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2
Corinthians Chapter Two
2 Corinthians 2
But had there been any lightness in his decisions, since,
as he now informed them, he had intended to visit them on his way to Macedonia
(where he was at the moment of writing this letter), and then a second time on
his return from that country? In no wise; they were not intentions lightly
formed, according to the flesh, and then abandoned. It was his affection, it
was to spare them. He could not bear the idea of going with a rod to those whom
he loved. Observe in what manner, although shewing his affection and
tenderness, he maintains his authority; and they needed the exercise of this
authority. And while reminding them of his authority, he displays all his
tenderness. They were not Cretans, perhaps, whom it was necessary to rebuke
sharply; but there was a laxity of. morals which required delicacy and care
lest they should become restive, but also authority and a bridle, lest, in
giving them liberty, they should fall into all sorts of bad ways. But he turns
immediately to the certainty which was in Christ, the basis of all his own. He
would not press too much upon the chord he had touched at the beginning. He
lets his authority be known as that which might have been exercised, and he
does not employ it. The groundwork of Christianity was needed, in order to put
their souls into a condition to judge themselves healthily. They were quite
disposed, through the intrigues of false teachers and their habit of schools of
philosophy, to separate from the apostle, and, in spirit, from Christ. He
brings them back to the foundation, to the sure doctrine that was common to all
those that had laboured among them at the beginning. He would give Satan no
occasion to detach them from him (see chap 2:11).
He establishes therefore the great principles of christian joy and
assurance. I do not speak of the blood, the only source of peace of conscience
before God as a judge, but of the manner in which we are placed by the power of
God in His presence, in the position and state into which that power introduces
us according to the counsels of His grace. Simple certainty was in Christ,
according to that which had been said. It was not first Yea, and then Nay: the
yea remained always yea-a principle of immense importance, but for the establishment
of which there was needed the power and the firmness and even perfection, and
the wisdom, of God; for to assure and make stedfast that which was not wise and
perfect would certainly not have been worthy of Him.
It will be seen that the question was, whether Paul had
lightly changed his purpose. He says that he had not; but he leaves the thought
of that which concerned him personally to speak of that which pre-occupied his
thoughts-of Christ; and to him, in fact, to live was Christ. But there was a difficulty
to solve, when the immutability of God's promises was the question. It is that
we are not in a state to profit by that which was immutable on account of our
weakness and inconstancy. He solves this difficulty by setting forth the mighty
operations of God in grace.
There are two points therefore:-the establishment of all
the promises in Christ, and the enjoyment, by us, of the effect of these
promises. The thing is, as we have seen, not merely to say, to promise,
something; but not to change one's intentions, not to depart from what was
said, but to keep one's word. Now there had been promises. God had made
promises, whether to Abraham unconditionally, or to Israel at Sinai under the
condition of obedience. But in Christ there was, not promises, but the Amen to
God's promises, the verity and realisation of them. Whatever promises there had
been on God's part, the Yea was in Him, and the Amen in Him. God has
established-deposited, so to speak-the fulfilment of all His promises in the
Person of Christ. Life, glory, righteousness, pardon, the gift of the Spirit,
all is in Him; it is in Him that all is we-Yea and Amen. We cannot have the
effect of any promise whatsoever out of Him. But this is not all: we,
believers, are the objects of these counsels of God. They are to the glory of
God by us.
But, in the first place, the glory of God is that of Him
whoever glorifies Himself in His ways of sovereign grace towards us; for it is
in these ways that He unfolds and displays what He is. The Yea and Amen
therefore of the promises of God, the accomplishment and the realisation of the
promises of God, for His glory by us, are in Christ.
But how can we participate in it, if all is Christ and in Christ? It
is here that the Holy Ghost presents the second part of the ways of grace. We
are in Christ, and we are in Him not according to the instability of the will
of man, and the weakness that characterises him in his transitory and
changeable works. He who was firmly established us in Christ is God Himself.
The accomplishment of all the promises is in Him. Under the law, and under
conditions the fulfilment of which depended on the stability of man, the effect
of the promise was never attained; the thing promised eluded the pursuit of
man, because man needed to be in a state capable of attaining it by
righteousness, and he was not in that state; the accomplishment of the promise
therefore was always suspended; it would have its effect if-but the
"if" was not accomplished, and the Yea and Amen did not come. But all
that God has promised is in Christ. The second part is the "by us,"
and how far we enjoy it. We are firmly established by God in Christ, in whom
all the promises subsist, so that we securely possess in Him all that is
promised us. But we do not enjoy it as that which subsists in our own hands.
