greater zeal as he went forth willingly.' But Meyer gives a better explanation. 'He accepted indeed our exhortation, i. e. he modestly submitted himself to my direction, but being too zealous (o-7roi;8aioT€pos) to need an exhortation, he went of his own accord.' He did not require to be urged to go, al- though in this, as in other matters, he was willing to do as I wished. He went unto you. Titus was no doubt the bearer of this epistle, and was with the apostle when it was written. He had not yet gone forth. In epistolary style the writer may use the tense suited to his own position, or to that of his readers. Paul here, and in the following verses, uses the past tense, because when his epistle came to hand the events re- ferred to would be past.
18. And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise (is) in the gospel throughout all the churches.
We have sent. The time is from the stand-point of the reader, as before. TFe send icith him the hrother. As the name is not given, and as no data are furnished by which to determine who the brother here mentioned was, it is useless to conjecture. It was some one subordinate to Titus sent with him as a companion, some one well known throughout the churches, and who had especially the confidence of the Macedonian Christians, v. 19. But these conditions meet in so many of the persons mentioned in the Acts or Paul's epis- tles that they lead to no certain conclusion. Whether, there- fore, it was Luke, Mark, Trophimus, or some one else, must be left undecided. The question is hardly worth the trouble which commentators have devoted to it. This brother's praise is said to have been in the gospel. He was distin- guished by his efforts in that sphere ; that is, by his zeal and labour in promoting the gospel. Through all the churches. If this be taken with the limitation of all the churches of Macedonia, it still is evidence that the brother referred to was specially entitled to the confidence of the Corinthians.
19. And not (that) only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel w^itli us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and (declaration of) your ready mind.