forgiven for your sake in the presence of Christy that is, Christ is the witness of my being forgiven. Tliis is contrary to all scriptural representations. God is said to forgive for Christ's sake ; and Christ is said to forgive, but he is never represented as the mere witness or spectator of our for- giveness.
11. Lest Satan should get an advantage of us : for we are not ignorant of his devices.
This verse, as above remarked, is by some made to depend on V. 8, the vs. 9 and 10 being parenthetical. 'Confirm your love towards him — lest Satan should get an advantage of us.' Others make it depend on the preceding words, ' We should act (or, I was pardoned) in the presence of Christ, lest,' <fec. The most natural connection is with the first clause of v. 10, which contains the main idea of the context. ' I will join you in pardoning the ofi:ender lest Satan get an advantage of us,' i. e. make a gain of us. The expression is /xt) TrAeovcKrr^^oj/xei/ vTTo Tov o-arai'a, lest ice should be made gain of or defrauded^ by Satan. It was a gain to Satan if either an individual soul could be driven to despair, or the peace of the church could be disturbed. Both of these evils were to be apprehended if discipline were carried too far. This dread of Satan was not chimerical or unreasonable, for he really does seek to turn every thing to the disadvantage of Christ and his kingdom. We are not ignorant^ says the apostle, of his devices. This and similar passages of the Word of God teach that Satan is a personal beuig; that he exerts great influence over the minds of men ; that although finite, and, therefore, not ubiqui- tous, he is nevertheless represented as operating on the minds of men generally, and not merely on those in any one place. His powers of intelligence and agency therefore must be great beyond our conceptions. No individual and no community can ever be sure that he is not plotting their destruction. Paul might have said to the Romans or the Ephesians, as he did to the Corinthians, that they must take heed lest Satan make a gain of them, and in some way secure them as his own.
12. 13. Purthermore, when I came to Troas to (preach) Christ's gospel, and a door was opened to me of the Lord, I had no rest in my spirit because I found