to the context of "distress," such as arose from the discountenance of their heathen or Jewish neighbours, as when joined with στενοχωρία and ἀνάγκη, νί. 4.

ἡ περισσεία τῆς χαρᾶς αὐτῶν. "Their joy overflowed." He combines two ideas, partly that their joy appeared greater by reason of the distress in the midst of which it flourished, partly that it exceeded that distress, so that the distress became insignificant in comparison. Their "joy" is mentioned from the connexion which always exists in the Apostle's mind between cheerfulness and liberality. Compare ix. 7., "God loveth a cheerful giver," and Rom. xii. 8., "He that showeth mercy, in cheerfulness.” (ἱλαρόν, ἱλαPÓTηTI), and the especial word xapà is used in connexion with χάρις. "The Rabbis said that he who gave nothing, but received his friend with a cheerful countenance, was better than he who gave all with a downcast countenance." See WetSee Wetstein on ix. 7.

This sentence would run more naturally if it were, K τῆς κατὰ βάθ. πτωχείας ἐπερίσσευσεν ὁ πλοῦτος. Its present form is perhaps owing to the oxymoron, by which poverty, instead of restraining liberality, is described as overflowing into it; as though

see p. 145.

κατὰ βάθους, “ reaching deep down."

TAOÛTOS, "wealth," is here πλοῦτος, used, partly in its literal sense as he is speaking of actual wealth, partly in the metaphorical sense in which he so often uses it, to express any kind of excess: "Their great liberality." Here, and in Eph. ii. 7., iii. 8. 16.; Phil. iv. 19.; Col. ii. 2., the best MSS. read τὸ πλοῦτος for ὁ πλοῦτος, as in ó Romaic, of which the tendency is to substitute neuter for masculine and feminine nouns. So τὸ ἔλεος for ὁ ἔλεος in LXX. (See Winer. Gram. p. 64.)

ȧπλóτηs, in Eph. vi. 5.; Col. iii. 22., and in this Epistle (i. 12., (?) xi. 3.), is "simplicity," "sincerity." But throughout these two Chapters it is used for " liberality" or "munificence," by the same ambiguity as is attached to the word "liberality" in English. See ix. 11. 13. (ó μeтadidovs, év ȧTλóτηT, in Rom. xii. 8. may be taken in either sense.) ȧπ

λούς may be so used in Prov. xi. 25., where the verse which is rendered, "The liberal soul shall be made fat," is in the LXX. ψυχὴ εὐλογουμένη πᾶσα ann, which (unless the true reading be απάλη) must be 66 every liberal soul is blessed," or," every blessed (i. e. rich) soul is liberal." In Tacit. Hist. iii. 86. “ simplicitas” (possibly in the same sense) is joined with "liberalitas." It seems certainly to be so used in Josephus, Ant. vii. 13. 4., where David admires the ȧπλóτηs and peyaλoyvxía of Araunah. The context of Matt. vi. 22. suggests that op0axμos anλoûs in that passage may bear this meaning.

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35. Here again, from ὅτι κατὰ δύναμιν to 9εοῦ in verse 5. is a sentence which has been entirely shattered in passing through the Apostle's mind. If restored to order it would be: Ori Kaтà dúvaμiv, kai vπèρ δύναμιν, οὐ καθάπερ ἠλπίσαμεν, τὴν χάριν [τῶν χρημάτων] ἀλλ ̓ ἑαυτοὺς αὐθαίρετοι ἔδωκαν. The verb to which avlaíperol is attached, and by which Tv xápu is governed, is really ἔδωκαν. But, when he comes to express their spontaneous ardour (aveaípero), he enlarges upon it by describing that it was not at his request, but at theirs, that it was done; and this induces him to insert μετὰ πολλῆς παpakλ. Sεóμevol, which, in turn, attaches Tv xápu to itself, so

as to make it "asking for the favour" (Tv xápu, by its double sense suiting this construction); and then he explains it further by adding καὶ τὴν κοινωνίαν τῆς διακονίας, namely, "the favour of sharing in the ministration to the saints." The construction, thus lost, is recovered in the next verse by οὐ καθὼς ἠλπίσαμεν. δέξασθαι uâs, which would clear the construction, is a later insertion.

αυθαίρετοι in the New Tes tament occurs only in this Section of the Epistle, here and in viii. 17. It is a common word in later Greek (see Wetstein) for EKOVTES. For the connexion of παράκλησις and δεόμενος, sce v. 20. 21., vi. 1., x. 1.

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τὴν χάριν, as observed on verse 1, has here the double sense of " gift and "favour,” and so also κοινωνίαν of municating" and of "participating.” διακονία, except in this Section, where χάρις is so often used instead, is the ordinary word in the New Testament for a charitable contribution to the wants of others; and hence the technical sense of διάκονος in ecclesiastical Greek, and in Phil. i. 1.; 1 Tim. vi. 8. 12.; Rom. xvi. 1., for the administrators of such bounty, whether male or female. Compare ix. 1. 13.; Rom. xv. 31. with regard to this same matter; and Acts, vi. 1., xi. 29., xii. 25.

ἑαυτούς, "themselves companions."

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πρῶτον τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ ἡμῖν. In classical Greek this would have been expressed by Te and καί. Here, as in Rom. i. 16., ii. 9. 10., it is not priority of time, but of importance, that is meant.

διὰ θελήματος θεοῦ is partly that their complete surrender of themselves was the work of God, as in the phrase τὴν χάριν τοῦ Θεοῦ in viii. 1.; partly that they consented to go with him, if God so permitted. See 1 Cor. xvi. 7.; James iv. 15.

6. παρακαλέσαι is the word he always uses in speaking of the two missions of Titus, ix. 17., xii. 17. ; 1 Cor. xvi. 12.

