Ver. 24.-1. Not because we lord it over you through the faith. That this is a proper tranflation of the paffage, is evident from the pofition of the Greek article. For the apottle does not fay, εκ έτι κυριευομεν της ύμων πίςεως, but εκ ότι κυριευομεν ύμων, της πίσεως, Not because que lord it over you fupply δια after ύμων, in this manner, κυριευομεν ύμων δια της sews, through the faith. Or we may fupply the word evexa before îns wiews and tranflate the claufe thus, on account of the faith, namely, which ye profefs. One or other of thefe prepofitions must be supplied in this claufe, because the apoftle could not fay with truth, that he and his brethren apoftles, had not dominion over the faith of all who profeffed to believe the gofpel. By the infpiration of the Spirit given them, they were authorifed to judge, or rule, the twelve tribes of Ifrael, (Matth. CHAP. II. View and Illuflration of the Subjects in this Chapter. HE apoftle's apology for delaying his vifit to the Corin Tthians, which was begun in the preceding chapter, is continued in this. Earneftly defirous of their repentance, he had delayed to come, having determined with himself not to come among them with forrow by punishing the guilty, if he could by any means avoid it, ver. 1, 2.- -And therefore instead of coming to punish them, he had written to them, that he might have joy from their repentance, ver. 3.-And, in excufe for the severity of his first letter, he told them that he wrote it in the deepest affliction; not to make them sorry, but to fhew the greatness of his love to them, ver. 4. On receiving the apoftle's former letter, the fincere part of the Corinthian church, which was much more numerous than the faction, immediately excommunicated the inceftuous per fon, in the manner they had been directed. And he appears to have been so affected with his punishment, that in a little time he I 24 (Not (T, 254.) becaufe we lord it over you THROUGH the faith, but we are joint workers of your joy for by the faith ye ftand. 2 24 I speak of punishment, not because we apostles exercife abfolute dominion over you through the gospel, but by fatherly chaftifements, we are joint workers of your joy: for by perfevering in the gospel, ye ftand in the favour of God. (Matth. xix. 28.) that is, to direct the faith of all the people of God, the fpiritual Ifrael. But they had no dominion given them over the perfons and goods of those who believed. The faith of the difciples was to be advanced only by exhortations and admonitions; and if fatherly chastisements were to be administered in a miraculous manner, it could only be done, even by the apoftles, according to the suggestion of the Holy Ghoft. For in that manner all their miraculous powers were exercised, Cor. xii. 9. note 2. 2. For by the faith ye fland. (EnxeTE, 10.) This claufe may be tranflated, In the faith (that is, in the gospel) ye fland free. Your teachers have no dominion either over your perfons or goods, on account of your being Christians. he difmiffed his father's wife, and became a fincere penitent. Of these things the apostle had been informed by Titus, who I fuppofe was prefent at his excommunication. The apoftle therefore in this letter, told the Corinthians, that the punishment they had inflicted on their faulty brother, having induced him to repent of his crime, they were now to forgive him, by taking him again into the church; and even to confirm their love to him, by behaving towards him in a kind and friendly manner, left Satan fhould drive him to despair, ver. 5.-12.-Farther, to make the Corinthians fenfible how much he loved them, the apostle described the distress he was in at Troas, when he did not find Titus there, from whom he expected an account of their affairs. (See Preface, fect. 1. page 299.) For although he had the profpect of much fuccefs at Troas, he was so uneafy in his mind, that he could not remain there, but went forward to Macedonia, in expectation of meeting Titus. In Macedonia, his distress was fomewhat alleviated, by the fuccefs with which his preaching was attended. For in Macedonia, God caused him to ride in triumph with Chrift, having enabled him to overcome all oppofition, ver. 13, 14.-The idea of riding in triumph with Chrift, naturally led the apostle to describe the effects of VOL. II. Y his his preaching, both upon believers and unbelievers, by images taken from the triumphal proceffions of the Greeks and Romans, ver. 15, 16.