The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Corinthians — Section 134

and dcnrcr clnim. In Christ. So lie snys, p1iffed up; at the time thn.t they mn,le thl'~o ·• The Lnw wns our wrida!JO!JOS f-0 Chl"is"t." disparaging eompnrisons of rue with oth01·s. These guides or gunrdinns were such "in As though I would not come to you ; rnther, Christ," i.e. in the sphere of Christinu life. as though I were not c01ning lo you, St. Not many fathers. t-t. Pnnl felt n. yearning Paul was on the eve of ~tnrting for nlnce- ,lcsire thnt his unique claim a.s the foundei· douia on his way to visit t.hcrn (eh. xvi. 5), of their Church should not be so ungro.tefully but, owing to the grievous stato of tho oYerlooked, as though it were of no impor- Church, he subsequently changed hi~ t;rnce (c-omp. eh. iii. 6; ix. 1, 2; Acts xviii. purpose (2 Cor. i. 15, 23). When he left 11 ). I have begotten you. The word is here them he had promised to return, ·• if Goel only used in a s,•c-ondary and metaphoric will" (Acts xviii. 21). His ruo.ny enemies sense, as in Pi,ilcm. 10; Gal. iv. 19. In the and critics were likely to so.y, "He is afrai,l highest sense we are only begotten by the will to come himself, n.nd so he sends Timothy." of God, by thnt "'ord of truth (Jas. i. 18), to They flattered themselves tho.t he w,is which he alludes in the words" through the alarmed by their culture and intcllectunlism. gospel." The "second birth" is, however, Ver. 19.-1 will oome to you shortly (Phil. a doctrine more dwelt on by St. John (iii. ii. 2-l; 2 Tim. iv. 9). He came soon o.fter :;; l Jolin iii. 9; -... 1, etc.) than by St. writing the Second Epistle. At this time he Pan!, who, ns l\1r. Beet observes, only refers was prepn.ring to leave Ephesus (eh. xvi. 8); to it in Titus iii. 5. his actual depo.rture was precipitnted by tho Yer. 16.-Be ye followers; rather, imita- tumult (Acts xx. l, 2). If the Lord will. tors. He makes the same appeal in eh. xi. The oposto!ic use of the phrnse was some- 1 ; Phil. iii. 17. Of course, he only uses his thing more than a mere form (Rom. xv. 32; hnruan example as a guide to them in the Heh. vi. 3; Jas. iv. 15); it expressed o. reo.l special virtues of humility, self-denial, and and humble spirit of dependence. Not the faithfulnes~ (1 Pet. -... 3; Heh. xiii, 7). speech of them which a.re puffed up, but the In the highest sense we can only be power. He will use his gift of ~piritual "imitators of God" (Eph. v. 1). discernment to discover whether the haughty Yer. 17.-For this cause. Because, ns your self-assertion and sounding phraseology of spiritual father, I natnrally take the deepest these inflated partisans woulcl not collapse interest in your well-being. Rave I sent; when confronted with renl authority. 'l'he rather, I sent. Timothy had started before "speech" was there in abundance; but was this letter was despatched (Acts xix. 22), there anything genuine, any r, al spiritun.l but he did not reach Cori.nth till after its force, behind it? arrival, because he had been unable to go Ver. 20.-The kingdom of God. The by sea, and had to travel round by Mace- Christian life, with all its attainments and douia. St. P,iul, on hearing the gra rn news nll its hopes. Is not in word, but in power. from Coriutli, stews to have counte1·manded It is not a matter of profession, or of liim (eh. x-..i. 10, "If Timotheus come"), but eloquence, or of phrases, but of transforming was uncertain whether the Wlssenger would efficacy. St. Po.ul always appeals for the reach him in time. The necessity for corroboration of bis authority to the signs despatching Tilus had been more immediate. and power of the Spirit (2 Cor. x. 45; Rom. My beloved son, and faithful in the Lord ; xv. 19; 1 Thess. i. 5), to the "demonstro.- rather, who is my beloved and faithful child tion" of which he has already referred (eh. (telcnon) in the Lord. St. Paul had converted ii. 4). him, and felt towards him nll the love of a Ver. 21.-What will ye1 "The wholu father (1 Tim. i. 2; 1 'l'hess. iii. 2; Phil. ii. thing lies with you" (Chrysostom). With a 20-22). Shall bring you into remembrance rod; literally, in a rod - a not uncommon of my waye which be in Christ. The Greek phrase. Tlie me auing of this exprrs- expression shows all St. Paul's delicacy. sion is be~t seen from 2 Cor. x. 2 ; xiii. I 0. He is not sending the youthful Timothy In love. He would come to them "in love" as an authorit"tive teach<-r, siuce tlie Corin- in any cnse; but if they now rPjected his thians, fond of high pretension and soaring appeals the love would be compelled to mo.ni- oratory, might scorn to show any submission fcst itself in sharpness and stern deccls. In to a shy and shrinking youth ; but he is the spirit of meekness. Meyer hero gi vcs to only sending him because, as his closest the word "spirit" the sense of "the Holy companion, 'l'iruoth_v would be best able to Spirit," ns in John xv. 26; 2 Cor. iv. 13; but explain to them bis plans and wislies in the the simpler sense of the term is almost orga11ization of Churches. certainly the true one. \'er. 18.-Are puffed up; rather, were {:II. IV. 1-21.] 'l'lU: FIRST l•:l'ISTLE TO TUE conr~TIIIANS.