2 Corinthians 5 - Introduction
CHAP. 5. THE SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED The division between the Chapter s is again not well made. Chapter 4 would have ended better at 2 Corinthians 5:10.... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAP. 5. THE SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED The division between the Chapter s is again not well made. Chapter 4 would have ended better at 2 Corinthians 5:10.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟἼΔΑΜΕΝ ΓΆΡ. The connexion with what precedes is shown by the γάρ and by community of subject. He is sure that temporary affliction works out an eternal weight of glory; _for we know that if our earthly_ HOUSE OF THE TABERNACLE _were_ TAKEN DOWN. Whatever doubts may have been raised on the subject,... [ Continue Reading ]
1–10. He continues his impassioned statement of the sufferings and the consolations of an Apostle, as drawn from his own experience. The support derived from the realization of the unseen is further developed. Hope of eternal glory gives him strength to endeavour to be always such as Christ can appr... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ ΓᾺΡ ἘΝ ΤΟΎΤΩΙ. We must choose between several translations of both halves. For καὶ γάρ _for_ VERILY (R.V.), or _for_ INDEED, or _for also_, or _for moreover_: it introduces an additional point or emphatic reason. Here γάρ introduces the motive of S. Paul’s words: ‘I speak of this sure hope becau... [ Continue Reading ]
3. It is not easy to decide between εἴ γε (אCKLP) and εἴπερ (BDFG). ἘΝΔΥΣΆΜΕΝΟΙ (אBCD3KLP, Vulg. Syrr. Copt. Arm. Aeth.) rather than ἐκδυσάμενοι (DFG, Lat. Vet., Tert.). Chrysostom in different places adopts both readings. 3. ΕἼ ΓΕ ΚΑῚ ἘΝΔΥΣΆΜΕΝΟΙ ΟΥ̓ ΓΥΜΝΟῚ ΕὙΡΕΘΗΣΌΜΕΘΑ. See critical note. Here th... [ Continue Reading ]
4. After ΣΚΉΝΕΙ omit τούτῳ with אBCKLP, Arm. against DFG and most versions. 4. ΚΑῚ ΓᾺΡ ΟἹ ὌΝΤΕΣ ἘΝ ΤΩ͂Ι ΣΚΉΝΕΙ. After the explanatory remark in 2 Corinthians 5:3 he returns to 2 Corinthians 5:2 : _For_ VERILY (as in 2 Corinthians 5:2), or For INDEED (R.V.), _we that are in_ THE _tabernacle_ (the one... [ Continue Reading ]
Ὁ ΔΟΎΣ (אBCDFGP) rather than ὁ καὶ δούς (א3D2D3KL). 5. Ὁ ΔῈ ΚΑΤΕΡΓΑΣΆΜΕΝΟΣ ἩΜΑ͂Σ ΕἸΣ ΑΥ̓ΤῸ ΤΟΥ͂ΤΟ ΘΕΌΣ. BUT _he who_ WROUGHT _us_ OUT _for_ THIS VERY THING _is God_. ‘But’ implies ‘This may seem strange.’ But δέ may have reference to the wish in 2 Corinthians 5:4 and to its fulfilment: ‘_Now_ he who... [ Continue Reading ]
6–10. These verses sum up results, and recall the strong conviction expressed in 2 Corinthians 5:1. The A.V. does not bring out the construction of 2 Corinthians 5:6-8, which is broken by the parenthesis in 2 Corinthians 5:7. CONFIDENT THEREFORE ALWAYS, _and knowing that, whilst we are at home in th... [ Continue Reading ]
ΔΙᾺ ΠΊΣΤΕΩΣ … ΔΙᾺ ΕἼΔΟΥΣ. Perhaps διά has not quite the same shade of meaning in both cases. In each place it may indicate either the _means by which_, or the _element through which_, the motion takes place. The latter meaning easily passes into the _condition in which_ a thing takes place. In Revel... [ Continue Reading ]
8. The ΔΈ marks the resumption of θαρροῦντες in θαρροῦμεν, and this is well rendered by ‘I say’ (A.V.). ΕΥ̓ΔΟΚΟΥ͂ΜΕΝ. ARE WELL PLEASED (2 Corinthians 12:10; Matthew 3:17; Matthew 12:18; Matthew 17:5; Luke 12:32; 1 Corinthians 1:21; &c.): stronger than θέλομεν. The Apostle is more than willing to _mi... [ Continue Reading ]
ΔΙῸ ΚΑῚ ΦΙΛΟΤΙΜΟΎΜΕΘΑ. _Wherefore_ ALSO (2 Corinthians 1:20) _we_ ARE AMBITIOUS (R.V. margin), _whether we are_ AT HOME or ABSENT FROM HOME, _to be_ ACCEPTABLE (Romans 12:1-2; Romans 14:18; Ephesians 5:10) _to him_. If εὐδοκέω is ‘am well pleased,’ we must have a different expression for εὐάρεστοι,... [ Continue Reading ]