But, further, God Himself has anointed us. We have by
Jesus received the Holy Ghost. God has taken care that we should understand by
the Spirit that which is freely given us in Christ. But the Spirit is given to
us, according to the counsels of God, for other things than understanding
merely His gifts in Christ. He who has received Him is sealed. God has marked
him with His seal, even as He marked Christ with His seal when He anointed Him
after His baptism by John. Moreover the Spirit becomes the earnest, in our own
hearts, of that which we shall fully possess hereafter in Christ. We understand
the things that are given us in the glory; we are marked by the seal of God to
enjoy them; we have the earnest of them in our hearts-our affections are
engaged by them. Established in Christ, we have the Holy Ghost, who seals us
when we believe, to bring us into the enjoyment, even while here below, of that
which is in Christ.
Having again spoken of the care which manifested his
affection for them, he expresses his conviction that that which had pained him
had pained them also; and this was demonstrated by the way in which they had
treated the transgressor. He exhorts them to receive again and comfort the poor
guilty one, who was in danger of being entirely overwhelmed by the discipline
that had been exercised towards him by the mass of the Christians; adding, that
if the Christians forgave him his fault, he forgave it likewise. He would not
that Satan should get any advantage through this case to bring in dissension
between himself and the Corinthians; for Paul well knew what the enemy aimed
at, the object with which he made use of this affair.
This gives him occasion to shew how much he had them
always in his heart. Coming to Troas for the gospel, and a wide door being
opened to him, nevertheless he could not remain there, because he had not found
Titus; and he left Troas and continued his journey into Macedonia. It will be
remembered that, instead of passing by the western shores of the Archipelago,
in order to visit Macedonia, taking Corinth on his way, and then returning by
the same route, the apostle had sent Titus with his first letter, and had gone
by way of Asia Minor, or the eastern coast of the sea, which led him to Troas,
where Titus was to meet him. But not finding him at Troas, and being uneasy
with regard to the Corinthians, he could not be satisfied with there being a
work to be done at Troas, but journeyed on to meet Titus and repaired to
Macedonia. There he found him, as we shall see presently. But this thought of
having left Troas affected him, for in fact it is a serious thing, and painful
to the heart, to miss an opportunity of preaching Christ, and the more so when
people are disposed to receive Him, or at least to hear of Him. To have left
Troas was indeed a proof of his affection for the Corinthians; and the apostle
recalls the circumstance as a strong demonstration of that affection. He
comforts himself for having missed this work of evangelisation by the thought
that after all God led him as in triumph (not "caused him to
triumph"). The gospel which he carried with him, the testimony of Christ,
was like the perfume caused by burning aromatic drugs in triumphal
processions-a token of death to some of the captives, of life to others. And
this perfume of the gospel was pure in his hands. The apostle was not like some
who adulterated the wine they furnished; he laboured in christian integrity
before God.
── John Darby《Synopsis of 2 Corinthians》
2 Corinthians 2
Chapter Contents
Reasons for the apostle not coming to Corinth. (1-4)
Directions about restoring the repentant offender. (5-11) An account of his
labours and success in spreading the gospel of Christ. (12-17)
Commentary on 2 Corinthians 2:1-4
(Read 2 Corinthians 2:1-4)
The apostle desired to have a cheerful meeting with them;
and he had written in confidence of their doing what was to their benefit and
his comfort; and that therefore they would be glad to remove every cause of
disquiet from him. We should always give pain unwillingly, even when duty
requires that it must be given.
Commentary on 2 Corinthians 2:5-11
(Read 2 Corinthians 2:5-11)
The apostle desires them to receive the person who had
done wrong, again into their communion; for he was aware of his fault, and much
afflicted under his punishment. Even sorrow for sin should not unfit for other
duties, and drive to despair. Not only was there danger last Satan should get
advantage, by tempting the penitent to hard thoughts of God and religion, and
so drive him to despair; but against the churches and the ministers of Christ,
by bringing an evil report upon Christians as unforgiving; thus making
divisions, and hindering the success of the ministry. In this, as in other
things, wisdom is to be used, that the ministry may not be blamed for indulging
sin on the one hand, or for too great severity towards sinners on the other
hand. Satan has many plans to deceive, and knows how to make a bad use of our
mistakes.
