like persons who, being appointed to death, are brought out last 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 suffering on account of preaching Christ truly. But ye are wise in your method of preaching Christ. We are ridiculed as weak in body and mind; but ye no doubt are strong in both. Ye are much esteemed by your adherents; but we are despised by them. 11 But which of us are most worthy of esteem as preachers? In preaching Christ, I, to the present hour, both suffer hunger and thirst, and am badly clothed, and smitten on the face, and have no fixed dwelling place; 12 And labour in the gospel without hire, working with my own hands for maintenance, even in Ephesus. When reviled, I bless; when persecuted, I patiently bear it. done from the Corinthians. For the Ephesian Christians being both numerous and rich, if he had received maintenance from them, he would not have suffered hunger and nakedness, in which the wretchedness of poverty consists, but would have been plentifully supplied with the ordinary necessaries of life. Had the apostle spent the whole of his time in working at his trade of tent-making, he no doubt could have procured for himself a sufficiency of convenient food and raiment. But as he employed the most of his time in preaching, his gains were small; and even these he shared with his assistants, Acts xx. 34. No wonder, therefore, that he was often in great want.-For a more particular account of the apostle's sufferings, see 1 Cor. xi. 23.-28. 2 Cor. vi. 3.-5. 2. And are buffeted. Kohapen, signifies to strike one on the head with the hand. Here it is used metaphorically, to denote that the apostle was treated in the most ignominious manner by the heathens in Ephesus. 3. And bave no certain dwelling-place. The apostle, it seems, was often obliged to change his lodging in Ephesus, to elude the searches of his enemies. Ver. 12.-1. And labour. This word is often used by the apostle, to denote the labour of preaching the gospel, 1 Cor. xv. 10. 1 Thess. v. 12. 13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the off-scouring of all things unto this day. 14 I write not these 13 Βλασφημουμενοι, παρακαλουμεν ὡς περικαθάρματα του κόσμου εγενήθημεν, παντων περιψημα έως αρτι. 14 Ουκ εντρεπων ὑμας γρα things to shame you, but φω ταυτα, αλλ' ὡς τεκνα μου as my beloved sons I warn you. 15 For though you have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not ma ny fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 16 Wherefore I beseech αγαπητα νουθετω. 15 Εαν γαρ μυρίους παιδαγωγους έχητε εν Χριςῳ, αλλ' ου πολλους πατέρας εν γαρ Χριςῳ Ιησου δια του ευαγγε λιου εγω ύμας εγεννησα. 16 Παρακαλω ουν μας, you, ye be followers of me. μιμηται μου γίνεσθε. 17 For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who 17 Δια τουτο επεμψα μιν Τιμοθεον· ὁς εςι τεκνον μου αγαπητον και πιζον εν Κυριῳ, ὡς ὑμας αναμνήσει 2. Working with our own hands, namely, for maintenance. This he mentioned to the Corinthians, to put the false teacher to shame, who not only demanded maintenance from them, but was living in ease and luxury through their liberality to him. Ver. 13.1. We are become as the purgations of the world. The Scholiast on Aristophan: Plut. line 453. observes, that the persons who were sacrificed to the gods, for averting their anger, and for procuring deliverance from any public calamity, were called Καθάρματα, Purifiers: and were commonly very mean and worthless persons; and at the time of their being sacrificed, were loaded with execrations, that all the misfortunes of the state might rest on them. The word used here, is περικαθάρματα; yet as the LXX. translate the Hebrew word, which signifies an expiation, by περικαθαρμα, Prov. xxi. 13. it is generally supposed, that by taking this appellation, the apostle compared himself to those devoted persons who were sacrificed for the purpose above mentioned. Wherefore, there is no occasion for the reading in Erasm. Schmidius's edition of the New Testament, mentioned by Wetstein, namely, ωσπερει καθάρματα. See Parkhurst's Diction. 2. The filth of all things. The word περίψημα, signifies filth scoured of, from περιψεω, to scour, or scrape of all around. It is used most commonly to denote the sweepings of streets and stalls, which being nuisances, are removed out of sight as quickly as possible. 13 When defamed, we 13 When defamed, we meekly be beseech: we are become (seech our enemies to abstain from TeρixaJaguara) as the pur- calumniating us. περικαθάρματα) 1 gations of the world, (igua) the filth of all things, 2 until now. We are so hated by idolaters, that we are in their eyes fit to be sacrifices for averting the calamities of the world. We are regarded as the filth of all things, until now. 14 I write not these things to shame you, for having increased my suf ferings by the calumnies ye have uttered against me, but as my beloved children, I instruct you how much I exceed the teacher who hath your esteem. 