God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.
The connection between this verse and what precedes, as indicated by the particle for, is, ‘I look for your sympathy in my afflictions, and for your prayers in my behalf, for my conscience bears testimony to the simplicity and sincerity of my conversation among you.’ Unless we are conscious of integrity towards others, we cannot be assured of their confidence in us.
Our rejoicing, says Paul, is this, the testimony of our conscience. This may mean that the testimony of conscience was the ground of his rejoicing.
This assumes a metonymical sense of the kau>chsiv, a meaning which is often attributed to the word. But as the word may express the inward feeling of exultation as well as the outward expression of it, which latter is its proper sense, the meaning may be (without assuming any metonomy),
‘My joyful confidence consists in the consciousness of sincerity.’ The testimony of the conscience is consciousness; and that of which Paul was conscious was integrity. And that consciousness sustained and elevated him. It was in its nature a joy. What follows is explanatory. His
conscience testified that in simplicity and godly sincerity, etc. The word aJplo>thv means singleness of mind, the opposite of duplicity. The ancient
manuscripts A, B, C, read aJgio>thv, purity or sanctity, which the recent editors generally adopt. The former word is much more common in Paul’s writings, and is better suited to the following term, eijlikri>neia which means translucence, clearness, sincerity of mind. It is called the sincerity of God, which our translators explain as meaning godly sincerity, either in the sense of religious, as distinguished from mere natural sincerity as a moral virtue, or in the sense of divine, what comes from God. The latter is the true explanation. It is the sincerity which God gives. The Bible often uses such expressions as “the peace of God,” “joy of the Spirit,” etc., meaning the peace or joy of which God or the Spirit is the author. There is a specific difference between moral virtues and spiritual graces, although they are called by the same names. Simplicity, sincerity, meekness, long-suffering, when the fruits of the Spirit differ from the moral virtues designated by those terms, as many external things, though similar in appearance, often differ in their inward nature. A religious man and a moral man may be very much alike in the eyes of men, though the inward life of the latter is human, and that of the former is divine. What Paul means here to say is, that the virtues which distinguished his deportment in Corinth were not merely forms of his own excellence, but forms of the divine life;
modes in which the Spirit of God which dwelt in him manifested itself.
This is expressed more clearly in what follows. Not in fleshly wisdom, that is, not in that wisdom which has its origin in our own nature. The familiar meaning of the word flesh in the New Testament, especially in the writings of St. Paul, is human nature as it now is, as distinguished from the Spirit of God. “Ye are not in the flesh,” says this apostle, “but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you,” <450809>
Romans 8:9. As our nature is corrupt, natural or fleshly necessarily involves more or less, the idea of corruption. The natural man, carnal mind, fleshly wisdom, all imply that idea more or less, according to the context. Fleshly wisdom, therefore, is that kind of wisdom which unrenewed men are wont to exhibit, wisdom guided by principles of self-interest or expediency. It stands opposed to the grace of God. Paul was not guided by the former, but by the latter.
The grace of God controlled his conduct; and by grace is here meant, as so often elsewhere, the gracious influences of the Spirit. We have had our conversation; ajnestra>fhmen, we moved about, we conducted ourselves.
The expression includes all the manifestations of his inward life. In the world, i.e. among men generally; and more especially to you-ward. That is,
the evidence of my sincerity is much more abundant to you than to others.
The Corinthians had enjoyed more opportunities of learning the character of the apostle, and of seeing his simplicity and integrity, than the world, or men outside of the church, had possessed. He could therefore the more confidently assume that they confided in him.
13, 14. For we write none other things unto you, than what ye read or acknowledge, and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end; as also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also (are) ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.
