the Week of Proper 21 / Ordinary 26
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Tyndale New Testament
2 Corinthians 3:1
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Does is seem like we are tooting our own horns so that y'all will believe we are who we say we are? Do we really need some letter of introduction or endorsement concerning the things we've done?
Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some, letters of commendation to you or from you?
Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some, letters of commendation to you or from you?
Do we seem to be again attempting to put ourselves in the right? or have we need, as some have, of letters of approval to you or from you?
Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or do we need, as some, commendatory letters to you, or [commendatory] from you?
Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some, letters of recommendation to you or from you?
Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as do some, letters of commendation to you or from you?
Do we again begin to recommend ourselves? Unless we need, as some do, recommendatory letters to you, or recommendatory letters from you?
Do you say that this is self-recommendation once more? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or from you?
Doe wee begin againe to commend our selues? or need wee, as some others, Epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we, as some, need commendatory letters to you, or commendatory ones from you?
Begynne we then agayne to prayse or selues? Or nede we (as some other) of pistles of commedacion vnto you or letters of commedacion from you?
Do I begin again to commend my self? or need I, as some others, commendatory letters to you, or from you?
Does it sound like we're patting ourselves on the back, insisting on our credentials, asserting our authority? Well, we're not. Neither do we need letters of endorsement, either to you or from you. You yourselves are all the endorsement we need. Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it—not with ink, but with God's living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives—and we publish it.
Are we starting to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some [false teachers], letters of recommendation to you or from you? [No!]
Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? or need we, as do some, epistles of commendation to you or from you?
Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you?
Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? or do we need, as do some, epistles of commendation to you or from you?
Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some [others], epistles of commendation to you, or [letters] of commendation from you.
Do we begin again to recommend ourselves, except we need, as some, letters of recommendation unto you, or from you?
Are we starting to brag about ourselves again? Do we need letters of introduction to you or from you, like some other people?
Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? We don't need letters of recommendation to you or from you as some other people do, do we?
Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you?
Are we once again bragging about ourselves? Do we need letters to you or from you to tell others about us? Some people do need letters that tell about them.
Are we starting to recommend ourselves again? Or do we, like some, need letters of recommendation either to you or from you?
Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you?
Doe we begin to praise our selues againe? or neede we as some other, epistles of recommendation vnto you, or letters of recommendation from you?
DO we begin again to commend our selves? Or do we need, as some other people, epistles of commendation concerning us written to you, or that you should write commending us?
Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as do some, letters of commendation to you or from you?
Are we beginning to recommend ourselves again? Unlike some people, we do not need letters of recommendation to you or from you, do we?Acts 18:27; 2 Corinthians 5:12; 12:11;">[xr]
Do we begin again anew to show who we are? or do we need as others to write epistles of commendation to you concerning ourselves, or that you should write to commend us ?
Do we begin again to show you who we are? Or do we, like others, need that letters recommendatory of us should be written to you? Or, that ye should write recommendations of us?
Jeremiah 31:31-34">[xr] Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you?
Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? Are we like others, who need to bring you letters of recommendation, or who ask you to write such letters on their behalf? Surely not!
Are we making it sound as if we think we are so important? Other people write letters about themselves. Do we need to write such a letter to you?
Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? or need we, as do some, epistles of commendation to you or from you?
Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Surely we do not need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or from you, do we?
Are we to begin again, ourselves, to commend? or have we need, like some, of commendatory letters unto you, or from you?
Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need (as some do) epistles of commendation to you, or from you?
Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we, like some, need letters of recommendation to you or from you?
Do we begyn to prayse our selues agayne? