2 Corinthians 8:1-7
THE LIBERALITY OF THE MACEDONIAN CHURCHES AN EXAMPLE TO CORINTH.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LIBERALITY OF THE MACEDONIAN CHURCHES AN EXAMPLE TO CORINTH.... [ Continue Reading ]
Γνωρίζομεν f1δὲ ὑμῖν κ. τ. λ.: _moreover_ (for this is the force of the δὲ μεταβατικόν, marking the transition to a new subject; _cf._ 1 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Corinthians 8:1; 1 Corinthians 15:1, chap. 2 Corinthians 10:1, etc.), _brethren, we make known to you the grace of God, sc._, the special grace... [ Continue Reading ]
ὅτι ἐν πολλῇ δοκιμῇ κ. τ. λ.: _how that in much proof of affliction, i.e._, in spite of the severe afflictions by which they were tried, probably a reference to persecution and annoyance from their heathen neighbours (see Acts 16:20; Philippians 1:28 1 Thessalonians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 2:14; 1 Thes... [ Continue Reading ]
ὅτι κατὰ δύναμιν κ. τ. λ.: _for according to their power, I bear witness, yea and beyond their power_. Field quotes a good parallel from Josephus, _Antt._, iii., 6. 1, who has κατὰ δύναμιν … παρὰ δύναμιν as here.... [ Continue Reading ]
αὐθαίρετοι μετὰ πολλ. παρακ. κ. τ. λ.: _of their own accord begging of us with much entreaty_ (the constr. is clumsy but perhaps unbroken; we should expect ἔδωκαν after αὐθαίρετοι, but the verb is found in 2 Corinthians 8:5) _the favour, sc._, of giving (_cf._, for this sense of χάρις, Acts 24:27; A... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ οὐ καθὼς κ. τ. λ.: _and not_ (merely) _as we hoped, i.e._, beyond what we expected or hoped, _but first_ (not only in order of time, but in order of importance; as we say “first of all”) _they gave themselves to the Lord_. This is not merely the consecration of self (_cf._ Romans 12:1), which is... [ Continue Reading ]
εἰς τὸ παρακαλέσαι κ. τ. λ.: _so that we exhorted Titus_ (the epistolary aor. infin.; this is the exhortation to Titus on his meeting with St. Paul in Macedonia after accomplishing his first Mission to Corinth; παρακαλ. is the word used throughout of the Apostle's directions to Titus; see 2 Corinthi... [ Continue Reading ]
οὐ κατʼ ἐπιταγὴν λέγω κ. τ. λ.: _I speak not by way of commandment, i.e._, I do not give you an authoritative and formal command (as I might do), _but as proving through the earnestness of others, sc._, the example of the Macedonian Churches (2 Corinthians 8:3), _the genuineness also of your love_ ... [ Continue Reading ]
HE COUNSELS (THOUGH HE WILL NOT COMMAND) THAT THEY FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF THE MACEDONIAN CHURCHES, ACCORDING TO THEIR ABILITY.... [ Continue Reading ]
γινώσκετε γὰρ κ. τ. λ.: _for ye know the grace, i.e._, the act of grace, _of our Lord Jesus Christ, that being rich, sc._, in His pre-existent state before the Incarnation, _yet for your sakes_ (_cf._ Romans 15:3) _He became poor, sc._, in that κένωσις which the Incarnation involved (Philippians 2:5... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ γνώμην κ. τ. λ.: _and herein I give my opinion, for this_ (_i.e._, that he should offer them an opinion rather than give a command in this matter, _cf._ 2 Corinthians 9:2) _is better, i.e._, is morally profitable, _for you, inasmuch as you_ (see Romans 1:25; Romans 1:32, etc., for οἵτινες = _qui... [ Continue Reading ]
νυνὶ δὲ κ. τ. λ.: _but now complete the doing also, that as there was the readiness to will, so there may be also the completion in accordance with your ability_ : ἐκ τοῦ ἐχεῖν = καθὸ ἄν ἔχῃ of 2 Corinthians 8:12 = _pro facultatibus_ (_cf._ John 3:34, ἐκ μέτρου), and not, as A.V., “out of that which... [ Continue Reading ]
