come out from among them, and be ye separated," saith the Lord, "and touch not any unclean thing; and I will re18 ceive you, and will be a father unto you, and ye shall be unto me sons and daughters," saith the Lord Almighty. CH. VII. Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Receive us: we have wronged no man; we have cor3 rupted no man, we have defrauded no man. I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before that ye are in 4 our hearts to die together and live together, Great is my freedom of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I abound exceedingly in joy under all our affliction. 5 For when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: without were 6 oppositions, within were fears. Nevertheless God, who comforteth those that are brought low, comforted us by the 7 coming of Titus: and not by his coming only, but by the comfort with which he was comforted because of you, when he told us your earnest desire, your lamentation, your zeal 8 for me: so that I rather rejoiced. For though I grieved you by my epistle, I do not repent; though indeed I did repent: for I perceive that my epistle hath grieved you for 9 a short time only. Now I rejoice, not that ye were griev ed, but that ye were grieved to repentance: for ye were grieved in a godly manner, so that ye received damage by 10 us in nothing. For a godly sorrow' worketh repentance to salvation, not to be regretted: but the grief of the world 11 worketh death. For, behold, this very thing that ye grieved in a godly manner, what diligence did it work in you, yea, what defence of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what earnest desire, yea, what zeal, yea, 2 grief in a godly manner, N. Gr. according to God; and so, ver. 10, 11, : what punishment! In all things ye have proved yourselves 12 to be clear in this matter. Wherefore, though I wrote to you, I did it not so much for his cause that had done the wrong, or for his cause that had suffered the wrong, as that our care for you' might be made manifest to you, in the 13 sight of God. We were therefore comforted by reason of your comfort and we rejoiced exceedingly more by reason of Titus's joy, because his spirit was refreshed by you all. 14 For if I have gloried to him in any respect concerning you, I have not been put to shame: but as we spake all things to you in truth, so our glorying also, which I made before 15 Titus, is found a truth. And his tender affection is more abundant toward you; while he remembereth the obedience of you all, how ye received him with fear and trem16 bling. I rejoice3 that in every thing I have confidence in you. 2 CH. VIII. Now we make known to you, brethren, the very li2 beral gift bestowed by the churches of Macedonia; that, under a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy', and the depth of their poverty, hath abounded to the riches 3 of their liberality'. For to their power, (I bear witness,) yea, and beyond their power, they were willing of them4 selves; beseeching us with much intreaty, concerning their 5 gift3, and the joint ministration of it to the saints. And this they did, not as we expected; but they first gave themselves 6 to the Lord, and to us, by the will of God; so that we desired Titus, that, as he had already begun to do this, so he would likewise finish in you this work of liberality also. 7 Now as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, 3 I rejoice "therefore," 1 your care for us, Mss. and N. 2 Gr. bowels. 8 That and knowledge, and all diligence, and in your love to us; 8 see that ye abound in this work of liberality also. I speak not by way of command; but to try the sincerity of your 9 love also, by the diligence' of others. For ye know the gracious goodness of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, while he was rich, yet for your sakes he lived in poverty *, that 10 through his poverty ye might be rich. And I give my judgement in this matter; for this is expedient for you, who have already begun not only to do, but also to have a willing 11 mind, a year ago3. Now therefore fully perform the doing of it also; that, as there was a readiness to will, so there may 12 be a full performance also out of that which ye have. For if there be first a ready mind, it is accepted according to what [a man] hath, and not according to what he hath not. 13 For I mean not that others may be eased, and you burthen. 14 ed: but that, by an equality, your abundance may be a sup ply at this time for their want; that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be an equa15 lity, as it is written, "He that had gathered much, bad nothing over; and he that had gathered little, had no want." 1 Or, earnestness. See Wakefield. 3 Or," who began not 66 * While he was rich-see Wakefield—wλvong wv, sxrwxsus. The construction requires it to be understood, not of a passage from a preceding state of wealth to a succeeding state of poverty, but of two contemporary states. He was rich and poor at the same time. Пroxtow, mendicus sum, mendicus vivo; Steph. Thesaur.-inops dego; Coustantin, Lex.—IKTWXEUTE, pauper fuit, sive potius, mendicavit." Erasmus. The word properly signifies an actual state, not a change of state. Literally he was poor, or he was a beggar. See Odyss 0. 1. 308. Our Lord was rich in miraculous powers, which he could employ if be pleased to his own advantage. But for the benefit of his followers he chose to lead a life of poverty and dependence, to deny himself the comforts and luxuries of life for the good of others. See Grotius in loc. This was a very proper example to the Corinthians, which they might feel and imitate. It was cer tainly much more pertinent and applicable than a supposed descent from a prior state of existence and felicity, to which there could be nothing analogoas in the case of the Corinthians, and to which the apostle cannot in reason nor in consistence with grammatical construction be understood, as making the least allusion. 16 But thanks be to God, who putteth' into the heart of 17 Titus the same diligent care for you. For he accepted in deed my exhortation; but, being very earnest, he went to 18 you of his own accord. And we sent with him a brother, whose praise in the gospel is throughout all the churches; 19 and not that only, but who was appointed also by the churches our fellow-traveller with this liberal gift, which is to be administered by us to the glory of the Lord himself, 20 and to the declaration of our ready mind: we avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance which is to 21 be administered by us; for we provide3 things which are good, not only in the sight of the Lord, but in the sight of 22 men also. And we have sent with them our brother, (whom we have often found diligent in many things, but now much more diligent,) because of the great confidence which we 23 have in you. If any inquire of Titus, he is my partner, and fellow-labourer toward you: or if our brethren be inquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of 24 Christ. Wherefore show ye to them, before the churches3, the proof of your love, and of our glorying on your account. CH. IX. For concerning your ministration to the saints, it is 2 superfluous for me to write unto you. For I know your readiness, for which I glory of you to those of Macedonia, that Achaia was prepared a year ago: and your zeal hath 3 provoked very many. Yet I have sent the brethren, lest our glorying of you should be in vain in this respect; that as I 4 said of you, ye may be prepared: lest if those of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we should be put 5 to shame (not to say ye) for this confidence". I have therefore thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before to you, and make up beforehand your boun 3" and providing," 5 and before the churches, R. T. 6 this confidence [of glorying]. R. T. and N. 6 ty, before spoken of by me, that it might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness. However, this I say, He who soweth sparingly, will reap also sparingly; and he who soweth bountifully', will reap 7 also bountifully. Let every man give according as he chooseth in his heart; not with pain, or by constraint: for God 8 loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make every gift abound toward you; that having always all sufficiency 9 in all things, ye may abound to every good work: (as it is written, “He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the 10 poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.") Now he who supplieth seed to the sower, will both supply bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the 11 fruits of your righteousness; ye being enriched in all things to all liberality, which causeth thanksgiving by us to God. 12 For the ministration of this service not only supplieth the wants of the saints, but aboundeth also in many thanks13 givings to God; (while, by the experience of this minis tration men glorify God for your professed subjection to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal contribution to them, 14 and to all men ;) and in their prayer for you, who long after you for the exceedingly bountiful gifts bestowed by you. 15 [Now] thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift. CH. X. Now I Paul beseech you by the meekness and gentle ness of Christ, (I who in outward appearance am humble 2 among you, but when absent am bold toward you ;) now I entreat you, I say, that I may not be bold, when present, with that confidence with which I think to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according 4 to the flesh; (for the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, Gr. in blessings. R. T. and N. 2 “ May” he whò supplieth seed, &c. supply bread, &c. 3 Gr. exceeding gift of God. See ch. viii. 1. |