![]() I do not, however, deny, that he alludes at the same time to the veil of Moses, ( Exodus 34:33,) of which he had made mention, but he ascribes a quite different veil to the false Apostles. ![]() Spurious ornaments of this nature, (427) by which the gospel is disfigured, he calls the concealments of disgrace, because the nakedness of those, who have recourse to concealments and disguises, must of necessity be dishonorable and disgraceful.Īs to himself, he says that he rejects or disdains disguises, because Christ’s face, the more that it is seen opened up to view in his preaching, shines forth so much the more gloriously. For as they were ashamed of the simplicity of Christ, or at least could not have distinction (426) from true excellencies of Apostles, they framed a new gospel, not unlike a profane philosophy, swelled up with empty bombast, while altogether devoid of the efficacy of the Spirit. For as chaste and virtuous women, satisfied with the gracefulness of natural beauty, do not resort to artificial adornings, while harlots never think themselves sufficiently adorned, unless they have corrupted nature, so Paul glories in having set forth the pure gospel, while others set forth one that was disguised, and covered over with unseemly additions. I understand by it - all the disguises, with which they adulterated the pure and native beauty of the gospel. Chrysostom understands the expression to mean the vain show, by which they endeavored to recommend themselves. By the hidden things of disgrace, or concealments, some understand the shadows of the Mosaic law. Hence the faults, from which he declares himself to be exempt, he indirectly imputes to them. While he commends his own sincerity, (425) he, on the other hand, indirectly reproves the false Apostles, who, while they corrupted by their ambition the genuine excellence of the gospel, were, nevertheless, desirous of exclusive distinction. (424) “ Nous n’omettons rien de ce qui est de nostre office ” - “We do not omit any thing of what belongs to our office.”Ģ. If we follow this reading, the whole verse may be read thus - ‘Wherefore, as we have obtained mercy, or been graciously entrusted, ἠλεήθημεν, with this ministry, we do not act wickedly, but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty.” - Dr. Wakefield thinks it the genuine reading it certainly makes a very good sense with what goes before and what follows. (423) Instead of οὐκ ἐκκακοῦμεν, we faint not, ἐγκακοῦμεν, we act not wickedly, is the reading of ADFG, and some others. We faint not (423) that is, we are not deficient in our duty, (424) so as not to discharge it with fidelity. ![]() Now there was more implied in making the mercy of God the reason of his Apostleship, than if he had attributed it to the grace of God. Hence, in order that he may not seem to extol himself too much, he premises that it was not by his own efforts, or by his own merits, that he had reached such a pinnacle of honor, but had been led forward by the mercy of God exclusively. “Having,” says he, “ this ministry” - that ministry, the excellence of which he had extolled in terms so magnificent, and the power and usefulness of which he had so abundantly shown forth. He now shows what he preaches to be such. He has previously shown, what is the true gospel of Christ. As, therefore, he has been treating of the nature of the gospel, so he now shows how faithful and upright a minister of it he is. He now returns to a commendation of himself personally, from which he had digressed into a general discussion, in reference to the dignity of the gospel.
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