ACC ~ 1 Corinthians 16 v19 - 24

OVERVIEW:

Paul offers them this teaching from his own heart that they might learn to love each other with the same love with which they were loved by the apostle in Christ Jesus (AMBROSIASTER, CHRYSOSTOM). In doing so he rejects all who say that the Lord has not yet come (AMBROSIASTER) and prays earnestly for his coming (CHRYSOSTOM). The holy kiss with which they are to greet each other is a sign of peace (AMBROSIASTER, CHRYSOSTOM). They are not to despise the visible church. Paul prays for grace (THEODORET OF CYR) as he notes that he wrote this in his own hand (DIDYMUS THE BLIND).

16:19 | Hearty Greetings

HOUSE CHURCHES. AMBROSIASTER: Paul refers to two kinds of church—public and domestic. One in which everyone assembles, he calls public. The other, in which people gather together through friendship, he calls domestic. Any place where a presbyter celebrates the solemn rites is called a church. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

DO NOT DESPISE THE CHURCH. ANONYMOUS SYRIAC AUTHOR: We should not despise the visible church which brings up everyone as children. Nor should we despise this church of the heart, seeing that she strengthens all who are sick. And we should yearn for the church on high, for she makes perfect all the saints. BOOK OF STEPS 1.3.

16:20 | Sending Greetings

A HOLY KISS. AMBROSIASTER: The holy kiss is the sign of peace, doing away with discord. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

FREE FROM DECEIT. CHRYSOSTOM: Having bound them together by his exhortation, Paul goes on to bid them to set the seal on their union by means of the holy kiss, which unites and produces one body. The kiss is holy when it is free of deceit and hypocrisy. HOMILIES ON THE EPISTLES OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS 44.4.

16:21 | A Greeting in Paul’s Hand

I, PAUL. AMBROSIASTER: Paul makes it clear that he has written the subscript with his own hand. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

WITH HIS OWN HAND. DIDYMUS THE BLIND: To avoid any suspicion of forgery, Paul signs the letter with his own hand. PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH.

16:22 | Our Lord, Come!

NO LOVE FOR THE LORD. DIDYMUS THE BLIND: The person who does not keep the commandments has no love for the Lord. PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH.

THE LORD HAS NOT YET COME. AMBROSIASTER: Paul is referring to the Jews, who were accursed because they said that the Lord had not yet come. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

LORD, COME. CHRYSOSTOM: By this one word Paul strikes fear into them all. But not only that; he also points out the way of virtue. As our love for God’s coming intensifies, there is no kind of sin which is not wiped out. HOMILIES ON THE EPISTLES OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS 44.4.

16:23 | The Grace of the Lord Jesus

THE GRACE OF THE LORD. THEODORET OF CYR: It was Paul’s usual custom to pray that the grace of Christ would be with those to whom he is writing. COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 285.

16:24 | Love in Christ Jesus

MY LOVE BE WITH YOU. AMBROSIASTER: Because the Corinthians did not love one another, Paul gives them this teaching from himself, in order that they might learn to love each other with the same love with which they were loved by the apostle, not with carnal emotion but in Christ Jesus. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

IN CHRIST JESUS. CHRYSOSTOM: Paul’s love is in no way carnal, but spiritual and genuine. This is why he sets the seal on it by adding the words “in Christ Jesus.” HOMILIES ON THE EPISTLES OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS 44.4.

THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS

OVERVIEW OF THE SECOND EPISTLE: Paul writes to them in haste so that, after having been grieved by his rebuke in the first letter, they may be consoled and the fruits of repentance may grow within them (AMBROSIASTER). It was right that, if he had rebuked them when they were at fault, he should commend them now that they had put things right (CHRYSOSTOM). He reminded them of his own labors, not in order to earn any praise from them but to counter the people who were trying to discredit him (THEODORET OF CYR).

