2. A Upon, I beseech) God; as at xiii. 7, or here it is, I beseech you. Paul intimates, that, as he may beseech in his letters, so he can nevertheless act with severity in their presence. — Xoy/^a/, I am thought [but Engl. Vers., I think to be bold]) Passive as in Rom. iv. 4, 5. — Wi rivag [ against ] as to , with respect to some ) construe with to be bold. — rovg Xoyify/devovs, thinking ) in the middle voice. — ug , as if) Connect it with according to the flesh. — xard cdpxa, according to the flesh) as if they may despise us with impunity.
3. *Ev dot pxt, in the flesh) with weakness. See the following verse. — 1 ffrparsvopedu, we war) By this word he opens the way for a transition to what follows ; and the reason of the boldness , rou Qappridai [ver. 2], is included.
4. Td yap oVXa, for the arms [ weapons'] ) From the paternal rod , 1 Cor. iv. 21 [shall I come unto you with a rod?], he now proceeds to arms , with increasing severity ; comp, presently ver. 6; also 1 Cor. v. 5, 13. — ov aapxixdj dWd dwara) not carnal and weak,' to spiritual, and therefore mighty. — 0s& [Engl. Vers., u through God,”] to God) This is virtually an accusative case.2 So ch. ii. 15, to God. In like manner, Acts. vii. 20; in the same way as the preposition is used as a prefix, Jonah iii. 3 [an exceeding great city, “ lit. a city of God]. The power is not ours, but of God. The efficacy of the Christian religion is an argument of its truth. — tyvpu/udrav, of strongholds) A grand expression. [ The human understanding may here suspect in- flated language ; but it is no common force and power , to wit , the force and power of those things , which in the case of the soul are brought out on both sides (both on the carnal and on the spiritual side). — V. g.]
5. A oyiffpoug [imaginations, reasonings] thoughts) those very thoughts of which he speaks, ver. 2.3 — xuQa ipouvrzg, casting down) This expression might be construed with ver. 3, but it rather depends on ver. 4, the pulling down [xadu/pstiv], Again, the
1 ’Ei/ aocpxi — ov xctrd adpxcc, in the Jlesh — not according to the Jlesh) There is a great difference. — V. g.
2 As the Accus. is often used adverbially, forming an adverbial epithet. —Ed.
3 A oyiay-ovg alludes, by Mimesis, to the Corinthians, rovg ’koyiZyog.tvovg, etc., ver. 2.— Ed.