The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Corinthians — Section 264

Je11!0118}'; literally, with a jeawusy of God. it was I who first preache<l .Jesus to you, My jeo.lousy is not the poor eo.rthly vice and from me you first received the Spirit. (Numb. v.14; Ecclus, ix. I), but e. heavenly V~r. 5.---:-J!'~r. It cannot be that yon zee.l of love. For l he.vu espollSed you; rece1v_ed this uval teacher a.s being so much ro.thor, for I betrothed you; at your con- s~penor to n:i-e; jlYI', etc. I 111ppoee. Again, version. I aoted as the po.re.nymph, or hke the Latin censeo or opi110T, with v. touch "bridegroom's friend" (John iii. 2!l), in of irony. I was not a whit behind; in nr, bringing you to Christ, the Bridegroom. respect ha'IJe I come short of. The very 'l'he mete.phor is found alike in the Old and ohiefest apostles. The word used by St. New 'l'estnments (Isa. liv. 5; Ezek. xxiii.; Paul for "very chiefest" is one whkh, in Hos. ii. 19; Eph. v. 25-27). To one its strangeness, marks the vehemence of husbe.nd (Jer. iii. 1; Ezek. xvi. 15). Our his emotion. It involves au indignant sensa Lord used an analogous metaphor in the that he had been most disparagingly com- p11rable of the king's wedding feast, the pared with other apostles, a.s though he virgins, etc. That I may present you. The were hardly a genuine apostle at all. Yet same word as in eh. iv. 14. The conversion he reckons himself to have done as much. of the Church was its betrotho.l to Christ, as the" above-exceedingly" -or, as it might brought about by St. Paul as the pare.- be expressed, the "out-and-out," "extra- nymph; and, in the same cape.city, at the super," or" super-apostolic," apostles. There final marriage feast, he would present their is here no reflection whatever on the twelve; Church as a pure bride to Christ at his he merely means that, even if any with coming (Rev. xix. 7-9). whom he was unfavourably contrasted were Ver. 3.-I fear, Even now he would '' apostles ten times over," he can claim only contemplate their defection as a future to be in the front rank with them. This dread, not as a present catastrophe. Lest is no more than he has said with the utmost by any means ; lest haply ( eh. ii. 7 ; ix. 4). earnestness in 1 Cor. xv. 10; Gal. ii. 6. As the &erpent beguiled Eve. St. Paul There is no self-assertion here; but, in con- merely touches on the central moral fact sequence of the evil done by his detractors, of the temptation and the Fall (Gen. iii. St. Paul, with an utter sense of distaste, is 1-6). He enters into no speculation about forced to say the simple truth. the symbols, though, doubtless, like St. John Ver. 6.-Bude in speeoh; literally, a laio (Rev. xii. 9; xx. 2), he would have identified in diaoourse; see eh. x. 10 and 1 Cor. ii. 13 ; the serpent with Satan (comp. eh. ii. 11 and and, for the word idiotes, a private person, Wisd. ii. 23). Through his subtlety. The and so" one who is untrained," as contr:i.sted word means "crafty wickedness." It is used with a professor, see the only other places in eh. xii. 16, and is found in oh. iv. 2; where it occurs in the New Testament Luke xx. 23. Your minds; literally, your (Acts iv. 13; 1 Oor. xiv. 16, 23, 24). St. thoughts (eh. ii. 11). Should be oorrupted Paul did not profess to have the trained (comp. Col. ii. 4-8; 1 Tim. iv. 1). The oratorical skill of Apollos. His eloquence, si.mplioity. The apostles always insisted dependent on conviction and emotion, fol- on this virtue, but especially St. Paul, in lowed none of the rules of art. Yet not in whose Epistles the word (a.,r;\.on1s) occurs knowledge. Spiritual knowledge WCIS a seven times. That is in Christ; rather, that primary requisite of an apostle, and St. is towards (literally, into) Christ; as Cranmer Paul did claim to possess this (Eph. iii. rendered it, "The perfect fidelity which 3, 4). We have been thoroughly made looks to him above." manifest among you in eJl things. This Ver. 4.-He that oometh. Apparently would be an appeM to the transparent open- e.n allusion to some recent and rival teacher. ness and sincerity of all his dealings, as Another JesllS. The intruder preaches, not in eh. iv. 20 and xii. 12; but the best reo.ding a different Jesus (iinpov) or a ditl"orent gospel seems to be the active participle, phane- (comp. Gal. i. G-8), but ostensibly the riisantes (~, B, F, G), not the passive, phane- so.me Jesus whom St. Po.ul ho.d preached. rothenlea. The rendering will then be, J,. Another spirit . . , another gospel; 1·ather, everything making ii (my knowledge) mani- a different spirit (enpov) . . . a different fest among all men towards you. gospel. The Jesus preached was the same; Ver. 7.-Have 11 literally,orha'IJe n An the gospel accepted, the Spirit received, were ironical exception to his ~auifestation of supposed to remaia uav.ltercd. Ye might knowledae;0 •• unless you thmk that I com- well bear with him. This is not without Cl mitted a sin in refusing to accept waiuten- touch of irony. You are t:111 set t:1gainst ance at your hands." It is clear that oven me ; and yet the new-comer does not profess this noble generosity had been made the to preach to you aaother Jesus, or impozt ground for a charge ag,iiust the o.postle. Cl <liITerent Spirit I Hv.d he done so, you "If ho had not been conscious," they sai,l, might ho.ve ho.cl some excuse (,cai\ws) for "that he has no real claims, he would uot  264 THE SEOOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [oH. xr. 1-33.