ζ2
a Chaps. ν. 12, X. 12, 18; cf. chaps. iv. 2, Vi. 4, Vii. 11.
III. 1. ΑΡΧΟΜΕΘΑ πάλιν " ἑαυτοὺς" συνιστάνειν; εἰ" μὴ χργζομεν, ὥς ὃ τινες, " συστατικῶν ἐπιστολῶν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἢ ἐξ ὑμῶν συστατικῶν “; 2. ἡ ἐπιστολὴ ἡμῶν ὑμεῖς ἐστε, "ἐγγεγραμμένη ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις
bHere only. ἡμῶν, γινωσκομένη καὶ ἀναγινωσκομένη ὑπὸ πάντων ἀνθρώπων :
ς Ver. 3; Lk. x. 20 only; 1
3. ᾿ φανορούμενοι ὅτι ἐστὲ ἐπιστολὴ Χριστοῦ διακονηθεῖσα ὑφ᾽ ἡμῶν,
Mace. xiii. ἐγγεγραμμένη © οὐ μέλανι, ἀλλὰ Πνεύματι “Θεοῦ “ζῶντος, οὐκ ἐν ἃ Ref. τας, "πλαξὶ “λιθίναις, ἀλλὰ ἐν " πλαξὶ " καρδίας Τ δῚ σαρκίναις.
e Deut. ν.
26: Acts xiv. 15; Rom. ix. 26; chap. vi. 16; 1 Thess. i.g; 1 Tim. iii. 15, etc. h Ezek. xi. 19, xxxvi. 26.
Deut. iv. 13, etc. g Heb. ix. 4 only
1; Heb. vii. 16 only.
{ Exod. xxxi. 18; i Rom. vii. 14; 1 Cor. iii,
| BD* 17 have συνισταν; FG συνισταναι ; all other authorities σννιστανειν. 2 « py AKLP; better η µη with ΝΒΟΡΕ and the primary vss.
ΑΓ” have ὡσπερ.
4 D*EGKLP, d, e, g and the Syriac have σνστατικων (G, g add επιστολων); better om. with SABC 17 and the Bohairic.
ΝΠ 17 have καρδιαις υμων.
5 B 67°**, f, vg. have και eyyeyp.
7 FK and most vss. support καρδιας ; better καρδιαις with NABCDEGLP and
the Harclean. primitive clerical error.
and of our commission to speak), im the sight of God (sc., in the consciousness of His presence ; cf. ver. 10 above), speak we in Christ, sc., as members of Christ's Body, in fellowship with Him. This solemn and impressive confirmation of what has been said is repeated, chap. xii. 19, κατέναντι Θεοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ λαλοῦμεν. Cuapter [1]0-ὔὖν. 1-3. THE Cor- INTHIANS ARE St. Pauv’s “ Epistle oF COMMENDATION ", —Ver. 1, πάλιν ἑαντοὺς συνιστ. : are we beginning again (sc., a8, for instance, in 1 Cor. ix. 15, xiv. 18, xv. 10, or possibly he alludes to i. 12 above; cf. chap. v. 12, x. 18 below) to commend ourselves? His oppo- nents seem to have made this charge, which he is careful to repudiate —S 12; cf. xii. τα). The phrase davrov συνιστάνειν (or συνιστάναι, for both forms occur) is found four times in this Epistle (see reff.), and always in a bad sense, the prominent place of ἑαντὸν sig- nifying that there has been undue egotism; on the other hand, συνιστάνειν ἑαντὸν, which occurs three times (see ον is always used in a good sense, of that legi- timate commendation of himself and his message which every faithful minister will adopt. Neither form occurs elsewhere in the N.T. (unless Gal. ii. 18, παραβάτην ἐμαυτὸν συνιστάνω, be regarded as an exception).— μὴ χρήζομεν κ.τ.λ.: or do we need, as some do (i.¢., the οἱ πολλοί of ii. 17; τινες is his usual vague descrip- tion of opponents; see 1 Cor, iv. 18,
W.H. suggest that the second πλαξι was introduced through a
xv. 12, chap. x. 2, Gal. i. 7, 1 Tim. i, 3, 19), epistles of commendation to you or from you? Greek teachers used to give ἐπιστολαὶ σνστατικαί (Diogenes Laert., viii. 87) ; for such commendatory mention cf. Acts xv. 25 (of Judas and Silas to the Shurch at Antioch), Acts xviii. (ot Apollos to the Church at Corinth), Kom. xvi. τ (of Phoebe to the Church at Rome), chap. viii. 16-24 (of Titus and his com- panions to the Church at Corinth); cf, also 1 Cor. xvi. 3. St. Paul scouts the idea that he, who first brought the Gospel to Corinth, should need to present formal credentials to the Corinthian Church; and it would be equally anomalous that he should seek recommendations from them (ἐξ ὑμῶν). He has testimonies to his character and office far superior to any that could be written on papyrus, These can be pointed to if any object that his Apostolic office was self-assumed, and that he delivers the Gospel message in his own way and on his own authority (Gal. i. 12).