Chapter One

¹ Argument of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians. The blessed Paul adds a second Epistle to the Corinthians, because in the first Epistle he had promised to come to them, but delayed—inasmuch as the Spirit was occupying him with other, more necessary matters, and trials had been laid upon him. It was necessary, then, to make a defense concerning the delay, which had grown long; and on this account he composes this second Epistle, defending himself for the things in which he had delayed. And at the same time it was fitting to receive and to praise them, since they had become better[1] as a result of the first Epistle; for as he had brought charges against them when they sinned, so it was necessary to praise them when they had been set right. Wherefore the Epistle is not the more accusatory in tone, except perhaps a few of its parts toward the end, and these on account of those from among the Jews who were boasting and slandering him as an unlettered man and worthy of no account.

² Chapter One. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy the brother. In the first Epistle he had sent Timothy there; then, having received him back again, he reasonably joins him to himself. For Timothy too had given the Corinthians proof of his own virtue, and as one who had already become known to them and had set right many things among them, he takes him to himself in the Epistle. And observe: at one time he calls him son—for As a son with his father, he says, he served with me—at another, fellow-worker—For he works the work of the Lord, as I also do—but now, brother; making him in every way worthy of reverence.

³ To the Church of God which is in Corinth. Again he binds them together, by saying “Church.” For those who are torn asunder are not a Church.

⁴ With all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia. He makes mention of all those in Achaia, at once both honoring the Corinthians, as one who through the Epistle to them addresses all, and at the same time gathering the whole nation into concord. And besides, because they too were being shaken, he makes the treatment common as well; which he does also when writing to the Galatians and to the Hebrews. And by calling them saints he shows that, if anyone is unclean, he is not worthy of this appellation and of this approach.

⁵ Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. He makes the customary salutation now also. And concerning these things it has been said in other places.

⁶ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He had promised in the first Epistle to come to them; then, having delayed, he strongly suspected that they were grieved, as though others had been preferred to them by him. Wishing, therefore, to make a defense, and to show that he had been hindered by reason of the many trials laid upon him, he makes his defense skillfully. For I give thanks, he says—to God, that is—as to one who delivered me from dangers; intimating through the thanksgiving that the things which hindered him were something great; being set free, he gives thanks. And consider the word God; then, and Father of the Lord; and if you should also understand it conjointly, The God and Father of the Lord, there is nothing strange; for it belongs to one and the same Christ to be, according to that which is human, [his] God, and according to the Godhead, [to have him as] Father.

⁷ The Father of mercies, and God of all comfort. That is, he who displayed mercies so great as to lead us up from the very gates of death, and to count us worthy of all comfort in our afflictions. And it is the custom of the saints to name God from the benefactions done to them: upon victory in wars, I will love you, O Lord, my strength, he says; and, The Lord is my defender; but when they are delivered from gloom, and darkening of mind, and grief, The Lord is my light. So then now also Paul names him Father of mercies and God of comfort, from what had befallen him. And observe his humility. For having been delivered from the trials endured for the sake of the preaching, he does not say that I was delivered according to my desert, but, On account of the mercies of God.

⁸ Who comforts us in all our affliction. He did not say, Who does not allow us to be afflicted, but, Who comforts us in our being afflicted. For he allows us to be afflicted, that through endurance we may have a reward; and whenever he sees us flagging, he comforts; and he ever does this. Wherefore Paul too did not say that he comforted once, but, He who comforts—that is, always. And not in this or that affliction, but, In all.

⁹ So that we may be able to comfort those who are in every affliction, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. Not because we are worthy to be comforted, he says, does God on this account comfort us; but that from the example of the comfort shown to me I may be able to comfort others also who are in trials. So that you too, seeing me thus comforted, may not fall down when you are in afflictions. And through this he shows both the work of the apostles, and that they are appointed for anointing and rousing others; and not, like the false apostles, that they live in luxury, and sitting at home overlook those who need comfort and rousing.

