The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Corinthians — Section 40

~fter the tumult, a little earlier than be It was the loftiest parl of St. Paul's nature would naturo.lly have left it. He bad -his spirit-which was utterly incapacitated visited Troae in bis second missionary, from e:lfort by, the restle88ness of his journey (Acts xvi. 8-11), but had left 1t miserable uncertainty about the Corin tbian in consequence of the vision which called Church. The disclosure of such feelings him to Macedonia.· He now stopped there ought to have had a po'l"erful influence on on bis journey through Macedonia to Corinth, tbe C'orinthinns. We see from 1 Tbess. iii. which he had announced in 1 Cor. xvi. 5. 5, 9 that St. Pe.nl yeamecl for tidings of his •nd a door was opened unto me of .the converts with an intensity which can hardly Lord; literally, and a do!Yf' had been opened he realized by less fervent and self-devoted to me in the LoTd ; i.e. and I found: there natures. I found not Titus my brother. a marked opportunity (1 Cor. xvi. 9) for Not only "the brother," but" my brother;" work in Christ. Some commentat()ra, in the man whom in matters of tb.is kind that spirit of superfluous disquisition and I most trusted as an nffectionate and able idle letter-worship which is the bane of fellow-worker ( eh. vii. 6 ; viii. 6 : xii. 18). exegesis, here venture to discuss whether Titus, though not mentioned in the Acts, is St. Paul was justified in neglecting this the most prominent person in this Epistle, opportunity or not. Such discussions are and it is evident that St. Po.ul felt for him only originated by not observing character- a warm affection o.nd respect (eh. vii. 13, 15; istic modes of expression. St. Paul merely viii. 16, 17; 2 Tim. iv. 10). Ta.king my meo.ns" oircumsta.nces would otheTtoise have leave of them ; i.e. of the Christians in been very favouro.blo for my preaching of Troas. Tbo word for "taking leave" is Christ; but I wns in such a state of miser- also found in Mark vi. 46. Into Me.oedonia. able anxiety that I lacked the strength As ho he.d intended to do (1 Cor. xvi. 5; to avail myself of them." He was no more Acts u. 1). He had doubtless told Titus responaiblo for this state of mind, whioll to look out for him o.t Philippi, and expected belonged to his nature.I. temperament, than to meet him there on his wo.y to Troo.s. he would have been responsible for a serious Ver. 14.-Now thanks be unto God. The illness. To sn.y tho.t he ought to have had whole of this Epistle is the o.postle's strength of mind enough to get the mnstery .Apologia pro 'Vita sua, o.nd ie more full of over Ilia feelings is only to say tbo.t Po.ul persona.I deto.ils o.nd emotiono.l expressions ought not to ho.ve been Paul. The neglect tho.n o.ny other Epistle. But nothing iD it to use the opportunity wo.s o. "hindrance·" is more cbo.re.oteristic tho.n this sudden· out- which might in one sense be o.ssigned to burst of tbo.nksgiving into which be breo.ks God, and in o.nother to Satan. Moreover, so eo.gorly that he haa quite omitted to eay tho.t the opportunity was not wholly lost tollat it was for wMoh lie so earnestly tha11hed _appears from the fact that St. Po.ul found God. It is only when we come to eh. vii. 5, G a flourishing Christian community at Troas tbnt we learn the circumstance which gnvo when he visited it on his return from this him such intense relief, no.mely, the urrivo.l very journey (Acts u. 6, 7), o.nd thnt he of Titus with good news from Corinth a.bout sto.yed there e.t least once again, shortly the treatment of the offender o.nd the mo.n- before his martyrdom (2 Tim. iv. 13). ner in which the first letter ho.d been re- Indeed, it wo.s probably o.t Trons tbo.t his ceived. It is true tbo.t this good news final o.rrest took pince (see my ' Life of seems to hnvo been doshed by other re- St. Pnul,' ii. 569, 576). Of the Lord ; marks of 'l'itus which, perhnps, he withheld mther, in the Lord ; i.e. in the sphere of o.t first, o.nd which mny only ho.vo been Cluistinn work. dro.wn from him, o.lmost ngt1inst his will, Vo.-. 13.--I had; litero.lly, I haw had. by subsequent oonverso.tions. But, howevor Tho perfect vividly realizes the sceno chockercd, tho ma.in o.nd immediate iutelli- through which ho bud po.e,ed. I had no gcnco woe good, und the npostlo so vivi,lly rest. St. Po.ul ho.d evidently told Titus to recnlls his sudden uplifLing out of 11n nbys8 come from bis mission to Corinth nnd meet of o.nxicty ond troublo (eh. vii. 5) thnt tho him o.t Trol\B. But either St. Po.ul reached mere remombro.nco of it o.wnkons" tho.ukful- the town eo.rlier than ho intended, or Titus ncss to God which co.u ouly find vout by ho.d been delo.yed. Now, the apostle wos so immedio.te uttero.nce. Now tlianl,s be unto intensely oo.ger to know how his rebukes God. Tho order of the originnl is more ho.d been received-the no.me of" Corinth" forciblo, "But to God ho tho.nks." The rn- wo.s so deeply engro.von on his heart-he membro.nce of his own prostro.tion co.11~ into could so ill endure tbe thought of being his mind the power o.nd lovo of God. Wbioh on angry terms with converts which ho so always oauseth us to triumph; ro.ther, wlio deeply loved, that tbe non-o.ppeo.ro.nce of leadeth ua fa triumph. The vorb lhTfombeuo Titus filled him with devouring anxiety mny undoubtedly havo this muaning, on tho and rendered him incapo.blo of o.ny other nnnlogy of clwreuo, I causo to dunco, basilmw, work. In my spirit; rnther, lo m!J •pirit. I en use to reign, etc.; a.ml othor neutor verbs  THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORIN'l'llIANS. [on. u. 1-17.