ἐνήρξατο, used only in this Section of the Epistle, here and in viii. 11. It refers

to the interest which Titus had taken in this contribution on his first mission to Corinth with the First Epistle, xii. 17. ; 1 Cor. xvi. 1. 12.

καὶ τὴν χάριν χάριν ταύτην. “That he may complete this contribution, as well as the general good work of zeal and repentance" (described in vii. 13. 14.).

7. The sentence here may be regarded either, (1.) as growing out of the preceding, and depending grammatically, though not in sense, upon ἵνα: or (2.) as a new beginning of exhortation, ἵνα depending on παρακαλώ, supplied from παρακαλέσαι. "I have entreated Titus, now I entreat you to show the same exuberance of spiritual attainments in this, as in other points.”

For πίστει, λόγω, γνώσει, see 1 Cor. xii. 9.

For σπουδῇ see vii. 11. For τῇ ἐξ ἡμῶν ἐν ὑμῖν ἀγάπῃ, see i. 11. Here, as in vii. 12., the readings vary between ἡμῶν and ὑμῶν. ὑμῶν ἐν ἡμῖν in C. D. E. F. G. J. K. and most versions; ἡμῶν ἐν ὑμῖν Β., and the Syriac, Armenian, Sclavonic, and Origen. This suits better with the general tone

of the Epistle (compare i. 6., vi. 11. 12.). In this passage it must mean "The love which I have awakened in you." (Comp. i. 11.)

For this general description of the gifts of the Corinthians, compare 1 Cor. i. 5.

8. οὐ κατ ̓ ἐπιτάγην λέγω. "I speak not to command you." Compare the same expression in 1 Cor. vii. 6., where, how ever, the meaning is not quite the same. There it is, "I have no commandment of Christ to give." Here it is, "I have no commandment of my own to give."

διὰ τῆς ἑτέρων σπουδῆς. "Making use of the zeal of the Macedonians to stimulate you," viii. 1-5. δοκιμάζων, « in order to try." Tò yvýolov, "the genuineness."

τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀγάπης refers to verse 7., τῇ ἀγαπῇ.

9. This parenthesis explains the reference to their love (ἀγάπη). "If your love is genuine, you will make yourselves poor for the sake of others, after Christ's example; for you know the favour that He gave to us (xápiv is used for the sake of allusion to Xápiv in verses 6. 7.); for He, when he might have been rich, became subject to poverty for you, that you, through his

poverty, might become rich in goodness."

It is difficult to determine in what sense the Apostle used the words πλούσιος and ἐπτώyevre, as applied to our Lord, whether of his surrendering the glory which He had with the Father (John xvii. 5. ; and probably Phil. ii. 6., the passage which most resembles this), or of the poverty of His actual condition in life. The probability is, that whilst TTXεVσE is taken entirely in the literal sense, πλούσιος ὤν, though taken in the literal sense to a certain extent, yet has also the more general meaning implied in TOUTONTE in the next πλουτήσητε clause, as is so often the case in St. Paul's metaphorical use of the word "riches" (λoû τος). The words πλούσιος ὤν, "being rich," must, when taken with the context, mean, "when it was in His power to be rich," "when riches were in his grasp." For a similar use of the present participle in exactly similar passages, compare John iii. 13.: "He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is (ó iv) in heaven." Phil. ii. 6. 7.: "Who being (vπáρxwv) in the form of God, made Himself of no reputation;" in which latter passage, however, the sense is

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more clearly brought out by the sense of the word vπápxw. Whether πTOXEvoe signifies He was poor," or "He became poor," is doubtful. The classical usage is in favour of the first. The context, and perhaps the passages in the LXX., Jud. vi. 6.; Ps. lxxviii. (lxxix.) 8., xxxiii. 11. (πλoúσLOL SπTWXεÚσaν) are rather σιοι επτωχεύσαν) in favour of the second. The general sense will thus be, "When all power, and wealth, and greatness, earthly and Divine, were His, He yet led a life of poverty, not merely for the world in general, but for you, that you might gain in spiritual wealth (compare 1 Cor. i. 5. λOUTÍGONTE, iv. ἐπλουτίσθητε, 8., πλουτεῖτε “ by His human poverty." Si vuâs is emphatic by position.

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The passage is remarkable on many accounts: 1st. It is a striking instance of the Apostle's frequent mode of allusion to the most solemn truths of Christian Revelation, in the midst of arguments referring to what may almost be called the every day business of life.

2ndly. It is the only passage in the Epistles (unless Phil. ii. 7. be so called) which directly alludes to the ordinary trials and humiliations of our Lord's life; and as such bears witness to the accuracy of the Gospel narrative. It is perhaps hardly fair to press the word (TTXEVOE) to its strictly classical sense of "became a beggar,"

because in the New Testament it almost seems to have su perseded the common word for " poverty” (πενία, πενής), which occurs only once (2 Cor. ix 9.). But it certainly expresses extreme destitution, as in the LXX., wherever it occurs; and thus agrees with the general account of His life in the Gospels, as leading a houseless and wandering life," not having where to lay his head" (Matt. viii. 20.). And the implied assertion that this poverty was a voluntary choice, agrees with the account of the offer and rejection of the kingdoms of the world in the Temptation (Matt. iv. 9.), and of the kingdom of Judæa (John vi. 15.), and with the general expressions, "No man taketh my life from me, but I lay it down of myself" (John x. 18.). "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and He shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels" (Matt. xxvi. 53.). "The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it" (John xviii. 11.). It should be observed, also, that the peculiar form in which the contrast is here expressed, "Being rich he was poor (Tλovσios v ÈπTÓXεVσE), as though He were rich and poor at the same time, agrees with the whole tone of the Gospels, by which, more than by any direct expressions, we infer the indissoluble union of Divine