εἰ γὰρ ἡ προθυμία κ. τ. λ.: _for if the readiness is there it is acceptable according as a man has, not according as he has not: cf._ 2 Corinthians 9:7; Mark 12:43, and Tob 4:8, “As thy substance is, give alms of it according to thine abundance; if thou have little, be not afraid to give alms accord... [ Continue Reading ]
οὐ γὰρ ἵνα κ. τ. λ.: _for_ the collection is _not_ made in order _that there may be relief to others, i.e._, to the Judæan Christians, _and pressure to you, but by equality, your abundance at the present season being_ a supply _for their want, that their abundance also may prove to be_ a supply for... [ Continue Reading ]
καθὼς γέγραπται κ. τ. λ.: _as it is written, sc._, in the words of Scripture, “ _He that_ gathered (we must understand σύλλεξας from Exodus 16:17) _much had nothing over; and he that_ gathered _little had no lack_,” _sc._, because each gathered enough manna for his own needs and no more. That each C... [ Continue Reading ]
χάρις δὲ τῷ Θεῷ κ. τ. λ.: _but thanks be to God, who gives_ (note the pres. tense) _to_ (lit., “in”; see on 2 Corinthians 1:22 for constr.) _the heart of Titus the same earnest care for you, sc._, the same that I myself feel.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE COMMENDS TO THEM TITUS AND TWO UNNAMED COMPANIONS, WHO, BEARING THIS LETTER WITH THEM, ARE SENT TO GATHER THE COLLECTION AT CORINTH.... [ Continue Reading ]
ὅτι τὴν μὲν παράκλ. κ. τ. λ.: _for not only did he accept_ (the epistolary aorist) _our exhortation, sc._, of 2 Corinthians 8:6, _but_ (and this is the proof of his σπουδή) _being himself very earnest_ (we are not to press the comparative σπουδαιότερος; _cf._ Acts 17:22), _it was of his own accord t... [ Continue Reading ]
συνεπέμψαμεν δὲ κ. τ. λ.: _and we have sent_ (the epistolary aorist; _cf._ Acts 23:30, chap. 2 Corinthians 9:3; Philippians 2:28; Philemon 1:12) _together with him the brother, sc._, the brother whom you know (_cf._ chap. 2 Corinthians 12:18), _whose praise in the Gospel, i.e._, whose good repute as... [ Continue Reading ]
οὐ μόνον δὲ ἀλλὰ κ. τ. λ.: _and not only so, but who was also appointed_ (χειροτονεῖν is, strictly, to vote by a show of hands, and hence it came to mean “to elect”) _by the Churches, i.e._, all the local congregations interested, _as our fellow traveller in the matter of this grace_ (reading ἐν; se... [ Continue Reading ]
στελλόμενοι τοῦτο κ. τ. λ.: _avoiding this_ (στελλέσθαι might mean “to prepare” as at Wis 14:1, 2Ma 5:1, but Malachi 2:5 and reff. make us decide for the Vulgate rendering _devitantes_; the metaphor is a naval one, of shifting sail so as to avoid an enemy's pursuit), _that any man should blame us in... [ Continue Reading ]
προνοοῦμεν γὰρ κ. τ. λ.: _for “we provide things honest” not only “in the sight of the Lord,” but also “in the sight of men,”_ an injunction in the Proverbs which the Apostle quotes again at Romans 12:17. Where other people's money is in question, one cannot be too careful; and the prudence of the m... [ Continue Reading ]
συνεπέμψαμεν δὲ αὐτοῖς κ. τ. λ.: _and we have sent with them our brother, whom we have many times proved earnest in many things, but now much more earnest because of the great confidence which he has in you_ (_cf._ Galatians 5:10, πέποιθα εἰς ὑμᾶς), _i.e._, which was inspired by the account that Tit... [ Continue Reading ]
εἴτε ὑπὲρ Τίτου κ. τ. λ.: _whether_ you ask _about Titus_ (_cf._ on 2 Corinthians 1:8 for this use of ὑπέρ), _he is my colleague and my fellow worker to you ward_ (for him St. Paul will be personally responsible), _or our brethren_, they are _the envoys of Churches, i.e._, they were duly χειροτονηθέ... [ Continue Reading ]
τὴν οὖν ἔνδειξιν κ. τ. λ.: _shew ye therefore_ (if we read ἐνδεικνύμενοι the exhortation is indirect, as at Romans 12:9-21) _unto them in the face of the Churches the demonstration of your love, sc._, to us (_cf._ 2 Corinthians 8:7), _and of our glorying on your behalf, sc._, my boasting of your rea... [ Continue Reading ]