like persons who, being appointed to death, are brought out lait on the theatre; and that we are made a Spectacle to the world, even to angels and to men. 10 We are reckoned fools, for fuffering on account of preaching Chrift truly. But ye are wife in your method of preaching Christ. We are ridiculed as weak in body and mind; but ye no doubt are frong in both. Ye are much esteemed by your adherents; but we are defpifed by them. II But which of us are most worthy of efteem as preachers? In preaching Chrift, I, to the prefent hour, both fuffer hunger and thirst, and am badly clothed, and fmitten on the face, and have no fixed dwelling place ; 12 And labour in the gofpel without hire, working with my own hands for maintenance, even in Ephefus. When reviled, I bless; when perfecuted, I patiently bear it. than he had done from the Corinthiaps. For the Ephefian Chriftians being both numerous and rich, if he had received maintenance from them, he would not have fuffered hunger and nakednefs, in which the wretchedness of poverty confifts, but would have been plentifully fupplied with the ordinary neceffaries of life. Had the apoftle spent the whole of his time in working at his trade of tent-making, he no doubt could have procured for himself a fufficiency of convenient food and raiment. But as he employed the moft of his time in preaching, his gains were fmall; and even these he shared with his affiftants, Acts xx. 34. No wonder, therefore, that he was often in great want.For a more particular account of the apostle's fufferings, fee 1 Cor. xi. 23.-28. 2 Cor. vi. 3-5. 2. And are buffeted. Konakav, fignifies to ftrike one on the head with the hand. Here it is ufed metaphorically, to denote that the apostle was treated in the most ignominious manner by the heathens in Ephefus. 3. And have no certain dwelling place. The apoftle, it seems, was often obliged to change his lodging in Ephefus, to elude the searches of his enemies. Ver. 12.-1. And labour. This word is often ufed by the apostle, to denote the labour of preaching the gofpel, 1 Cor. xv. 10. 1 Theff. Y. 12. VOL. II. F 2. Working 16 Wherefore I befeech you, ye be followers of me. 17 For this caufe have I ucts 19:22, fent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved fon, and faithful in the Lord, who 2. Working with our own hands ; namely, for maintenance. This he mentioned to the Corinthians, to put the falfe teacher to fhame, who not only demanded maintenance from them, but was living in ease and luxury through their liberality to him. The Scho.. Ver. 13.1. We are become the purgations of the world. liaft on Ariftophan. Plut. line 453. obferves, that the perfons who were facrificed to the gods, for averting their anger, and for procuring deliverance from any public calamity, were called Καθαρματα, Purifiers and were commonly very mean and worthlefs perfons; and at the time of their being facrificed, were loaded with execrations, that all the misfortunes of the ftate might reft on them. The word ufed here, is περικαθάρματα; yet as the LXX. tranfate the Hebrew word, which fignites an expiation, by περικαθαρμα, Prov. xxi. 18. it is generally fup. pofed, that by taking this appellation, the apoftle compared himfelf to thofe devoted perfons who were facrificed for the purpose above mentioned. Wherefore, there is no occafion for the reading in Erafm. Schmideus's edition of the New Teftament, mentioned by Wetstein; namely, ώσπερει καθάρματα. See Parkhurft's Diftion. 2. The flth of all things. The word περίφημα, fignifies filth fcoured o, from περιψάω, to fcour, or ferape of all around. It is ufed mott off, commonly to denote the fweepings of ftreets and ftalls, which being nuifances, are removed out of fight as quickly as poffible. Ver. 1 4 14 I write not these things to shame you, for having increafed my fufferings by the calumnies ye have uttered against me, but as my beloved children, I inftruct you how much I exceed the teacher who hath your efteem. 15 For though ye have numberless teachers who pretend to instruct you in the gospel, ye have not many fathers; ye have not many poffeffed of affection, fidelity and difinterestedness like me. For, to Chrift Jefus, through faithfully preaching the gospel, I have begotten you as disciples. 16 Wherefore, I beseech you be imitators of me, rather than of the false teacher, who inftructs you from felfish motives. 17 For this purpose, I have, fome time ago, fent to you Timothy, who is my beloved difciple, and a faithful minifter of the Lord. nifter of the Lord. He will put you in mind of my behaviour and doctrine Ver. 14. I write not these things to fame you, &c. In this apology for mentioning his fufferings, the apostle hath fhewn admirable prudence, and the greatest goodness of heart. Ver. 17. I have fent to you Timothy. The fending of Timothy into Macedonia, is mentioned, Acts xix. 22. But from this paffage it is evident, that he was ordered to go on to Corinth, if he found it convenient. The great fuccefs with which the apoftle preached at Ephefus, after he heard of the diffentions in Corinth, having induced him to remain a while longer at Ephefus, 1 Cor. xvi. 8. he judged it proper to fend Timothy and Eraftus into Macedonia, to learn how matters ftood at Corinth. And if on the information they received, they fhould judge their prefence would be of ufe, in compofing the diffentions among the Corinthians, they were to go forward and attempt it, brance of my ways which be in Chrift, as I reach every where in every church. 18 Now fome are puffed up as though I would not come to you. 19 But I will come to you fhortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the fpeech of them which are puffed up, but the power. 20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. 21 What will ye ? fhall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit. of meeknefs? by putting them in remembrance of the apostle's doctrine and practice. Yet he was uncertain whether Timothy went to Corinth: for he fays, chap. xvi. 1o. If Timothy come, &c. Ver. 21. Shall I come to you with a rod? The apoftle terms the power of punishing obftinate offenders by miracle, a rod, because it was to be exercised for chaflifement. Perhaps alfo he had in his eye, the rod which Mofes ufed when he brought the plagues on Egypt.The oppofition which St. Paul met with from the faction at Corinth, led CHAP. V. View and Illuftration of the Matters contained in this Chapter. THE meffenge:s from Corinth, as well as the members of the family of Chloe, had informed the apostle, that one of the brethren was cohabiting with his father's wife, in his father's life-time. In this chapter therefore, St. Paul reproved the whole Corinthian as an apostle of Chrift, even as I teach every where, and in every church; by which ye will know, that I never accommodate either my doctrine or my practice, to the humours of wicked men. 18 Now fome are grown infolent as fancying, because I have fent Timothy, I am not coming to Corinth myself, being afraid to come. 19 But I will come to you foon, if the Lord will, and fhall know, not the boafling of them who are puffed up, but their power to defend themselves from the punishment which I will inflict on them, if they do not repent. 20 For not by the plaufible talking which ye Greeks call eloquence, is the gospel established, but by the power of miracles, and of fpiritual gifts. 21 To the falfe teacher, therefore, and to his adherents, I fay, What do ye incline? - Shall I come to you, with a rod to punish you? Or in love, and in the Spirit of meekness, because ye have repented. led him to fpeak of his power of punishing obftinate offenders miraculoufly, as a thing which they knew he poffelfed, 2 Cor. x 6. xiii, 2. 10. And as he speaks of it, not for the information of pofterity, but to terrify the faction, the evidence of his poffeffing that power, which arifes from his having mentioned it fo confidently on this occafion, is very strong. Corinthian church, for tolerating a species of whoredom, which was abhorred, even by the heathens, ver. 1.—And this scandal was the greater, that they were puffed up with pride, on account of the knowledge and learning of the teacher, by whofe influence it was tolerated, ver. 2.—But to make the Corinthians fenfible, that their boafting of a teacher who had patronifed such an enormity was criminal, as well as to correct the enor |