¹⁰ For just as the sufferings of Christ abound to us, so also through Christ does our comfort abound. Do not fall down, he says, O hearer, on hearing of afflictions and sufferings. For by as much as these abound, by so much do the comforts also abound. And he did not say simply, Sufferings, but, Of Christ, that from this very thing he might also console. For these sufferings which we suffer are Christ’s, and we become partakers with him of the sufferings; so that let this very thing be the greatest comfort to you, that you undergo the afflictions of Christ; or rather, not those alone, but even more. For the sufferings of Christ, he says, abound to us—that is, We suffer more than the things which Christ suffered. But perceiving how great a thing he had uttered, and that it was a weighty thing, he again draws it in, saying, So through Christ does our comfort also abound. For he refers the whole to him. And he does not say that the comfort is of equal measure with the afflictions, but, It abounds, and this is far greater than the afflictions.

¹¹ Whether we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. But on this account, he says, you ought not to be troubled at my afflictions, since it is for your salvation and comfort that we are afflicted. For it was possible for us to pass our life in safety by not preaching; but now, by preaching, that we may by all means save you, and comfort your souls through the preaching and the good things that come from it, we fall in with afflictions. We endure the afflictions, then, for your salvation; and so you ought not to be disturbed.

¹² Which works inwardly in the endurance of the same sufferings which we also suffer. This salvation, he says, is worked inwardly not only through our endurance, but also through yours; that is, Your salvation is the work not of me alone, but also of yourselves. For just as I am afflicted in preaching, so you also, in receiving the preaching, endure the same sufferings which I also do. And he bears them much witness of virtue, in that they received the preaching amid trials.

¹³ And our hope for you is firm. That is, we are firmly confident concerning you, that you will not be overturned by the trials that befall you; much more, then, will you not be disturbed at the things in which you see us suffering.

¹⁴ Whether we are comforted, it is for your comfort and salvation. Having said above that we are afflicted, lest he should seem to say something burdensome, he now says, And we are comforted for your sakes; that is, Our comfort becomes a refreshment to you. For if we breathe even a little, this suffices for your consolation. For you share with us in the gladness.

¹⁵ Knowing that, just as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also of our comfort. Just as, he says, you grieve when we are persecuted, as suffering this yourselves, so we know that, when we are comforted also, you reckon that you yourselves enjoy the comfort.

¹⁶ For we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning the affliction which came upon us in Asia, that we were exceedingly weighed down beyond [our] strength, so that we despaired even of living. Since he had made mention of affliction indefinitely, he now says of what kind. And through this he shows also his love toward them. For it belongs to love to lay bare the things that befall one to another; and at the same time he weaves a defense for the delay. And he says that the affliction came upon him in Asia, concerning which he spoke also in the former Epistle, that a great door has been opened to me, and the adversaries are many. And he seems to say the same thing by exceedingly and by beyond strength; but it is not so. What he means is this: The trial was exceeding—that is, great. Then, since it is possible for a trial to be great, yet to be borne nobly by one who is strong, he says that it was not only great, but also beyond our strength; that is, both great, and unbearable, and so great that we despaired even of living—that is, that we no longer even expected to live. And such a thing David calls the gates of Hades, and birth-pangs that bring forth death, and the shadow of death.

¹⁷ But we ourselves had the sentence of death in ourselves. The judgment, the verdict, the decree which the circumstances rendered, all but uttering a voice; that is, As far as our own surmise the expectation of death stood, and the answer which the nature of the circumstances gave; but it advanced no further.

¹⁸ That we should not be trusting in ourselves, but in God alone. And why did this come to pass? he says: That we might learn not to be confident in ourselves, but in God alone. And this Paul says, not as though he himself needed now to learn this (for who knew better than he that one must be confident in God?), but as regulating the others, in the things which he speaks concerning himself; and at the same time teaching humility.

¹⁹ To him who raises the dead. Who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us. Again he reminds them of the discourse concerning the resurrection, on behalf of which he had said so much in the former Epistle, confirming it also from things present. Wherefore he added, Who delivered us from so great a death. For he did not say, From danger, but, From death. For since the resurrection was a thing to come and unseen, he shows that this comes to pass every day. For whenever God draws up a man who has come to the very gates of Hades, he displays nothing other than a resurrection; whence we too are accustomed to say of such men, We have seen a resurrection of the dead.