Commentary on 2 Corinthians 2:12-17
(Read 2 Corinthians 2:12-17)
A believer's triumphs are all in Christ. To him be the
praise and glory of all, while the success of the gospel is a good reason for a
Christian's joy and rejoicing. In ancient triumphs, abundance of perfumes and
sweet odours were used; so the name and salvation of Jesus, as ointment poured
out, was a sweet savour diffused in every place. Unto some, the gospel is a
savour of death unto death. They reject it to their ruin. Unto others, the gospel
is a savour of life unto life: as it quickened them at first when they were
dead in trespasses and sins, so it makes them more lively, and will end in
eternal life. Observe the awful impressions this matter made upon the apostle,
and should also make upon us. The work is great, and of ourselves we have no
strength at all; all our sufficiency is of God. But what we do in religion,
unless it is done in sincerity, as in the sight of God, is not of God, does not
come from him, and will not reach to him. May we carefully watch ourselves in
this matter; and seek the testimony of our consciences, under the teaching of
the Holy Spirit, that as of sincerity, so speak we in Christ and of Christ.
── Matthew Henry《Concise Commentary on 2 Corinthians》
2 Corinthians 2
Verse 1
[1] But
I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness.
In grief —
Either on account of the particular offender, or of the church in general.
Verse 2
[2] For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same
which is made sorry by me?
For if I grieve you, who is he that cheereth
me, but he that is grieved by me — That is, I cannot be
comforted myself till his grief is removed.
Verse 3
[3] And
I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them
of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the
joy of you all.
And I wrote thus to you — I wrote to you before in this determination, not to come to you in
grief.
Verse 4
[4] For
out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears;
not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have
more abundantly unto you.
From much anguish I wrote to you, not so much
that ye might be grieved, as that ye might know by my faithful admonition my
abundant love toward you.
Verse 5
[5] But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I
may not overcharge you all.
He hath grieved me but in part — Who still rejoice over the greater part of you. Otherwise I might burden
you all.
Verse 6
[6]
Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.
Sufficient for such an one — With what a remarkable tenderness does St. Paul treat this offender! He
never once mentions his name. Nor does he here so much as mention his crime.
By many —
Not only by the rulers of the church: the whole congregation acquiesced in the
sentence.
Verse 10
[10] To
whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom
I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;
To whom ye forgive — He
makes no question of their complying with his direction.
Anything — So
mildly does he speak even of that heinous sin, after it was repented of.
In the person of Christ — By the authority wherewith he has invested me.
Verse 11
[11] Lest
Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
Lest Satan — To
whom he had been delivered, and who sought to destroy not only his flesh, but
his soul also.
Get an advantage over us — For the loss of one soul is a common loss.
Verse 12
[12]
Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was
opened unto me of the Lord,
Now when I came to Troas — It seems, in that passage from Asia to Macedonia, of which a short account
is given, Acts 20:1,2. Even though a door was opened to me
- That is, there was free liberty to speak, and many were willing to hear: yet,
Verse 13
[13] I
had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my
leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia.
I had no rest in my spirit — From an earnest desire to know how my letter had been received.
Because I did not find Titus — In his return from you.
So I went forth into Macedonia — Where being much nearer, I might more easily be informed concerning you.
The apostle resumes the thread of his discourse, 2 Corinthians 7:2, interposing an admirable
digression concerning what he had done and suffered elsewhere, the profit of
which he by this means derives to the Corinthians also; and as a prelude to his
apology against the false apostles.
Verse 14
[14] Now
thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh
manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
To triumph, implies not only victory, but an
open manifestation of it. And as in triumphal processions, especially in the
east, incense and perfumes were burned near the conqueror, the apostle
beautifully alludes to this circumstance in the following verse: as likewise to
the different effects which strong perfumes have upon different persons; some
of whom they revive, while they throw others into the most violent disorders.
Verse 15
[15] For
we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them
that perish:
For we —
The preachers of the gospel.
Are to God a sweet odour of Christ — God is well-pleased with this perfume diffused by us, both in them that
believe and are saved, treated of, 2 Corinthians 3:1; 2 Corinthians 4:2; and in them that obstinately
disbelieve and, consequently, perish, treated of, 2 Corinthians 4:3-6.
Verse 16
[16] To
the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of
life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
And who is sufficient for these things — No man living, but by the power of God's Spirit.
Verse 17
[17] For
we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as
of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
For we are not as many, who adulterate the
word of God — Like those vintners (so the Greek word
implies) who mix their wines with baser liquors.
But as of sincerity —
Without any mixture.
But as from God —
This rises higher still; transmitting his pure word, not our own.
In the sight of God —
Whom we regard as always present, and noting every word of our tongue.
