17. make a gain of you<\/em> ] See ch. 2Co 2:11<\/span>.<\/p>\n by any of them whom I sent unto you<\/em> ] They may have been maintained at the expense of the Churches, but they certainly made no attempt to enrich St Paul by their mission. In their disinterested labours they followed implicitly the example of the great Apostle. Some have thought that there is a reference here to the collection for the poor Christians at Jerusalem, but this can hardly be, for the mission of Titus was simply for the purpose of urging the Corinthians to complete their preparations. St Paul had anticipated all objections as to his making use of that money for his own purposes by arranging (see 1Co 16:3<\/span>) that it should be sent in the charge of brethren selected by the Corinthian Church itself. See also ch. 2Co 8:19 ; 2Co 8:21<\/span>. We must therefore understand the words as an appeal to the conduct of Titus and his companions while at Corinth, and as a refutation of a charge which St Paul thought might possibly be brought, that he had endeavoured in an underhand manner to obtain money from Corinth through them.<\/p>\n Did I make a gain … – <\/B>In refuting this slander, Paul appeals boldly to the facts, and to what they knew. Same the man, says he, who has thus defrauded you under my instructions. If the charge is well-founded, let him be specified, and let the mode in which it was done be distinctly stated. The phrase make a gain (from <\/SPAN><\/span> pleonekteo), means properly to have an advantage; then to take advantage, to seek unlawful gain. Here Paul asks whether he had defrauded them by means of anyone whom he had sent to them.<\/P><\/p>\n Verse 17. Did I make a gain of you<\/B><\/I>] Did any person I ever sent to preach the Gospel to you, or help you in your Christian course, ever get any thing from you for me? Produce the proof if you can.<\/P><\/p>\n The apostle, to avoid or wipe off this imputation, appealeth to themselves to name any person (whom he had sent unto them) that had taken any thing of them for his use. He saith, that he desired Titus<\/I> to come to them: of this desire we read before, 2Co 8:6<\/span>,16<\/span>,18<\/span>,22<\/span>. <\/P> With him<\/B> (he saith) he sent<\/B> another brother:<\/B> this is that brother, of whom he had said, 2Co 8:18<\/span>, that his praise<\/I> was in the gospel throughout all the churches.<\/I> Some guess it was Luke, but there is no certainty of that. He appeals to them, whether either of these made a gain<\/I> of them? That is, took any thing of them: and whether they did not walk in the same spirit, <\/I>and <\/P> in the same steps?<\/B> Whether they did not show the same generosity and freedom? And by their behaviour amongst them did not show, that they did not seek what was theirs, (to be enriched by their estates), but them; to communicate the riches of grace to their souls? The circumstances of Gods providence may be such towards faithful ministers, as that they may be constrained to make use of others to do their work; but such, so near as they can judge, will never make use of any therein, but such as are of <\/P> the same spirit<\/B> with themselves, and walk in the same steps.<\/I> <\/P> <\/p>\n 17.<\/B> Paul’s reply: You know wellI did not. My associates were as distinterested as myself. Animportant rule to all who would influence others for good.<\/P><\/p>\n Did I make a gain of you<\/strong>,…. He appeals to the Corinthians against such calumnies and false insinuations, whether ever he had circumvented them in such a manner, or had ever used such artful methods to pillage them; or whether ever he had discovered any covetous disposition towards anything of theirs; or had employed any persons to draw out their substance from them, and get it for himself: he owns he had sent some persons to them on different errands, and asks if he had dealt fraudulently with them,<\/p>\n by any of them whom<\/strong>, says he,<\/p>\n I have sent to you<\/strong>: he desires them to name one single person of the many who came to them from him, that had received any money from them for him; or that they had any reason to believe he had employed for such purposes; and if they could not pitch on a single instance, they ought therefore to look upon this as a downright slander and calumny.<\/p>\n Did I take advantage <\/B> (<\/SPAN><\/span>). Paul goes right to the point without hedging. For this verb from <\/SPAN><\/span> and <\/SPAN><\/span>, to have more, see on 2Cor 2:11<\/span>; 2Cor 7:2<\/span>.