²⁰ And we have hoped that he will yet deliver us. From this we learn that our life ought ever to be in a struggle; for by saying He will deliver, he announces beforehand the snow-flurries of many trials.

²¹ You also helping together on our behalf by your supplication. Since the words That we should not be trusting in ourselves seemed to some a common accusation, intimating those men also, he softens the saying, calling their prayers a great shield in their stead. And we are taught from this both humility, if indeed Paul had need of the prayer of the Corinthians, and the power of prayer itself. For the prayer that is made by the Church as it ought has great power, so that Paul too has need of it.

²² That from many persons the gift bestowed upon us may be given thanks for by many on our behalf. God delivered us, he says, and will deliver us through your prayers, that the gift bestowed upon us through many—that is, the grace that came to me through many—that is, through you having prayed earnestly for me—may be given thanks for by many persons, namely, by you. For my salvation, which comes to pass through your prayers, he bestowed upon you all, that many persons might give thanks to him on your behalf. And we learn from this not only to pray for one another, but also to give thanks for one another. And observe how, at the beginning, he says that he was saved on account of the mercies of God; but now he ascribes his salvation to their prayers. For together with the divine mercy we must contribute also the things on our part. And here too Paul neither gave the whole of the achievement to the Corinthians, lest he puff them up, nor altogether estranged them from it, lest he make them more slothful. For God will deliver us, he says, you also helping together by supplication—that is, contributing the things on your own part.

²³ For this is our boasting, the testimony of our conscience. And this also, he says, is to us an occasion of consolation, our conscience bearing us witness that we are driven and persecuted not as men caught in wicked deeds, but for virtue’s sake and the salvation of the many. The former comfort, then, was from God; but this, he says, is from the purity of my conscience; wherefore he also names it a boasting, showing the great confidence which he had in his pure conscience.

²⁴ That in simplicity and godly sincerity. What, he says, does the conscience bear us witness of? and why do we boast? That in simplicity—that is, in a guileless mind—and sincerity—that is, in purity of understanding and in freedom from deceit, having nothing shadowed over and underhanded, such as God accepts. And these things he says on account of the deceitful false apostles.

²⁵ Not in fleshly wisdom. That is, in cleverness of words and in the contrivance of sophistries. For this is the fleshly wisdom in which, while those men were boasting, he himself denies it and thrusts it from him.

²⁶ But in the grace of God we conducted ourselves in the world. That is, in the wisdom bestowed by him, and in the signs and wonders which were the grace of God. And it is a very great comfort for one to be conscious to himself that he does all things not by human power, but by divine grace. And not in Corinth only, but also in the whole world.

²⁷ And more abundantly toward you. How? Because, together with the signs, he also preached the Gospel among them without charge. And observe that what was his own achievement, this he ascribes to the grace of God.

²⁸ For we write no other things to you than what you read, or also acknowledge. Since he seemed to say great things concerning himself, lest anyone should say that these were a vaunting of words, he says that We write to you those things which you read indeed in these letters, but which you also knew, having known them beforehand. For your knowledge, which you have taken up beforehand concerning me, is not contrary to my letters. But some understood this thus: We write to you those things which you read—that is, are put in remembrance of; for reading is a putting in remembrance, or a knowledge from of old. And why do I speak, he says, of the things of which you are reminded? Nay rather, the things which you acknowledge to be our own, not even needing a reminder, because they are manifest.

²⁹ And I hope that you will acknowledge even to the end, just as you also acknowledged us in part. He refers the whole to God. For I hope, he says—in God, that is—that you will acknowledge us to be such as my epistles also declare, and as my past life guarantees. For in part you acknowledged us—that is, You had experience of us, who showed you in part certain tokens of a virtuous life. And this he said with modesty.

³⁰ That we are your boast, just as you also are ours, in the day of the Lord [our] Jesus Christ. What will you acknowledge? That I am your boast; that is, I am such as to give you occasion of boasting in me, in that you have such a teacher, who taught nothing human, nothing underhanded, nothing deceitful. Then, lest he should seem to speak great things concerning himself, he makes the boast common, and says that You too will be my boast. For I shall boast that I obtained such disciples, who are not led astray, nor deceived by the false apostles. And when shall we boast in one another? Both now, but especially in that day. For now indeed the many see the reproaches and the mockeries which we undergo, and perhaps slander us; but then, when all things are uncovered, I too shall appear to be not such as the false apostles slander me to be; and you also will be our boast, in that you were not joined to the deceivers.

³¹ And in this confidence I was minded to come to you before. In what confidence? In being conscious to myself of nothing wicked, in being your boast, in being not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, and in having you as witnesses of all these things. On these accounts, then, he says, I was minded to come to you.

³² That you might have a second grace. That is, a twofold joy: both that through the former Epistle, and that through my presence.

³³ And to pass through you into Macedonia. Just as he had said in the former Epistle, And I will come to you, when I have passed through Macedonia. But here he says, I was minded to come to you first. What then? Does he contradict himself? God forbid. For he did not say, I wrote that I would go away through you into Macedonia, but, I was minded. For even if I did not so write, he says, nevertheless I was zealous and minded to come to you even before I should see Macedonia; so far was I from being slothful to come to you, and from falling short of the promise, that I even wished to anticipate it.

³⁴ And again to come to you from Macedonia, and by you to be set forward toward Judea. In the former Epistle he had spoken indefinitely, That you may set me forward wherever I may go; fearing lest, having said, To Judea, and then being constrained by the Spirit to go away elsewhere, he should appear a liar. But now, since he had failed of coming to them, he speaks boldly thereafter, saying, To Judea I wished to be set forward by you; but God was not pleased that I should come to you at all, nor that I should be set forward by you toward Judea. Hear, then, what follows also.

³⁵ Being minded of this, then, did I perhaps use levity? Or the things which I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be the yea, yea, and the nay, nay? Here he makes his defense more openly concerning the delay, and says that, Being minded to come to you, for what reason did I not come? Was it as one fickle and easily swayed, and minded now one thing, now another? By no means. Do I, then, purpose according to the flesh—that is, in human fashion—and govern myself by my own judgment, so that whatever I determine with myself, this I also accomplish, whether yea or nay? Neither is this so. But I am led by the Spirit, and I have no authority to go away wherever I will, but wherever it shall command. So that often with me the yea is not yea, because this did not also seem good to the Spirit; nor the nay, nay, because what I myself refuse, this the Spirit commands. And observe his wisdom: how that which the slanderers made a pretext for reviling—his promising to come, and not coming—this he himself ranks in the place of a commendation, namely, that he had no authority over himself, but was led by the Spirit wherever it seemed good to it. But what then? Did he promise the things he promised without the working of the Spirit, but was ignorant of the future? He was ignorant; for he did not know all things; so that he even prayed for things not expedient, as in the matter of the thorn. And in the Acts also he is found wishing to go away elsewhere, and being hindered by the Spirit. And this God did profitably, lest they should worship them as gods, which is what the Lystrans experienced.

³⁶ But God is faithful, that our word toward you was not yea and nay. He resolves an objection that arises, by representing someone as saying: If the things you say are not firm, but you often say yea, and it is found to be nay, we are taught to suspect lest your word and your preaching too be of this kind, yea and nay—that is, unstable and unsure. He says, then, resolving this, that to promise to come was mine, wherefore I also failed of it; but the preaching is God’s, and it is impossible that the things of God should prove false; wherefore he also said, God is faithful—that is, true. So that, since he is true, neither is his word toward you, which we preached, unstable and unsure, that with you there should be yea and yea, and nay.