Speak we —
The tongue is ours, but the power is God's.
In Christ —
Words which he gives, approves, and blesses.
── John Wesley《Explanatory Notes on 2 Corinthians》
Chapter 2. The Intention to Exhort
The Smell of
Death
The Fragrance of Life
I.
Interrelation Among Members
II. Forgiveness
in the Body
III. Spread the
Fragrance of Christ
── Chih-Hsin Chang《An Outline of The New Testament》
Chapter Two general Review
OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THIS CHAPTER
1) To appreciate the attitudes Paul had in writing his first epistle 2) To understand the need for proper follow-up toward one who has reacted favorably to church discipline 3) To see the different effects the gospel can have on people SUMMARY
Paul continues to defend his integrity by explaining that his change ofplans was an effort to prevent his coming to them in sorrow. Indeed,his previous letter was written for the same reason, and with muchanguish of heart (1-4). Speaking of grief, he reminds them that theone who caused most of it had properly repented after theirdisciplinary actions, and they should be careful to forgive and comfortthe person. Paul himself was willing to forgive the penitent offender,because he knew how Satan could easily take advantage of theirsituation (5-11). He then reveals the anxiety of trying to find Titus, which prompted hisleaving an "open door" in Troas to go on to Macedonia return to the subject of finding Titus and the comfort he received upondoing so (7:5-7), but at this point Paul begins vindicating his ministry as an apostle of Christ. With thanks to God, Paul describes the "triumphant" nature of his ministry, in which God leads him as in avictory procession. Carrying the imagery of a victory procession alittle further (in which it was common to have incense as part of the parade), Paul views himself and his work as the "fragrance of Christ" which to those being saved is an "aroma of life", but to those who areperishing it is an "aroma of death" (14-16b). Realizing his own insufficiency for such things, he speaks not as those who "peddle" the Word of God, but with sincerity and with an awareness that it comes from God, and is in the sight of God (16c -17). OUTLINE
I. PAUL'S DEFENSE OF HIS INTEGRITY CONTINUES (1-13)
A. THE REASON FOR HIS DELAY (1-4) 1. He was determined not to come to them in sorrow (1-2) 2. His previous letter he wrote in sorrow, lest when he came there would be sorrow and not joy for both him and them (3-4) B. FORGIVENESS FOR THE OFFENDER (5-11) 1. Speaking of sorrow, much of their grief was caused by one man (5) 2. However, their discipline was effective and the penitent offender should be forgiven and reassured of their love for him (6-8) 3. His previous letter was a test of their obedience, and he is willing to forgive those they have forgiven, lest Satan take advantage of their situation (9-11) C. HIS CONCERN FOR THEM (12-13) 1. In Troas , the Lord had given him an "open door" to preach the gospel (12) 2. But with no word from Titus, anxiety for their situation prompted him to leave for Macedonia II. THE "TRIUMPHANT" NATURE OF PAUL'S MINISTRY (14-17)
A. ALWAYS LED IN TRIUMPH BY GOD IN CHRIST (14a ) 1. Paul expresses thanksgiving to God 2. The reason: for leading them in a triumphal procession similar to that enjoyed by a military leader after a victory B. THROUGH THEM "FRAGRANCE" IS DIFFUSED (14b-16) 1. God diffuses the "fragrance of His knowledge" in every place (14b) 2. To God, they are the "fragrance of Christ" (15) a. To those who are perishing, they are an "aroma of death" (16a ) b. To those who are being saved, they are an "aroma of life" (16b) 3. He realizes his dependency upon God for sufficiency to be such things (16c -17) a. Unlike many, who "peddle" the Word of God (17a ) b. In contrast, he speaks sincerely, as from God, and in the sight of God (17b) REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR THE CHAPTER
1) What are the main points of this chapter?
- Paul's defense of his integrity continues (1-13) - The "triumphant" nature of Paul's ministry (14-17) 2) What was Paul determined not to do? (1)
- To come to them in sorrow 3) Why did he write his previous letter? (3)
- Lest when he came he would have sorrow over those who ought to give him joy 4) How did Paul write as he penned his letter? (4)
- Out of much affliction and anguish of heart, and with many tears 5) What did Paul want them to do with the man who had sinned, yet repented after their disciplinary action toward him? (7-8)
- To forgive and comfort him - To reaffirm their love to him 6) What was one purpose in writing to them as Paul had done? (9)
- To test their obedience 7) Why was Paul so willing to forgive the offender once the Corinthianshad forgiven him? (10-11)
- Lest Satan take advantage of the situation