The title of the Epistle exists in different forms, none of which is original. The earliest form is the simplest; πρὸς κορινθίους β (אABK): other forms are πρὸς κορ. δευτέρα ἐπιστολή (121, 123), τοῦ ἁγίου� (L), παύλου�. δευτέρα (122): and other variations.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ͂ ἸΗΣΟΥ͂ (אBMP) rather than Ἰ. Χρ. (ADGK). ΠΑ͂ΣΙΝ. Following the uncial MSS., the best editors add ν ἑφελκυ στικόν before consonants and vowels alike: πᾶσι and δυσί are occasional exceptions. 1. ΠΥΑ͂ΛΟΣ�. Ἰ. The Apostle designates himself differently in different Epistles. In 1 and 2 Thessal... [ Continue Reading ]
ΧΆΡΙΣ ὙΜΙ͂Ν ΚΑῚ ΕἸΡΉΝΗ. A combination of the Greek χαίρειν (Acts 15:23; Acts 23:26; James 1:1) with the Hebrew Shalom (2 Samuel 18:28); in both cases with the meaning enriched: comp. Numbers 6:25-26. The one is the favour of God, the other the blessing of being restored to His favour after being opp... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕΥ̓ΛΟΓΗΤῸΣ Ὁ ΘΕῸΣ ΚΑῚ ΠΑΤῊΡ ΤΟΥ͂ ΚΥΡΊΟΥ ἩΜΩ͂Ν Ἰ. ΧΡ. _Blessed be_ THE GOD AND FATHER _of our Lord Jesus Christ_ (R.V.), as in the A.V. of Ephesians 1:3 and 1 Peter 1:3. Comp. 2 Corinthians 11:31; Romans 15:6. It is He Who is both the God of Jesus (John 20:17) and the Father of Jesus (John 2:16; John... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΠῚ ΠΆΣΗΙ ΤΗ͂Ι ΘΛΊΨΕΙ ἩΜΩ͂Ν. _In all our_ AFFLICTION. S. Paul repeats θλίψις (4, 8, 2 Corinthians 2:4) and θλίβω (2 Corinthians 1:6) as he repeats παράκλησις and παρακαλεῖν and the repetition should be preserved in translation. The ἡμᾶς and ἡμῶν are probably not a gentle substitute for με and μου. W... [ Continue Reading ]
ὍΤΙ ΚΑΘῺΣ ΠΕΡΙΣΣΕΎΕΙ ΤᾺ ΠΑΘΉΜΑΤΑ ΤΟΥ͂ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ͂ ΕἸΣ ἩΜΑ͂Σ. ‘The sufferings of the Messiah abound _unto_ us,’ which means ‘in reference to us’ or ‘in our case’; so that the ‘in us’ of the A. V. is substantially correct: comp. Romans 5:15; Romans 8:18. The comfort is given in proportion to the sufferin... [ Continue Reading ]
6. The text is much confused as to the order of the clauses. Our choice lies between εἲτε δὲ θλιβόμεθα, ὑπὲρ τῆς ὑμῶν παρακλήσεως [καὶ σωτηρίας] τῆς ἐνεργουμένης ἐν ὑπομονῇ τῶν αὐτῶν παθημάτων ὦν καὶ ἡμεῖς πάσχομεν καὶ ἡ ἐλπὶς ἡμῶν βεβαία ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν· εἴτε παρακαλούμεθα ὑπὲρ τῆς ὑμῶν παρακλήσεως καὶ σ... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ Ἡ ἘΛΠῚΣ ἩΜΩ͂Ν ΒΕΒΑΊΑ ὙΠῈΡ ὙΜΩ͂Ν. The ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν belongs to the whole clause, not to ἐλπίς alone; _And our hope_ IS SURE CONCERNING YOU: comp. Philippians 1:7. ΕἸΔΌΤΕΣ. BECAUSE WE KNOW. See Ellicott on Ephesians 6:8. This knowledge gives the sure hope that, when affliction comes, the Corinthians... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟΥ̓ ΓᾺΡ ΘἘΛΟΜΕΝ ὙΜΑ͂Σ�. A frequent expression with S. Paul; 1 Corinthians 10:1; 1 Corinthians 12:1; Romans 1:13; 1 Thessalonians 4:13. Comp. γνωρίζομεν ὑμῖν (2 Corinthians 8:1; 1 Corinthians 12:3; 1 Corinthians 15:1; Galatians 1:11), and [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΛΛᾺ ΑΥ̓ΤΟῚ ἘΝ ἙΑΥΤΟΙ͂Σ ΤῸ�. NAY, _we_ OURSELVES WITHIN _ourselves_ HAVE GOT _the_ ANSWER _of death_. ‘When we asked whether it was to be life or death for us, our own presentiment said, death.’ The ἀλλά does not mark opposition, but confirms what precedes: ‘you may disbelieve this, _but_ more than... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ ῬΎΣΕΤΑΙ (אBC) rather than καὶ ῥύεται (FGKL, Vulg.). AD1 omit both words. BD1M omit ὅτι. 10. ἘΚ ΤΗΛΙΚΟΎΤΟΥ ΘΑΝΆΤΟΥ. Placed first with emphasis: OUT OF _so great a death delivered us and_ will _deliver_, ON _whom we_ HAVE SET OUR HOPE _that He will_ ALSO STILL _deliver us_. If we omit ὅτι, _on wh... [ Continue Reading ]
ΣΥΝΥΠΟΥΡΓΟΎΝΤΩΝ ΚΑῚ ὙΜΩ͂Ν ὙΠῈΡ ἩΜΩ͂Ν ΤΗ͂Ι ΔΕΉΣΕΙ. _Ye also helping together_ ON OUR BEHALF _BY YOUR_ SUPPLICATION (R.V.). For different words for ‘prayer’ see Philippians 4:6; 1 Timothy 2:1 : δέησις is often used of _intercession_; 2 Corinthians 9:14; Romans 10:1; Philippians 1:4; Philippians 1:19;... [ Continue Reading ]
ἉΓΙΌΤΗΤΙ (אABC) rather than ἁπλότητι (DFL, Latt. Syrr. Goth.). 12. Ἡ ΓᾺΡ ΚΑΎΧΗΣΙΣ ἩΜΩ͂Ν ΑὝΤΗ ἘΣΤΊΝ. _For our_ GLORYING _is this_. The triplet, καύχησις (2 Corinthians 7:4; 2 Corinthians 7:14; 2 Corinthians 8:24; 2 Corinthians 11:10; 2 Corinthians 11:17), καύχημα (2 Corinthians 1:14;... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟΥ̓ ΓᾺΡ ἌΛΛΑ ΓΡΆΦΟΜΕΝ. ‘Do not say, Ah, but your letters are not sincere, _for_ I write nothing that is inconsistent with what you read in my other letters, or with your experience of my life and conduct.’ The present, γράφομεν, does not refer to this letter exclusively, and perhaps does not include... [ Continue Reading ]
ὍΤΙ ΚΑΎΧΗΜΑ ὙΜΩ͂Ν ἘΣΜΈΝ. YE ACKNOWLEDGED _us in part, that we are your_ GLORYING, or, _because we are your glorying_: the former is better. See on 2 Corinthians 3:14. As distinct from καύχησις (2 Corinthians 1:12; 2 Corinthians 7:4, &c.), καύχημα is that which is gloried in, the thing boasted of: bu... [ Continue Reading ]
15. For χάριν (אACD) we should perhaps read ΧΑΡΆΝ (א3BLP), and we should read ΣΧΗ͂ΤΕ (אBC) rather than ἔχητε (AD). 15. ΤΑΎΤΗΙ ΤΗ͂Ι ΠΕΠΟΙΘΉΣΕΙ. Stronger than ἐλπίζω (2 Corinthians 1:13). The word is of late origin (Hatch, _Biblical Greek_, p. 13) and is exclusively Pauline in the N.T. (2 Corinthians... [ Continue Reading ]
15–24. The rest of this chapter and part of the next are taken up with the Apostle’s defence of himself against a charge of ‘lightness’ (ἐλαφρία), _i.e._ of not caring for the Corinthians or for his engagements to them. That he is disproving a charge of _faithlessness_, in having failed to visit the... [ Continue Reading ]
