1._Assisting. _He has repeated the instructions of embassy with which
the ministers of the gospel have been furnished by God. After they
have faithfully communicated these instructions, they must also use
their endeavor, that they may be carried into effect, (572) in order
that their labor may not b... [ Continue Reading ]
2._For he saith, In an acceptable time. _He quotes a prediction of
Isaiah, exceedingly appropriate to the exhortation of which he speaks.
It is without doubt of the kingdom of Christ that he there speaks,
(576) as is manifest from the context. The Father, then, appointing
his Son a leader, for the p... [ Continue Reading ]
3._Giving no offense _We have already on several occasions remarked,
that Paul sometimes commends the ministry of the gospel generally, and
at other times his own integrity. (581) In the present instance, then,
he speaks of himself, and sets before us in his own person a living
picture of a good and... [ Continue Reading ]
4._In much patience. _The whole of the enumeration that follows is
intended to show, that all the tests by which the Lord is accustomed
to try his servants were to be found in Paul, and that there was no
kind of test to which he had not been subjected, in order that the
faithfulness of his ministry... [ Continue Reading ]
5._In tumults _In proportion to the calmness and gentleness of
Paul’s disposition was there the greater excellence displayed in his
standing undaunted in the face of _tumults; _and he takes praise to
himself on this account — that while he regarded tumults with
abhorrence, he nevertheless encountere... [ Continue Reading ]
_Knowledge _may be taken in two senses — either as meaning doctrine
itself, or skill in acting properly and _knowingly. _The latter
appears to me the more likely, as he immediately adds — _the word of
truth _The _Spirit _is taken by _metonymy, _to denote spiritual
graces. Frivolous, however, is the... [ Continue Reading ]
7._By the armor of righteousness _By_righteousness _you must
understand — rectitude of conscience, and holiness of life. He
employs the metaphor of _armor, _because all that serve God require to
fight, inasmuch as the devil is always on the alert, to molest them.
Now they must be completely armed, b... [ Continue Reading ]
8._By honor and dishonor _This is no slight test for subjecting a man
to trial, for to a man of a noble spirit nothing is more unpleasant,
than to incur disgrace. Hence we may observe in all histories, that
there have been few men of heroism that have not fallen back, on being
irritated by insults.... [ Continue Reading ]
11_Our mouth is opened. _As the _opening of the mouth _is a sign of
boldness, (602) if you are inclined to connect this with what goes
before, the meaning will be this, — “I have ample ground of
glorying, and an upright conscience _opens my mouth. _Your
entertaining unfavorable views of us, is not o... [ Continue Reading ]
12._Ye are not straitened in us _That is, “It is owing to your own
fault that you are not able to share in this feeling of cheerfulness,
which I entertain towards you. My _mouth is opened, _so that I deal
familiarly with you, my very heart would willingly pour itself forth,
(605) but you shut up you... [ Continue Reading ]
13._Now the same requital _He softens his reproof by addressing them
kindly as his sons, and also by this exhortation, by which he
intimates that he still entertains good hopes of them. By the _same
requital _he means — mutual duty, for there is a mutual return of
duty between a father and his sons.... [ Continue Reading ]
14._Be not yoked _As if regaining his authority, he now reproves them
more freely, because they associated with unbelievers, as partakers
with them in outward idolatry. For he has exhorted them to show
themselves docile to him as to a father: he now, in accordance with
the rights that belong to him,... [ Continue Reading ]
15._What concord has Christ with Belial? _As to the etymology of the
word _Belial, _even the Hebrews themselves are not agreed (612) The
meaning, however, is not doubtful. (613) For Moses takes a word or
thought of _Belial _(614) to mean a wicked and base thought, (615) and
in various instances (616... [ Continue Reading ]
16._What agreement hath the temple of God with idols? _Hitherto he has
in general terms prohibited believers from associating with the
wicked. He now lets them know what was the chief reason, why he had
prohibited them from such an association — because they had ceased
to reckon the profession of id... [ Continue Reading ]
17._Wherefore come out from the midst of them. _This exhortation is
taken from Isaiah 52:11, where the Prophet, when foretelling the
deliverance, at length addresses the priests in these terms. For he
makes use of a circumlocution to describe the priests, when he says,
_Ye that bear the vessels of t... [ Continue Reading ]
18._I will be a Father unto you. _This promise does not occur in one
passage merely, but is repeated in various instances. Paul has added
it with this view, that a recognition of the great honor to which God
has exalted us, might be a motive to stir us up to a more ardent
desire for holiness. For wh... [ Continue Reading ]