The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Corinthians — Section 182

80rrow and eonsolation, The rendering of ver, 2, Revised Version, ls full of vigour, "Open your hearts to ua: we wronged no man, we corrupted no man, we took advan~ tn~, of no man." Room in their hearts for whom? Room for him who bad violated no rights, led no _one astray, acted fraudulently in nothing towards any person, so that be challenges theu- confidence to the full. But bad he not done this before, and that very earnestly? Had he not done it again and again? Yes ; but his enemies had their head-quarters at Corinth; they were untiring, ever inventina new scandals ever increasing in zealotry, for his overthrow, Now, it is a matter of iI~terest to under;tand St. Paul's motive in this frequent and vehement defence of himself. From the outset his position had been singular. Not one of the original twelve who had" companied" with the Lord Jesus, a converted persecutor and blasphemer, an apostle oalled to an exceptional apostleship, and placed in the forefront of that battle which was to liberate Christianity from Jewish thraldom, and preserve it from Gentile corruptions. It wa~ inevitable that the man and the apostle should be subjected to a most critical and severe inquisition. Yet how wonderfully was this overruled I Only tbiuk of the 11piritv.aJ, biography that has grown out of this painful necessity of his attitude before the Church. Somewhat of this kind of writing we have in the Old Testament, par~ ticularly in the Book of Job, in the Psalms, and in Ecclesiastes, but nothing as to depth, variety, profundity, compass of experience, such as we have in St. Paul's Epistles. In the latter we see the Christian consciousness in its early realizations, and that too in all its important aspects. For what is there in the struggles of the "new creature" with the "old Adam"? What is there in outwani conflict we have not here in exactness of detail? No :finer illustration of this could be given than the Second Epistle to the Corinthians. Was he simply giving his spiritual history? Nay, indeed, but writing a. typical biography of the human heart under the training of the Holy Ghost. This is its distinctive merit-the portraiture of the human soul forming and shaping in the image of Christ for eternal glory. Such a mirror was needed. Of what avail a standard of doctrine without a standard of experience? Of what utility a.. knowledge of duties, and yet entire ignorance of the legitimate results of precepts carried into practice? From his pen we have Christianity ,as a system of truths; from the same pen, Christianity in personal consciousness; and the two a.re. so wrought, together and interhlended, that we a.re no more at a loss to understand what Christianity is as an inspiration of life than a revelation of Divine wisdom. Follow the man in this chapter. Do you admire manly boldness? There it is in that second verse. Are you touched by delicacy and tenderness? You have them in the third verse: "I .say it not to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye a.re in our hearts to, die together and live together." ls this commonplace sentiment 1 Is this the language, the air, the spirit of a. persecuted hero of the world ? Match it if you can. " To die together and live together "-this would be poetry, if it were not that rarer thing, the most impassioned and exalted prose. " In our hearts;" there they abide to die and live together. If .he had written to them, it was not to condemn, but to save them, Inclined to :find fault and harshly criminate? Far from him a censorious temper. "Great is my boldness of speech towards you;" and why bold? "Great is my glorying on your behalf;" and why glory? 'l'he glad spirit, free once more from its oppressive burden, cannot repress its exultation. "My boldness," " my glorying;" just before "we" and "ua" and "our," the personal intensity bursting forth. "I am :filled with comfort, I overflow with joy in all our affiiction." Such a heart authenticates itself illilta.ntly to our confidence and love. 'l'o doubt its truthfulness would be treachery to our own instincts. We all love a fervent lover. However cold and constrained our tempera.went, there is something divinely contagious in a spirit like St. Paul's; and, for the sake of humanity, "great n is our "glorying" on his "behalf." If, then, we find him in the next verses (5-7) referring to hie individual solicitudes, we may be sure that this .has its place in the development of Christian doctrine, going on ill the history of the Church. Instead of being an insight into the private heart of the apostle only, it ii likewise a most trustworthy record ofreljgious experience, to which we may come for instruction and help when burdened by cares.and anxieties. U1;1able to remain in Troa.s, because of his deep concern to hear from Corinth, he passed into M.&cedonia; but there was no relief from the pressure. "\Ve were troubled on every 11ide," Hi.ii whole nature 11harcd the 1111lferi.nit of tLe mind, hid "tksh had uo rest," anu 011, vn. 1-16,] 'fHE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 179