Exhortations to charity. I.Corinthians. Timothy commended. 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. when I shall pass through Macedonia; (for I do pass through Macedonia ;) 6 And it may be that I will abide, yea, and winter with you, that ye may bring me on my journey whithersoever I go. 57 But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always_abounding 7 For I will not see you in the work of the Lord; forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. CHAP. XVI. 1 The brethren's wants must be relieved. 10 Timothy commended. 19 Friendly admonitions, and salutations. NOW, concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. 2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. 3 And, when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem. 4 And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me. 5 Now I will come unto you, Where now, O Death! is thy sting, with which thou killedst the saints? Christ has wrested it from thee; and where, O Grave! who so long hast held them captive, is now thy victory, since they all, by the captain of their salvation, are rescued from thy dominion? if now by the way; but I trust to tarry a while with you, the Lord permit. 8 But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost.a 9 For a great door and ef fectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries. 10 Now, if Timotheus come, see that he may be with you without fear; for he wor keth the work of the Lord, as I also do. 11 Let no man, therefore, despise him; but conduct him forth in peace, that he may come unto me; for I look for him with the brethren. 12 As touching our brother Apollos, I greatly desired him to come unto you with the brethren; but his will was not at all to come at this time, but he will come when he shall have convenient time. 13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. 14 Let all your things be done with charity.b 15 I beseech you, brethren, a Pentecost was an annual feast of the Jews, in commemoration of giving the law on mount Sinai. b Charity, love. (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)c 16 That ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth, with us, and laboureth. 17 I am glad of the coming of Stephanas, and Fortunatus, and Achaicus; for that which was lacking on your part, they have supplied. 18 For they have refreshed my spirit and yours; therefore acknowledge ye them that are such. 19 The churches of Asia saluted you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house. t Have addicted, &c. Have devoted themselves to assisting the saints, and to preaching the Gospel, de Salute, greet; to wish peace, health, and prosperity. and admonitions. 20 All the brethren greet e you. Greet ye one another with an holy kiss. 21 The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand. 22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema, Maran-atha. ƒ 23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen. The first epistle to the Corinthians was written from Philippi, by Stephanas, and Fortunatus, and Achaicus, and Timotheus. f Anathema signifies a thing devoted to destruction;- -Maran-atha signifies, The Lord comes. He, who loveth not the Lord Jesus Christ, will be accursed at his coming; or the words may here signify, let him be forever excommunicated or separated from your communion and seciety. PREFATORY REMARKS TO THE SECOND EPISTLE.OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS. PAUL in his first Epistle xvi. 5, had promised to visit the Corinthians; but as he had in that letter given orders for the correction of certain abuses, and for the punishment of a notorious offender, he thought best to defer his visit longer, than he at first intended, that, before he appeared in person, he might know the state of the church, and what regard they paid to his letter. But Titus not returning so soon, as was expected, and Paul anxious for his safety, set out to meet him. He first went to Troas, but not finding him there, he proceeded to Mac The church II. Corinthians. comforted, &c. edonia, where after tarrying a few days Titus arrived. Much encouraged by the favourable account which he gave of the Corinthians, Paul wrote this second Epistle about a. D. 57, within a year after writing the first, to confirm the sincere in their attachment to him, and separate the rest from the false teacher, who had led them astray. In order to understand this Epistle, we must recollect, there were two parties in the Corinthian church, one of which Paul commends for its fidelity and obedience; the other he sharply reproves for its irregularity, and for the suspicion it endeavoured to excite respecting his apostleship. In this Epistle the apostle recounts his suffering for the sake of the Gospel-apologizes for deferring his visit-requests a liberal contribution for the poor brethren in Judea assures the Corinthians, that he had laboured to teach them, not from ambitious motives, but with the single desire of promoting their best good-vindicates himself from the aspersions of those, who had presumed to question his authority as an apostleand exhorts to unity, peace, and perfection. THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE, TO THE CORINTHIANS. The sincerity of Chap. i. 8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble,a which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: 9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead; 10 Who delivered us from so great a death,b and doth deliver; in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us; 11 Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that, for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons, thanks may be given by many on our behalf. 12 For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward. 13 For we write none other things unto you, than what ye read and acknowledge, and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end: 14 As also ye have acknow a Trouble. This was probably Paul's being constrained to fight with wild beasts at Ephesus. See I Cor. xv. 32. b So great a death; this terrible death, from which Paul was delivered, was being torn in pieces by wild beasts, Paul's preaching. ledged us in part,c that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus. 15 And in this confidence d I was minded to come unto you before, that ye might have a second benefit; 16 And to pass by you into Macedonia, and to come again out of Macedonia unto you, & of you to be brought on my way toward Judea. 17 When I, therefore, was thus minded,e did I use lightness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea, yea, and nay, nay? 18 But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea, and nay.f 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, c Ye have acknowledged us in part, that is, a part of you have acknowledged and rejoiced in me as an apostle. d In this confidence; in this persua sion, that ye believe me a faithful apostle. e When I was thus minded, or was determined, to visit you, did I lightly or without reason, alter my determination? or the purposes I form, do I form them according to the flesh, that with me, yea should be changed into nay, as might best suit my personal interest? f Our word toward you, &c. My purpose to come unto you, was not, as some insinuate, yea and nay, as suited my worldly purpose. Paul excuseth himself: II.Corinthians. his reasons wherefore. was not yea and nay, but in him was yea. 20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him amen, unto the glory of God by us. 21 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God: 22 Who hath also sealed us, & given the earnest of the Spiritg in our hearts. 23 Moreover, I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet into Corinth. 24 Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy; for by faith ye stand. CHAP. II. 1 The reasons of his not coming unto them. 6 Of the excommunicated person. 14 The success of his preaching in every place. BUT I'determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness. 2 For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me? 3 And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; Who bath also sealed or marked me, as an apostle, and as evidence of it, hath given the earnest or pledge of the spirit in my heart; that is, spiritual gifts abiding in me. also Ephes. i. 13, 14.. See having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all. 4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love, which I have more abundantly unto you. 5 But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part; that I may not overcharge you all.a 6 Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.b 7 So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, & comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. 8 Wherefore I beseech you, that ye would confirm your love toward him. 9 For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of whether ye you, obedient in all things. be 10 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also; for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; 11 Lest Satan should get an a If any have caused me grief, it is only a part of you: I would not over charge or censure you all. ¿ And sufficient for the person is the punishruent of excommunication, which was inflicted on him by the majority of you. (What this punishment was, see 1 Cor. v. 5.) |