2 Corinzi 1:13 Commento

After the introduction (Co2 1:1, Co2 1:2) the apostle begins with the narrative of his troubles and God's goodness, which he had met with in Asia, by way of thanksgiving to God (Co2 1:3-6), and for the edification of the Corinthians (Co2 1:7-11). Then he attests his and his fellow-labourers' integrity (Co2 1:12-14), and afterwards vindicates himself from the imputation of levity and inconstancy (Co2 1:15-24).

This chapter contains the inscription of the epistle, the salutation of the persons to whom it is written, the preface to it, and the first part of it, in which is the apostle's defence of himself from the charge of fickleness and inconstancy. The inscription is in Co2 1:1, in which an account is given of the person, the writer of this epistle, by his name Paul, and by his office, an apostle of Jesus Christ, which is ascribed to the will of God as the spring and cause of it; and with himself he joins Timothy, whom he calls a brother: also an account is given of the persons to whom the epistle is inscribed, who are both the church at Corinth, and all the saints throughout the region of Achaia, of which Corinth was the chief city: the salutation, and which is common to all the epistles of the Apostle Paul, is in Co2 1:2, and the preface begins Co2 1:3, with a thanksgiving to God, who is described by the relation he stands in to Christ, as his Father, by the manifold mercies and blessings he is the author and donor of, and by the consolation he administers; an instance of which is given, Co2 1:4, in the apostle and his companions, who had been comforted by him; the end of which was, that they might be instruments of comforting others in like troubles with the same consolations; the great goodness of God in which is illustrated by proportioning their consolation by Christ to their sufferings for him, Co2 1:5, and the end both of their afflictions and their comforts is repeated and explained; and by a dilemma it is shown, that both were for the good of the saints at Corinth, Co2 1:6, and a strong assurance is given, that as they shared in sufferings for Christ, they would partake of consolation by him as they had done, Co2 1:7. Next the apostle, in proof of what he had said, gives an instance of the trouble he had been in, and of the comfort and deliverance he had received, which he would not have the Corinthians ignorant of: he mentions the place where it was, in Asia, and gives an account of the nature of the affliction, how great it was; it was out of measure, above the strength of man, and induced despair of life, Co2 1:8, so that the apostle, and those that were with him in it, expected nothing but death, and were under the sentence of it in their own apprehensions; the end of God in suffering which, was to take them off of all self-confidence, and to engage their trust in God, to which the consideration of his power in raising the dead is a strong argument, Co2 1:9. And indeed this deliverance, which God wrought, for the apostle, and his friends, was a deliverance as it were from death, and a very great one; and which had this effect upon them, the designed and desired end, trust and confidence in God for future deliverance, having had an experience of past and present, Co2 1:10, which deliverance the apostle acknowledges, was owing to the prayers of the Corinthians, as a means or helping cause of it; and which favour was bestowed thereby for this end, that as it came by the means of many, thanks might be returned by many for it, Co2 1:11. And the reason why the apostle, and his fellow ministers, had such an interest in the prayers of the Corinthians, was their agreeable conversation in the world, and particularly at Corinth, which their consciences bore witness to, and they could reflect upon with pleasure; it being through the grace of God with great simplicity and sincerity, and not with carnal craft and subtlety: or this is mentioned by the apostle to remove the charge of levity, and to vindicate himself and others from it, Co2 1:12, which he next enters upon, premising that the constant course of their lives was such as before described, and which there was no reason to doubt would always continue such; for the truth of which he appeals to what they had seen, and owned to be in them, Co2 1:13, and that it was acknowledged, at least in part, that the apostles were their rejoicing, or of whom they boasted as to their conduct and conversation, even as they were persuaded they would be matter of rejoicing in the day of Christ to them, Co2 1:14. And then the apostle acknowledges his intention and promise of coming to them, which was in confidence of their value for him, and of their being real Christians and persevering ones; and for this end, that he might establish them in the grace which they had received, Co2 1:15, and also, after he had passed by them into Macedonia, and was returned from thence to them again, that he might be helped on by them in his journey to Jerusalem, with the collection for the poor saints there, Co2 1:16. But then he denies that he used levity, or carnal policy and purposes, or was guilty of any contradiction; all which expresses by certain interrogations, Co2 1:17, which confirms by the ministration of the Gospel among them, which was all of apiece, without contradiction for the truth of which he calls God to witness; and so argues from the uniformity of his ministry, to the constancy of his word of promise, Co2 1:18. Which argument he amplifies and enlarges on, by observing the subject matter of the Gospel ministry, which is Jesus Christ the Son of God; and which, though preached by different ministers, himself, Silvanus, and Timothy, yet was the same, had no contrariety in it, as preached by the one, and by the other, Co2 1:19, and therefore there was no reason to conclude that he was fickle and inconstant in his promise to them, when he was so invariable in his ministry among them: besides, as all the promises of God are sure and certain, being made by the God of truth, and being in Christ, and the performance of them being for the glory of God by the saints; so the promises of every good man, in imitation of God and Christ, are firmly and constantly observed, as much as can be by frail and finite creatures, Co2 1:20; and that the apostle, and his fellow ministers, were not so fickle and changeable as they were represented, neither in their principles, nor in their practices, the apostle takes notice of some blessings of grace, which they enjoyed in common with other saints, and with the Corinthians; such as stability in Christ, the unction of divine grace, the seal and earnest of the Spirit in their hearts; all which they had from God, and which kept them close to God, and preserved them in his grace, and from a fickle variable temper of mind, and from changeableness either in doctrine or conduct, Co2 1:21. And then the apostle proceeds to give the true reason why he had not as yet come to Corinth, according to his promise, which was on their account, and not his own, that they might not come under that severe discipline and correction, which their faults required; and for the truth of this he calls God to witness, Co2 1:23. But lest it should be objected that this was assuming a dominion over them, a lording it over God's heritage, he observes, that he and his fellow ministers did not pretend to have dominion over their faith, only to be helpers of their joy, Co2 1:24.

