invalidity of his claim to the apostleship. As they had no other objection to him, he asks whether they were disposed to urge that.
8. I robbed other churches, taking wages (of them), to do you service.
To rob is to take with violence what does not belong to us. It is therefore only in a figurative sense the word is here used. What Paul received from other (i. e. the Macedonian) churches, he was fully entitled to, and it was freely given. The only point of comparison or analogy was that he took from them what the Corinthians ought to have contributed. Taking wages {XafSiov 6\j/u)vlov), or a stipend. To do gou ser- vice, TTpos Tr]v v/xcov SiaKovcav, Jbr youT tninistry. This expresses the object of his receiving assistance from others. It was that he might minister gratuitously to them.
9. And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man : for that which was lack- ing to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied : and in all (things) I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and (so) will I keep (myself).
It is plain from this verse that when Paul went to Corinth, he took with him a supply of money derived from other churches, which he supplemented by the proceeds of his own labour ; and when his stock was exhausted the deficiency was supplied by the brethren from Macedonia. And ichen I icas present {Trapcbv Trpos vfxaq), 'being present with you; ' (koI vare- pT7^€ts), 'and being reduced to want;' (ov KarevapKirja-a ovS€v6<i), I was chargeable to no man, literally, 'I jjressed as a dead weight upon no one,' i. e. I was burdensome to no one. The verb here used is derived from vapKiy, torpor, hence vapKaco, to he torpid. The compound KaravapKao}, to he torpid against any one, (to press heavily upon him,) is found only here and in 12, 13. 14. In confirmation of the assertion that he had been chargeable to no man he adds, for that which was laclc- ing to me {to varip-qixa fxov, my deficiency^ the brethren ichich