2 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 1
2 CORINTHIANS 1:1,2 Paul saluteth the Corinthians,
2 CORINTHIANS 1:3 and blesseth God for the comforts and deliverances
given him, not solely for his own sake, but for the
comfort and encouragement of others also.
2 CORINTHIANS 1:8 He telleth them of a deliverance he had... [ Continue Reading ]
This was the apostle's common salutation, ROMANS 1:7. SEE POOLE ON
"ROMANS 1:7". 1 CORINTHIANS 1:3; where it is observable, that not the
Father only, but the Lord Jesus Christ is invoked, and made the Author
of _grace, _ which is the free love of God, and of _peace, _ which
signifieth either reconci... [ Continue Reading ]
It is a usual form of thanksgiving, ROMANS 1:25, ROMANS 9:5. It is in
use with us, signifying our sincere and hearty desire that both we
ourselves might be enabled, and others by our examples might be
quickened, to speak well of God, and to praise his name. This God is
called THE FATHER OF OUR LORD... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO COMFORTETH US IN ALL OUR TRIBULATION; US, who are the ministers of
the gospel, (as it may appear by what followeth), for the apostle
saith, that God doth it, that ministers might, from the comforts
wherewith God had comforted them, be able to comfort his people when
they are under any trouble, e... [ Continue Reading ]
He calleth his and the other apostles sufferings, THE SUFFERINGS OF
CHRIST, either because they were sufferings for Christ, that is, for
doing the work which Christ had given them to do; or his and their
personal sufferings, as members of that body of which Christ is the
Head. Christ calleth Saul's... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHETHER WE BE AFFLICTED, IT IS FOR YOUR CONSOLATION AND SALVATION;
OUR SUFFERINGS TEND TO YOUR CONSOLATION AND SALVATION, your souls
being upheld and supported by the sight of our boldness, and courage,
and confidence in our sufferings: thus, PHILIPPIANS 1:13,14: _My bonds
in Christ are manifest... [ Continue Reading ]
We have a _stedfast hope_ of you, that as you have endured sufferings
for Christ and his gospel, so you will still endure them, as we have
done. And we know, THAT AS YOU ARE PARTAKERS OF THE SUFFERINGS of
Christ and his gospel, so you shall also share in those Divine
consolations that those feel who... [ Continue Reading ]
We are at a great loss to determine what these troubles were in Asia,
of which the apostle doth here speak. We read of several troubles Paul
met with in Asia: it was there he was in danger through the tumult
raised by Demetrius, ACTS 19:23. It was there (at Ephesus) where he
fought with beasts after... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WE HAD THE SENTENCE OF DEATH IN OURSELVES; we verily thought we
should have been killed; and so it is expounded by the last words of
the former verse, WE DESPAIRED EVEN OF LIFE. And this God did to teach
us, that we should, when we are in dangers, look above the creature,
and have no confidence... [ Continue Reading ]
SO GREAT A DEATH, in this text, signifies no more than so great a
trial of affliction; as he elsewhere saith, he was _in deaths often, _
that is, in dangers of death. Nor (saith the apostle) were we only at
that time in danger of our lives, nor had we only at that time an
experience of God's power,... [ Continue Reading ]
YE ALSO HELPING TOGETHER BY PRAYER FOR US: faith ought; not to hinder
prayer; nor doth God's principal efficiency, as to any mercy or
deliverance bestowed upon us, give a _supersedeas_ to us, as to the
use of any means, whether natural or spiritual, by which the mercy may
be obtained. Nor are the pr... [ Continue Reading ]
He declareth the confidence that he had, that he should not want their
prayers, because his own heart told him, to his joy and satisfaction,
that however others might reproach him, as if he had carried himself
deceitfully, or craftily, yet he had not done so, but had lived in the
world in all SIMPLI... [ Continue Reading ]
I do not tell you stories; the things which I write, and which you
read, either in my Epistles to you, or to other churches of Christ,
are what you know, must own and acknowledge, to be truth; and I hope
you shall acknowledge them to be so to the end both of my life and
yours.... [ Continue Reading ]
IN PART, may either refer to persons or things; part of you have so
owned and acknowledged us, though others of you have abused us. Or you
have _in part, _ or at some times, owned us, that you had cause to
bless God for us, and to rejoice that God ever sent us to preach the
gospel amongst you. And a... [ Continue Reading ]
Being confident that my presence with you would be matter of rejoicing
both to you and also to me, I purposed: to come unto you before I went
into Macedonia, visiting you shortly in my journey thither, that so
you might have, a second longer visit in kindness to you. We find,
ACTS 16:9, that Paul re... [ Continue Reading ]
He had purposed to take Corinth in his way unto Macedonia, and after
he had finished his business in Macedonia, his resolutions were to
have come back to Corinth, and to stay with them some time, hoping to
have some of their company some part of the way toward Judea: but it
seems, though he thus pur... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN I THEREFORE WAS THUS MINDED, DID I USE LIGHTNESS? Though the
apostle doth not in so many words tell us so, yet it is apparent from
this verse, that some of the Corinthians had taken occasion from his
not coming at this time to Corinth, to charge him with levity and
inconstancy, as if his words... [ Continue Reading ]
AS GOD IS TRUE to his promises, so he hath taught me to be true to
mine. Some make these words not to be merely declarative of the truth
of God, but a kind of an oath, or calling the God of truth to witness,
that his WORD TOWARD them; by which some understand the gospel, or the
word which he had pre... [ Continue Reading ]
The apostle here glveth a reason why he had made truth and sincerity
so much his business (which reason obligeth us also, who are as much
bound as he to study a conformity to Christ); saith he: THE SON OF
GOD, WHO WAS PREACHED AMONG YOU, THAT IS, JESUS CHRIST; who, though
(as some observe) he is in... [ Continue Reading ]
As Christ was YEA, and all his doctrine certain and uniform, so ALL
THE PROMISES OF GOD ARE YEA; the promises of the Messiah have their
yea and Amen in him; all the promises of grace, whatsoever is promised
to believers, shall be verified by him, that so God may be glorified,
and have from men the h... [ Continue Reading ]
The anointing here mentioned is, doubtless, the same mentioned by St.
John, 1 JOHN 2:20,27, by which is understood the Holy Spirit: so as
God's anointing his people signifies his giving them his Holy Spirit,
to dwell and to work in them; which Holy Spirit diffuseth itself
throughout the whole soul o... [ Continue Reading ]
The use of a seal is for confirmation of the thing to which it is
affixed; the effect of it is the making the impression of itself upon
the wax: so as sealing us, both in this and other texts, signifies
both the confirmation of the love of God to our souls, and also the
renewing and sanctification o... [ Continue Reading ]
Here is a perfect form of an oath, which is nothing else but a solemn
calling of God to witness the truth of what we speak, whether
promising or asserting. Those words, UPON MY SOUL, also have the force
of an imprecation; but it is in a very serious thing: the apostle was
deeply charged with levity,... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT FOR THAT WE HAVE DOMINION OVER YOUR FAITH; not (say some) that we
pretend or boast of any dominion over you because of your faith, as if
upon that account we would be chargeable, and exact monies of you. But
their interpretation is better, who think that by these words the
apostle removes from h... [ Continue Reading ]