The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Corinthians — Section 171

Ver. 12.- Wiiere are men straitened, The apostle, in an intense outburst of feelinO' had just said," 0 ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged!: He was referring to that opening of his ministry, and disclosure of his love for them which filled the previous part of the chapter. And so he is led to ask from them ~ worthy response. He would have his love quicken love. He wanted it to break down the barriers and enmities and prejudices which were so sadly limiting the confidence of the Corinthians in St. .PauL So he pleads with them," Ye are not straitened in us ; " there is no limit of our love to you; "but ye are straitened in your own bowels,'' your own affections, which are sadly kept in bondage by your passions and. prejudices and antipathies; by misrepresentations of me and my doings, and the influence of unworthy teachers. Then he urges them to break the bonds, to. be enlarged, and to let their hearts express the love they feel. What they needed in their spiritual life was breadth and expansiveness of affection, There is suggested by the apostle's words a series of contrasts between- L THE: tll!ITED IDEAS AND AFFECTIONS OF MEN. Who are straitened by ignorance, imperfect character, prejudice, false sentiments, readiness to misjudge and to imp:ut.e bad motive, etc. II. THE BROAD IDEAB .il,"I) AFFECTIONS OF Al'OSTLEB. Who see in men -souls .to be redeemed nnto God, and, labonring for men's spiritual and eternal well-being, can rise above the smaller occasions of difference and separation. , ill. THE SUJILIME IDEAS AND AFFECTIONS OF Gon IN CmusT.. W!Jo would have,,a,ll men saved; who loved the world; whose love found expression in self-sacrifice; and whose invitations now are sent to whosoever will. No man is straitened in God. "When my father and mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up." In,his.heart and home there "yet is room.'' Men are straitened, limited, in themselves, not in God, not in the gospel, not in Christian teachers. They forge, and fix on, their own bondages.-R. T. Ver. 14.-0hristian friendships. The Bible would not be 11. complete book, ·ade- quately representing all phases of human life and experience and associations; if it contained no instance of close, personal, sacrificing friendship. Ilut we have the very beautiful illustrative case of David and Jonathan. Christianity would not meet us at every point of our need if it had not something to say about the choices, the changes, and the claims of friendship. I. ON THE CHOICES OF FRIENDSHIP. Our friendships are not always gained by choice ; they are sometimes determined by outward circumstances; sometimes by felt affinities; and sometimes they are started by some impressive or generous deed, But friendship ought always to be put to the decision of our will, seeing that it bears so directly_ on our character and on our life. It sounds chilling to the freshness and warmth of our love to say that we mUBt de,eicle who is to be our friend, and put into careful considera- tion the qualities and habits and probable influence upon us of the person towards whom we are drawn. Yet, surely, as we would not trust our property to a man whom we did not know, or ":>ur child to an education that we had not carefully selected for ~im, so we would not give our hearts to ooe whom we were not sure that we might Oil. vr. 1-18,J THE SEOOND EPISTLE TO THE CORIN'l'HIANS. 167