1

Fragments on the second letter to the Corinthians

196 2 Kor 1,3 It is wise to begin from thanksgiving and not in a narrative style concerning the things that happened to him, so that he might not seem to think great things of himself on account of them; and he did not even begin from the affliction but from the comfort, so that his subject might appear to be thanksgiving for the comfort, but by the sequence of the argument he might seem to have been carried away into the discourse concerning the afflictions. Blessed be God; here one should place a stop, so that it may be elliptical; for 'our' is understood, instead of 'blessed be our God.'2 Kor 1,4 The word is not bare concerning our comfort, but has presupposed a deed; for having experienced the comfort from God, we have learned from what we have suffered how to comfort others. 2 Kor 1,6 Instead of: 'hoping true things concerning you, we choose to suffer.' 197 2 Kor 1,12 He said this because those of the circumcision were slandering him, saying that he himself also keeps the law, even if he speaks differently to you as being from the Gentiles. 2 Kor 1,15 Most reproving is the phrase 'in this way also', as if he were no longer able to have the same confidence on account of their having changed, and not being the same toward him. But from what is said it is clear that he maintained a great affection for them. 2 Kor 1, The 'Amen', he says, is a word of assent upon the thanksgiving that is made to God, as he himself says in the first letter: 'how will he who fills the place of the uninstructed say the "Amen" at your giving of thanks?' 2 Kor 1,24 According to the construction, 'men' is missing, so that it might be: 'for by faith you stand.' And he says this: 'Concerning your faith, I do not blame you at all—for you possess its soundness—but certain other things are being done amiss by you, which need some correction.

2 Kor 2,13 He calls 'rest for my spirit' the ability for something to be done suitable to the gift of the Spirit, and this was the benefit of others; for it is not possible to suppose that Paul, on account of human affliction, postponed his teaching when he had found those who were able to receive the evangelical proclamation.

2 Kor 3,7-11 He did not say 'the ministry of the law', since the title 'of the law' had a certain credibility in itself, but 'of death', speaking rather from its result, so as to diminish the impression concerning it. and well also [he says] 'was being brought to an end' to heighten the matter, instead of 'and this while being brought to an end.' and well also [he says] 'will be', since the greatness of the things concerning Christ is confirmed by the things that are to come. For if that which was being brought to an end was through glory. much more that which remains is in glory. well did he say concerning that one 'through glory', since in addition to no one else partaking of similar things, and 198 Moses himself also became such for a short time; but here 'in glory', since both Christ himself and those who share in the glory will always be in the same state. 2 Kor 3,17 If he wanted to say the Lord is spirit, he would have said 'spirit' simply, not 'the spirit' with the addition of the article. Thus 'God is spirit', even if it is especially foolish to say this. For it was not incumbent on the apostle to show here that the Lord is incorporeal, as it was in those passages when, speaking with the Samaritan woman who supposed the divine to be in a place, he necessarily said that it is incorporeal spirit; for his purpose in these things is clear. But since he did not say 'spirit' but 'the spirit' with the article, he is clearly not saying the Lord is spirit but the Spirit is Lord. For one could not show throughout the entire New Testament the Father or the Son being signified anywhere by the word 'spirit', since even when he says 'God is spirit,' he does not signify him by the name of 'spirit', but calls him God; and he says he is spirit, not having posited it for the meaning according to the name, as 'God'

1

Fragmenta in epistulam ii ad Corinthios

196 2 Kor 1,3 Συνετὸν τὸ ἀπ' εὐχαριστίας καὶ μὴ διηγηματικῶς ἄρξασθαι τῶν συμβεβηκότων αὐτῷ, ὥστε μὴ δοκεῖν μεγάλα φρονεῖν ἐπ' αὐτοῖς· καὶ οὐδὲ ἀπὸ τῆς θλίψεως ἤρξατο ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς παρακλήσεως, ὥστε φαίνεσθαι τὸ μὲν προκείμενον αὐτῷ τὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς παρακλήσεως εὐχαριστίαν, ὑπὸ δὲ τῆς ἀκολουθίας τοῦ λόγου δοκεῖν εἰς τὸν περὶ τῶν θλίψεων ἐξενηνέχθαι λόγον. Εὐλογητὸς ὁ θεός· ἐνταῦθα ὑποστικτέον, ἵνα ᾖ κατ' ἔλλειψιν· νοεῖται γὰρ τὸ ἡμῶν ἀντὶ τοῦ εὐλογητὸς ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν.2 Kor 1,4 Ὁ λόγος ψιλός ἐστι τὸ τῆς ἡμετέρας παρακλήσεως ἀλλ' ἔργον προειληφώς· πειραθέντες γὰρ τῆς παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ παρακλήσεως μεμαθήκαμεν ἀφ' ὧν πεπόνθαμεν παρακαλεῖν. 2 Kor 1,6 Ἀντὶ τοῦ ἀληθῆ περὶ ὑμῶν ἐλπίζοντες πάσχειν αἱρούμεθα. 197 2 Kor 1,12 Τοῦτο εἶπεν, ἐπειδὴ διέβαλλον αὐτὸν οἱ ἐκ περιτομῆς λέγοντες ὅτι καὶ αὐτὸς φυλάττει τὸν νόμον, εἰ καὶ ὑμῖν ὡς ἀπ' ἐθνῶν οὖσιν ἑτέρως διαλέγεται. 2 Kor 1,15 Ἐντρεπτικώτατον τὸ καὶ ταύτῃ, ὡς οὐχ ὁμοίως ἔτι θαρρεῖν δυνάμενος τῷ μεταβεβλῆσθαι αὐτούς, καὶ οὐχ ὁμοίους εἶναι περὶ αὐτόν. ἐκ τῶν λεγομένων δὲ δῆλον, ὡς πολλὴν περὶ αὐτοὺς ἔσωζε τὴν διάθεσιν. 2 Kor 1, Ἔστι, φησί, τὸ ἀμὴν φωνὴ συγκαταθέσεως ἐπ' εὐχαριστίας τῆς εἰς τὸν θεὸν γινομένης, ὡς ἐν τῇ προτέρᾳ αὐτός φησιν· ὁ ἀναπληρῶν τὸν τόπον τοῦ ἰδιώτου πῶς ἐρεῖ τὸ ἀμὴν ἐπὶ τῇ σῇ εὐχαριστίᾳ; 2 Kor 1,24 Κατὰ τὴν συνθήκην λείπει τὸ μέν, ἵνα ᾖ· τῇ μὲν γὰρ πίστει ἑστήκατε. λέγει δὲ τοῦτο· τῆς μὲν πίστεως ἕνεκεν οὐδαμῶς ὑμῖν ἐπιμέμφομαιτὴν γὰρ ταύτης ὑγείαν περίκεισθε ἕτερα δέ τινα παρ' ὑμῶν πλημμελεῖται, ἅτινα διορθώσεώς τινος δεῖται.

