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Having finished his exhortation, he now proceeds partly to refute the calumnies with which he had been defamed by the false apostles, and partly to repress the insolence (740) of certain wicked persons, who could not bear to be under restraint. Both parties, with the view of destroying Paul’ authority, construed the vehemence with which he thundered in his Epistles to be θρασοδειλίαν — (mere bravado,) (741) because when present he was not equally prepared to show himself off in respect of appearance, and address, but was mean and contemptible. “” said they, “ is a man, that, under a consciousness of his inferiority, is so very modest and timid, but now, when at a distance, makes a fierce attack! Why is he less bold in speech than in letters? Will he terrify us, when he is at a distance, who, when present, is the object of contempt? How comes he to have such confidence as to imagine, that he is at liberty to do anything with us?” (742) They put speeches of this kind into circulation, with the view of disparaging his strictness, and even rendering it odious. Paul replies, that he is not bold except in so far as he is constrained by necessity, and that the meanness of his bodily presence, for which he was held in contempt, detracted nothing from his authority, inasmuch as he was distinguished by spiritual excellence, not by carnal show. Hence those would not pass with impunity, who derided either his exhortations, or his reproaches, or his threatenings. The words I myself are emphatic; as though he had said, that however the malevolent might blame him for inconstancy, he was in reality not changeable, but remained uniformly the same.
1.I exhort you. The speech is abrupt, as is frequently the case with speeches uttered under the influence of strong feeling. The meaning is this: “ beseech you, nay more, I earnestly entreat you by the gentleness of Christ, not to compel me, through your obstinacy, to be more severe than I would desire to be, and than I will be, towards those who despise me, on the ground of my having nothing excellent in external appearance, and do not recognize that spiritual excellence, with which the Lord has distinguished me, and by which I ought rather to be judged of.”
The form of entreaty, which he makes use of, is taken from the subject in hand, when he says — by the meekness and gentleness of Christ Calumniators took occasion to find fault with him, because his bodily presence was deficient in dignity, (743) and because, on the other hand, when at a distance, he thundered forth in his Epistles. Both calumnies he befittingly refutes, as has been said, but he declares here, that nothing delights him more than gentleness, which becomes a minister of Christ, and of which the Master himself furnished an example.
Learn of me, says he, for I am meek and lowly.
My yoke is easy and my burden is light.
(Mat_11:29.)
The Prophet also says of him,
His voice will not be heard in the streets:
a bruised reed he shall not break, etc. (Isa_42:2.)
That gentleness, therefore, which Christ showed, he requires also from his servants. Paul, in making mention of it, intimates that he is no stranger to it. (744) “ earnestly beseech you not to despise that gentleness, which Christ showed us in his own person, and shows us every day in his servants, nay more, which ye see in me.”
Who in presence He repeats this, as if in the person of his adversaries, by way of imitating them. (745) Now he confesses, so far as words go, what they upbraided him with, yet, as we shall see, in such a way as to concede nothing to them in reality.
(740) “L’ et audace;” — “ insolence and audacity.”
(741) “Vne hardiesse d’ vanterau;” — “ boldness of a braggadocio.” Θρασοδειλία is a compound of θράσος (boldness) and δείλια (timidity.)
(742) “Qu’ pense auoir toute authorite sur nous;” — “ he thinks he has entire authority over us.”
(743) “Auoit bien peu de dignite et maieste en apparence;” — “ very little dignity and majesty in appearance”
(744) “Il n’ pas nouueau a la pratiquer;” — “ is no stranger to the practice of it.”
(745) “En contrefaisant les propos qu’ tenoyent de luy;” — “ imitating the speeches that they uttered respecting him.” — See volume 1, p.65.