Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

2 Corinthians 3:1

ἢ μή (אBCDFG, Vulg. Syrr.) rather than εἰ μή (AKLP, Arm., Chrys.); and ὥς τινες (אBCD3FGKLP) rather than ὥσπερ τινές (AD1 and some cursives); and ἰξ ὑμῶν without addition (אABC, Copt. Arm. Aeth.) rather than with συστατικῶν (DFGKLP, Syrr. Goth.).

1. Ἀρχόμεθα πάλιν ἑαυτοὺς συνιστάνειν; Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? This looks like a reference to a charge which had been brought against him. Such passages as 1 Corinthians 2:16; 1 Corinthians 3:10; 1 Corinthians 9:1-5; 1 Corinthians 9:20-27; 1 Corinthians 14:18; 1 Corinthians 15:10 might easily lead to such accusations. And if 10–13 is part of the second lost letter, the πάλιν here is still more intelligible, for there is plenty of self-commendation in those four Chapter s. See on 2 Corinthians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 2:4; 2 Corinthians 2:9. For συνιστάνειν in the sense of ‘commend,’ which is specially common in this letter (2 Corinthians 4:2; 2 Corinthians 5:12; 2 Corinthians 6:4; 2 Corinthians 6:11-12; 2 Corinthians 6:18), comp. Romans 16:1. Its other N.T. meaning is ‘establish by argument, prove by evidence’ (2 Corinthians 7:11; Romans 5:8; Galatians 2:18). The notion of ‘bringing together,’ in the one case persons, in the other things, connects the two uses, which Hesychius marks as ἐπαινεῖν and βεβαιοῦν.

ἢ μὴ χρῄζομεν ὥς τινες. See critical note. The ‘others’ of the A.V. has no authority. The μή of course implies a negative reply. Elsewhere S. Paul speaks of his opponents as τινές (1 Corinthians 4:18; 1 Corinthians 15:12; Galatians 1:7). Here they are the οἱ πολλοί of 2 Corinthians 2:17, who had brought commendatory letters from some congregation or other, and had tried to discredit the Apostle, because he had nothing of the kind. Comp. the commendation of Titus and his companion (2 Corinthians 8:22-24), of Timothy (1 Corinthians 16:10-11), of Judas and Silas (Acts 15:25-27), of Apollos (Acts 18:27), and of Demetrius (2 John 1:12). The Epistle to Philemon is a συστατικὴ ἑπιστολή. For examples of such letters in the early Church see Suicer. They were very necessary as a guarantee that the visitor (1) might safely be entertained as a guest, (2) might rightly be admitted to communion. See Paley, Horae Paulinae iv. 10. The ἐξ ὑμῶν implies that the Judaizers got the Corinthians to give them commendatory letters.

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

2 Corinthians 3:1

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