the New Testament where it occurs is Heh. When the lettor had been read in their vL 8; and the reader must not read Calvin- hearing, they were, in sign of perfect unity i~tio !1orroni into an expression which girna and mutual forgiveneM, to give one nnother no 11U>ction to them, the kias of pe1teo. With a holy kiss (see Ver. 6.-"nlat we are not reprobates. My OD l Oor. XVl. 20; comp. l Pet. v. 14). power and faithfulness will be tested as well Ver. 13.-All the aal.nta; namely, In w, yours, and l hope that it "•ill stand the test. Philippi or Macedoma, . Ver. 7.-Approved (d-0kimoi). The op- Ver.14.-Tlle graoe of our Lord, eto. This posite of "reprobates." Though we be u is tho only place where the full npostolio reprobates; ruther, [I pray] tha.t ye may do benediction oocurs, an,l is alone sufficiu11t to ,oho t u euellent., and tJ.at we may b8 as ,·epro- prove the doctrine of the Trinity. St. Paul bot.es. This is one of the intense expressions seems to feel that the fullest benedj~tion is wl,ich, lik~ Rom. ix. 8, spring from the needed at the close of the severest letter. eu rnest and passionate unselfishness of With ·yon all. The word " nll " ie here 8t. Paul. His anxiety is for them, not at introd!)ced with special tenderness nod • all for himself. Ae rep,-ol,ares; ie. in the grscionsness. Some have sinned before; jndgtnent of men (oomp. Rom. ix. 8). eome have not l'epented: yet he has for Ver. 8.-We can do nothing against the them all one prayer nnd one bleBBiDg and · truth. I am powerless agR-inst anything one " seal of holy apostolic love." whioh is true, :real, eincere; I ca.n exercise The superscription, though of no au- ,w power exoept in the cause of the truth. thority, ~ay here correctly state tha..t ~e Be true to the gospel, and yon will be mighty }etter was wl'itten a.t Phifippi, a1:1d ~onveyed,. and I shall be powerless, and ( as he pro- thence to Corinth by T1tus and (possibly) • ceeds to say) I shall rejoice at the result. Luke (see eh. viii. 16-22). . Ver. 9.-When we are weak, and ye are These are the la.et recorded words ad- strong (comp. l Cor. iv. 8-10). Strong; dressed by St.Paul totheCorinthia.n Church. .. powerful" ( eh. x. 4). We wish; rather, The results produced by the letter and by w, pray. Your perfeotion; rather, your his visit of three months (Aots xx. 2, 3) perfect union; "the readjustment of yom were probably satisfactory, for we hear no ,lisordcred elements." A similar word occurs more of any troubles at Corinth during hie in Eph. iv. 10, and the verb in ver. 11: 1 lifetime, and the. spirit. in "'hieh he writes Cor. i- 10; 1 Thess. iii. 10, etc. It is also the letter to the Romans'from Corinth seems used in the Gospels for " mending nets" . to have been -unwontedly calm. He had (Marki- 19, etc.). been kindly welcomed (Rom. xv. 23), and Ver. 10.-1 should me aharpness. The the collection, about which he had been so word rendered ••sharpness" is an ndverb, anxious, seems to have fully equalled hie like our "abruptly" or " preciµitate,ly." expectations, fo~ as we know (Rom. xvi. 18; ".!.'he only other passage of the New Testa- Acts xx. 4), he conveyed it to Jei·us11lem ment where it occurs is Titus i 13; but in person with the delegates of the Churches. tlie substantive apotomia occms in Rom. ;x:i. We gain a subseqnent glimpse of the Corin- 22 for "severity," thian Church.. Some thirty-~ve years later, Ver. 11.-!'inally, brethren, farewell when a letter, which is still extant, was His 0011.Cluding words are marked by great addressed to them by St. Clement of Rople, gentlenees, as thougli to heal the effects of they were still somewhat inclined .to be the sharp reb&ke and irony to whicli he turbulent, disunited, and sceptice,l (s~e has 1-n compelled io have recourse. The • Ep. ad Cor.,' iii., iv., xiii., xiv., xxxvii., worn me.y also mean "rejoice" (Phil iii l; etc.); but still there are some marked signs iv. 4). lie perfeot (see note on" perfection" of improvement. ~ bout .A..D. 135 they were. in ver. 9). Be of one miJul; literally, thin1, visited by Hegesippus (Eusebius, 'Hist. tJ,e same thing (Phil ii. 2; l Pet. iii. 8; EccL,' iv. 22), who spok~ very favourably of 1 Cor. i. 10; Rom. iii 16, 18). Be at peace t.hem, especially of their obedience and (Eph. iv. 3). liberality. Their bishop, Dionysius, was Ver. 12.--0reet one another. The verb, at that time exercising a widespr~ad in- being in the aorist, refera io & si.Dgle act. fiuenct> (EusebiUB, ' Hidt. Eccl.,' iv. 23).
HOMILETICS. Vers.1-14.-Paul's epistolary farewell to the Corinthians. "This iii the third time I am coming to you," etc. This chapter concludes Paul'~ letters to the Corin_thians, There is no evidence that he wrote a word to them after this, The letters had evidently. been a task to him. To a man of his tender nature no duty could be more painful, than tm,,t of censure and reproach, Nothing hut a sense of loyalty to the holiness of Ohristianit7 coold have urged hiui W, it. No doubt he felt & burden rolled from hie on. xm.1-14,) THE SECOND EPISTLE TO 'l'HE COBINTHIANS. 815