LET THE FRUITS OF REPENTANCE GROW. AMBROSIASTER: Paul was aware of the beneficial effect of the first letter which he had sent to Corinth on account of their various errors and now writes a second letter to urge them to obey his teaching. In this letter he focuses on the stubbornness of those who remain incorrigible. But he was greatly relieved to hear that the problems concerning the organization of the church had been put right, and he was sure that the faults of the people would gradually be corrected, since most of them had become obedient to his teaching. The reason he writes to them in haste is so that after having been grieved by his rebuke, they may have consolation and the fruits of repentance may grow within them. Once the Corinthians saw that they were pleasing Paul, they would become all the more eager to do good. For what is repentance, other than ceasing from error when grief of mind intrudes? COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

THEY ARE COMMENDED FOR PUTTING THINGS RIGHT. CHRYSOSTOM: Why does Paul add a second epistle? In the first he had said that he would come to them, but after a long interval he had not appeared but was still delaying, since the Spirit was keeping him busy with far greater matters elsewhere.

That was the first reason why he wrote, but not the only one. The Corinthians had been corrected by the first epistle, since the man who committed fornication and whom they had previously applauded and boasted about had been expelled from their fellowship. In addition, they had collected the money which he had asked for and shown great kindness to Titus when he visited them. For all these reasons, Paul wrote a second epistle, for it was right that if he had rebuked them when they were at fault he should commend them now that they had put things right. Thus the epistle is not very severe, except toward the end. For there were some Jews among them who thought highly of themselves and accused Paul of being a boaster and someone they should pay no attention to. To enhance their own credit, these people made a pretense of receiving nothing, and because they had the gift of the gab they were very arrogant. As it was likely that some people would be deceived by them, Paul rebuked them gently, though only after commending what was right in their behavior and attacking their silly pride in Judaism. To sum up, then, this appears to me to be the argument of the epistle. HOMILIES ON THE EPISTLES OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS 1.1-2.

HE RESPONDS TO CRITICISMS. THEODORET OF CYR: The Corinthians reaped great blessing from the first letter, especially since they had such excellent men as Timothy and Titus to help them apply its teachings. But some formerly Jewish believers began to go back to their previous ways and went around blaming the apostle Paul, calling him a backslider and a breaker of the law. They wanted to restore obedience to the law, and even some of the Corinthians joined them in this. Therefore the apostle wrote to them a second time, after his arrival in Macedonia, apologizing that he had not been able to come to them. He had not broken his promise, but he needed to go to the Macedonians first and would come to them later on. Then he compared the Old with the New Testament, not in order to downgrade the former but in order to reveal its true glory. Afterward he listed his own labors, not in order to earn any praise from them but in order to counter the people who were trying to discredit him. He also urged them to consider the needs of the saints and used the example of the Macedonians as an encouragement to their efforts in this direction. He also told of his own hardships, teaching the Corinthians that they themselves are evidence of true preaching. COMMENTARY ON THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 287-88.

THE GOD OF ALL COMFORT 2 CORINTHIANS 1:1-11

OVERVIEW: Paul writes as an apostle by the will of God (AMBROSIASTER). He adopts the custom of secular judges who put their name first when they write to those over whom they exercised rightful care (PELAGIUS). Paul addresses the Christians of the entire province of Achaia and not merely those of Corinth, since they all were involved in a common problem and in need of the same remedy (CHRYSOSTOM). He speaks of the Father of mercies (DIDYMUS THE BLIND) because of their many sins, aiming to console (THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA) those who have repented (AMBROSIASTER). The gifts that the Father gives, the Son also gives (DIDYMUS THE BLIND, AMBROSIASTER, THEODORET OF CYR). Paul explains the cause of his absence (CHRYSOSTOM) and calls for reconciliation of penitents (SEVERIAN OF GABALA).

Our task of comforting those afflicted is best viewed in relation to God’s comfort of us in Christ (AMBROSIASTER, GREGORY OF NYSSA). For Christ himself, for whose sake we now suffer, is present with us, consoling and rescuing us (AMBROSIASTER, ORIGEN, CHRYSOSTOM). Our salvation is manifested all the more clearly when we bear all things nobly (BASIL, CHRYSOSTOM, SEVERIAN). Paul recounts his own sufferings so that the Corinthians will realize that what they are going through is nothing by comparison (AMBROSIASTER, CHRYSOSTOM, PELAGIUS). With death staring them in the face (CHRYSOSTOM, PELAGIUS), the affliction of Paul and his companions was so great that they would not have withstood it if God had not been with them (AMBROSIASTER).