Vers. 5-12.-The highest 'knowledge and the noblest generosity. "For I suppose I was not a. whit behind the very chiefest apostles. But though I be rude in speech, ytt not in knowledge; but we have been thoroughly ma.de manifest among you in all things. Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalter!, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely? I robbed other Churches, taking wages of them, to do you service. And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia. supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself. As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia. Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth. But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we." Few things in human life are more distasteful than egotism or vanity. There are those in society whose chief delight is to parade their own imaginary merits and distinctions. We are wrong, however, if we regard the man who sometimes speaks about himself as an egotist. When a man is denied virtues which he knows he possesses, and charged with faults of which his conscience tells him he is not guilty, he is bound by the laws of his nature to stand up in self-defence. Every man is justified in fighting for his moral reputation, which is to him more precious than gold, and dear to him as life itself. This is just what Paul does here and in many other places in his letters to the Corinthians. He bad sland6l'ers at Corinth. Here he says, "For I suppose [reckon] I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles." 'l'wo facts are hern indicated which warranted his boasting. I. He felt that, though he had not rhetorical accomplishments, HE lIAD TllE HIGHEST .KNOWLEDGE. " 'l'hough I be rude iu speech, yet not in knowledge." He was not trained in all the rhetorical parts of Grecian oratory, his periods were not polished, his sentences were not tuneful, and, perhaps, his utterances la.eked flow and his voice music. 'l'his he seems to have felt; but what of that? He had the highest "know- ledge." What is the grandest oratory without true knowledge? Clouds of golden splendour without water for the thirsty land. Paul's knowledge was of the highest kind. He knew Christ; he knew what Christ was to him; what he had done for him, as well as what he was in himself and in his relation to the Father and the uui,·erse. This is the science of all sciences; the science of which all other sciences a.re to it the mere leaf, or stem, or branch, of which this is the root. "This is life eternal, to kn--!V thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." "I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord." II. He felt that, though he consecrated himself to their highest interests, he RECEIVED FROl\l THEl\l NO REMUNERATION, What trials he endured for them! what perils he braved for them I what labours he prosecuted for them (see vers. 24-27) ! All thi~ was done and endured for what? Not for selfish ends, not for worldly gain. "Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?" Why did he not receive remuneration at their hands? Nay, why did he reject it? (1) Not because he did not nee,l such a recompense, "And when I was preseut with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man." He was dependent upon such contributions for his subsistence. He had received them nt 'rhessalonica. before his first visit to Corinth. (2) Not because he did not love them. "Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth." It would have been a 9ratification to those whom he had spiritually saved, to have ~70 'l'HE SECO~D EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [cH. XI. 1-33.
n1nde some ~eculflr recompense for his lebours, but he denied them this gratificntion, not because he did not lo,·e them. Why, then, did he reject their secµlar help'? 1. To (u.rnish in his own life a proof of the benevolent terms ~f the gospel. 1' l preach to you the gospel of God freely." The gospel is a free gift of God, and I present it to yon 1\9 a tree gift, The gospel should never be preached as a means of livelihood or for lilthy lucre. 2. 'Io silence the tongue of his slanderer.~. No doubt his enemies at Corinth sought in every way to degrade the apostle. The false apostles, no doubt, boasted tlrn,t they did their work there as benefactors dlsinterestedly and without pay. Had PaUL taken payment he would have given them some ground for boasting of their gene- rosity. 3. 'lo compel his ene1m·es by his exampletoactfromgenerousimpulses. '"fhat they may be found as we are." "Xotice,'' says Mr. Beet, "the bitter irony of these words. P:ml's opponents boru;ted their disinterestedness whilst making gain of the Corinthians, and eagerly watched him to detect self-enrichment, that they might boast of their own superiority. These have been the tactics of demagogues in all ages .. •But Paul resolved to refuse just recompense for real and great benefits, that t_hus by his example he may compel those who boasted their superiority to come up to his ,own level ol working without pay, so that when his conduct and theirs are investigated, they may be found to be as disinterested as he was." CONCLUSION, 'l'ruly that man might well exult who feels that, however deficient in mere verbal learning, ho possesses the highest knowledge-the knowledge of Christ; and who also feels that he is rendering to men the highest service from kindly g!lnerous 1mpulses without a desire for fee or reward, giving freely to men what .God has given freely to all-the gospel of Jesus Christ.