in the First Epistle to the Corinthians, so occupied him, that he forgot every thing personal-but that when he had left Ephesus, the recollections of the special leadings of Providence, which had rescued him from such dangers, filled him with overflowing gratitude which he could. not suppress.

After Paul had laboured at Troas in preaching the gospel, and had waited in vain for Titus, whom he expected on his return from Corinth, he left that place with troubled feelings and went to meet him in Macedonia. Among the Macedonian churches he met with gratifying proofs of the advance of the Christian life, to which their conflicts with the world had contributed. No persecutions of Christianity as a religio illicita had as yet been commenced by the authorities of the state. But at all events, the Christians, by their withdrawing from the heathen worship and all that was connected with it, must have unfavourably impressed the heathen among whom they lived, and excited the hatred of the fanatical populace who were instigated by the Jews. Even if no legal charge could be brought against the believers as apostates from the religion of the state, still without this instrument, zealous heathens, who formed so large a majority, possessed sufficient means to oppress or injure in their worldly prospects a class of persons so far below themselves, in numbers, respectability, and political influence. It may illustrate this, if we only think of what converts to Christianity in the East Indies have had to endure (though under a Christian government), from their heathen relatives and connections! But the Macedonian Christians cheerfully endured every thing for the cause of the gospel, and, however much their means of subsistence had been injured, they were ready to take

to draw any conclusion from it with certainty; and even if here a chronic disorder were intended, it would not be clear that what was said before had any reference to it. We do not deny that Paul had to combat with much bodily weakness;we do not deny that the tribulation he endured must have impaired his bodily strength; but it does not follow that the passages above quoted have such a reference.

an active part in the collection made by Paul in the church at Jerusalem, even "beyond their power;" 2 Cor. viii. In Macedonia, the apostle had also the satisfaction of meeting with Titus, and of learning from him that his epistle had produced a salutary effect, if not on the whole, yet on the greater part of the Corinthian church. The disapprobation of the larger and better part had been expressed against the incestuous person, and the voice of this majority, which as such must have been decisive in the assemblies of the church, had either actually expelled him from church-communion, according to the judgment expressed by Paul, or the actual execution of the sentence had been put off in the event of his not receiving forgiveness from the apostle. When the resolution of the majority was announced to the offender with expressions of severe reprehension, he expressed the greatest sorrow and penitence. On this account, the majority, who always acknowledged the apostolic authority of Paul, interceded on his behalf that a milder course might be adopted, and Paul assented, in order that the penitent might not be plunged in despair, and thus a greater calamity ensue. The majority shew

In the words 2 Cor. ii. 5-10, I cannot find any thing different from what I have stated in the text. Nor do they support Rückert's assertion, that the majority of the church, though they expressed their disapprobation of the offender, were not disposed to proceed against him as severely as Paul desired, and that the apostle only yielded to their wishes from prudential motives, in order to maintain his authority, and to preserve the appearance of directing their decisions. Paul says, 2 Cor. ii. 6, "Sufficient to such a man is this punishment which was inflicted of many.' From this we cannot infer that it differed from the sentence passed by the apostle himself. This, said he only referring to what had taken place, and in connection with what followed-is indeed not unanimous, but yet the punishment awarded to him by the voice of the majority. It is sufficient may mean, enough has been done that this sentence of the majority has been expressed, and that he has been brought to contrition, so that now a milder course may be adopted, and he may be received again into church-communion. Or, it is sufficient that the majority have adopted this resolution. But, since

ed the greatest regard for the apostle's authority; they lamented having occasioned him so much trouble, and assured him how earnestly they longed to see him soon among them. But Paul's opponents among the Judaizers were not humbled, but, on the contrary, were only embittered against him by his reprimand and the submission paid to him by the rest of the church, and used every means in their power to make the church suspicious of him. They said, that he was powerful only in his letters, but that "his bodily presence was weak and his speech contemptible;" 2 Cor. x. 10. He threatened more than he could perform, and hence was very far from formidable. He was conscious of his weakness, and, therefore, was always threatening to come, but never came. In his first epistle, which has not come down to us, he probably threatened the contumacious, that he would soon come to Corinth, and if what was amiss were not rectified, he would exert the utmost prerogative of his office. In that last epistle, or by verbal communications, he had announced to them that as soon as he had left Ephesus, he would come immediately to them, as he wished, after a transient sojourn at Corinth, to travel into Macedonia, and return again to them in order to remain with them till his intended departure to Jerusalem. But as he now remained longer in Ephesus, as he had altered the plan of his journey, and had announced to the Corinthians that he would first go into Macedonia and

