Ver. 9. καὶ εἴρηκέ μοι κ.τ.λ.: and He hath said (note the perf. as expressing the abiding validity of the Divine pro- mise; so often in quotations from the Ο.Τ., e.g., Acts xiii. 34, Heb. iv. 4, x. 9) to me, ‘‘My grace is sufficient for thee (cf. Isa. xliii. 2), for My power is being made perfect (τελεῖσθαι is found here only; the tense indicates a continuous fact in St. Paul’s life) in weakness”, So it is said of Christ that He was “ made perfect through sufferings "’ (Heb. ii. το);
112
υ Reff. ν. 8. ν Reff. xi.
ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ ἡ δύναμις τοῦ Χριστοῦ.
το. διὸ " εὐδοκῶ ἐν " ἀσθενείαις, ἐν
w ἔξει νι, ὕβρεσιν, ἐν “ ἀνάγκαις, ἐν 3 διωγμοῖς, év? " στενοχωρίαις, ὑπὲρ
x Acts xiii, Χριστοῦ: ὅταν γὰρ ᾿ ἀσθενῶ, τότε δυνατός εἰμι.
50; Rom.
11. Γέγονα "ἄφρων
vill. 351 2 καυχώμενος 3. ὑμεῖς µε ἠναγκάσατε. ἐγὼ γὰρ ὥφειλον ὑφ ὑμῶν «13 Τΐπ, " συνίστασθαι - οὐδὲν γὰρ ὁ " ὑστέρησα τῶν " ὑπὲρ λίαν " ἀποστόλων,
iii. 11. y Reff. xi. εἰ καὶ οὐδέν εἰμι. 41. z Reff. xi. Ὁ Ref. xi. 5.
10. a Ref. iii. 1. ς Reff. iv. 17.
1 A om. εν διωγμοις.
12. Τὰ μὲν σημεῖα τοῦ ἀποστόλου "κατειργάσθη ° ἐν ὑμῖν ἐν ᾿ πάσῃ d Reff. viii. 7.
2 SycDEGKLP support ev στεν.; better και orev. with Ν Β.
3 LP and the Syriac vss. support the explanatory gloss κανχωµενος after αφρ. om. NABDEGK, the Latin and Egyptian vss.
4 B ins. τι after γαρ (W.H. place it in their margin); G has ov yap. 5 SAB°KL support κατειργασθη ; B*DEG have κατηργασθε.
and of the power which He communicates from Himself the same law holds good. Cf. Isa. xl. 20-31.---ἥδιστα οὖν κ.τ.λ.: most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses (sc., rather than that they should be removed), that the power of Christ (see on vi. 7 and reff. there) may rest upon me, lit., ‘may spread a tabernacle over me”, The image is that of the Shechinah or σκηνή, the glory which was the symbol of the Divine presence in the Holy of Holies, descending upon the faithful (cf. John i. 14, Rev. vii. 15, xxi. 3). The two renderings (“ strength” and “ power "’) of δύναμις in the A.V. of this verse are preserved (although inter- changed) in the R.V. by a curious in- advertence on the part of the Revisers, who are generally scrupulous even to pedantry in maintaining uniformity in such matters.
Ver. 10. διὸ εὐδοκῶ κ.τ.λ.; wherefore I am well content in (for εὐδοκεῖν ἐν cf. 2 Sam. xxii. 20, Matt. iii. 17, 1 Cor. x. 5) weaknesses, in insults (ὕβρις is used for ‘“‘injury’’ to a ship in Acts xxvii. το, 21; it does not occur elsewhere in N.T.; but cf. ὑβρίζειν, Acts xiv. 5, 1 Thess. ii. 2), in necessities, in persecutions and dis- tresses, for Christ's sake (cf. Matt. v. 11); for whenever I am weak, then am I strong. Wetstein compares Philo’s τὸ ἀσθενὲς ὑμῶν δύναμίς ἐστι (Vit. Mos., i., § 13). St. Paul’s words are more than a verbal paradox: they express the fact, to which history abundantly testifies, that the world’s throne is the Cross.
Vv. 11-13. THE FOREGOING TESTI- MONY TO HIS CLAIMS OUGHT TO HAVE COME FROM THE CORINTHIANS WHO WITNESSED HIS APOSTOLIC LABOURs.
—Ver. 11. va ἄφρων ὑμεῖς κ.τ.λ. : I am become foolish, sc., boasting thus: ye compelled me, t.¢., it was your doing ; Jor I ought to have been commended by you (cf. iii. 1, 1 Cor. ix. 1), #.¢., you should not have left it to me to speak my own praises: for in nothing was I behind the superfine Apostles, whom you trust so readily, although I am nothing, sc., in God's eyes (cf. John viii. 54, 1 Cor. iii, 7). Of the Apostles properly so called, St. Paul cals himself ὁ ἐλάχιστος (1 Cor. xv. 9); but he will not admit for a moment the superiority of the Corinthian Judaisers. hie λ.