The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (202 page)

6:6 the Holy Spirit:
The Greek can also be rendered "a holy spirit", referring to the virtue of sanctity displayed in the life of the apostle. 
Back to text.

6:7 weapons of righteousness:
Paul's arsenal against the forces of Satan include truth, righteousness, faith, salvation, and the word of God (10:3-5; Eph 6:13-17; 1 Thess 5:8). Weapons for the
right
hand and the
left
may refer to the sword (offense) and the shield (defense) carried by soldiers of his day. 
Back to text.

6:8 treated as impostors:
The first of seven accusations hurled at Paul by his opponents (6:8-10). He fights off these false charges with the facts, demonstrating at every step that critics see only his outward afflictions and know nothing of the spiritual motives and joys behind them. 
Back to text.

6:12 not restricted by us:
Paul defers responsibility for the discord and distrust that has grown up between him and his readers. The Corinthians are the ones who questioned his apostleship in the first place and allowed the "false apostles" (11:13) to take advantage of them. 
Back to text.

6:13 I speak as to children:
Paul is the spiritual father of the Corinthian Church.
See note on 1 Cor 4:15
. 
Back to text.

6:14 Do not be mismated:
Or, "Do not be yoked together." • Paul's injunction is probably inspired by Deut 22:10, which forbade the Israelites from yoking different kinds of animals together.
with unbelievers:
Paul is not saying that Christians should sever every casual, family, or business relationship with non-Christians (1 Cor 5:9-13). He is urging them to pull away from dangerous relationships that threaten their faith. 
Back to text.

6:15 Belial:
A Hebrew epithet for "Satan". The term is used only here in the NT but is found elsewhere in Jewish literature of the period (sometimes spelled "Beliar"). 
Back to text.

6:16-18
A chain of Scripture passages that remind readers of their
dignity
in Christ and their
duty
to remain pure. The citations are from Ezek 37:27, Is 52:11, Ezek 20:34, and a combination of 2 Sam 7:14 with Is 43:6. • These texts are connected with the founding of the New Covenant and God's effort to rescue Israel from the idolatry and impurity of the Gentiles. Paul sees this as the construction of a new temple out of the men and women God gathers around the Messiah. In ancient Israel, the sacredness of the sanctuary was radically incompatible with the profanities of idolatry, and indeed the entire sacrificial system of the Temple was put in place to destroy Israel's affection for idols. The same principles apply to the living sanctuary of believers. See essays:
Sacrifice in the Old Testament
at Lev 9 and
Shun Immorality, Shun Idolatry
at 1 Cor 6. 
Back to text.

6:16 we are the temple:
The presence of God in the hearts and midst of his people makes them a living sanctuary where true worship and sacrifice rise before him (CCC 797, 1179).
See note on Eph 2:21
. 
Back to text.

7:1 make holiness perfect:
The Corinthians are challenged to rededicate their lives to Christ and restore to Paul their full trust and affection. As a consequence, they must withdraw their support from the false apostles who defiled them with their teaching and poisoned them against Paul. 
Back to text.

7:2 taken advantage:
Implies that Paul's critics accused him of selfishness and even malice (12:17-18). For this reason, he appeals often to God and the conscience of his readers to testify that his ministry among them was always sincere and driven by love (1:12, 23; 4:2; 5:11). 
Back to text.

7:3 die together
 . . .
live together:
An idiom for personal commitment (2 Sam 15:21). 
Back to text.

7:4 I am overjoyed:
Paul ends the long explanation of his apostolic ministry on a high note (2:14-7:4). He is confident that the tensions between him and the Corinthians are finally easing and nearing their end (1:7). News to this effect was delivered by Titus (7:6-7). 
Back to text.

7:5-16
A summary and conclusion to the first part of the letter (chaps. 1-7). It resumes the report of Titus' mission to Corinth, which Paul's digression interrupted at 2:13. 
Back to text.

7:5 Macedonia:
A Roman province in northern Greece. The afflictions that Paul and his company suffered there are unspecified and otherwise unknown.
See note on 2 Cor 2:13
. 
Back to text.

7:6 the coming of Titus:
Paul was consoled by the arrival of his delegate Titus after sending him on the difficult mission to deliver a letter of rebuke to the Corinthians. His safe return to Macedonia was a cause for joy, as was his glowing report that most of the Corinthians had repented of their wrongdoing and were eager to see Paul (7:7). 
Back to text.

7:8 my letter:
The severe letter that Paul had sent to Corinth by the hand of Titus. Although Paul wrote it with great anxiety (2:4), he was genuinely concerned for the well-being of the Corinthians and used this written form of correction as a loving means to elicit their repentance. He wanted to test their loyalty and see whether they would be "obedient" (2:9) to his fatherly authority by showing "zeal" (7:12) for him again.
See note on 2 Cor 2:3
. 
Back to text.

