The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Corinthians — Section 58

Ver. 1.-Do we begin age.in to oommend abused by idle, restless, and intriguing ourselves l The last verse of the last cho.p- persons, who h~vo never found it very diffi- ter might be seized upon by St. Paul's cult to procure them. We find traces of opponents to renew their charge-that he their lwnut use by Phc:ebe, by Silas anti we.e o.lwe.ys praising himself. He antici- Jude, by Apollos, by Mark, and by Zenas, pates the malignant e.ud meaning smiles in Rom. xvi. 1; Acts xviii. 27; xv. 25, with which they would hear such words. Col. iv. 10; 'ritus iii. 13; o.nd of their unfair The word "age.in" implies that this cho.rge use by certain Judaist.s, in Gal. i. 7 and ii.12. had already been brought age.inst him, per- Nothing can more forcibly illustrato the ne- ho.ps in consequence of such pe.sso.ges as cessity for SL Po.ul's protest a~ainst the idle 1 Cor. ii. 16; iii. 10; iv. 11-14; ix. 15- vnunt of possessing such letters, than the 23; xiv. 18, etc. Such passages might be fact that, more than a century ufter1cards, we called self-faude.tory and egotistical, were fiud malignant innurndoes aimed at St. it not that (e.s St. Paul here explains) they Paul in the pseudo-Clemeotines, under the a.rose only from e. sense of the grandeur of name of" the enemy" and " Simon l\Iagua" hie office, of which he was the almost in- nnd "e. deceiver." He is there spoken of voluntary agent, used by God as it seemed o.s using letters from the high priest (which, beet to him. Hence he says later on (eh. indeed, St. Po.ul had done as Saul of Tarsus, vii. 18) tbat self-praise ie no commendo.tion, Aots ix. 1, 2); and the Churches o.re warned and that the true test of e. man is God's never to receive o.ny one who can not bring commendation. The verb " I commend," credentials from Jo.mes: so deep-rooted technically used in the same sense e.e our o.moog the J udaista wo.s the antagonism to "commendatory letters," occUIB also in Rom. the independent npostolo.te and do.ring xvi. 1. Or need we, etc.? The ree.diug, l) ,..t,, originality of the apostle of the Gentiles I thus translated, ie better supported tban Dr. Plumptre quotes Sozomen (' H. E.', tl ,..t,, unleaa, which would have e. somewhat v. 16) for the curious fact that the Emperor ironical force. The ,..t, in the reading 1) ,..t, Julian tried to introduce the system of implies, "Can you possibly think that we "oommendatory letters" into hie revived need," etc.? Generally, when e. stranger paganism. Or letters of oommendation from came to some Church to whioh he was not you. The substitution of " leUere" for personally known, he carried with him "epistles" is an instance of the almost some credeotie.ls in the form of letters from childish fondness for unaeceaso.ry synonyms, accredited o.uthorities. St. Paul treo.ta it whioh is one of the defects of the Autho- as absurd to suppose that he or Timothy rized Version. The truo reading probo.bly is should need snch letters, either from the "to you or from you" (t-:, A, D, C). 'l'he word Corinthians or to them. As some. He will "commendatory" (sustatikiin) is omitted not name them, but he refers to the J udaista, in A, B, C. Or from you. It wo.e worse who vaunted of their credentials in order than absurd to suppose that St. Paul should to dispnmgo St. Paul, who was too great to need those liurre forrnatre to a Church of need an<l too independent to use them. which he was the founder; nod nothing hut We can ho.rdly, perhaps, realize the depth the boundless "inflation" which chumc- and bitterness of antagonism ooncee.led terized the Corinthians could have led thom undor that word "some" in 1 Cor. iv. 18; to iwngino that ho needed letters froin them Gal. i. 7 ; ii. 12. It is not meant that there to other Clrnrohee, as though, forsooth, thuy wo.s anything discreditable in using such were the primary Church or the only lottel'I! (for Apollos had used them, Aots church (1 Cor. xiv. 36). xviii. 27), but the disgraceful thing wos Ver. 2.-Ye are our epistle. Thoir very that St. Paul should be diepo.raged for not existeoco as a Church wns tho moat nbsoluto bringing them. Epistles of oommendation. "commendatory letter" of St. l'1lul, both The phrase, l1r,11To>.al 11uo--ra-r11tal-" introduc- from them and to thorn (comp. 1 Cor. ix. 2, tory letters "-was familiar in Inter Greek. "The seal of mine apoetlcsl,ip ure ye in tho In days when there wero few public hostels, Lord"). Written in our hearts. 'fho ex- and when it wo.s both o. duty o.nd n. necessity pression hae no connection with tho fact for email o.ncl pcr3ecuted communities like that the high priest boro tbo unme• of thoso of the Jews o.nd Christians to practise Isruel graven on the jewelled Urim, which hospitality (Rom. xii. 13; Heb. xiii. 2, etc.), ho woro upon his breu!I, St. Paul 11101111a it was ouetomo.ry both for synagogues o.nd that others may bring their "lottore of com- Ohurches to provide their friends and emis- mendation" in their hands. Ili8 lettor of saries with authentic testimonials. Other- commendation is tho very namo and exist- wiso they might have been deceived by ence of the Church of Corinth written on wandering impostors, as, in fact, the Chris- hie heart. Known and read of all men. tia.us wore duceived by the vagabond quack Tho metaphor is subordirmtcd to tho fact. Peregrinus. Wo co.n easily see how the All men uioy recognize tho autogro.ph, nnd custom of using such letters might be in it were rend the lliatory of the Corinthiun SS 'fHE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE C0RIN'l'HIANS. [en. m. 1-18.