The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Corinthians — Section 151

:By the armour of righteoUBnellB, Here firat logy, but an amazing and new ohari,m the preposition "in" (t!v) is ohanged for granted to the world, may be seen tn the •• through," "by mee.ns of" (5u\). I.Arnwur; Episf.le to the Philippians. It was written rather, arms. On the right hand and on when St. Paul was old, poor, deserted, i,;n- the left. That is, both by offensive weapons prisoned, in danger of immediate dea'11, and a defensive panoply (eh. x. ! ; Eph. vi. and apparently in the lowest deeps of !ar- ll-17; l Thess. v. S). ea.ken sorrow ; yet the spontaneous key-note Yer. S.-l3y honour and dishonour; rather, of the whole Epistle is, "I rejoice; rejoice by glory and dishonour. There is no need ye" (Phil. iv. 6, 12), As poor. The word to change here the meaning of 5,a, "by means even '' paupers," e.11d describes a very means of," to "throug-h," i.e. "amid." literal fact. St. Paul, for Christ's sau:e, had The honour and dishonour are alike moons suffered "the loss of all tb.ings" (Phil. iii. which contribute to the oommendation of 8). Yet ma.king many rich. Not by getting the ministry. Of our Lord some said, "He collections for them (which would be a. is a deceiver," while others so.id, "He is a most unworthv antithesis, though it is good man" (John vii. 12); and the dispraise strangely accepted by Chrysostom e.ud of some is the highest praise (Matt. v. 11). others); but "by imparting to them the Compare with the whole passage 1 Cor. iv. true riches, in the form of spiritue.l gifts, 9-13, where we see that "abuse," "in- and the t.eaching of the gospel " ( comp. sult," and "slander," oonstituted no small J as. ii. 5). Possessing ,ill things ; rather, part of the apostle's daily trial. l3y evil WI having nothing, and fully having all th,ings. report and good report. The beatitude of The verb means "possessing all things to malediction (Luke vi 22; 1 Pet. iv.14). St. the full." For "all things are ours "(1 Cor, Paul had deliberately abandoned the desire iii. 21, 22). to win the suffrages of men at the cost of Vers. 11-18.-.A.n appeal to the Corin- undesirable oonccssions (Gal. i. l 0). Aa thians to reciprocate hia love for them, and deceivel'II. The Jewa called Christ "a separate .thll'TTUlelves from evil. deceiver" (mei;ith, i.e. a deliberate and mis- Ver. 11.-Corinthians! Aro.re aud very leading impostor), Matt. xxvii. 63; John vii. persone.l form of loving appeal, which occurs 12. This is an illustration of the " evil nowhere else in these Epistles (comp. Phil. report,'' and in the Clementine homilies, a iv. 15). Our month ;s open to you. St. century later, St. Paul, under the disgraceful Paul bes evidently been writing in a mood pseudonym of "Simon Magus," is still de- of inspired eloquence. The fervour of hie famed as a deceiver. And yet true. There feelings bes found vent in an unusual flow is no "yet" in the original, o.nd its omission of beautiful and forcible le.nguage. He gives more force to these eloquent and im- appeals to the unreserved freedom with passioned contrasts. which he has written as a reason why they Ver. 9.-Aa unknown; literally, as being should treat him with the same frank love. ignored; tu those whom no one caru to re- Our -heart is enlarged. After writing the cognize. And yet well known. " And be- foregoing majestic e.ppee.l, he felt that he caming fully recognized." "Recognized" had dishurdened his heart, e.nd as it were by God (1 Cor. xiii. 12), and ultimately by me.de room in it to receive the Corinthi11.ns all good men (eh. xi. 6), though they might unreservedly, in spite of all the wrongs be contemptuously ignored by men. Aa which some of them he.d done him (comp. dying (eh. i. 9; iv. 10, 11). l3ehold. The eh. vii. 3, 27). On the antithesis of the word calls attention to what seemed like a mouth 11.nd the heart, see M11.tt. xii. 34; daily miracle. The paradox of the Greek Rom.x. 10, tragedian- Ver. 12.-Ye are not straitened in us. " Who knows if life be death, and death be Any narrowing of the sympathy or straining life?" of the relations between us does not rise in any way from me. (For the sverb, see eh.' iv. which seemed so snpremely amusing to 8.) Ye are straitened in your own bowels; Aristophanes and the wits of Athens, became rather, in your oum hearts. .Any tightelling a familiar fact to the early Clirutians (Rom. or pressure of the feelinis whiph should viii. 36; l Car. xv. 31; Eph. ii. 5, 6; Col. exist between us rises solely from your own ii. 13, etc.). Aa oh.a.atened. The daily Divine hearts. Enlarge and open them, as .I ho.v·o. education of suffering (Ps. cxvili. 18). done, and we shall once more love each Vtr. 10.-Aa sorrowfnl, yet alway re- other aright. The verb has alree.dy occurred joicing. The early Christians always insist in eh. iv. 8 (''distressed"). Your own on" joy" w; one of the fruits of the Spirit bowels. It is to be regretted that the (comp. Mutt. v. 10-12), and especially joy Authorized Version e.dopted the meo.niugles! in the micldt of grief and anguish (Rom. v. e.nd often rather incongruous won! "bo'wcls" 3; :..iv.17; l T!Jess. v.16, "Rejoice always"). for the Greek word ,r,rll.d."fxva used in its The best proof that this was 10 mere phrasoo- Hebraic scn~c of " feelings," " 11ff'ections" cs. VI, 1-18.J '!'HE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTH1A.J.'1S. 147