Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Corinthians 8:17
For indeed he accepted the exhortation; but being more forward, of his own accord he went unto you.
17. For indeed he accepted the exhortation ] The Greek implies that Titus did indeed receive an exhortation from St Paul, but that he did more than he had been asked to do. For exhortation compare entreaty, 2Co 8:4, and see note on ch. 2Co 1:3.
but being more forward ] Literally, ‘more diligent,’ i.e. than I had desired him to be. See note on earnest care above.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
For indeed he accepted the exhortation – He cheerfully complied with the exhortation which I gave him, to wit, to visit you, and excite you to this good work.
But being more forward – More disposed to do this than I had supposed. The idea here is, that he was very ready to engage in this; he was more ready to engage in it than Paul was to exhort him to it; he anticipated his request; he had already resolved to engage in it.
Of his own accord he went … – He went voluntarily and without urging. The ground of Pauls thankfulness here seems to have been this, He apprehended probably some difficulty in obtaining the collection there, He was acquainted with the distracted state of the church, and feared that Titus might have some reluctance to engage in the service. He was therefore very agreeably surprised when he learned that Titus was willing to make another journey to Corinth and to endeavor to complete the collection.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 17. He accepted the exhortation] I advised him to visit you and excite you to this good work, and I found that he was already disposed in his heart to do it; God put this earnest care in the heart of Titus for you, 2Co 8:16.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
17. being more forwardmoreearnest than to need such exhortation.
he wentGreek,“went forth.” We should say, he is goingforth; but the ancients put the past tense in letter writing,as the things will have been past by the time that the correspondent,receives the letter. “Of his own accord,” that is, it istrue he has been exhorted by me to go, but he shows that he hasanticipated my desires, and already, “of his own accord,”has desired to go.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For indeed, he accepted the exhortation,…. The Macedonians besought the apostle with much entreaty to give unto him, 2Co 8:4 or which being moved by their example, they gave unto him, namely, that he would go and finish what he had already begun; and accordingly he did not refuse, but readily accepted the exhortation: yea, not only so,
but being more forward; than was known or could have been expected; which shows that this was put into his heart by God, before it was moved unto him; so that if he had never been asked, or exhorted hereunto, he would have gone of himself:
of his own accord he went unto you; so great is his care of you; so great his love unto you so willing was he to come again and pay another visit: and especially on this account, where he had before been treated with so much respect and kindness. Titus having been at Corinth already, and being well known there, the apostle forbears saying anything more in his commendation.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Very earnest (). “More earnest than ordinarily,” comparative adjective.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “For indeed he accepted the exhortation,” (hoti ten men paraklesin edeksato) “Because indeed he received the beseeching,” or exhortation, Paul’s plea, appeal for him to consider going to the aid of the Corinth brethren, 2Co 8:6; 2Co 12:18.
2) “But being more forward,” (spoudaioteros de huparchon) “But being more diligent,” forward, straight-forward in conviction, understanding and obedient to the will of God for his life, Eph 5:17.
3) “Of his own accord,” (autharetos) “of his own accord,” or choosing, 2Co 8:12.
4) “He went unto you,” (ekselthen pros humas) “He went forth (on his journey) to you all, regarding this matter of hospitable and charitable help for needy saints, showing both his confidence in them and his love for Paul; He considered this need and call to be from God, Joh 20:21; Ecc 9:10.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
His receiving the exhortation means that he had undertaken this business, (687) from being exhorted to it by Paul. He afterwards corrects this by saying, that Titus had not been so much influenced by the advice of others, as he had felt stirred up of his own accord, in accordance with his active disposition.
(687) “ Que Tite auoit receu ceste charge;” — “That Titus had received this charge.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(17) For indeed he accepted the exhortation . . .The words have a two-fold purpose:(1) To show that Titus was authorised by the Apostle, and acting at his request; (2) that he was so eager to go that he did not even need to be requested. The tense, he went, is what is known as the epistolary aorist. Titus was to start, probably, as the bearer of this letter.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
17. Accepted the exhortation That is, the above invitation, 2Co 8:6. The past tense of the verbs of this entire paragraph (2Co 8:16-24) represent the present time, as Paul really speaks as from the time-point of their reading his letter.
Went unto you Has come to you with this epistle, in view of the collections, both from my invitation and his more forward readiness.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Co 8:17 . Proof of this of Titus.
