View 2nd Corinthians 2 in the note window.
1: In grief - Either on account of the particular
offender, or of the church in general.
2: 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.
3: And I wrote thus to you - I wrote to you before in this
determination, not to come to you in grief.
4: 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.
5: He hath grieved me but in part - Who still rejoice over
the greater part of you. Otherwise I might burden you all.
6: 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.
10: 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.
11: 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.
12: Now when I came to Troas - It seems, in that passage
from Asia to Macedonia, of which a short account is given,(Ac 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,
13: 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, (2Co 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.
14: 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.
15: 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, (2Co 3:1,4:2);
and in them that obstinately disbelieve and, consequently,
perish, treated of,(2Co 4:3-6).
16: And who is sufficient for these things - No man
living, but by the power of God's Spirit.
17: 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.