For we write none other things to you,.... The things we write unto you concerning our conduct; and behaviour, are no other than what you read; not in our letters to you, but in our lives and conversations, when we were among you, and which you must own and acknowledge to be just and right; we can appeal to you, that what we say, and are obliged to say of ourselves, in our own defence, is what, upon a recollection, you will easily remember to have seen and observed: and I trust; or "hope", through the grace of God, we shall be enabled so to walk, as that you shall acknowledge even to the end; that our conversations are as become the Gospel of Christ, and are clear of that hypocrisy and deceit our adversaries would insinuate concerning us.

"For we write none other things unto you, than what ye read or even acknowledge." For since he spoke great things of himself and seemed to be bearing witness to himself, an odious thing, he again appeals to them as witnesses of what he says. For, he saith, let no one think that what I say is a boastful flourish of writing; for we declare unto you what yourselves know; and that we lie not ye more than all others can bear us witness. For, when ye read, ye acknowledge that what ye know that we perform in our actions, this we say also in our writings, and your testimony doth not contradict our epistles; but the knowledge which ye had before of us is in harmony with your reading. "As also ye did acknowledge us in part." For your knowledge of us, he saith, is not from hearsay but from actual experience. The words "in part" he added from humility. For this is his wont, when necessity constraineth him to say any high-sounding thing, (for he never doth so otherwise,) as desiring quickly to repress again the elation arising from what he had said. "And I hope ye will acknowledge even to the end." Seest thou again how from the past he draws pledges for the future; and not from the past only, but also from the power of God? For he affirmed not absolutely, but cast the whole upon God and his hope in Him. "That we are your glorying, even as ye also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." Here he cuts at the root of the envy that his speech might occasion, by making them sharers and partners in the glory of his good works. "For these stick not with us, but pass over unto you also, and again from you to us." For seeing he had extolled himself, and produced proof of the past and given security for the future; lest his hearers should reflect on him for talking proudly, or be hurried to enviousness, he makes the rejoicing a common one and declares that this crown of praises is theirs.

