23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

¶ The first epistle to the Corinthians was written from Philippi by Stephanas, and Fortunatus, and Achaicus, and Timotheus.

'See on ROM. xvi. 20.

THE

SECOND EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE

Corinthians.

PAUL, having received an account by Titus of the good effects of his first letter among the Corinthians, wrote a second to them, A. D. 57, from Macedonia, and probably from Philippi. He expresses his satisfaction at their conduct, justifies himself, and comforts them. He glories in his suffering, and exhorts them to liberality. The principal design of both epistles is to take off the people from their new leaders, and wholly to put an end to the faction and disorder which they had caused in the Church of Corinth.

Towards the end of the year 57 Paul visited Corinth a second time, where he remained three months, wrote his Epistle to the Romans, and then proceeded to Jerusalem.

CHAP. I.

3 The apostle encourageth them against troubles, by the comforts and deliverances which God had given him, as in all his afflictions, 8 so particularly in his late danger in Asia : 12 and calling both his own conscience and their's to witness of his sincere manner of preaching the immutable truth of the Gospel, 15 he excuseth his not coming to them, as proceeding not of lightness, but of his lenity towards them. A. D. 60. PAUL, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

a See on 1 COR. i. 1.

a

CHAP. I.

unto the Church of God which is at Corinth, b with all the saints which are in all Achaia :

с

2 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

3d Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

e

4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort, wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

5 For as the 'sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual1 in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

is wrought. A. V.

:

b Roм. i. 7: Called to be saints. EPH. i.. To the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. PH1. i. 1: To all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the Bishops and Deacons. COL. i. 2: To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ.

C PHILE. 3: Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. See on ROм. i. 7.

d See on Roм. xv. 6.

e

ACTS, ix. 31: Then had the churches rest-and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied. do. xvi. 25: At midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 2 COR. vii. 4: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.

f Ps. xxxiv. 19: Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. Acrs, ix. 4 : Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 2 COR. iv. 9, 10: Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus. COL. i. 24: Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh. up See on 2 COR. iv. 15.

7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead :

10 Who 'delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

m

11 Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that "for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.

h See on ACTS, xiv. 22.

2 answer. A. V.

1 Acts, xix. 23: At the same time there arose no small stir about that way. 1 COR. XV. 32: If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus. do. xvi. 9: For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many ad

versaries.

k

* Jer. xvii. 5, 7: Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.

12 PET. ii. 9: The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished. See on Acтs, vii. 10.

JAMES, v. 16-18: Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. See on Roм. xv. 30.

12 For our rejoicing 3 is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in Psimplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

13. For we write none other things unto you, than what ye read or acknowledge; and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end;

14 As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as 'ye also are our's in the day of the Lord Jesus.

15 And in this confidence I was minded 4 to come unto you before, that ye might have a 'second 5 benefit ;

u

16 And to pass by you into Macedonia, and

4

3 glorying. Pu. willing. Pu. double. Gen. 5 sure. Co. Ma. Cr.

See on Acтs, xxiii. 1.

P See on JOHN, i. 47.

91 COR.. ii. 4, 13: My speech and my with the enticing words of man's wisdom.

r

6 grace. A. V. plea

preaching was not Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth. 1 Cor. xv. 10: But by the grace of God I am what I am : and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain ; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

$ 2 COR. v. 12: We commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart.

PHI. ii. 16: Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. do. iv. 1: My brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown. 1 THES. ii. 19, 20: What is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy. 3 JOHN, 4: I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth.

"ROM. i. 11: I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established. do. xv. 29: I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ.

V

to come again out of Macedonia unto you, and of you to be brought on my way toward Judæa.

17 When I therefore was thus minded, did I use lightness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea yea, and nay nay?

X

8

18 But as God is true,' our word toward you was not yea and nay.

y

19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, a but in him was yea.

20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

7 faithful. Ma. Cr. Bi. Gen. Rh. We. Pu. 8 preaching. A. V.

See on 1 COR. iv. 19.

W 71 COR. xvi. 6.

*2 COR. x. 2: But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

Y MAT. v. 37: But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

MARK, i. 1: Jesus Christ the Son of God. LUKE, i. 35: And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. Acтs, ix. 20 : And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. Roм. i. 4: And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

a HEB. xiii. 8: Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

ROM. xv. 8, 9: Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: and that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy

name.