The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Corinthians — Section 298

Vcrs. 11-15.-Recummce to theformer a,-gwmmt. The intense feeling of St. Pau1 indicates itself by not oontinuing on <:me uu~ryiug l~vel. From the climax just' reached he reverts to what had been previously discussed in oh. x. ancL~.i. These rever- ~rations are very cha.r~risti~ of ~he man as a thinker, and they show how closely; i_n him, temperament was allied with mtellect. If aroused, he never became artificial or unnatural, but WIIS then most true to his organization. In the verses before us he resumes his ironical vein: "I am become a fool in glorying ; " but not of his own accord, for " ye have compelled me." The disaffected party at Corinth had not respected his jw;t claims, had not "commended" him, and they had failed in, this matter whian he ltad demonstrated that he was "in nothing behind the very chiefest ·of the apostles"-:- the same idea expressed in eh. xi. 6, adding in this insta~ " though I be notbin~.'; Was he thinking of the abundant revelations with which .he. could not. have b;en entrusted save on the condition of a thorn in t4e flll5h_? Only a prief utter~ce, yet very sincere-" though I be nothing." It was safe for such a nian in his impaled situation to dramatize the "fool," but he hastens to serious work and mentions that "the signs of an apostle" had been wrought among them. ,His language is full and earnest; "truly," "in all patience," "signs and wonders and mighty deeds;" no. lack no irritn.ting haste, no deception, number and variety and extraordinary power .all. provi<le.i for. Despite. of the accumulation, the magnitude, the unimpeachable quali(~'i • of these Divine evidences, God among you of a truth, Christ honouring his servant arid his servant's work, ye Corinthians, or some of you, have _not" commended" Ille I 'In what respect were ye inferior to other Churches? Look at Macedonia, look at Asia; wherein were you less favoured than they? They commemled me; what have you done to exemplify your sense of my apostleship? I remember but one thing in which ye were" inferior"-and the irony is ·keen now-I remember that I preached ~he:gospel gratuitously, so as not to be "burdensome to you;" and this is yow- acknowledgment, £his· your commendation of my coUISe ! What a mistake my disinterestedness wa.s ! What a "fool " in my goodness ! "For.give me this wrong I " Despite of it all, I am not weaned from Corinth. "The third time I am ready to. come• to yo1L" Though my . self-denying conduct has been used to bring me into contempt, I sliall repeat it without any abatement, for" I will not be burdensome to you." And now his heart swells as he says, "I seek not yours, but you "-words that he bequeathed .to the adqiiratfon of ages; for was he not their spiritual father? If, at the bidding cif natura.). instinct, children were not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children, then it became him to provide for his spiritual children. But was this all that his love had to promise? :Kay; what means he had or might have should not only be freely used in, their behalf, but he would give his faculties,his heart, his whole self, to'advance their well-being. "Signs of an apostle" had been wrought at Corinth, "wonders and mighty deeds," but the signs of a mbliwe moral manhood rise before us when he declares, " I will very gladly spend and be spent for you." Will this avail? "If I love you more abundantly, am.I loved the less? "-L. Vers. 16-19.-Forestallingfalse criticism. What limit is there to the carping skill of envy and hatred l Some of this J udaizing party might say that, under.cdve~ of disin- terestedness, he had ll.Cted cunningly in the matter of the collection for the 'poor saints at Jerusalem. Was this so? Did the deputiell make a gain of you? Did· Titus abuse his position? One spirit, Christ's spirit, animated us, for we all "walked in ,the same steps." Think you that this has been said for self-justification? Do we (lxcuse our- selves? Fears were oppressing him, fears that he would mention PfcsentJy; Can it all be in vain? Assurances of fatherly regard, assurances of a willinp;neSll, ar, of a. gladness, in giYing all he had and all he was, even life itself, to their service and interest; would they pass for nought? And were there both history and prop,hecy in the melancholy words " The more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved ' ? ').'he fervent appeal, the p;otracted argument, the action and reaction, the irony and the profound sincerity, the grieved tenderness, the .sad ingratitude, the memory of noble self-sacrifice, gather iuto the climax," We 11peak before God in Uhrist," There, at that bar of judgment, Olf, XII, 1-21.J 'l'HE BEOOND EPIS'fLE ·ro THE CORINTHIANS. 299