For the summons indeed he received; but, seeing that he was more zealous, of his own accord he set out to you . Paul has not expressed himself incorrectly, seeing that he can only have had in his mind a climax (Rckert); nor has he used in the sense of the climactic (Billroth, also Flatt); but the concessive clause . . expresses the delicate modesty and subordination of Titus, according to which he would not have it appear that he set out on the journey ; the second clause, on the other hand, sets forth the actual state of the case. The summons (2Co 8:6 ) indeed he received ; he did not say as it were: there is no need of thy summons, I go of my own impulse; but in the actual state of the case he was too zealous to have needed a summons, and set out to you of his own self-determination .
] The praeterite does not denote what was resolved on (Billroth), but is that of the epistolary style (comp. ., 2Co 8:18 ; 2Co 8:22 ; Xen. Anab . i. 9. 25), used to represent the point of time at which the letter is read by those receiving it. Comp. Act 15:27 ; Act 23:30 , also on Gal 6:11 .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
17 For indeed he accepted the exhortation; but being more forward, of his own accord he went unto you.
Ver. 17. But being more forward ] A good heart is ready to every good work, waiting the occasions thereof, Tit 3:1 ; as the bee, as soon as ever the sun breaks forth, flies abroad to gather honey and wax.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
17. ] Proof of this ; that Titus received indeed ( ) Paul’s exhortation to go to them (said, to shew his subordination, or perhaps to authenticate his authorization by the Apostle), but in reality ( ) was too ready to go, to need any exhortation ; and therefore went forth (the past tense of the epistolary style, as ‘ dabam ,’ &c., indicating things which will have passed before the letter is received) of his own accord to them .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
2Co 8:17 . . . . .: for not only did he accept (the epistolary aorist) our exhortation, sc. , of 2Co 8:6 , but (and this is the proof of his ) being himself very earnest (we are not to press the comparative ; cf. Act 17:22 ), it was of his own accord that he went forth (epist. aor.) unto you, sc. , from Macedonia, bearing this letter. is used (as at Rom 4:19 , 1Co 11:7 , chap. 2Co 12:16 , Gal 1:14 , Phi 2:6 ) instead of , as expressing not merely the fact that Titus was , but that this was his habitual condition; “being, as he is,” would convey the sense.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
exhortation. Same as “intreaty”, 2Co 8:4.
being. Greek. huparcho, See Luk 9:48.
more forward = more diligent. Greek. comp. of spoudaios. Only here and 2Co 8:22. Compare verses: 2Co 8:7-8, 2Co 7:16.
of his own accord. Greek. authairetos. See 2Co 8:3.
unto. Greek. pros. App-104.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
17.] Proof of this; that Titus received indeed () Pauls exhortation to go to them (said, to shew his subordination,-or perhaps to authenticate his authorization by the Apostle), but in reality () was too ready to go, to need any exhortation;-and therefore went forth (the past tense of the epistolary style,-as dabam, &c., indicating things which will have passed before the letter is received) of his own accord to them.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
2Co 8:17. , the exhortation) that which is given at 2Co 8:6, namely, that he should go to you.-, more forward) more active than to require exhortation, 2Co 8:22.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
2Co 8:17
2Co 8:17
For he accepted indeed our exhortation; but being himself very earnest, he went forth unto you of his own accord.-Titus had already such an earnest care that they should possess this grace, that while he accepted the exhortation of Paul to go, he had of his own accord before made ready to go to Corinth. His own desire led to the ready acceptance of the exhortation.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
accepted: 2Co 8:6, Heb 13:22
but: 2Co 8:8, 2Co 8:10
Reciprocal: Jdg 5:9 – offered Neh 4:6 – had a mind Neh 11:2 – willingly Act 11:30 – by 2Co 8:3 – beyond 2Co 9:3 – have
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Co 8:17. For indeed he accepted our exhortation (2Co 8:6)to go to Corinth on this errand;but being himself very earnest, he went forth unto you of his own accordneeding no pressing from me.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
For he accepted indeed our exhortation; but being himself very earnest, he went forth unto you of his own accord. [The apostle thanks God that he had given to Titus the same desire to benefit the Corinthians which animated Paul himself, so that Titus not only accepted the apostle’s exhortation to go back to Corinth and induce them to take up the collection, but was even ready of his own accord to undertake the work.]
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
Verse 17
The exhortation; the request which I made that he would go to you.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
It is not clear whether Titus had already left Paul for Corinth or whether he was about to do so. The Greek aorist tense permits either translation, and no other textual reference provides a solution. He may have carried 2 Corinthians to its recipients. In any case, it was Titus’ desire as well as Paul’s (2Co 8:6) that led him back to Corinth.