15 For though ye have numberless teachers who pretend to instruct you in the gospel, ye have not many fathers; ye have not many possessed of affection, fidelity and disinterestedness like me. For, to Christ Jesus, through faithfully preaching the gosfel, I have begotten you as disciples. 16 Wherefore, I beseech you be imitators of me, rather than of the false teacher, who instructs you from selfish motives. 17 For this purpose, I have, some time ago, sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved disciple, and a faithful minister of the Lord. He will put you in mind of my behaviour and doctrine Ver. 14.-1. I write not these things to shame you, &c. In this apology for mentioning his sufferings, the apostle hath shewn admirable prudence, and the greatest goodness of heart. Ver. 17.-1. I have sent to you Timothy. The sending of Timothy into Macedonia, is mentioned, Acts xix. 22. But from this passage it is evident, that he was ordered to go on to Corinth, if he found it convenient. The great success with which the apostle preached at Ephesus, after he heard of the dissentions in Corinth, having induced him to remain a while longer at Ephesus, 1 Cor. xvi. 8. he judged it proper to send Timothy and Erastus into Macedonia, to learn how matters stood at Corinth. And if on the information they received, they should judge their presence would be of use, in composing the dissentions among the Corinthians, they were to go forward shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as Ι teach every where in every church. 18 Now some are puffed up as though I would not come to you. 19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech 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? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness? τας όδους μου τας εν Χριςῳ, καθως πανταχου εν παση εκκλησια διδασκω. 18 Ὡς μη ερχομενου δε μου προς μας, εφυσιωπησαν τινες. 19 Ελευσομαι δε ταχεως προς ύμας, εαν ὁ Κύριος θηληση, και γνωσομαι ου τον λογον των πεφυσιωμένων, αλλα την δυναμιν 20 Ου γαρ εν λόγῳ ἡ βασιλεια του Θεου, αλλ' εν δυνάμει. 21 Τι θέλετε; εν ραβδῳ ελθω προς μας, η εν αγαπῃ, πνευματι τε πραότητος ; and attempt it, by putting them in remembrance of the apostle's doctrine and practice. Yet he was uncertain whether Timothy went to Corinth for he says, chap. xvi. 10. If Timothy come, &c. Ver. 21.-1. Shall I come to you with a rod? The apostle terms the power of punishing obstinate offenders by miracle, a rod, because it was to be exercised for chastisement. Perhaps also he had in his eye, the rod which Moses used when he brought the plagues on Egypt. The opposition which St. Paul met with from the faction at Corinth, led him to speak of his power of punishing obstinate offenders miraculously, as a thing which they View and Illustration of the Matters contained in this Chapter. THE messengers from Corinth, as well as the members of the family of Chloe, had informed the apostle, that one of the brcthren was cohabiting with his father's wife, in his father's lifetime. In this chapter therefore, St. Paul reproved the whole 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 my ways, which ARE in Christ, even as I teach every where in every church. 18 Now some are puffed up, as if I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you soon, if the Lord will, and shall know, not the speech of them who are puffed up, but the power. 20 For not by speech is the kingdom of God ESTABLISHED, but by pow er. 21 What do ye incline? Shall I come to you with a rod? Or in love, and IN the spirit of meekness? as an apostle of Christ, even as I teach every here, and in every church; by which yo.will know, that I never accommodate either my doctrine or my practice, to the humours of wicked men. 18 Now some are grown insolent, as fancying, because I have sent Timothy, I am not coming to Corinth myself, being afraid to come. 19 But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wild, and shall know, not the boasting 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 plausible talking which ye Greeks call eloquence, is the gospel established, but by the power of miracles, and of spiritual gifts. 21 To the false teacher, therefore, and to his adherents, I say, 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? knew he possessed, 2 Cor. x. 6. xiii. 2. 10. And as he speaks of it, not for the information of posterity, but to terrify the faction, the evidence of his possessing that power, which arises from his having mentioned it so confidently on this occasion, is very strong. of the knowledge and learning of the teacher, by whose influence it was tolerated, ver. 2.-But to make the Corinthians sensible, that their boasting of a teacher who had patronised such an enormity was criminal, as well as to correct the enormity itself, the apostle ordered them forthwith, in a public assembly of the church called for the purpose, to deliver the offender to Satan, for the destruction of his flesh, that his spirit being reformed, he might be saved in the day of the Lord, ver. 3, 4, 5. -Then shewed them the necessity of cutting off the incestuous person, by comparing vice unpunished to leaven, on account of |