Vv. 11-13. REITERATION OF HIS SIN- CERITY OF PURPOSE.—Ver. 11, € οὖν τὸν φόβον κ.τ.λ.: knowing, there- fore, sc., because of the conviction ex- pressed in ver. 10, the fear of the Lord, sc.,as Judge (cf. Heb. x. 31), we persuade men, sc., of our sincerity, but we have been (already) made manifest to God, as we shall be at the Day of Judgment (see ver. το). Toregard πείθομεν (cf. Acts xii. 20, Gal. i. το) as referring to a“ persuading” of the truths of Christianity is to depart from the context. He is now returning to the question at iii. 1, and he has ex- plained the motives of his ministry and the obligations to sincerity of speech which bind him. We should expect (in classical Greek) ἀνθρώπους μὲν weld, κ.τ.λ., but the omission of μέν does not destroy, though it obscures, the anti- thesis. It would be out of place to speak of ‘‘ persuading" God of our sincerity ; to Him we are “made manifest” whether we will or πο.-- ἐλπίζω δὲ κ.τ.λ.: and I hope (as we say, “1 trust”) we have been made Μίκι ἐΣ also in your con- sciences ; see iv. 2 for a similar appeal.
Ver. 12. οὐ yap πάλιν κ.τ.λ.; we are not again (see iii. 1, and the note there; he takes up this theme again after along digression) commending ourselves to you, but [write these things) as givi you occasion of glorying on our behalf. We must understand in the latter clause some such words as γρά ταῦτα: there are similar anacolutha at Vii. 5, viii. 18.—tva ἔχητε πρὸς τοὺς κ.τ.λ.;: that ye may have tt, sc., some καύχημα or matter of glorying, against those who glory in outward appearance and not in heart, δε., against his opponents at Corinth.
11. - τὸ.
A να ’ Ν ΡΥ πρὸς τοὺς ἐν ' προσώπῳ καυχωμένους, καὶ οὐ γὰρ “ἐξέστημεν, Θεῷ’ εἴτε Be ela ὑμῖν.
τοῦ | Χριστοῦ ὃ " συνέχει ἡμᾶς, 15.