The same sincerity and honesty marked his correspondence that characterized his life. He never wrote one thing and meant another. The connection with the preceding verse is, ‘We are perfectly honest, for we write none other things than what ye read.’ The simple, obvious meaning of my letter, is the true meaning. I write, i.e. I mean none other things than what you understand me to intend when you read my letters, or know from other sources. The word ejpiginw>skete may be rendered as in our version, ye acknowledge. The sense would then be, ‘I mean nothing else but what you read or acknowledge to be my meaning.’ But this is not so clear. The design of the apostle is to show that his purposes really were what his letters indicated, or what the Corinthians, by other means, had been led to understand them to be. The words are, “Ye read, or also (h}
kai>) know,” and I trust ye shall acknowledge to the end. This clause may be connected with what precedes. ‘I mean what you know, and I trust shall continue to acknowledge, to be my meaning.’ That is, ‘I have
confidence that you will not misunderstand or misinterpret my intentions until we all come to the end;’ e[wv te>louv, to the end, either of life, or of the world. A much better sense is obtained by connecting this clause with what follows, so that the clause (o[ti kau>chma uJmw~n ejsmen) that we are your rejoicing, is the object of the verb (ejpignw>sesqe) ye shall
acknowledge. ‘I trust ye shall acknowledge unto the end (as ye have acknowledged us in part), that we are your rejoicing.’ The verb ejpiginw>skein combines the ideas of recognition and of complete knowledge. The words in part are most naturally referred to the
Corinthians, ye in part, i.e. a part of you. Paul knew that there were some in Corinth who did not rejoice in him. Others understand them to qualify the verb. It was only a partial recognition of him that the Corinthians had
as yet manifested. Compare <461312>
1 Corinthians 13:12, “I know in part.”
This, however, would give a tone of reproach to the language which is foreign to the character of the passage. We are your rejoicing, i.e. the ground of your exultation and delight. As ye also ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus. Paul believed that in the day of the Lord Jesus the Corinthians would rejoice over him as he would rejoice over them. In that day they would appreciate the blessedness of having had him for their teacher, as he would rejoice in having had them for his converts. The joy, however, which he anticipated in its fullness when Christ should come, was in a measure already theirs. ‘We are, and shall be, your rejoicing, as ye are and shall be ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus.’ Instead of rendering o{ti in the above clause that many commentators render it because. This gives a different sense to the whole passage. ‘We hope you will acknowledge — because we are your rejoicing, as ye are ours.’ This, however, leaves the verb acknowledge without an object. What were they to acknowledge? We may indeed supply from the context the words our sincerity, but it is more natural so to construe the passage as to avoid the necessity of supplying any thing. The sense also is better according to the common interpretation.
Paul does not design to prove that the Corinthians confided in him because he was their rejoicing, which would be to prove a thing by itself.
15, 16. And in this confidence I was minded to come to you before that ye might have a second benefit; to pass by you into Macedonia, and to come again out of Macedonia unto you, and of you to be brought on my way to Judea.
And in this confidence, that is, in the confidence that we are your rejoicing, Paul was not afraid to go to Corinth. He did not doubt that the great majority of the church would receive him with confidence and affection.
The change in the plan of his journey arose, as he afterwards states, from very different motives. Paul says he was minded, i.e. intended to come to them before, i.e. before going to Macedonia; that ye might have a second benefit, i.e. the benefit of seeing me twice, once before going to Macedonia, and again after my return. The other explanation of this passage is, that second here refers to his first visit to Corinth. The first benefit was their conversion, the second would be the good effects to be anticipated from another visit. But it appears from <471214>
12:14 and other passages that Paul had already been twice in Corinth, and therefore he could not speak of his
intended visit as the second; and the word second here evidently refers to the word before. He was to see them before and after going to Macedonia.
Benefit, cari>n, grace, a term generally in the New Testament used of religious blessings. The word sometimes signifies joy, so the sense here may be, ‘That ye might have the pleasure of seeing me twice.’ The former explanation is not only better suited to the common use of the word, but also gives a higher sense. And of you to be brought on my way to Judea.
Propemqh~nai, to be brought on my way, i.e. to be aided in my journey.
The word often, and perhaps most frequently, means to escort on a journey, or to furnish with the means of traveling. <441503>
Acts 15:3; <442038>
20:38.
etc. In ancient times when there were no established modes of traveling, it was customary for the friends of the traveler in one city to send him forward to the next, or at least to escort him on his way. This office of friendship Paul was willing and desirous to receive at the hands of the Corinthians. He was not alienated from them. And his purpose to seek this kindness from them was a proof of his confidence in their affection for him.
17. When therefore I was thus minded did I use lightness? or the things