The first paragraph, vs. 1-4, relates to the change of his plan of going im- mediately to Corinth. In vs. 5-11 he refers to the case of discipline mentioned in his former letter. In vs. 12-14 he states why he did not remain in Troas. And in vs. 14—17 he pours out his heart in gratitude to God for the continued triumph of the gospel.
The true reason ichy the apostle did not go immediately to Corinth^ and his views in reference to the offender ichose excommunication he had insisted upon in his former letter.
Theee is no change of subject in this chapter. The apostle after defending himself from the charge of levity in conduct and inconsistency in doctrine, had said, in v. 23 of the pre- cedmg chapter, that he did not go to Corinth before giving the church time to comply with the injunctions contained in his former letter, because he did not wish to appear among them as a judge. He here says, in amplification, that he had determined not again to visit Corinth under circumstances which could only give pain to the Corinthians and to himself. He knew that he could not give them sorrow without being himself grieved, and he was assured that if he was happy they would share in his joy, vs. 1-4. The sorrow occasioned by the incestuous person was not confined to the apostle, but shared by the church. He was satisfied with the course which the church had pursued in reference to that case, and was willing the offender should be restored to their fellowship if they were, vs. 5-11. His anxiety about them was so great that not finding Titus, from whom he expected to receive intelligence, he was unable to remain at Troas, but passed over into Macedonia to meet him on his way, vs. 12. 13. The intelligence which he received from Titus being favourable, the apostle expresses in strong terms his gratitude to God who always caused him to triumph, vs. 15-17.
1 . But I detenninecl this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness.
The connection is with what immediately precedes. 'I deferred my visit in order to spare you, not that I assume to be a lord over your faith, but a helper of your joy. But the true reason for my not coming was that I did not wish to
dO II. CORINTHIANS 2, 2.
come with heaviness.' The words €Kpiva e/iavroJ, rendered J deterTnined with myself^ may mean simply I determine as to myself. I had made up my mind; or, 'I determined /br my- selj\^ i. e. for my own sake. This perhaps is to be j^referred. The apostle thus delicately intimates that it was not merely to spare them, but also himself, that he put ofi* his visit. The word this refers to the purpose which the apostle had formed, and which is explained by the following infinitive, jxr) iX^elv, not to come. Two explanations are given of the following clause. According to the one, the meaning is, ' I determined that my second visit should not be with sorrow ; ' according to the other, ' I determined not a second time to visit you in sorrow.' In the one case the implication is that Paul had, at this time, been only once in Corinth ; in the other, the passage implies that he had already (i. e. after his first visit) been to Corinth under circumstances painful to himself and to the church. There are two reasons for preferring this latter view. The first is, that according to the position of the words, as given in all the older manuscripts, (/x^ iraXiv iv Xvttt} Trpos v/xas eX^eiv,) the TTcxXti/, again^ belongs to the whole clause and not exclusively to IX^dv. The sense, therefore, is that he deter- mined not a second time to come with sorrow, (he had done that once.) The other reason is, that there is evidence from other passages that Paul had been twice to Corinth before this letter was written. See 12, 14. 21. 13, 1. That there is no mention in the Acts of this intermediate journey, is no suf- ficient reason for denying it, as the passages referred to are so explicit. To make the second visit one by letter, as Calvin (venerat enim semel per epistolam) and others have done, is evidently unnatural. Having gone once to correct abuses and to exercise severity, he was anxious not to have a second pain- ful interview of the same kind, and therefore, instead ot" going to them, as he had intended, directly from Corinth, he waited to learn through Titus what had been the efifcct of his letter. With hecminess^ kv kv-rrr)^ loith sorroio^ i. e. causing sorrow to you. This explanation is required by the following verse, otherwise the meaning would more naturally be in sorroio, i. e. in a sorrowful state of mind, as the woi'd Ai;7r>; everywhere else with Paul means a state of grief.
2. For if I make you sorry, who is lie that maketh me glad, but the same that is made sorry by me ?