cause T found not Titus my brother. He calls Titus his broth- er, both because of his relation to him as a fellow-Christian, and because he was a joint labourer with him in the gospel. He expected to meet Titus at Troas, and to learn from him the state of things in Corinth, and especially the effect produced by his former letter. It seems that he regarded this as a turning point in the history of that church. If they submitted to his authority and corrected the abuses which he had point- ed out, and especially if they excommunicated the member guilty of the unheard-of offence so often referred to in this chapter, then he had hopes of their stabiUty in faith and prog- ress in holiness. But if they refused to regard his injunctions, and persisted in the course on which they had entered, then he foresaw their speedy destruction. So much was at stake that he could not endure the state of suspense which he was in ; and therefore, taking leave of them., that is, of the brethren in Troas, he passed over into Macedonia. On his first visit to this city, Paul was prevented from remaining by a vision, from wdiich he gathered that the Lord called him to preach the gospel in Macedonia. Acts 16, 8. And on his return from his present journey, it is said, he sailed from Philippi and came in five days to Troas, and abode there seven days. Acts 20, 6. From the circumstances connected with this last visit it is evident that there was an established church at that time in Troas. The word (XTroTacrcro/xac, to take leave of means to separate oneself from, to bid farewell to. Luke 16, 61. Acts 18, 18. 21. 1 went from thence into Macedonia ; e^XSov, I loent forth. He crossed over the northeastern corner of the Mediterranean sea to one of the ports of Macedonia ; the same voyage which he made on his return, which then required five days. As Titus was to return from Corinth through Macedonia to Troas, Paul thus went to meet him on his journey.
14. Now thanks (be) unto God, which always caus- eth us to triumph m Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
Agreeably to the impulsive character of this epistle, in- stead of stating what was the intelligence which he received from Titus, the apostle breaks out into a thanksgiving to God, which assumes a Ibrm which might be taken for selt-commen- dation, which he, however, disclaims, and humbly acknowl- edges that all his qualifications for his work, and all his success