3 Ευλογητος ὁ Θεος και the Father of our Lord πατηρ του Κυρίου ήμων Ιησου

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Ver. 4.-1. To comfort them who are in any affliction. According to Locke, the apostle in this passage insinuated, that by his own afflictions he was qualified to comfort the Corinthians, under the distress of mind which they felt from a just sense of their errors and miscarriages. But the afflictions of which the apostle speaks, were chiefly outward afflictions; being the same with those which he himself suffered, as is plain from ver. 6, 7.

Ver. 5.1. Our consolation abounded through Christ. The consolation of which the apostle speaks, was derived from the presence of Christ with

him in his affliction; from a sense of the love of Christ shed abroad in his

heart; from the joy which the success of the gospel gave him; from the

8 For we would not, 8 Ου γαρ πελομεν μας

brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that

we were pressed out of

measure above strength, insomuch that we despair.

ed even of life:

9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in

αγνοειν, αδελφοι, υπερ της θλίψεως ήμων της γενομένης ήμιν εν τη Ασία, ότι καθ' υπερβολην εβαρηθημεν ὑπερ δυναμιν, ὡςε εξαπορηθήναι ἡμας και του ζην

9 Αλλα αυτοι εν ἑαυτοῖς το απόκριμα του θανατου εσχηκαμεν, ἵνα μη πεποιθότες

God which raiseth the ωμεν εφ' ἑαυτοις, αλλ' επι τῷ Θεῷ τῷ εγείροντι τους νεκρους

dead :

10 Who delivered us

10 ος εκ τηλικουτου θανα

from so great a death, and του ερρύσατο ἡμας, και ρυεται

doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deli

ver us ;

11 You also helping to

gether 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.

εις ὁν ηλπικαμεν, ότι και ετι ρύσεται

11 Συνυπουργούντων και ὑμων ὑπερ ἡμων τη δεησει, ἵνα ex πολλων προσώπων το εις ἡμας χαρισμα δια πολλων ευχαριςηθῃ ὑπερ ἡμων.

assured hope of the reward which was prepared for him; from his knowledge of the influence of his sufferings to encourage others; and from the enlarged views which he had of the government of God, whereby all things are made to work for good to them who love God; so that he was entirely reconciled to his sufferings.

Ver. 8.-1. Affliction which happened to us in Asia. This is understood by some, of the riot of Demetrius, when they suppose the apostle was thrown to the wild beasts. But as he did not go into the theatre then (Acts xix. 30.) but kept himself concealed from the rioters, he ran no such risk of his life on that occasion, as to make him pass a sentence of death on himself, ver. 9. and say he was delivered from so great a death, ver. 10. I therefore suppose with Whitby, that this terrible death of which he was in danger, was his being torn in pieces by the wild beasts with which he fought in Ephesus on another occasion, mentioned 1 Cor. xv. 32. See note 1, on

that verse..

Ver. 9.1. However we had the sentence of death in ourselves. Αποκλιμα σε θανατε, literally, the answer of death. See Ess. iv. 32.-The sentence of death, is that which the apostle, when ordered to fight with wild beasts, pronounced on himself in his own mind. See preceding note.

8 Wherefore, I would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning the great affliction which befel me in Asia, namely, when I was constrained to fight with wild beasts at Ephesus, that I was exceedingly pressed down; that affliction being greater than I thought myself able to bear, in so much that I despaired even of life on that occasion.

9 However, I was suffered to pass sentence of death on myself, to teach me that in dangers I should not trust in myself, but in God who preserveth the living from death, and even raiseth the dead to life;

10 Who delivered me from so ter rible a death, and doth deliver me daily from the dangers to which I am exposed, and in whom I trust that he will deliver me, while he needs my service.

11 Ye also working together in secret for me by earnest prayer to God, in such a manner that the gracious gift of deliverance from death, which cometh to me through the prayers of so many devout persons, may by many persons be thankfully acknowledged on my account.

2. But in God who raiseth the dead. The apostle in his former epistle, having proved the resurrection of the dead by many irrefragable arguments, 'mentions that instance of the power of God here with exultation, as a solid foundation for his expecting deliverance in the most perilous situations : and the rather that formerly he himself had been raised from the dead in Lystra, Acts xiv. 19, 20.

Ver. 11.-1. Ye also working together secretly for us by prayer. From this we learn, that the most eminent saints may be assisted and benefited, by the prayers of persons much inferior to them in station and virtue. It is therefore a great encouragement to us to pray for one another, and a reason "for our desiring each others prayers.

2. That the gift which cometh to us. The word agua, translated gift, being commonly used by St. Paul to denote a spiritual or miraculous gift, it may have been used on this occasion to insinuate, that his deliverance was effected by some special interposition of the power of God. And truly some.

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 youwards.

13 For we write none

other things unto you than what ye read or acknowledge, and I trust you shall acknowledge even to the end :

14 As also you have ac

13 Ου γαρ αλλα γραφομεν υμιν, αλλ' ท ἁ αναγινώσκετε, η και επιγινώσκετε, ελπίζω δε ότι και έως τέλους επιγνώσεσθε

14 Καθως και επέγνωτε knowledged us in part,that ήμας απο μερους, ότι καυχη

we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are our's in the day of the Lord Jesus.

15 And in this confidence I was minded to come unto

μα όμων εσμεν, καθαπερ και ὑμεῖς ἡμων, εν τη ήμερα του Κυρίου Ιησου.

5 Και ταυτη τη πεποιθη σει εβουλόμην προς υμας ελyou before, that you might θειν προτερον, ἵνα δευτεραν

have a second benefit;

χαριν έχητε

thing of that kind was necessary to accomplish his deliverance from a death which he thought inevitable.

Ver. 2.1. Our boasting is this. The apostle sets the ground of his boasting, namely, the testimony of his conscience, that with simplicity, &c. in opposition to the ground of the false teacher's boasting, namely, his Jewish extraction, and his enjoining obedience to the law of Moses, as necessary to salvation.

2. That with the greatest simplicity and sincerity. Eν απλότητι και ειλι κρίνεια το Θε8, literally, with the simplicity and sincerity of God. This is the Hebrew superlative, the greatest simplicity and sincerity. Ess. iv. 27. Or, it may signify, that simplicity and sincerity which proceeds from the fear of God or that simplicity and sincerity which God requires in the apostles of his Son.

3. Not with carnal wisdom. What that was, the apostle tells us afterwards, chap. iv. 2. 5. where he contrasts his own behaviour with that of the false teacher.

4. But with the grace of God. His behaviour was suitable to the gracious dispositions which God had implanted in his heart, and to the assistance which from time to time he had granted to him.