7:9 grieved into repenting:
The Corinthians were saddened by Paul's letter and the crisis that made it necessary (7:8). They nevertheless resolved to amend their ways, repudiate the claims of the false apostles, and resubmit themselves to Paul's leadership. For his part, Paul was "overjoyed" (7:4) and again expressed "perfect confidence" in them (7:16). 
Back to text.

7:10 godly grief
 . . .
worldly grief:
A sharp contrast between sorrow that leads to contrition and excessive sorrow that turns away from God and ends in bitterness and despair. In the Gospels, Simon Peter exemplified the former (Mt 26:75; Lk 22:32) and Judas Iscariot the latter (Mt 27:5). 
Back to text.

7:12 the one who did the wrong:
I.e., the unnamed offender who may have confronted Paul during his last visit to Corinth.
See note on 2 Cor 2:5-11
. 
Back to text.

8:1-9:15
The central section of the letter deals with a collection of money that Paul and his associates took up among Gentile Churches during his third missionary journey (Acts 18:23-21:16). The proceeds were gathered to help the poor Christians in Jerusalem (Rom 15:25-27; 1 Cor 16:1-4). The donation was a practical gesture of charity toward fellow believers in need, as well as a symbolic token of unity expressed by Gentile Churches on behalf of their Jewish Christian brethren. Years earlier Paul had delivered similar relief to Judean Christians stricken with famine (Acts 11:28-30). 
Back to text.

8:1 Macedonia:
A Roman province in upper Greece, just north of Corinth. The Book of Acts indicates that Paul planted the gospel in at least three cities of this region: Philippi, Thessalonica, and Beroea (Acts 16:11-17:14). 
Back to text.

8:2 a wealth of liberality:
Paul praises the Macedonians for contributing abundantly to the Jerusalem collection despite their destitute circumstances. He thus challenges the Corinthians, who are comparatively wealthy, to follow the lead of their northern neighbors by giving alms in proportion to their prosperity. These contributions are to be set aside every Sunday when they gather for worship (1 Cor 16:2) (CCC 1351). 
Back to text.

8:3 according to their means:
Giving alms to the poor is prescribed as a work of mercy in the OT (Tob 12:8-9) as well as in the NT (Mt 6:2-4). Here Paul tries to stimulate a healthy rivalry, hoping that the generous example of the Macedonians will draw forth an even greater gift from the Corinthians. • The standard Paul erects for almsgiving is the standard tradition adopts for offerings to the Church. This is stated in the fifth precept of the Church, which obliges us to give a part of our earnings to the Lord, each according to his means (CCC 2043). 
Back to text.

8:6 Titus:
A close associate of Paul who is coming to oversee the fund-raising efforts that began a year earlier but were never completed (8:10; 9:2). The campaign probably slowed or came to a halt because of the recent tensions that had arisen between Paul and the Corinthians. 
Back to text.

8:7 you excel in everything:
The Corinthians were blessed in many ways, spiritually and economically. The collection affords them a prime opportunity to
(1)
express thanksgiving to God for what they have and
(2)
to lend a helping hand to those who have not. 
Back to text.

8:8 not as a command:
Donating money to the Jerusalem fund was voluntary, not mandatory. Paul does not force them into charitable giving but invites them to "do" it because they "desire" it (8:10; 9:7). 
Back to text.

8:9 he was rich:
The life of Jesus Christ is a lesson in generosity. Though infinitely perfect and self-sufficient in his divinity, he became man in the "form of a servant" (Phil 2:7) to save us from sin and enrich us with divine life (Jn 10:10). The contrast between Christ's wealth (divinity) and poverty (humanity) means, not that he
divested
himself of glory in the Incarnation, but that he
disguised
it behind the veil of his human flesh (Col 1:19; 2:9) (CCC 517, 2546). 
Back to text.

8:12 not
 . . .
what he has not:
Paul does not want the Corinthians to overextend themselves, zealously pledging money they are unable to give. 
Back to text.

8:14 equality:
Paul envisions a fair distribution of burdens and blessings. Since the spiritual blessings of Israel have spread to all nations in Christ, the Gentiles are obliged to return material blessings in gratitude (Rom 15:27). In this case, the prosperity enjoyed by Corinthian Gentiles should help to alleviate the poverty of Jewish Christians in Jerusalem (CCC 2833). 
Back to text.

8:15 He who gathered much:
A citation from Ex 16:18. • The Exodus generation of Israel lived on daily rations of manna provided by the Lord. Because he ensured a fair amount of bread to each family, there was no need to hoard it or store it away. To do so would have displayed a lack of trust in his Providence. Paul is urging believers to imitate the Lord by distributing their resources so that no one in the family of faith will lack basic necessities. Prosperity is a blessing meant to be shared. 
Back to text.