Paul's journeys great danger was often encountered in passing the rivers which crossed his j^ath. Perils of robbers^ to which all traA'ellers were exposed. Perils from my otvti countrymen (e/c ycVovs as opposed to l^ c^vthv). The Jews were, at least in most cases, the first to stir up opposition and to excite the mob against the apostle. This was the case at Damascus, Acts 9, 23 ; at Jerusalem, Acts 9, 29 ; at Antioch in Pisidia, Acts 13, 50 ; at Iconium, 14, 5 ; at Lystra, 14, 19 ; at Thessa- lonica. Acts 17, 5 ; at Berea, Acts 17, 13 ; at Corinth, 18, 12. From the Gentiles^ as at Philippi and Ephesus. In the city^ as in Damascus, Jerusalem and Ephesus. In the desert. The dangers of the desert are proverbial. Paul traversed Arabia, as well as the mountainous regions of Asia Minor, and was doubtless often exposed in these journeys to the dangers of robbers, as well as those arising from exposure, and hunger and thirst. Of the sea, not only in the case of shipwreck be- fore mentioned, but to other and lesser perils. Perils among false brethren, referring probably to the treachery of those w^ho falsely professed to be his brethren in Christ, and yet endeavoured to deliver him into the power of his enemies.
27. In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
Here the preposition Iv is again used, but in its instru- mental sense by. It was by these trials and sufferings he proved himself to be what he claimed to be. Py iceari7iess and 2^ainfulness, iv kottw koI fjiox^^o. These words are thus as- sociated in 1 Thess. 2, 9, and 2 Thess. 3, 8, in both of which places they are rendered " labour and travail." They both express the idea of wearisome toil and the consequent ex- haustion and suifering. JBy icatchings often, referring to the sleepless nights which he wa3 often compelled by business or suffering to pass. In hunger and thirst, in fastings often. The common meaning of the word vqa-Teia^ and its connection Avith the words " hunger and thirst," implying involuntary ab- stinence I'rom food, are urged as reasons for understanding it to mean voluntary fasting. But the context is in favour of tlie common interpretation which makes it refer to involuntary ab- stinence. Every other particular here mentioned belongs to the class of sufferings; and it would therefore be incongruous
II. CORINTHIAl^S 11, 28. 275
to introduce into this enumeration any thing so insignificant and so common as religious fasting. In this the Pharisees were his equals and probably far his superior. They fasted twice in the week. Paul was no ascetic, and certainly did not deny himself food to the extent of making that denial an act of heroism. It is remarkable that we have no record of Paul's ever having fasted at all, unless Acts 13, 3. By cold and no- kedness. This completes the picture. The greatest of the apostles here appears before us, his back lacerated by frequent scourgings, his body worn by hunger, thirst, and exposure ; cold and naked, persecuted by Jews and Gentiles, driven from place to place without any certain dwelling. This passage, more perhaps than any other, makes even the most laborious of the modern ministers of Christ hide their face in shame. What have they ever done or sufiered to compare with what this apostle did ? It is a consolation to know that Paul is now as pre-eminent in glory, as he was here in suiFering.
28. Besides those things that are without, that which Cometh upon me daily, the care of all the chm-ches.
This verse is variously interpreted. The first clause, Be- sides those t/migs which are vnthout^ is rendered in the same way in the Yulgate. Praeter ilia, quae extrinsecus sunt. So also Calvin, Beza, and others. But this is contrary to the usage of the words ra TrapcKros, which mean, the things besides^ i. e. other things; so that the sense of the clause x^p'^5 "^^^ irapeKTo^ is, 'Not to mention other things.' The preceding enumeration, copious as it is, was not exhaustive. There Avere other things of a hke nature which the apostle would not stop to mention, but proceeded to another class of trials. That class included his exhausting official duties. That which Cometh on me daily, viz., the care of all the churches. The latter clause is, according to this explanation, assumed to be explanatory of the former. The same view is taken of the relation of the two clauses by Meyer, who renders the passage thus: "My daily attention, the care of all the churches." This latter interpretation assumes that instead of k-ma-va-raa-L^, which is in the common text, the true reading is cVto-rao-t?, a reading adopted by Lachmann, Tischendorf, Meyer, Riickert, and others. Both words are used in the sense of concourse,