he is now penitent, it need not be carried into effect. The pain which he has already suffered is enough. Hence, instead of continuing to act with that strictness, and carrying into effect that resolution of the church, they might announce forgiveness to him, for (v. 9) Paul had attained his object; they had, by virtue of that resolution of the majority, given him the proof he required of their obedience. He required nothing more (v. 10), as they had assented to his severe sentence; so now he was ready to excuse them, as he had attained the object he had at heart, the welfare of the church. Paul also expressly commends (vii. 11) the indignation they had manifested in this affair, the indiznos they had felt, thus acquitting themselves of all participation in the wickedness.

then come to them ;* so he took advantage of this arrangement to excuse a sense of his weakness, of vacillation, and of ambiguity in his expressions. And thus uncertain and vacillating-they concluded, he would be as a teacher. Hence his self-contradictory conduct in reference to the observance of the Mosaic Law by the Jews and Gentiles. They endeavoured to set in a false light that Christian prudence which always distinguished Paul, but which was united in him with perfect simplicity of intention, as if he had employed a variety of artifices to deceive men. Also all that was amiss which he had denounced in his letters, had not yet been put away by that part of the church which adhered to the apostle. Such being the state of the Corinthian church, Paul thought it best-in order that his own visit to Corinth might be disturbed by no unpleasant occurrences, and that his intercourse with the Corinthians might be one of joy and love-to write once more to them, in order to prepare the way for his personal ministry among them. He sent Titus with two other able persons in the service of the church, as bearers of this epistle to Corinth.t

In reference to that marked suspicion of his conduct and character, Paul appeals in this epistle to the testimony of his own conscience, that in his intercourse with men in general, and especially with the Corinthians, he

*We therefore need not assume a lost epistle contained this altered plan of the journey.

† One of these (2 Cor. viii. 18) was chosen from the Macedonian churches, that he might in their name convey the collection to Jerusalem, and he is distinguished as one, whose "praise was in all the churches," for his activity in publishing the gospel. We may indeed suppose, that Luke is the person intended, and must then assume, that Paul was left behind at Philippi, where Luke afterwards joined him; but that the latter, after his return from Corinth, again stayed at Philippi, and on the departure of Paul to Jerusalem, intended to join him there. It is indeed remarkable that Luke, who generally gives a fuller narrative when he was an eye-witness, touches so slightly on this in the Acts. But his brevity may be explained from the fact of his being more copious only in relating the personal ministry of Paul.

had been guided not by worldly prudence, but by the Spirit of God; he contrasts one with the other, since he considered simplicity and uprightness of intention as the essential mark of the agency of the Divine Spirit. His epistle also testifies this; as he wrote, so he thought;* he had nothing in his mind different from his avowed intentions. He states the reasons of the alteration in the plan of his journey, and draws the conclusion, that no inconsistency can be found in what he had said on this matter. And he could call God to witness, that no inconsistency could be found in his manner of publishing the gospel, that he had always preached one unchangeable doctrine of Christ, and the promises which they received, would be certainly fulfilled through Christ.† God himself had given them as well as him the certain pledge of this, by the common witness of the Holy Spirit in their hearts; (2 Cor. i. 16-22.)

The duty of vindicating his apostolic character against the accusations of his opponents, forced him to speak much of himself. The palpably evident object of his doing this, and the distinction which he was always careful to make between the divine power connected with his apostolic functions, and the person of a feeble mortal, between "the man in Christ" and the weak Paul,‡ suffi

* 2 Cor. i. 12, 13. The grounds on which De Wette objects to this interpretation, are not obvious to me. "But what suspicion of duplicity might the confident assertions in v. 12 awaken." This verse could indeed awaken no such suspicion, but rather contradicts that suspicion which Paul's enemies sought to excite; v. 13 serves to corroborate what he had said in v. 12. Paul makes the appeal, that in his epistle, as well as in his whole ministry, nothing could be found of a copia σagninn, which his adversaries wished to find in those words; he maintains, that all his words, not less than his actions, bore the impress of ἀπλοτης.

† Therefore independently of the law of which his adversaries prescribed the observance.

"For whe

To this the passage in 2 Cor. v. 13 refers. ther we be beside ourselves, (the inspiration with which the apostle spake of the divine objects of his calling, of what the power of God effected through his apostolic office-but which