Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

2 Corinthians 10:2

δέομαι δὲ τὸ μὴ παρὼν θαρρῆσαι, Yea, I beseech you that I may not when present show courage. The δέ follows up the παρακαλῶ: I exhort, yea, I beseech. The A.V. misses a point in having ‘beseech’ for both παρακαλῶ (2 Corinthians 10:1) and δέομαι. And the change from exhortation to entreaty is not sufficiently marked in either the Vulgate (obsecro, rogo) or the R.V. (‘intreat,’ ‘beseech’). The παρών implies that he means to visit them again. The nom. with infin. is regular, being attracted to δέομαι: comp. Romans 1:22; Romans 15:24; Philippians 4:11.

τῇ πεποιθήσει ᾖ λογίζομαι τολμῆσαι ἐπί τινας τ. λ. ἡ. The A.V. misses another point in having ‘be bold’ for both θαρρῆσαι and τολμῆσαι. By changing his word S. Paul intimates that the boldness which he expects to exhibit is not quite the same as the courage (or θρασυδειλία) attributed to him by his critics; that I may not when present show courage with the confidence wherewith I count to be bold against some which count of us &c. For πεποιθησις see on 2 Corinthians 1:15, and comp. the stronger ὑπόστασις in 2 Corinthians 9:4. With S. Paul λογίζομαι, ‘count, account, reckon,’ is a favourite word (2 Corinthians 3:5; 2 Corinthians 5:19; 2 Corinthians 11:5; 2 Corinthians 12:6), especially in Romans (Romans 2:3; Romans 2:26; Romans 3:28, &c.). In other N.T. writers it is rare; in the LXX. very frequent. The Vulg. takes λογίζομαι as passive, qua existimor audere in quosdam, qui arbitrantur nos (comp. Romans 4:5), which makes needless tautology. Doubtless both λογίζομαι and λογιζομένος are middle; but there is a characteristic play of words in the shades of meaning, λογίζομαι of expectation or intention (1 Samuel 18:25), λογιζομένους of supposition or view. As in 1 Corinthians 15:12, he does not specify who the τινες are; they are only a fraction of the Corinthians. This shows that these Chapter s (10–13) are addressed to the majority, or to the whole Church of Corinth, not to the hostile minority.

ὡς κατὰ σάρκα περιπατοῦντας. ‘As if our thoughts and acts were guided by carnal and worldly principles’: Romans 8:4. For ὡς after λογίζεσθαι comp. 1 Corinthians 4:1; Romans 8:36; it gives their point of view: διέβαλλον γὰρ αὑτὸν ὡς ὑποκριτήν, ὡς πονηρόν, ὡς� (Chrys.): comp. 2 Corinthians 2:17; 2 Corinthians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 2:3. In κατὰ σάρκα there is no reference to his physical infirmities: comp. 2 Corinthians 1:17; 2 Corinthians 5:16. In περιπατοῦντας we have a Hebraism, which is frequent in S. Paul (2 Corinthians 4:2; 2 Corinthians 5:7; 2 Corinthians 12:18; &c.) and S. John, but is not found in S. James or S. Peter. Comp. κατὰ ἄνθρωπον περιπατεῖτε (1 Corinthians 3:3) and ἀνεστράφημεν (2 Corinthians 1:12).

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

2 Corinthians 10:2

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