2 Corinthians 12:20

ἔρις (אA, 17, 39, d f g Arm., Chrys.) rather than ἔρεις (BDFGKLP, Vulg. Copt.): also ζῆλος (ABDFG 17, 39, Arm.) rather than ζῆλοι (אD2D3KLP, Latt.). In Galatians 5:20 the balance is decidedly for ἔρις, ζῆλος against ἔρις, ζῆλοι.

MSS. are capricious in the spelling of ἐριθεία: AB have both ἐρειθία and ἐρειθεία, P both ἐριθεία and ἐρειθία, C both ἐριθεία and ἐριθία: see Gregory, Proleg. p. 88; WH. App. p. 153.

20. His self-vindication is concluded, and he is now simply the Apostle speaking with solemnity and authority. So far from his having been on his defence before them, it is they who will have to be judged by him as to their conduct.

φοβοῦμαι γάρ. The γάρ looks back to τῆς ὑμῶν οἰκοδομῆς. They were in much need of being ‘built up,’ for they seem still to be grievously deficient in the first elements of the Christian life.

What follows seems to be quite inconsistent with a number of statements in the first nine Chapter s. ‘In your faith ye stand firm’ (2 Corinthians 1:24); ‘my joy is the joy of you all’ (2 Corinthians 2:3); ‘ye are an epistle of Christ’ (2 Corinthians 3:3); ‘great is my glorying on your behalf’ (2 Corinthians 7:4); ‘your zeal for me’ (2 Corinthians 7:7); ‘in everything ye approved yourselves to be pure in the matter’ (2 Corinthians 7:11); ‘he remembereth the obedience of you all’ (2 Corinthians 7:15); in everything I am of good courage concerning you’ (2 Corinthians 7:16); ‘ye abound in everything, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all earnestness, and in your love to us’ (2 Corinthians 8:7). These verses (20, 21) might easily precede Chapter s 1–9, especially in an earlier letter. But to write what has just been quoted from these nine Chapter s, and then, in the same letter, write the fears expressed in these two verses, seems strangely incongruous. What would the Corinthians think of one who could thus blow hot and cold in successive breaths?

As in 2 Corinthians 11:3, φοβοῦμαι, puts the matter gently, and πως (ignored in the A.V.) has a similar effect. For I fear, lest by any means, when I come, I should find you not such as I would, and I should be found by you such as ye would not. The negative gains in effect in the second clause by being transferred from οἷον to θέλετε: but, like φοβοῦμαι and πως, the negative manner of statement has a softening effect. Nevertheless, these are the words of one who is in no doubt about his position. He is speaking with authority to those who are under that authority. Here again, as in 2 Corinthians 12:9, there is a rough chiasmus in the order.

μή πως ἔρις. See critical note: the A.V. again ignores the πως. Lest by any means there should be strife, jealousy (2 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Corinthians 3:3), wraths, factions (Philippians 1:17; Philippians 2:3 : see Lightfoot on Galatians 5:20, Sanday and Headlam on Romans 2:8), backbitings (see Bigg on 1 Peter 2:1), whisperings (Ecclesiastes 10:14.), swellings (here only), tumults (2 Corinthians 6:5; 1 Corinthians 14:33). The list of τὰ ἔργα τῆς σαρκός in Galatians 5:20 should be compared; ἔρις, ζῆλος, θυμοί, ἐριθίαι, in the same order, are in both passages. The shorter list in Romans 3:13 has ἔρις and ζῆλος. S. James (2 Corinthians 3:14; 2 Corinthians 3:16) combines ζῆλος and ἐριθεία (see Mayor’s note on James 3:14). The latter word is not derived from ἔρις, as Theodoret supposed: it is from ἔριθος ‘a hired labourer’; whence ἐριθεύεσθαι = ‘to hire political and party agents, to cabal,’ and ἐριθεία = ‘factiousness, party spirit,’ or its method, ‘intrigue.’ There is again no verb in the Greek; perhaps εὑρεθῶσιν should be supplied from the previous clause; ‘lest there should be found in you.’ Comp. the list of evils in Clement of Rome (Cor. iii. 2) ἐκ τούτου ζῆλος καὶ φθόνος καὶ ἔρις καὶ στάσις, διωγμὸς καὶ�, πόλεμος καὶ αἰχμαλωσία. With καταλαλιαί (1 Peter 2:1) comp. καταλαλεῖν (James 4:11; 1 Peter 2:12; 1 Peter 3:16), and κατάλαλος (Romans 1:30) combined with ψιθυριστής. The verb is classical, the nouns are not: καταλαλιά is first found in Wis 1:11, and it occurs nowhere else in the LXX., while καταλαλεῖν is frequent. Perhaps καταλαλιαί mean ‘open calumnies;’ ψιθυρισμοί ‘insinuations’; occultae et clandestinae obtrectationes (Corn. a Lapide). On ἀκαταστασίαι see Hatch, Biblical Greek, p. 4: Chrysostom here omits the word.