What Paul says is backed up by his actions. It is through actions that we learn what a person really thinks.

Paul says that, in spite of the accusations leveled against him, he does not preach one thing and think another. The facts speak for themselves and prove that he is right.

Since the apostle seemed to have said much about himself, lest anyone say this is self-praise, he says: we write to you what you read in the present epistle and what you already know even without this. For the knowledge you previously received about me does not contradict my epistles. Some, however, understood this as follows: we write to you what you read, that is, what you recall; for reading is recollection, or higher knowledge. And why, he says, do I speak of what you remember, of what you know belongs to us and needs no reminder, as something already known?

Then he calls on them to witness to this holy manner of life, saying, For we write you nothing but what you can read and understand. As if to say: these things I write to you are not unknown to you, because you have already read them in the first letter, and you know them by experience: "I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment" (1 Jn. 2:7). And although you do not know fully, because you have received false apostles, I hope you will to the end, namely, of your life, understand, namely, perfectly, as you have understood in part.

St. Paul encourages them to trust in God in all adversities, from a consideration of the support which he had granted them already in times of afflictions; and expresses his strong confidence of their fidelity, Co2 1:1-7. Mentions the heavy tribulation which he had passed through in Asia; as also his deliverance, Co2 1:8-11. Shows in what the exultation of a genuine Christian consists, Co2 1:12. Appeals to their own knowledge of the truth of the things which he wrote to them, Co2 1:13, Co2 1:14. Mentions his purpose of visiting them; and how sincere he was in forming it; and the reason why he did not come, as he had purposed, Co2 1:15-24.

Than what ye read - Viz. In the first epistle which he had sent them. Or acknowledge - To be the truth of God; and which he hoped they would continue to acknowledge, and not permit themselves to be turned aside from the hope of the Gospel.

THE HEADING; PAUL'S CONSOLATIONS IN RECENT TRIALS IN ASIA; HIS SINCERITY TOWARDS THE CORINTHIANS; EXPLANATION OF HIS NOT HAVING VISITED THEM AS HE HAD PURPOSED. (2Co. 1:1-24) Timothy our brother--When writing to Timothy himself, he calls him "my son" (Ti1 1:18). Writing of him, "brother," and "my beloved son" (Co1 4:17). He had been sent before to Macedonia, and had met Paul at Philippi, when the apostle passed over from Troas to Macedonia (compare Co2 2:12-13; see on Co1 16:10-11). in all Achaia--comprising Hellas and the Peloponnese. The Gentiles themselves, and AnnÃ&brvbrus Gallio, the proconsul (Act 18:12-16), strongly testified their disapproval of the accusation brought by the Jews against Paul. Hence, the apostle was enabled to labor in the whole province of Achaia with such success as to establish several churches there (Th1 1:8; Th2 1:4), where, writing from Corinth, he speaks of the "churches," namely, not only the Corinthian, but others also--Athens, Cenchrea, and, perhaps, Sicyon, Argos, &c. He addresses "the Church in Corinth," directly, and all "the saints" in the province, indirectly. In Gal 1:2 all the "churches" are addressed directly in the same circular Epistle. Hence, here he does not say, all the churches, but "all the saints."

We write none other things (in this Epistle) than what ye read (in my former Epistle [BENGEL]; present, because the Epistle continued still to be read in the Church as an apostolic rule). CONYBEARE and HOWSON think Paul had been suspected of writing privately to some individuals in the Church in a different strain from that of his public letters; and translates, "I write nothing else to you but what ye read openly (the Greek meaning, 'ye read aloud,' namely, when Paul's Epistles were publicly read in the congregation, Th1 5:27); yea, and what you acknowledge inwardly." or acknowledge--Greek, "or even acknowledge." The Greek for "read" and for "acknowledge" are words kindred in sound and root. I would translate, "None other things than what ye know by reading (by comparing my former Epistle with my present Epistle), or even know as a matter of fact (namely, the consistency of my acts with my words)." even to the end--of my life. Not excluding reference to the day of the Lord (end of Co2 1:14; Co1 4:5).