ΔΙʼ ὙΜΩ͂Ν ΔΙΕΛΘΕΙ͂Ν ΕἸΣ ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΊΑΝ. ‘To pass by you into M.’ (A.V.) suggests ‘pass by _without visiting you_,’ which is the opposite of the meaning. ‘By you to pass into M.’ (R.V.) suggests ‘_by your help_ to pass on to M.’ which is not the meaning. The meaning is, THROUGH _you to pass_ ON _unto_ M.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΒΟΥΛΌΜΕΝΟΣ. This recalls ἐβουλόμην (2 Corinthians 1:15). AS THIS, THEN, WAS MY WISH, _did I_ AT ALL EXHIBIT LIGHTNESS? The article is probably generic and may be omitted in English (A.V., R.V.): but it may mean ‘_the_ levity of which you accuse me.’ Comp. τῇ ὑποταγῇ (Galatians 2:5). Like πεποίθησις... [ Continue Reading ]
ἜΣΤΙΝ (אABCD, Latt.) rather than ἐγένετο (א3D3KL). 18. ΠΙΣΤῸΣ ΔῈ Ὁ ΘΕΌΣ. _But_ (whatever you may think of me) _God is_ FAITHFUL, IN THAT _our word toward you_ IS _not yea and nay_. Comp. 1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; 2 Thessalonians 3:3. Neither Wiclif, following the... [ Continue Reading ]
Ὁ ΤΟΥ͂ ΘΕΟΥ͂ ΓᾺΡ ΥἹΌΣ. The position of γάρ throws great emphasis on to τοῦ θεοῦ: _for_ GOD’S _Son_: Blass § 80. 4. ‘There was no inconsistency in our doctrine, _for_ what we preached was One in whom inconsistency is impossible.’ It is perhaps in order to show “the impossibility of His connexion with... [ Continue Reading ]
19–22. Closely connected with what precedes, as is shown by the γάρ, extending and confirming the argument.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΔΙῸ ΚΑῚ ΔΙʼ ΑΥ̓ΤΟΥ͂ (אABCFP) rather than καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ (D2KL). 2 Corinthians 1:1-2. THE APOSTOLIC SALUTATION 20. ὍΣΑΙ ΓᾺΡ ἘΠΑΓΓΕΛΊΑΙ ΘΕΟΥ͂, ἘΝ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ͂Ι ΤΌ ΝΑΊ. _For_ HOW MANY SOEVER BE _the promises of God, in Him_ IS _the yea_ (R.V.), or possibly, _in Him is_ THEIR _yea, i.e_. their fulfilment. Numer... [ Continue Reading ]
Ὁ ΔῈ ΒΕΒΑΙΩ͂Ν ἩΜΑ͂Σ ΣῪΝ ὙΜΙ͂Ν ΕἸΣ ΧΡΙΣΤῸΝ ΚΑῚ ΧΡΊΣΑΣ ἩΜΑ͂Σ ΘΕΌΣ. The ἡμᾶς may be the same throughout 2 Corinthians 1:21-22,—‘us teachers, us Apostles.’ The σὺν ὑμῖν need not be carried to the clauses which follow. Teachers and taught alike are continually being ‘confirmed _unto_ Christ’ by God, and... [ Continue Reading ]
Ὁ ΚΑῚ ΣΦΡΑΓΙΣΆΜΕΝΟΣ ἩΜΑ͂Σ. The ὁ is omitted in א1Acts 1 KP and some versions. The sealing is not a mere change of metaphor; it continues and extends what has just been stated. Seals have had an enormous use in the East, and without a seal no document was valid. This may be part of the meaning here;... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΓῺ ΔῈ ΜΆΡΤΥΡΑ ΤῸΝ ΘΕῸΝ ἘΠΙΚΑΛΟΥ͂ΜΑΙ ἘΠῚ ΤῊΝ ἘΜῊΝ ΨΥΧΉΝ. BUT _I call God for a_ WITNESS _upon my soul_. Ἐγώ and τ. θεόν are emphatic; ‘God is faithful (2 Corinthians 1:18), and it is God who sealed us (2 Corinthians 1:22), and _I_ call _Him_ as a witness.’ As the order shows, ἐπὶ τ. ἑμ. ψ. belongs t... [ Continue Reading ]
24. An example of the Apostle’s tact and caution, to avoid giving offence to his flock and a handle to his accusers: κολάζει τὸ τραχὺ τῶν εἰρημένων … τοῦτο δὲ ὡς ὑφορμοῦν τέθεικεν (Theodoret). ‘When I speak of sparing you, do not think that I claim to domineer over your faith; not even an Apostle ha... [ Continue Reading ]