our Gospel message] as a thing dead ; hence they meet with death as the natural and just consequence. — olg ds, whilst to the former) who are being saved. This verse, if wre compare the antecedents and consequents, has a chiasmus.1 — xat npog ruvra, rig havog ; and who is sufficient for these things f) Who? i.e. hut few, viz., we. This sentiment [idea] is modestly hinted at, and is left to be perceived and acknowledged by the Corinthians ; comp, the next verse. Paul asserts at considerable length both his own sufficiency (ixavor^ra) and that of the few in the follow- ing chapter, and repeats this very word, ver. 5, 6, of that ch., so that his adversaries seem either expressly or in sense [virtually] to have denied, that Paul w~as sufficient .
17. 0/ croXXo/, the many) so xi. 18. D'inn, 1 Kings xviii. 25. The article has force ; the many , most men, aoti^ot, void of savour : comp. Phil. ii. 21. — xunriXzvovreg [cauponantes]) corrupting [adul- terating for gain] ; men who do not make it their aim to show forth as much virtue [as much of the power of the Gospel] as possible, but to make gain by it. These men speak of Christ, but not as “from [of] God,” and “in the sight of God.” xa- cnjXo/, [caupones], vintners , select their merchandise from diffe- rent quarters ; they adulterate it ; they manage it with a view to profit. The apostles deal otherwise with the word of God ; for they speak as of God , and as of sincerity , and so as to ap- prove themselves unto God. doXovvng, adulterating , iv. 2 [Engl. Vers., handling deceitfully], is a synonymous expression, and also s/jwropevsffQai, to make merchandise of 2 Pet. ii. 3. — zWmpmiag, of sincerity) We give our whole attention to [our whole aim is] the word of God by itself. — a\\’ ug hut as of) a gradation [ascending climax], hut being repeated ; as is explanatory.2 — zarevdj'Triov — XaXov/xev, in the sight of God — we speak) So decidedly, ch. xii. 19. We always think, that God, from [sent by] whom we speak, is present to the speakers ; we do not care for men. —
1 See App.
2 The Germ. Ver., however, omits both the particle ug before i| ei'hixptvsi'ug and the particle &KK before ug lx ©eoS, although the omission has by no means been approved of by the margins of both Ed. — E. B.
ABCD (A) read the ag after dXh (or d’h^oi in B), in the first <zh a’ ug : Gfg Vulg. Memph. Iren, omit it. In the second ug , ABCD (A) support the «aa\ Gfg Vulg. (Fuld.), later Syr. Iren, omit it. — Ed.