is, as distinguished from the Sjjirit of God. " Ye are not in the flesh," says this apostle, " but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you," Rom. 8, 9. As our nature is corru2)t, natural or fleshly necessarily involves more or less the idea of corruption. The natural man, carnal mind, fleshly wsdom, all imi)ly that idea more or less, according to the context. Fleshly wisdom, therefore, is that kind of wisdom which unrenewed men arc wont to ex- hibit, wisdom guided by principles of self-interest or expedi- ency. It stands opposed to the yrace of God. Paul was not guided by the fofmer, but by the latter. The grace of God controlled his conduct ; and by grace is here meant, as sg often elsewhere, the gracious influences of the Spirit. We have liad our conversation ; avccrTpd(}i7]ix(v, tee moved about, m'c conducted ourselves. The expression includes all the mani-
II. CORINTHIAlSrS 1, 13. 14. 15
festations of his inward life. In the worlds i. e. amonj^ mon generally; and more especially to yoii-icard. That is, the evidence of my sincerity is much more abundant to you than to others. The Corinthians had enjoyed more opportunities of learning the character of the apostle, and of seeing his sim- plicity and integrity, than the world, or men outside of the church, had possessed. He could therefore the more confi- dently assume that they confided in him.
13. 14. Tor we write none other things unto you, than what ye read or acknowledge, and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end; as also ye have ac- knowledged us m part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also (are) ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.
The same sincerity and honesty marked his correspond- ence that characterized his life. He never wrote one thing and meant another. The connection with the preceding verse is, ' We are perfectly honest, for we Avrite none other things than what ye read.* The simple, obvious meaning of my let- ter, is the true meaning. I write^ i. e. I mean none other things than what you understand me to intend when you read my letters, or know from other sources. The word cTTiytvcoo-KeTe may be rendered as in our version, ye aclcnowl- edge. The sense would then be, 'I mean nothing else but what you read or acknowledge to be my meaning.' But this is not so clear. The design of the apostle is to show that his purposes really were what his letters indicated, or what the Corinthians, by other means, had been led to understand them to be. The words are, " Ye read, or also (rj Kai) know," and I trust ye shall acknoicledge to the end. This clause may be connected with what precedes. ' I mean what you know, and I trust shall continue to acknowledge, to be my meaning.' That is, ' I have confidence that you will not misunderstand or misinterpret my intentions until we all come to the end ; ' €ws TcXovs, to the end., either of life, or of the world. A much better sense is obtained by connecting this clause with what follows, so that the clause (ort Kavxqfxa vjxoiv iafxev), that v:e are your rejoicing., is the object of the verb (cTriyi'wo-co-Je) ye shall