Commentary on the Epistles to the Corinthians John Calvin (continued)
John Calvin
So that we were in anxiety even as to life itself — that is, "So that I thought life was gone, or at least I had very little hope of it remaining, as those are wont to feel who are shut up so as to see no way of escape." Was then so valiant a soldier of Christ, so brave a wrestler, left without strength, so as to look for nothing but death? 1133 For he mentions it as the reason of what he had stated — that he despaired of life. I have already observed, that Paul does not measure his strength in connection with help from God, but according to his own personal feeling of his ability. Now there can be no doubt, that all human strength must give way before the fear of death. Farther, it is necessary that even saints themselves should be in danger of an entire failure of strength, that, being put in mind of their own weakness, they may learn, agreeably to what follows, to place their entire dependence on God alone. At the same time I have preferred to explain the word {ἐξαπορεῖσθαι}, which is made use of by Paul, as denoting a trembling anxiety, rather than render it, as Erasmus has done by the word despair; because he simply means, that he was hemmed in by the greatest difficulties, so that no means of preserving life seemed to remain. 1134
9. Nay more, we had the sentence of death This is as though we should say — "I had already laid my account with dying, or had regarded it as a thing fixed." He borrows, however, a similitude from those who are under sentence of death, and look for nothing but the hour when they are to die. At the same time he says, that this sentence had been pronounced by him upon himself, by which he intimates, that it was in his own view that he had been sentenced to death — that he might not seem to have had it from any revelation from God. In this sentence, 1135 therefore, there is something more implied than in the feeling of anxiety ({ἐξαπορεῖσθαι}) that he had made mention of, because in the former case there was despair of life, but in this case there is certain death. We must, however, take notice, chiefly, of what he adds as to the design — that he had been reduced to this extremity, that he might not trust in himself For I do not agree with what Chrysostom heavy; no ordinary man could do so; but yet to Samson it was not above his strength. Thus it was with Paul, who may be called a spiritual Samson, for that heavenly might and power which God had endowed him with; he is assaulted with a trouble that was not only hyperbolically weighty, but also above his strength. Paul had no more power to stand under it.'' --- Burgesse on 2 Corinthians 1, pp. 269, 270, 278. --- Ed.
1133"Vn champion si preux et magnanime, perdoit — il courage attendant la mort?" — "Did a champion so valiant and magnanimous lose heart, looking for nothing but death?"
1134{Εξαπορεῖσθαι} properly signifies to be utterly at a stand, not knowing how to proceed. --- In Psalm 88:8, where David says --- I am shut up, and I cannot come forth, the Hebrew words {{ולאvelo){}אצאetse,) are rendered in the Septuagint --- }καὶ} {οὐκ} {ἐξεπορευόμην} --- and I could not come forth. It is worthy of notice that, in the metre version, the idea expressed by Calvin, as implied in the verb {ἐξαπορεῖσθαι}, is fully brought out --- ``find no evasion for me.'' --- Ed.
1135"The Greek word is {ἀποςκριμα}, used here in this place only in the New Testament. […] The most genuine translation is sentence; for so Hesychius expounds the word {κατακριςμα} --- {ψὢφο}'', whom Favorinus followeth verbatim in this, as in many other particulars. […] The word then doth signifie a sentence passing upon him, that he must die. This he had received, but from whom? Not from God, for God delivered him; nor from the magistrate; there was no such decree that we read of against him. Therefore it was onely from his own feares, his own thoughts, which maketh him say --- he had received it in himself. […] God's thoughts were other than Paul's. Paul absolutely concluded he should die, but God had purposed the contrary.'' --- Burgesse. --- Ed.
Commentary on the Corinthians says — that the Apostle did not stand in need of such a remedy, but set himself forth to others as a pattern merely in appearance. 1136 For he was a man that was subject, in other respects, to like passions as other men — (James 5:17) — not merely to cold and heat, but also to misdirected confidence, rashness, and the like. I do not say that he was addicted to these vices, but this I say, that he was capable of being tempted to them, and that this was the remedy that God seasonably interposed, that they might not make their way into his mind. 1137
There are, accordingly, two things to be observed here. In the first place — that the fleshly confidence with which we are puffed up, is so obstinate, that it cannot be overthrown in any other way than by our falling into utter despair. 1138 For as the flesh is proud, it does not willingly give way, and never ceases to be insolent until it has been constrained; nor are we brought to true submission, until we have been brought down by the mighty hand of God. (1 Peter 5:6.) Secondly, it is to be observed, that the saints themselves have some remains of this disease adhering to them, and that for this reason they are often reduced to an extremity, that, stript of all self-confidence, they may learn humility: nay more, that this malady is so deeply rooted in the minds of men, that even the most advanced are not thoroughly purged from it, until God sets death before their eyes. And hence we may infer, how displeasing to God confidence in ourselves must be, when for the purpose of correcting it, it is necessary that we should be condemned to death.
But in God that raiseth the dead As we must first die, 1139 in order that, renouncing confidence in ourselves, and conscious of our own weakness, we may claim no honor to ourselves, so even that were not sufficient, if we did not proceed a step farther. Let us begin, therefore, with despairing of ourselves, but with the view of placing our hope in God. Let us be brought low in ourselves, but in order that we may be raised up by his power. Paul, accordingly, having brought to nothing the pride of the flesh, immediately substitutes in its place a confidence that rests upon God. Not in ourselves, says he, but in God
The epithet that follows, Paul has adapted to the connection of the subject, as he does in Romans 4:17, where he speaks of Abraham. For to believe in God, who calleth those things that are not, as though they were, and to hope in God who raiseth the dead, are equivalent to his setting before him as an object of contemplation, the power of God in creating his elect out of nothing, and raising up the dead.
1136"Il se propose aux autres comme pour exemple, non pas qu'il en fust ainsi quant à luy;" — "He sets himself forth, as it were by way of example — not that it had been so as to himself."
1137"De peur qu'ils ne saisissent plenement son esprit et son coeur;" — "That they might not take full possession of his mind and his heart."
1138"Sinon que nous tombions en telle extremite que nous ne voyons aucune esperance en nous;" — "Except by our falling into such an extremity, that we see no hope in ourselves."
1139"Comme il nous est necessaire premierement de venir comme à mourir;" — "As we need first to come as it were to die"