-This beautiful paffage, he concluded with a folemn affirmation, that he did not, like fome others, corrupt the word of God with foreign mixtures; but always preached it fincerely and difinterestedly, as in the fight of God, ver. 17.By thus fpeaking, he plainly enough infinuated, first, that the falfe teacher, on whom the Corinthians doated, had corrupted OLD TRANSLATION. CHAP. II. 1 But I de termined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness. 2 For if I make you forry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made forry by me? 3 And I wrote this fame unto you, left when I came, I fhould have forrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice, having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all. 4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart, I wrote unto you with many Ver. 1. Not to come again to you with forrow. As the apostle did not come to them at the first with forrow, the word waλw, here tranflated again, feems to be used in the fenfe given in the commentary: unless the apoftle had in his eye, the distress he was in when he first came to Corinth, and which he has described, 1 Cor. ii. 3. Ver 2. Unless the fame who is made forry by me? The apostle knowing that the fincere part of the church would be made forry by his pumithing their disobedient brethren, wifhed not to diftrefs his friends, by punishing his enemies. Ver. 3.1 1. I wrote to you, T&To auto, this very thing. This expreffion is different from that in ver. 9. I wrote, as Taro, for this end alfo. The former denotes the thing written; the latter, the end for which it was written. Locke makes the thing written, to be the command to excommunicate the incestuous perfon. I understand it more generally, as in the commentary. See chap. xii. 21. 2. That the word of God from worldly motives: and, fecondly, that his own fuccefs' was owing, in a great measure, to the faithfulness with which he preached the doctrines and precepts of the gofpel, however contrary they might be to the prejudices and paflions of mankind: owing likewife to the difinterestedness of his conduct, which being evident to all with whom he converfed, no one could fufpect, that in preaching the gofpel he proposed to acquire either riches, or fame, or worldly power among his disciples. COMMENTARY. CHAP. 11. Befides, I allowed II. 1 the difobedient time to repent, becaufe I determined this with myself, not to make my fecond vifit to you, so as to occafion forrow to you. 2 For if Ifhould make you forry, by punishing your difobedient brethren, who is it that could give me joy, unless the very fame, who is made forry by me? After thus making you forry, I could not expect that pleasure from your company, which I fhould otherwife have enjoyed. 3 Wherefore, I wrote to you this very thing, to excommunicate the inceftuous perfon, and to forfake' your evil practices, (Cor. iii. 3. vi. 8, 9. x. 6.-10.) that coming again to Corinth as I propofed, I might not have forrow from the punishment of them, by whofe repentance I ought to rejoice. This joy I ftill expect, being firmly perfuaded concerning you all, that my joy is the joy of you .all. 4 To this, do not object the fharpness of my former letter. For out of much affliction and diftrefs of 2. That my joy is the joy of you all. Either the apoftle is speaking of the fincere part of the Corinthian church, or the word all must be taken in a qualified fenfe. Ver. 4. And diftrefs of heart. The word ourons, diftrefs, denotes the pain which a perfon feels who is preffed on every fide, without any poffibility of difengaging himself, Luke xxi. 25. Y 2 Ver. 5. 9 For to this end also did γραψα υμιν δια πολλών δακρυων, εχ ένα λυπήθητε, αλο λα την αγαπην ἵνα γνωτε ἣν εχω περισσότερως εἰς ὑμας. 5. Ει δε τις λελύπηκεν, εκ εμε λελύπηκεν, αλλ' απο με ένα 985, μη επιβάρω παντας ύμας. 6 Ικανον τῳ τοιέτῳ ἢ ἐπισ τιμια αυτη ή ύπο των πλειο νων. 7 Όςε τεναντιον μαλλον ύμας χαρισασθαι, και παρακαλεσαι, μηπως τη περισσοτερα λυπῃ καταποθῇ ὁ τοι8 τα 8 Διο παρακαλω ὑμας κυρωσαι εις αυτόν αγάπην. 9 Εις γαρ και I write, that I might know εγραψα, ίνα γνω την δοκιμην Ver. 5.1. Now if a certain perfon hath grieved me. The apoftle with great delicacy avoided mentioning the name of the incestuous perfon, and even his crime, left it might have afflicted him too much. 2. He hath not grieved me, except by a part of you. In this, and the following verfes, the apottle gave a remarkable proof of that love, which in ver. 4. he had expreffed towards the Corinthians. For firft, he made a diflinction between the guilty and the innocent: next, he forgave the incestuous perfon, who it appears had repented of his crimes, ver. 6. In the third place, he ordered the church likewise to forgive him, and confirm their love to him, that he might not be fwallowed up by exceffive grief, ver. 7. Ver. 7.1. Te ought more willingly to forgive; that is, ye ought to forgive more willingly than ye punished. 2. Left fuch a one. The apotle's delicacy in not mentioning the name of the incestuous perfon, was remarked in the note on ver. 5. This delicacy is continued throughout the whole discourse concerning him. Ver. S. I beferch you, publicly to confirm. The original word κυρωσαι, does not fignify to confirm fimply, but to confirm, or appoint with authority: confequently the apostle's meaning was, that the reception of |