³⁷ For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you through us, through me and Silvanus and Timothy, became not yea and nay, but in him was yea. Thereafter he says what word became not yea and nay: that which was preached among you became not yea and nay—that is, it was not that now this was preached, now that; but it became yea, that is, it was preached firmly and immovably. And he enumerates also the multitude of those who preached, both making the testimony worthy of credit, and teaching humility, in that he makes his own disciples fellow-teachers.

³⁸ For as many as are the promises of God, in him is the yea, and in him the Amen, to the glory of God through us. In the preaching there are many things that have been promised: the resurrection of the dead, adoption as sons, and, in a word, the hopes of the age to come. He says, then, that not only does the preaching stand thus, and was preached firmly, but that the promises in it are God’s as well. And what God promised, they have in him the yea, and the Amen—that is, the firmness. For they are fulfilled not in any of men, but in God himself; so that they are firm. But they are also to his glory; and by all means, if for no other reason, yet at least for the sake of his own glory, God will fulfill his promises. And how will he fulfill them? Through us—that is, the occasion to him of fulfilling the promises is those who receive the things promised. If, then, the promises of God are firm, much more shall he himself, and the word concerning him, be firm. Or the words through us are to be taken in another way also: that is, to the glory of God which is brought to him through us; for through us he is glorified.

³⁹ Now he who confirms us with you to Christ, and who anointed us, is God; who also sealed us and gave the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. Having said above that he himself fulfills the promises, he now establishes this, and says that the very fact that you stand firmly in the faith that is to Christ, and I myself, your teacher, he himself gives; and he himself anointed us and sealed us—that is, he made us prophets, and kings, and priests. For such is every spiritual man: a prophet, having seen the things which the simple did not see; and a priest, as one who ought to offer himself a living sacrifice, holy, well-pleasing to God; and a king, as having become a son of God the King of all, and heir of the kingdom to come, and as now reigning over disordered thoughts, and set above the whole world. As, then, of old the priests and kings were anointed with oil, so now also we have been anointed with the Spirit, God having given in our hearts the earnest of the Spirit; and if he gave the earnest, he will assuredly give the whole also. And by “earnest” he means the present gifts of the Spirit. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but then we shall receive that which is perfect, when Christ shall be manifested in his glory. Do not, then, suppose that it is we who promise to you, and that perhaps we shall prove false. For neither are we the ones who establish you, but God both promises, and establishes, both me and you. He, then, will fulfill all things. And you ought to infer besides, that the God who did such and such things, he himself fulfills his own promises.

⁴⁰ But I call God for a witness upon my soul, that, sparing you, I came no more to Corinth. And yet above he said that, For this reason I did not come, because I had no authority over myself, but was hindered by the Spirit. How then does he now say that, Because I spared you I did not come? Either this very thing is of the Spirit; for the Spirit suggested to him not to come, putting forward the sparing of them. Or because at the beginning the Spirit hindered, but afterward he himself also, reckoning that this was better, remained. Observe his wisdom: since those men said that, For this reason you did not come, because, as it seems, you hated us; he, on the contrary, says that, For this reason I did not come, because I spare you. And this he says because there were certain among them sinning and not having repented, against whom he would have proceeded had he come and found them unamended. He waited, then, that when they had been set right, he might then come, and not find them deserving of punishment.

⁴¹ Not that we have lordship over your faith, but we are fellow-workers of your joy. Since again what he had said seemed too imperious (for one spares those over whom, when he punishes them, he is lord), he soothes the roughness of the saying, and says that, I said that I spare you, not because of having authority over your faith (for faith is a matter of free choice, and no one constrains there the one who is unwilling); but because your joy is mine, I did not come, lest I should cast you into grief, and I myself also be grieved. For I do all things for your joy, and on this account I remained, that, finding you set right by the mere threat, I might keep you free from grief.

⁴² For by faith you stand. He discourses with them in a subdued manner, because of having struck them much in the former Epistle. And what he means is this: In the things that pertain to faith you stand. In these things, then, I had nothing to blame you for; but in others you were being shaken; and had you not set these right, I would have proceeded against them, and with reason would have grieved you, as being myself also grieved.