103
13. ot} γὰρ ' τοιοῦτοι * ψευδαπόστολοι, ἶ Ref. 11. 6.
k Here only.
ἐργάται * δόλιοι, μετασχηματιζόµενοι εἰς ἀποστόλους Χριστοῦ: 14. 11 Cor. iv.
καὶ οὐ θαυμαστόν 3: αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ ™ Σατανᾶς μετασχηματίζεται εἰς ὃ
6; Phil. iii. 21; 4 Macc. ix.
ἄγγελον φωτός; 15. οὐ μέγα οὖν εἰ καὶ οἱ διάκονοι αὐτοῦ µετα- 22
τα Reff. ii.
σχηματίζονται ὡς διάκονοι δικαιοσύνης, ὧν τὸ τέλος ἔσται ὃ κατὰ τὰ τι.
1G has ου yap for ot yap and omits ets before αποστ. 2 DbcEKLM support θαυμαστον ; better θαυμα (Rev. xvii. 6 only) with SBD*GPR
17.
5 D*, ἆ, 6, m give ws αγγελος for εις αγγ.
* D*, d, e, πι and the Peshitto omit ουν,
I may cut off the occasion (τὴν ἄφορμ.» the definite opportunity for attack which my opponents desire) from those who desire occasion that in the matter of their boast, sc., that as of Apostolic rank free maintenance was their rightful due, they may be found even as we, {.6., they desire that I and they may be on equal terms so far as the taking of money is concerned. It is better to regard the second iva, not as in apposition with the first, but as dependent on θελ. ἄφορμ. and as express- ing the desire of St. Paul’s opponents, not his own. The situation seems to have been as follows: St. Paul held that the ‘labourer is worthy of his hire” (Luke x. 7, 1 Tim. v. 18), and in 1 Cor. ix. 11-13 he gives a clear exposition of the principle as applied to preachers of the Gospel. On these grounds he more than once (Phil. iv. 15, 16) accepted money from the generous Church of Philippi. But it was not his usual prac- tice. He reminds the Thessalonians (1 Thess. ii. 9) that when with them he had worked for his living. So too he did at Corinth (Acts xviii. 2), any help he then accepted coming from Macedonia (chap. xi. g); and he did the same at Ephesus (Acts xx. 34). Now his Corinthian oppo- nents were very ready to take money for their teaching (x Cor. ix. 12) ; indeed they prided themselves on doing so, as it was the privilege of ‘‘apostles”’. This deter- mined St. Paul that it should never be truly said of him that he was a hireling teacher, and so he was especially careful at Corinth (1 Cor. ix. 15-19) to avoid even the appearance of grasping after money (cf. Gen. xiv. 23). This honourable in- dependence, however, created a difficulty in two directions. On the one hand, it gave his opponents a handle for saying that he was not really of Apostolic rank, inasmuch as he dared not claim Apostolic privilege ; and, on the other hand, it hurt the feelings of his Corinthian friends that
5 D*, ἆ, e, πι have εστιν for εσται.
he should refuse maintenance at their hands. His reply is contained in vv. 7-12 of this chapter. And the point of ver. 12 is that his action is necessary, for if he were to take money as his opponents did, it would speedily be made a matter of cavil, and would tend to bring him down to their level (see also xii. 14).
Ver. 13. ot γὰρ τοιοῦτοι κ.τ.λ.: for such men (this explains the ground of his determination in ver. 12 not to give opportunity for cavil) ave false apostles (cf. Rev. il. 2. This speedy appearance of false teachers was one of the most remarkable features of the Apostolic age; cf. Galo) 4: ΕΠΗ. 1. σε iit. 15; Lite i, 10, 2 Pet. ii. 1, 1 John iv. 1), crafty workers (cf. Phil. iii. 2), fashioning them- selves into Apostles of Christ, {.ε., laying special claim to that great title (cf. chap. Χ. 7). μετασχηματίζειν τι is to change the outward appearance (σχῆμα) of a thing, the thing itself in essence (μορφή) remaining unchanged (see reff.).