The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Corinthians — Section 176

lntcrmoclinte letter, I do not repent, though I of the world. Here sorrow for tlle loss, did repent; hotter, I do not regret it. Every o_r disappointment, or shame, or ruin, or one hna experienced the nnxiety which sickness caused by sin ; such as the fal&e hoe follo:wed the despatch of eome painful repentance of Cain, Saul, A hithophel, Judas, Jetter. If It does good, well; but perhaps etc. Death. More.I and spiritual death it may do harm. The severity we.a called always, and sometimes physical death and fur· it seemed o duty to write severely. always-unless it is followed by true repent- But how will the reliukll be received? Might ance-eternal death, which is the opposite we not have doce better if wo he.d used of salvation (Rom. v. 21). ]e.nguogo lees uncompromisingly stem? Ver. 11.-For behold, etc. The effects As St. Paul thought with intense anxiety produced by their repentance showe<l that tbot perhaps in his zenl for truth be may it we.a "according to God;" for it brought have irrevocably nliene.ted the feelings of forth in them "the fruits of good living to the Corinthians, whom, with e.11 their grave the hononr and glory of God." Carefulness· fe.ulte, he loved, a moment ea.me when he rather, earnedness, active endeavouT. Y~ actually regetted what he hnd written. He what. There is an untranslatable energy himself assures us tbe.t he had this feeling. about the original Greek. The same u~e Those who try all kinds of fantastic hypo- of oiMa (Latin, immo vero) in a climax is theses and tortuous exegesis to explain a.way found in 1 Cor. vi 11. Clearing of your- this phrase as though it were inconsistent selves ; literally, a'f)Ology, self-defence, ad- with St. Paul's inspiration, go to Scripture dressed to me through Titus. Indignation. to find there their own a priori dogmas, not Against themselves for their neglect. Fear, to seek what Scripture really says. The Of the measures which I might take, if I doctrine of inspiration is not the fetish into came to yon "with a rod" (1 Cor. iv. 21). which . it has been degraded ,by formal Vehement desire. Longing that I should systems of scholastic theology.. Inspiration return to yon (see ver. 7). ZeaL To make was not a mechanical dictation of words, up for past remissness. Revenge. Judicial but the influence of the Holy Ghost in the punishment of the iucestuous offender. The hearts of men who retained all their own " apology " and " indignation " referred to natural emotions. l!'or I perceiv&, etc: themselves· the "fear" and" yearnin"" to There are various we.ye of taking this clause. the apostle; the " zeal" and" judicial ;etri- Nothing, however, is simpler than to rege.rd bution" to the offender. In all things. His it as e. parenthetic reme.rk (for I see tbe.t summing np is, "In every respect ye ap- the.t Epistle, though it were but for e..time, proved yourselves to be pure in the matter!' saddened you). Though it were but for a Whatever may have been your previous season. (For t)le plire.se,. see Philem. 15 ; carelessness and connivance, the steps you Gal. ii. 5.) He means to say that their took on receiving my letter vindicated your grief will at any rate cease when they character. In this me.tter; rather, in the receive this letter, and he can •bear the matter. It is quite in accordance with St. thought of he.ving pained them when he Paul's nsual manner tbe.t "he speaks in- remembers the brevity of their grief and the defluitely , of what woe odious" (1 These. good effects which resulted from it. h-. 6). Ver. 9.-Not that ye wore made sorry. Ver. 12.-Wherefore, though I wrote unto They 'might have drawn this mistaken oon- you. " So then, even if I dld write you," olusion from his remark that he " rejoiced'', namely, about that matter. For bis oause whon he heard of their "lau;entation" that had done the wrong, etc. My object in (ver. .7). After a godly sort; literally, Wl'iting was not to mix myself up with the according to God; i.e. in a way which he personal quarrel. I had in view neither the would approve (Rom. viii. 27). In nothing. wronger nor the wronged, directly and pri- Not even when we rebuked you, and caused mnrily, but wrote for the sake of the whole you pain. . Church (1 Cor. v. 1, 2; vi. 7). Nor for his Yer. 10.-l!'or godly sorrow, eto. '' For oause that suJfered wrong. Apparently the the so11'0\V which is according to God father of the offender (1 Cor. v. 1), Our worketb out a repentance unto salvation oare for you, etc. Among the diversity of which bringeth no regret " Sin causes readings in this clause, which seem to be still regret, ,remorse, that sort of repentnnce further confused by mere mistakes of copyists, (melnmeleia) which is merely an unavailing the best supported reading is " your co.re for rebellion against the inevitablo consequences ,. us" (B, C,E, K,L, an<l various versions, etc.). of misdoing; but the sorrow of self-reproach The Sinai tic manuscript has "your care for whio4 follows true rope11tnuce ( metanoia, yourselves." The variations have partly chnp.ge of mind) is neyer followed by regret. risen from the apparent stre.ngeness of the Some tnko ",not to bo regretted" with remark that his letter had been written in "sal\'ntion," but it is a very unsuitnble order th!lt their care for him might be mani- adjeotive to that substantivo. The sorrow fested to tlwmselves ; in othor words, that  li2 THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS, Lo11. "ID, 1-16.