<\/P> By any one of them <\/B> (–‘ <\/SPAN><\/span>). An anacoluthon for <\/SPAN><\/span> is left in the accusative without a verb and ‘ <\/SPAN><\/span> takes up the idea, “as to any one by him.”<\/P> Whom <\/B> (<\/SPAN><\/span>). The genitive relative is attracted from the accusative <\/SPAN><\/span> into the case of the unexpressed antecedent <\/SPAN><\/span>). <\/SPAN><\/span> expects the negative answer as does <\/SPAN><\/span> in 18<\/span>. <\/P> <\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n 1) “Did I make a gain of you.”<\/strong> (me epleonektesa humas) “I did not defraud you all,” – Did I? you be witnesses; Lev 19:13<\/span>; Mar 10:19<\/span>; 1Th 4:6<\/span>; Paul did not defraud his brethren, or profiteer from them; his solicitations and ministrations were not for personal gain or profit, 1Co 9:22-27<\/span>.<\/p>\n 2) “By any of them whom I sent unto you,<\/strong> (tina hon apestalka pros humas?”) “By anyone whom I have sent to you (have I)?” By Titus and others whom I sent; let them be witness, if there is any question regarding my integrity in material affairs. This is an indignant denial and an appeal to their integrity and observation of Titus and the two brethren he sent with him to make up the charitable alms gift for needy Judean brethren.<\/p>\n SPENT AND BE SPENT<\/strong><\/p>\n The joy of sacrifice thrills through the Apostle’s words, and it is joy in the Holy Ghost; it is a fellowship with Christ in the very life of His life that lifts Paul, for the moment, to the heavenly places. This is the spirit in which wrong is to be met, and suspicion, calumny, and contempt; it is in this, if at all, that we can be more than conquerors. Nature says, “Stand upon your rights; vindicate your position; insist on having all that you conceive to be your due;” but love says,” Spend and be spent, and spare not till all is gone; life itself is not too much to give that love may triumph over wrong.”<\/p>\n -Jas Denney<\/p>\n (17) By any of them whom I sent unto you?<\/strong>The English expresses the meaning of the Greek, but does not show, as that does, the vehement agitation which led the writer, as he dictated the letter, to begin the sentence with one construction and finish it with another. Did any of those I sent<\/em> . . . did I by this means get more out of you than I ought?<\/em> He has in his mind, as far as we know, Timotheus, who had been sent before the First Epistle (1Co. 4:17<\/span>); Stephanus, Fortunatus and Achaicus, who were the bearers of that Epistle (1Co. 16:15<\/span>); and Titus, who was sent, as we have seen, to learn what its effect had been. Had any of these, he asks, been asking for money on his account?<\/p>\n 17<\/strong>. <\/strong> Did I<\/strong> A confident appeal to their own knowledge, for he had taken express precaution against this imputation.<\/p>\n ‘Did I take advantage of you by any one of them whom I have sent to you?’<\/p>\n Did any of the people whom he sent take advantage of them? Did they come away with any money which would benefit Paul? Let them think about it and weigh up the facts.<\/p>\n Paul hopes for an edifying repentance on the part of the Corinthians:<\/p>\n v. 17<\/strong>. Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you?<\/strong><\/p>\n v. 18<\/strong>. I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? Walked we not in the same spirit? Walked we not in the same steps?<\/strong><\/p>\n v. 19<\/strong>. Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? We speak before God in Christ; but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying.<\/strong><\/p>\n v. 20<\/strong>. For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not; lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults;<\/strong><\/p>\n v. 21<\/strong>. and lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.<\/p>\n <\/strong> Paul meets the suspicions of his enemies with direct questions; for just as he is sure of his own integrity, so he feels that he can vouch for his representatives, knowing that they did not give even the slightest occasion for drawing such conclusions as his enemies were trying to suggest to the Corinthians: Of those whom I sent to you, was there one through whom I took advantage of you? In his agitation the apostle does not regard the grammatical construction, so deeply does the matter affect him. His representatives had been under observation as long as they were in Corinth; let anyone in the congregation now step forward with definite charges. In case some of them might simulate ignorance as to what Paul referred to, lie says openly: I asked Titus to go on this mission, and with him I sent the brother (that accompanied him). They were his emissaries, they acted in his stead. Paul is referring to the mission from which Titus had just returned, bringing his report from the congregation at Corinth. Did Titus take advantage of you? Do we not walk in the same spirit, in the same steps? The same manner of dealing had been found in Titus which also animated Paul, the same Holy Spirit governed their actions and controlled their conduct. But now the Corinthians had recognized the single-mindedness and sincerity of Titus, chap. 7:13, and therefore Paul could construe their good opinion in his favor also, since Titus had carried out his instructions. Paul had nothing to hide, and all his acts and motives were above suspicion.<\/p>\n The apostle can therefore also state the aim of his boasting, namely, to edify them unto repentance. In doing so, he first of all rejects the idea as though he had been writing by way of apology: Are you thinking this long time that we are excusing ourselves to you? That would indeed have been unworthy of an apostle’s dignity, if he had made his authority dependent upon their appreciation. And therefore he tells them that such an idea was far from his intention; on the contrary: In the sight of God we speak in Christ. He has his power and authority from Christ, he is doing the work of his ministry in accordance with instructions from above. For that reason also it is true: But all the things (which we speak and do), beloved, me do for your edifying. That idea wits always foremost in Paul’s mind, how he might do more for their spiritual benefit, how he might advance them in their spiritual life.<\/p>\n But circumstances are tending to make him dubious as to their spiritual condition and welfare: For I fear lest, unfortunately, when I come, I shall find you not such as I would, and that I also shall be found to you such as you would not. He here expresses the affectionate solicitude of a father. He would find them not measuring up to the standard which he has set for them, and they, in turn, might not find him as pleasant as they had anticipated, but rather inclined to indignant severity because of their attitude and because of the unfulfilled promises of their spiritual condition. The meeting promised to be embarrassing and painful for both parties. He mentions eight kinds of evil fruit that usually flourished in such soil as they were preparing for themselves in Corinth and which he dreaded to find: strife, quarreling of every kind; jealousy, every one being full of distrust toward the other; ragings, vehement, passionate rage; party spirit and factions engendered by such spirit; back bitings, maledictions, and evil reports; whisperings, by which the good name of a neighbor was defamed; arrogance, both with regard to gifts and to knowledge; tumults, disorders which would seriously interfere with the work of the Gospel. These fruits could mature where the flesh and the devil still reigned, and indications pointed to the fact that their rule had not yet been broken in Corinth.<\/p>\n What effect that would have on the apostle he frankly tells them: Lest, when I come again, my God should humble me before you. It would truly be a humiliating experience for Paul to see such scanty fruit of his labor in the Gospel. Once before he had undergone this mortification, and he is not anxious to have the unpleasant experience repeated. For he would then be obliged to mourn for many that have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they committed. It seems that upon the occasion of his previous visit he had called attention to their proneness to sins of the flesh, and had warned them against every form of impurity, of immorality, and sensuality. If to his mourning over them and their refusal to repent there would be added this new grief of seeing other fruits of the flesh take hold in Corinth, the measure of his humility would surely be reached. It is always a matter of grievous, mournful concern to every faithful pastor if open offenders, flagrant sinners, persist in their impenitence, but he will not abandon hope until he has exhausted every means that might lead to their redemption.<\/p>\n Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong> In his boasting, Paul refers to special revelations, and particularly to one extraordinary vision which he had, as well as to the fact that the Lord is keeping him humble by a severe infirmity; he states that their love for him should have urged them to commend him, since his affection for them was genuine; he hopes for an edifying repentance on their part.