Ver. 5. οὐ yap ἑαντοὺς κιτιλ.: for we preach not ourselves, but Christ Fesus
4—9.-
ὑμῶν 1 διὰ ᾿Ιησοῦν.2
61
6. ὅτι ὁ8 Θεὸς ὁ εἰπὼν ἐκ σκότους φῶς Y C/ Hab.
1, 14.
λάμψαι,“ ὃς ὃ ἔλαμψεν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν, πρὸς φωτισμὸν τῆς W See oni.
" γνώσεως τῆς " δόξης τοῦ ὃ Θεοῦ ἐν "προσώπῳ Ἰησοῦ ἴ Χριστοῦ. x Col. ii. 3;
7. Ἔχομεν δὲ τὸν * θησαυρὸν τοῦτον ἐν ” ὀστρακίνοις ”΄ σκεύεσιν, Ξ:. ἵνα ἡ "ὑπερβολὴ τῆς δυνάμεως ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ μὴ ἐξ ἡμῶν: δ. ἐν 20;
vi. 28.
" παντὶ " θλιβόμενοι, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ “ στενοχωρούμενοι - * ἀπορούμενοι, ἀλλ᾽ z Ps. ii. 29;
οὐκ Pet. iii. 7. a Reff. i. 8. 10, and Josh. xvii. 15; Isa. xlix. 19. i. 8 only. XXXVI. 25.
1S 17 have ἡμῶν, a mere blunder.
* ἐξαπορούμενοι - 9. διωκόμενοι, ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ
b Chap. vii. 5; reff. below. d John xiii. 22; Acts xxv. 20; Gal. iv. 20 only. f Rom. ix. 29 (Isa. i. 9); 2 Tim. iv. το, 16; Heb. xiii. 5 (Josh. i. 5); Deut. iv. 31; Ps,
Acts ix. 15; Rom. 1K. ΣΤ Ἢ c Chap. vi. 12 only; cf. chap. vi. 4, xii. e Chap.
* ἐγκαταλειπόμενοι :
3 Ἴησουν is supported by A*BDEGHKLP and the Syriac vss. (cf. ver. 11); S*A**C 17, the Latins and Bohairic give Ἴησον, which does not yield so impressive a sense.
3 B om. ο before Θεος.
4 Better Aap wee with SQ*ABD* and the Syriac vss.; λαμψαι is supported by the
remaining uncials and the Latins.
5 D*G and the Old Latin vss. omit ος before ελαμψ. 6 Instead of του Θεου C*D*G, d, ε, g, r supply αὐτου.
TSCHKLP, the Syriac and Bohairic support Ἴησ. Xp.; DEG and the Latins give Xp. Ἰη.; AB 17 (followed by Tisch. and W.H.) omit Ἴησου (see ii. το above).
as Lord (cf. 1 Cor. xii. 3, “ No mancan say, Jesus is Lord, but in the Holy Spirit”), and ourselves your slaves for Fesus’ sake (cf. τ Cor. ix. 19 and chap. i. 24 above; see also xi. 20 καταδουλοῖ).
Ver. 6. ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς κ.τ.λ.: seeing it is God who said “ Light shall shine out of darkness”? (a paraphrase of Gen. i. 3; cf. Ps. exii. 4), who shined in our hearts to illuminate (others) with the knowledge of the glory of God in the Face of Christ. That is to say, there is nothing secret or crafty in the Ministration of the New Covenant; it is the proclamation of a second Fiat Lux (St. John i. 4, viii. 12) in the hearts of men (2 Pet. i. 19). The image of iii. 18 is thus preserved in this verse; we reflect the light which shines upon us from the Divine Glory, as mani- fested in Christ.
Vv. 7-15. His BopiLty WEAKNESS DOES NOT ANNUL THE EFFECTS OF HIS MInistRY.—Ver. 7. ἔχομεν δὲ τὸν θησαυ- ρὸν κιτιλ.: but, sc., in contrast to the glowing and exultant phrases of ver. 6, we have this treasure, sc., of ‘the light of the knowledge of the glory of God,” in earthen vessels. The comparison of man, in respect of his powerlessness and littleness in God’s eyes, to an earthen jar made by a potter for his own purposes and of any shape that he wills is common in the O.T. (Job κ. ο 155. Xxx. Τά}. Jer: XIX. τι; “see
2 Esdras iv. 11), and St. Paul works out the idea in Rom. ix. 20 ff. He also dis- tinguishes here and at 2 Tim. ii. 20 between different kinds of σκεύη, illus- trating thereby the difference between men; while he himself is elsewhere called σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς, and St. Peter calls woman ἀσθενέστερον σκεῦος (see reff.). In the present passage σκεῦος seems to be used specially for the human body (cf. 2 Esdras vii. [88], vas corruptibile), as the thought in the Apostle’s mind is (mainly) of his own physical infirmities; the figure being derived from the ancient custom of storing gold and silver in earthenware pots. The treasure of the Gospel light is contained in an “ earthen vessel,”’ a frail body which may (seem- ingly) at any moment succumb (cf. Job iv. Ig and see v. 1 below). This may appear surprising, that so great a treasure should seem to be exposed to the mishaps which may befall the perishable jar in which it is contained; but yet (though St. Paul does not pursue this line of thought here) it is the very principle of the Incarnation that the heavenly is revealed and received through the earthly, for ‘‘ the Word became flesh” (St. John i. 14).—tva ἣ ὑπερβολὴ τῆς δυνάμεως κ.τ.λ.: that the exceeding greatness of the power, sc., which triumphs over all obstacles, may be God’s and not from ouvselves. The weakness of the instru-