The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Corinthians — Section 240

nnd tempto.tlons wore not tho guiding force surrace I" or, (3) "CrnHirlor tl1e JHlrsonnl of hie life. Wa do not war arter the flesh. 11spect of tho qucstiori." The Authorized His crtmp11ign8 (Luke iii. 14) wore fought Version is probably right (comp. John vii. with spiritual wea.pons. Tho metaphor is a 24). Il any man. Perhaps alluding to consta.11t ono with St. Paul (eh. ii. 14-16; some party ringleader. That he is Christ's. 1 Cor. ix. 26; Eph. vi. 10-17, eto.). • If a. me.n holds this in an exclusive BDd Ver. 4.-Weapons (seeioh, vi. 7; Rom. vi. partisan sense (1 Cor. i. 12). Some monn- 18). Not on.ma]. lie did not rely on the ecripts (D, E. F, G) read, "a. slove or moro "arm of flesh," Q1 on enrthly sword or Christ." Of himself. The t:rue rea.ding is panoply. Mighty through God; litemlly, probably l,p', not 4</>', but in either ea.so the powerful for, God; i.e. either (1) powerful for meaning ie, "by his own fair juclgrucnt." tho ea.use of God, or (2) powerful in hi8 Even so a.re we Chri3t's. In a t:rue an<l roo.l estimate. To the pulling down of atrong- sense, not by external knowledge o.nd con- holde. The word for " pulling down," nection (which he be.s already diBcla.ime<l) which implies the entire clearance of e.n but by inward union. This he procee,1 8 ~ obstacle, is only found in the New •.restament prove by the fa.et that he was the founrler of in this Epistle ( vers. 4, 8; eh. xiii. 10). The their Church (vers. 13-18); that ho had • word for " strongholds" is found here a.lone. always acted with absolute disinterested- These "fortresses" were' the opposition ness (eh. xi. 1-15); that he had lived a aroused by factious e.nd hostile partisans, life of toil and suffering ( eh. xi. 21-33), and he hoped to subdue them by the strong 11.nd that he bad received special revelations exercise of apostolic authority (1 Cor. iv. 21 ; from God (eh. xii. 1-6). v. 1-5). Dean Stanley suggests a remi- Vera. S-11.-.Assertion of his intentions. niscence of the hundred e.nd twenty Cilician Ver. 8.-Should boa.st. In this section fortresses pull~d down by Pompey; but I St. P11ul is thoroughly haunted by this word. think that· these general allusions are often· The fact that a word could thus possess and pressed too far. dominate over his style and imaginatiou • Ver. 5.-:---Cilsting down. This agrees with shows how deeply he was moved. The I' we" understood, not with " weapons." Im- Corinthian Church, with its inflated fac- aginations; rather, disputations, or reason- tions e.nd their fuglemen, reeked with boast- ings. Every higl;l thing thBt exalteth itself; ing, and St. Paul is driven, with utter rather, every height that is exalted. Ag!linst distaste, to adopt in self-defence language the knowledge of God (eee 1 Cor. xv. 34). which, to the uncandid and indiscriminat- Th~re,'however, we have passive ignorance, ing, might seem to wear the same aspect. here it.ctive opposition. Bringing into oap- The word, which is nnfrequent in other tivity. When the fortresses are razed, their Epistles, occurs eighteen times in these defen~ers .will be taken prisoners, but for a chapters alone. Other haunting- words are beneficent end.: Every thought. Even in- "tolerate," "bear with" (eh. xi. l, 4, 19, te1lootual result. The word (noema) is not 20), and'' senseless,"" fool" (eh. xi.16. 19; common in the New Testa.merit. ·'It occurs xii. 6, 11); see note on eh. i 3. Somewhat ~ve times in th_li! E:i:iistle (eh. ii. ,11: iii. I~; more; scnnething mure abundantly. For 1v.·4:·x. 5; n;· 8), but.elsewhere only m edification, e.nd n6t for your destruotion ; Phil. iv. 7. for building you up, not pulling you dou:-n. _V,,r. 6;~Being in.a reaclinese; i.e. being The word kathairesin is from the so.me root quit.e prepal'ed. My sternness of purpose is as the verb in ver. 5. I should not be ready;' but my hope is that it may not be ashamed; rather, I shall not be ashamerl. called_ into action. To revenge; rather, to do No shame shall ever accrue to me from justice upon. In any case, in this infliction my "boast" being proved false. of justice, whatever form it might take, he Ver. 9.-By letters ; rather, by the letters. would only be Bn agent of God (Rom. xii. He had certainly addressed two letters to 10). When your obedience is fulfilled. St. them (l Cor. v. 9). P11ul is confident that he will overcome the Ver. 10.-Say they; literally, Bays he. milzes-ofthose opposed to him, and· win them The phrase may, indeed, imply ·• it is said" to Christ's obedience; but if thel'0 we1·e (Illy (on dit); but it may refer to one main critic who. should obstinately refuse to, s_ubmit, aud opponent (comp. vers. 7, 11). Perhaps t'hey must be reduced to submission by it would have been wiser and kinder if action, not by words. no one bad reported to St. Paul all these Ver. 7 .-Do ye look on things after the out- subterranean calumnies and innuendoes. ward appeare.noe 1 Lilrn ma.ny ole.uses in Weighty and strong. This could not be this section, the words a.re capable of dif- denied, considering the immense effect whic\1 ferent interpretntimrn. '!'hey might menn, had been produced by his first letter (rh. (I) !ls in the Authorized Version," Do you vii. 7). His bodily presence is weak. This judge by mero externals?" or, (2) "You juuge by things which merely lio on the I is usually taken to meu,n that St. Paul's persont\l appearnnce wns unprcposc;essin;;  2JO THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE COHlNTIIIANS. Lc11. x. 1-18.