11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we persuade men, but have been manifested to God, and I hope also that we have been manifested in your consciences.
but others save with fear, snatching [them] out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
[It is] a fearful thing falling into [the] hands of [the] living God.
And when they were come to him, he said to them, *Ye* know how I was with you all the time from the first day that I arrived in Asia, serving the Lord with all lowliness, and tears, and temptations, which happened to me through the plots of the Jews; how I held back nothing of what is profitable, so as not to announce [it] to you, and to teach you publicly and in every house, testifying to both Jews and Greeks repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, bound in my spirit *I* go to Jerusalem, not knowing what things shall happen to me in it; only that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and tribulations await me. But I make no account of [my] life [as] dear to myself, so that I finish my course, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the glad tidings of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom [of God], shall see my face no more. Wherefore I witness to you this day, that I am clean from the blood of all, for I have not shrunk from announcing to you all the counsel of God.
and ye see and hear that this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great crowd, not only of Ephesus, but almost of all Asia, saying that they are no gods which are made with hands.
And having appointed him a day many came to him to the lodging, to whom he expounded, testifying of the kingdom of God, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses and the prophets, from early morning to evening.
For I am conscious of nothing in myself; but I am not justified by this: but he that examines me is the Lord. So that do not judge anything before [the] time, until the Lord shall come, who shall also both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and shall make manifest the counsels of hearts; and then shall each have [his] praise from God.
For our boasting is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and sincerity before God, (not in fleshly wisdom but in God's grace,) we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly towards you. For we do not write other things to you but what ye well know and recognise; and I hope that ye will recognise to the end, even as also ye have recognised us in part, that we are your boast, even as *ye* [are] ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.
For we do not, as the many, make a trade of the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as of God, before God, we speak in Christ.
Therefore, having this ministry, as we have had mercy shewn us, we faint not. But we have rejected the hidden things of shame, not walking in deceit, nor falsifying the word of God, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every conscience of men before God.
But [as] fellow-workmen, we also beseech that ye receive not the grace of God in vain:
For do I now seek to satisfy men or God? or do I seek to please men? If I were yet pleasing men, I were not Christ's bondman.
For our exhortation [was] not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile; but even as we have been approved of God to have the glad tidings entrusted to us, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, who proves our hearts. For we have not at any time been [among you] with flattering discourse, even as ye know, nor with a pretext for covetousness, God [is] witness; nor seeking glory from men, neither from you nor from others, when we might have been a charge as Christ's apostles; but have been gentle in the midst of you, as a nurse would cherish her own children. Thus, yearning over you, we had found our delight in having imparted to you not only the glad tidings of God, but our own lives also, because ye had become beloved of us. For ye remember, brethren, our labour and toil: working night and day, not to be chargeable to any one of you, we have preached to you the glad tidings of God. *Ye* [are] witnesses, and God, how piously and righteously and blamelessly we have conducted ourselves with you that believe: as ye know how, as a father his own children, we used to exhort each one of you, and comfort and testify, that ye should walk worthy of God, who calls you to his own kingdom and glory.
And a bondman of [the] Lord ought not to contend, but be gentle towards all; apt to teach; forbearing; in meekness setting right those who oppose, if God perhaps may sometime give them repentance to acknowledgment of [the] truth, and that they may awake up out of the snare of the devil, [who are] taken by him, for *his* will.
And be not afraid of those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul; but fear rather him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, their poison drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of +God are arrayed against me.
How are they suddenly made desolate! they pass away, consumed with terrors.
Thou, thou art to be feared, and who can stand before thee when once thou art angry?
Who knoweth the power of thine anger? and thy wrath according to the fear of thee?
The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling hath surprised the hypocrites: Who among us shall dwell with the consuming fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting flames?
And they journeyed; and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.
And these shall go away into eternal punishment, and the righteous into life eternal.
For whosoever shall desire to save his life shall lose it, but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's shall save it. For what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his soul? for what should a man give in exchange for his soul? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him shall the Son of man also be ashamed when he shall come in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
And if thy hand serve as a snare to thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having thy two hands to go away into hell, into the fire unquenchable; [where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched]. And if thy foot serve as a snare to thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life lame, than having thy two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire unquenchable; [where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched]. And if thine eye serve as a snare to thee, cast it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire, where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched. For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Salt [is] good, but if the salt is become saltless, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.
But I will shew you whom ye shall fear: Fear him who after he has killed has authority to cast into hell; yea, I say to you, Fear *him*.
And the congregation of the synagogue having broken up, many of the Jews and of the worshipping proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded Jews and Greeks.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 2 Corinthians 5
Commentary on 2 Corinthians 5 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 5
The apostle proceeds in showing the reasons why they did not faint under their afflictions, namely, their expectation, desire, and assurance of happiness after death (v. 1-5), and deduces an inference for the comfort of believers in their present state (v. 6-8), and another to quicken them in their duty (v. 9-11). Then he makes an apology for seeming to commend himself, and gives a good reason for his zeal and diligence (v. 12-15), and mentions two things that are necessary in order to our living to Christ, regeneration and reconciliation (v. 16-21).
2Cr 5:1-11
The apostle in these verses pursues the argument of the former chapter, concerning the grounds of their courage and patience under afflictions. And,
2Cr 5:12-15
Here observe,
2Cr 5:16-21
In these verses the apostle mentions two things that are necessary in order to our living to Christ, both of which are the consequences of Christ's dying for us; namely, regeneration and reconciliation.