2 Kor 2,13 Ἄνεσιν τοῦ πνεύματος καλεῖ τὸ δυνηθῆναί τι γενέσθαι κατάλληλον τῆς τοῦ πνεύματος δόσεως, ταῦτα δὲ ἦν ἡ ἑτέρων ὠφέλεια· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔνεστιν ὑπολαβεῖν ὅτι Παῦλος ἀνθρωπίνης ἕνεκεν θλίψεως τὸ διδάσκειν ὑπερέθετο εὑρηκὼς τοὺς τὸ εὐαγγελικὸν κήρυγμα παραδέξασθαι δυναμένους.

2 Kor 3,7-11 Οὐκ εἶπεν ἡ διακονία τοῦ νόμου, ἐπειδὴ εἶχεν ἀξιοπιστίαν τινὰ καθ' αὑτὴν ἡ τοῦ νόμου προσηγορία, ἀλλ' ἡ τοῦ θανάτου ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀποτελέσματος αὐτὸ μᾶλλον εἰρηκώςὥστε τὴν περὶ αὐτὴν μειῶσαι φαντασίαν. καλῶς δὲ καὶ τὸ καταργουμένην εἰς αὔξησιν τοῦ πράγματος, ἀντὶ τοῦ καὶ ταῦτα καταργουμένην. καλῶς δὲ καὶ τὸ ἔσται, ἐπειδὴ ἀπὸ τῶν μελλόντων πιστοῦται τῶν κατὰ τὸν Χριστὸν τὸ μέγεθος. Εἰ γὰρ τὸ καταργούμενον διὰ δόξης. πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὸ μένον ἐν δόξῃ. καλῶς ἐπὶ μὲν ἐκείνου εἶπεν διὰ δόξης, ἐπειδὴ πρὸς τῷ μηδένα ἕτερον μετασχεῖν τῶν ὁμοίων, καὶ 198 αὐτὸς Μωϋσῆς πρὸς ὀλίγον τοιοῦτος ἐγένετο· ἐνταῦθα δὲ τὸ ἐν δόξῃ, ἅτε δὴ αὐτοῦ τε τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ τῶν κοινωνούντων τῆς δόξης ἀεὶ ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐσομένων. 2 Kor 3,17 Εἰ τὸν κύριον πνεῦμα εἰπεῖν ἠβούλετο, πνεῦμα ἂν εἶπεν ἁπλῶς, οὐ τὸ πνεῦμα μετὰ τῆς τοῦ ἄρθρου προσθήκης. ὥστε πνεῦμα ὁ θεός, εἰ καὶ τὰ μάλιστα εὔηθες τοῦτο εἰπεῖν. οὐ γὰρ ὥσπερ ἐν ἐκείνοις πρὸς τὴν Σαμαρεῖτιν διαλεγόμενος οἰομένην ἐν τόπῳ εἶναι τὸ θεῖον, ἀναγκαίως ἔφησεν αὐτὸ πνεῦμα εἶναι ἀσώματον, οὕτω κἀνταῦθα δεῖξαι ὅτι ἀσώματος ὁ κύριος, τῷ ἀποστόλῳ προέκειτο· φανερὸς γὰρ ὁ ἐν τούτοις σκοπὸς αὐτοῦ. ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐ πνεῦμα εἶπεν ἀλλὰ τὸ πνεῦμα μετὰ τοῦ ἄρθρου, δηλονότι μὴ τὸν κύριον πνεῦμα λέγει ἀλλὰ τὸ πνεῦμα κύριον. οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔχοι ἄν τις διὰ πάσης δεῖξαι τῆς καινῆς διαθήκης τῇ τοῦ πνεύματος φωνῇ τὸν πατέρα ἢ τὸν υἱόν που σημαινόμενον, ἐπεὶ καὶ ὅταν λέγῃ πνεῦμα ὁ θεός, οὐ τῇ τοῦ πνεύματος αὐτὸν σημαίνει προσηγορίᾳ, ἀλλὰ θεὸν μὲν ὀνομάζει· πνεῦμα δὲ εἶναί φησιν οὐκ ἐπὶ σημασίᾳ τῇ κατὰ τὴν ὀνομασίαν αὐτὸ τεθεικώς, ὡς τὸ θεὸς