The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: the Second Epistle to the Corinthians
Chapter 6
i. He exhorts them not to neglect the proffered grace of reconciliation spoken of at the end of the last chapter. ii. He points out (ver. 4) the qualities required in ministers, especially in Apostles and preachers of the Gospel iii. He declares (ver. 11) how his heart was filled with love of the Corinthians , and he strives to stir them up to like love.
iv. He warns them (ver. 14) by many contrasts carefully to avoid holding intercourse or intermarrying with unbelievers.
Ver. 1. — We then, as workers together with Him. We, as workers together with God, beseech you to accept this proffered reconciliation , spoken of in vers. 18, 19, and 20, of the preceding chapter.
Beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. He receives grace into a vacuum, says Anselm, who does not work with it, who does not give it his heart, and who, through sloth, makes that grace ineffectual, by not doing all that he can to express it in good works. In other words, do not suppose that faith alone is reconciliation, for a good life and good works are also indispensable . So Theophylact, following Chrysostom.
Observe that the Apostle applies the word grace to the general benefit of reconciliation of the world through Christ’s redemption ; for it was of this that he had just been treating. Nevertheless, under that he comprehends that particular grace which Christ has merited for each one, and which God gives to each one, to enable each one to become a partaker of the general redemption wrought by Him.
Ver. 2. — For he saith , I have heard thee in a time accepted (Isa. xlix. 8). The Apostle proves that now is the time of grace and reconciliation, in order that we may not receive this grace in vain, from the fact that Isaiah had foretold that this would be the time of grace. He is anticipating an objection which might be raised. It might be said by some one : “ It is not in my power to receive the grace of God ; for to give it or not to give it depends on the will of God. How, then, can you exhort me to receive it?” Paul replies : Now is the time accepted, now is the time of salvation, now is the time of grace, when, as Isaiah foretold, God offers His grace to all, and hears the desires and petitions of all.
In a time accepted. This time is the period of the law of grace, or the present life of Christians, during which they have the opportunity of doing good works and obtaining merit. But after this life it is not called “a time accepted;” for in this time only has God been pleased to offer to all men, through Christ, His grace of reconciliation, loving-kindness, and salvation. It is called accepted and acceptable, i.e., most welcome, and worthy of being received with the greatest possible rejoicing and praise, since it brings salvation to the world through Christ.
These words are addressed by the Father to the Son. I have heard. Since the prophetic eye sees the future as already present, I will hear Thee, My Son, making request for Thy members, and in Thy faithful members, and asking for help, and grace, and salvation. And in the day of salvation, in the time of grace, when I will call all men to eternal salvation by Thee, O Christ, have I succoured Thee , i.e., I will succour Thee, so that you shall obtain in Christians, as Thy members, the salvation that is offered them by Thee. So Ambrose, Chrysostom, Anselm. Cf. Isa. lxi. 2, where Christ says that He is sent to preach the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all that mourn. This acceptable year was typified by the year of Jubilee. The whole time, therefore, that Christ preached, and after that the whole time of the New Law, was, and is, to them that obey Christ and accept His free gift, a year of jubilee, of mercy, peace, forgiveness , salvation, and freedom. In this year, after the long-standing wrath of God against us, we are restored to His grace, good-will, to our glorious inheritance, and all the original good things which we had in the state of innocence in Paradise. The same time, the same year, was the day of vengeance on our foes, when God avenged the human race on its enemies by delivering them from their tyranny.
Ver. 3. — Giving no offence in anything. When we speak of the day on which all are called by Christ to be saved, let us be careful that we put no stumbling-block in any one’s way, and by our self-indulgence, or gloominess, or cowardice cause him to refuse to accept, or advance in the way of, salvation ; else we Apostles, who do all that we can by our preaching and living to induce all to accept salvation, will be blamed.
Ver. 4. — approving ourselves . “ Commending ourselves ” (Erasmus ), “ declaring ourselves,” as others render it ; but “ showing ourselves ” (Syriac) is the best. The Latin version, however, takes it in the Optative, “let us show ourselves.” Paul is here again defending himself and praising himself because of his rivals, the false apostles ; and he exhorts all Christians, and especially all preachers of the Gospel, of whom there were many at Corinth, to live up to the Evangelical and Apostolical life. At the same time he tacitly describes his own life, his sufferings, fortitude, and virtues, that others may imitate him, and may in their own lives offer a contrast to the pride, self-indulgence, cowardice, and other vices of the false apostles. As we shall see in chap, xi., he is forced in this Epistle to praise himself in self-defence.
S. Paul here puts forward a living picture of a true and genuine Apostle and preacher of the Gospel, by which any one may examine teachers whose faith and uprightness are suspected. This picture is also a model for all teachers and pastors to copy. S. Paul wishes the Corinthians to see the injustice of preferring their false apostles and blatant demagogues before himself and his fellow-Apostles, in whom all the marks of a true Apostle will easily be found. These marks he now proceeds to enumerate.
As the ministers of God in much patience . The exhibition of suffering endured not once but often is a plain proof of apostleship. The word “ patience ” is to be referred to what follows. Let us show ourselves, says S. Paul, as ministers of God, by suffering many tribulations , necessities, distresses, stripes, and other afflictions. For men admire this patience as a higher philosophy, they themselves being accustomed when they are injured to be angry, indignant, and to avenge themselves by blows and angry words, and thus they are led to infer the truth of Christian doctrine and to recognise the Spirit of God. For example, S. Xavier and his companion Juan Fernandez made no progress in Japan until a man one day spat in the face of one of them ; whereupon the Saint gently wiped his face and proceeded with his sermon as though he had suffered nothing, and bore with most exemplary patience their scoffs and insults. The keen-witted Japanese so admired this fortitude that they at once proceeded to honour them as men descended from heaven, and to vie with each other in embracing the faith they taught. The heathen Epictetus also saw the power of constancy and long-suffering, and taught his followers to show the wisdom he had taught them, not so much by words as by deeds of endurance. In his Enchiridion (c. 29), he says: “Be not in a hurry to utter thy words to the unskilful ; but rather let thy words act as fuel to the flames of thy deeds ; for sheep do not ask us to prove by reasonings how much they may have eaten , but they quietly digest their food, and show its results in wool and milk.” So Christ (S. Matt. vii. 16) says of false prophets, “by their fruits ye shall know them;” and again, in S. Luke viii. 15, speaking of the seed of the Gospel which falls into good ground, He says “ these are they which in an honest and good heart having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.”