The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Corinthians — Section 276

itself, It was not II pady, however strong, but the Church be needed in his future work, The opening verse of the chapter indicates his sens& of tho embarrassincr posi- tion. "Would that ye could bear with me in a little foolishness, nay indeed be~r with mo." To commend himself to them by this frequent recital of his labours and euITerings_ must hav~ been exceedingly painful 1:<> one of his seosibility. Only as a duty to hie apostleship o.nd to them could ho do 1t, and hence he says, "I am jealous over ymt with godly jealousy." The figure introduced is expressive of love and purity: "For I have espousc<l you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virctin to Christ." But what is the actuo.l state of the Corinthian Church? Is it making ~eady for presentation as a. bride to the Bridegroom when he shall appear in his glory? 'l'her.e is ,ground for his jealousy: "I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beau.iled Eve tjirough his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicit.y that is in .Christ." Deception is plainly stated as the danger threatening them-no ordinary danger, for it had an infernal origin, one that had been successful even with Eve in Po.radise; and as these new teachers were using just such insidious arts, he warns them lest they fall into the snare, The character to be maintained was virginal purity; the end to be kept in view was that Christ's betrothed Church might be worthy of her Lord. at the marriage supper; the peril was the deceitfulness of agents who, under the mask of instructors and authoritative guides, were acting in the interest of Satan; and the enforcement of the warning was the success of the serpent as Satan's instrument in beguiling Eve;, If Eve could be deceived in her purity, how great the danger to this chaste virgin I The "subtlety" had lost none of its persuasive arts; thorough the deception then, thorough would it be now, if they hearkened to these false teachers. To supplant the gospel by the Law, to sink the Christian Church in the Jewish Church, to rob him of his disciples and degrade them into the slaves of Pharisaic superstitions already in their dotage,-this was the mercenary aim of these emissaries of Sa.tan. Such they were, as he would presently show. And what were the evidences of imminent danger? If this new preacher come to you preaching another Christ, another Spirit, another gospel, how would you receive him? Would you refuse to hear him? Nay; you would "bear with him," dallying with temptation, blinded, fascinated, opening your hearts to the " subtlety'' of the " serpent." On this account he was unhappy. The chaste virgin should listen to no hints of another love. Aside from such conduct, as most evil in itself, what consistency had it with their relation to him as their apostle? He it was who had espoused them to Christ as the Bridegroom, and therefore his jealousy lest they should be "corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." The passage is very difficult to understand, and we are by no means sure that we have caught the true meaning. But these seem to be the main points, viz.: 1. St. Paul claims that he has espoused them to Christ, and that he was anxious to present the Church as a. chaste virgin to him. 2. There was great danger of their losing this virginal purity. 3. If this purity were lost, it would be through the subtlety of Satan acting by means of human agency. 4. This agency threatened the Corinthians even now, some of whom were inclined to reject his authority and become the disciples of these arrogant and self-sufficient teachers. 5. His authority was indisputable. "Not a whit" was he "behind the very chiefest apostles," and this had been demon- strated most signally by his apostolic labours in Corinth. "Rude in speech," according to th11 Grecian standard of rhetoric, but" not in knowledge;" so that if some of the Corinthians wont after another preacher with a different Christ and Spirit and gospel, and would " bear, with him" and "might well bear;' it would be in contempt of him who ,had been "made thoroughly manifest" among them as "not a whit behind the very chielest apostles," and that, too, "in all things." "Bear with him," the new teacher, weaning you a.way from your former love? Then "bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me." If you accede to his claims who comes to you with such a. novel, presumptuous, l\p,d overbearing manner, then surely you can tolerate me in the little folly of lowering mfself to a comparison with him. I condescend to \t for your sakes and for my own. 'l'he equal of any apostle, I let myself down to this folly, and "would to God ye could bear with mo •• in it 1-L. Vere, 7-12.-Questions asked and answered. His enemies ha~ ch_arged that, if h~ were an apostle, he wouh\ have claimed a support from the Corinthians. Instead o1  2i6 THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [en. :x.1. 1-33,