10. It is not easy to accept φαῦλον (אC and some cursives) as more probable than κακόν (BDFGKLP). Fathers and editors are divided. In Romans 9:11 the balance of evidence is clearly for φαῦλον. 10. ΤΟῪΣ ΓᾺΡ ΠΆΝΤΑΣ ἩΜΑ͂Σ. First with great emphasis: _For_ ALL (1 Corinthians 10:17) OF US _must_ BE MADE... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤῸΝ ΦΌΒΟΝ ΤΟΥ͂ ΚΥΡΊΟΥ. _The_ FEAR _of the Lord_; the fear which we feel before Christ as our Judge (Ephesians 5:21), not ‘the terror’ (A.V.) which He inspires. Comp. οὐκ ἕστι φόβος θεοῦ� (Psalms 35:1). S. Paul is conscious that his actions are determined by the conviction that he will have to answer... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟΥ̓ ΠΆΛΙΝ (אBCDFG, Latt. Syrr. Copt. Arm.) rather than οὐ γὰρ πάλιν (D3KL); and ΚΑῚ ΜΉ (אB and some cursives, Theodoret) rather than καὶ οὐ (CD3KLP) or καὶ οὐκ (DFG); and ἘΝ ΚΑΡΔΊΑΙ (אBDFG) rather than καρδία̣ (CD3KLP). 12. ΟΥ̓ ΠΆΛΙΝ ἙΑΝΤΟῪΣ ΣΥΝΙΣΤΆΝΟΜΕΝ ὙΜΙ͂Ν. See critical note. WE ARE NOT AGAIN C... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕἼΤΕ ΓᾺΡ ἘΞΈΣΤΗΜΕΝ, ΘΕΩ͂Ι· ΕἼΤΕ ΣΩΦΡΟΝΟΥ͂ΜΕΝ, ὙΜΙ͂Ν. For _whether we_ went mad (it was) FOR _God_; _or whether we are in our right mind_, (it is) FOR YOU. The change from aorist to present must be marked: the datives are _commodi_, and must be translated alike. S. Paul had his speaking with tongues,... [ Continue Reading ]
ὍΤΙ ΕἾΣ (אBC2DFGKLP, Syrr. Aeth.) rather than ὅτι εἰ εἶς (א3C, Vulg. Copt. Arm.). 14. Ἡ ΓᾺΡ�. This is not parallel to τὸν φόβον τοῦ κυρίου (2 Corinthians 5:11): it means the love which Christ has towards us (Ephesians 3:19; Romans 5:5; Romans 5:8). See Cremer, _Lex._ p. 594. Because He loves us so m... [ Continue Reading ]
ἽΝΑ ΟἹ ΖΩ͂ΝΤΕΣ ΜΗΚΈΤΙ ἙΑΥΤΟΙ͂Σ ΖΩ͂ΣΙΝ. _That they which live should_ NO LONGER (now that they have died in Christ as their representative) _live to themselves_. Christ died for all, that they should die to themselves, and live to Him. Comp. Romans 14:7-9; Galatians 2:20. ΤΩ͂Ι ὙΠῈΡ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ͂Ν�. The ὑπὲρ... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕἸ ΚΑΊ (אBD, Arm.) rather than καὶ εἰ (FG, Latt.) or εἰ δὲ καί (א3C2D2D3LP). 16. Against all external evidence this verse has been suspected of being a subsequent insertion, made either by the Apostle or by a copyist, because (it is said) it breaks the argument. No doubt the passage would read quite... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑΙΝΆ (אBCDFG, Lat. Vet. Copt.) rather than καινὰ τὰ πάντα (D2D3KLP, Vulg.). Some cursives have τὰ πάντα καινά. 17. ὭΣΤΕ ΕἼ ΤΙΣ ἘΝ ΧΡΙΣΤΩ͂Ι, ΚΑΙΝῊ ΚΤΊΣΙΣ· ΤᾺ�. The punctuation of the Vulgate may be safely rejected: _si qua ergo in Christo nova creatura, vetera transierunt_. “This seems to convert a... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤᾺ ΔῈ ΠΆΝΤΑ ἘΚ ΤΟΥ͂ ΘΕΟΥ͂ ΤΟΥ͂ ΚΑΤΑΛΛΆΞΑΝΤΟΣ ἩΜΑ͂Σ ἙΑΥΤΩ͂Ι ΔΙᾺ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ͂ ΚΑῚ ΔΌΝΤΟΣ ἩΜΙ͂Ν Τ. Δ. Τ. Κ. This great change is not our own work: but _all things are_ FROM _God, who_ RECONCILED _us to Himself_ THROUGH _Christ and_, GAVE _to us the ministry of reconciliation_. That ἡμᾶς means all mankind i... [ Continue Reading ]
ὩΣ ὍΤΙ ΘΕῸΣ ἮΝ ἘΝ ΧΡΙΣΤΩ͂Ι ΚΌΣΜΟΝ ΚΑΤΑΛΛΆΣΣΩΝ ἙΣΥΤΩ͂Ι. The ὡς indicates that this is S. Paul’s view rather than an absolute statement: comp. 2 Corinthians 11:21; 2 Thessalonians 2:2. There are three ways of taking this sentence: _to wit, that there was God, in Christ reconciling the world to Himself... [ Continue Reading ]
ὙΠῈΡ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ͂. First with emphasis. ON BEHALF OF CHRIST, THEREFORE, WE ARE ACTING AS AMBASSADORS, _as though God_ WERE INTREATING _by us_ (2 Corinthians 1:19; 2 Corinthians 9:11). Comp. for the construction of the last clause ὡς μὴ ἐρχομένου μου (1 Corinthians 4:18); also Hebrews 13:17 and James 2:1... [ Continue Reading ]
20, 21. He sets forth his work as an ambassador from God. See Lightfoot’s _Ordination Addresses_, pp. 47 ff.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΌΝ (אBCDFG, Latt. Copt.) rather than τὸν γάρ (א3D3KLP, Syrr. Arm. Aeth.). The γάρ might be inserted to avoid abruptness. ΓΕΝΏΜΕΘΑ (אBCDEBLP) rather than γινώμεθα (cursives). 21. ΤῸΝ ΜῊ ΓΝΌΝΤΑ ἉΜΑΡΤΊΑΝ. The insertion of γὰρ in some MSS. and versions illustrates the tendency, especially in versions,... [ Continue Reading ]