<\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n 17 Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you? <\/p>\n<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n Ver. 17. Whom I sent unto you<\/strong> ] It is said of the pope, that he can never lack money so long as he can hold a pen in his hand; he can command it and have it. But St Paul could not skill of those arts. <\/p>\n 17, 18.<\/strong> ] Specification, in refutation, of the ways in which this might be supposed to have taken place<\/em> . The construction is an anacoluthon. He sets . . . forward in the place of emphasis; how intending to govern , is not plain: but drops the construction, and proceeds, . . . See examples of the same in reff., and Winer, edn. 6, 63. i. 2. d.<\/p>\n 2Co 12:17<\/span> . . . .: of those whom<\/em> ( by attraction for ) I have sent, was there one by whom I took advantage of you?<\/em> The constr. is broken, and the resulting anacoluthon is one of the most striking in St. Paul’s writings ( cf.<\/em> Rom 8:3<\/span> , Gal 1:20<\/span> ).<\/p>\n Did I. The question, expecting a negative answer, is introduced by me. <\/p>\n make a gain. Greek. pleonekteo. See 2Co 2:11. <\/p>\n by. Greek. dia. App-104. 2Co 12:1. <\/p>\n any. Greek. tis, as in 2Co 12:6. <\/p>\n sent. Greek. apostello. App-174. <\/p>\n unto. Greek. pros, as in 2Co 12:14. <\/p>\n 17, 18.] Specification, in refutation, of the ways in which this might be supposed to have taken place. The construction is an anacoluthon. He sets . . . forward in the place of emphasis; how intending to govern , is not plain: but drops the construction, and proceeds, … See examples of the same in reff., and Winer, edn. 6, 63. i. 2. d.<\/p>\n 2Co 12:17. – ) for , . [The good faith of his associates wonderfully assisted Paul.-V. g.]<\/p>\n 2Co 12:17<\/p>\n 2Co 12:17 <\/p>\n Did I take advantage of you by any one of them whom I have sent unto you?-It appears by this statement that his contemptible enemies endeavored to undermine the confidence of the Corinthian Christians in him, not only by stating that he did not dare to accept a support, but even by the mean insinuation that there was something very suspicious about the collection which he was making, and that there was much probability that in this reputed offering he had a secret personal interest. <\/p>\n 2Co 12:18, 2Ki 5:16, 2Ki 5:20-27, 1Co 4:17, 1Co 16:10 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: Gen 31:32 – before Act 20:33 – General 1Th 2:5 – a cloak 2Pe 1:16 – we have 2Pe 2:3 – through<\/p>\n 2Co 12:17. In aswer to their implied accusation, Paul asks in general terms if he had taken anything from them through the men he had sent among them.<\/p>\n 2Co 12:17. Did I take advantage of you by any one of them whom I have sent unto you?<\/p>\n 2Co 12:18. I exhorted (or charged) Titus, and I sent the brother with him (probably one of the two referred to in chap. 2Co 8:18; 2Co 8:22). <\/p>\n Did Titus take any advantage of you? I appeal to facts: Did Titus and the companion I sent with him seek or get any compensation at your hands?<\/p>\n walked we not by the same Spirit?that Spirit by whose guidance all the servants of Christ act?walked we not in the same steps?I and those sent to you by me.<\/p>\n Verses 17-18. <\/strong> Since he had taken no money personally, they apparently accused him of using Titus and the others to take money for a false collection. Paul wants to know if Titus received wages of them or took up the collection personally. The money had, instead, been kept in the church treasury ( 1Co 16:1-2 ). <\/p>\n Did I take advantage of you by any one of them whom I have sent unto you? <\/p>\n Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you? 17. make a gain of you ] See ch. 2Co 2:11. by any of them whom I sent unto you ] They may have been maintained at the expense of the Churches, but they certainly made no attempt to … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Corinthians 12:17”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28985","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28985","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28985"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28985\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28985"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28985"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28985"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Greek Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Gary Hampton Commentary on Selected Books<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"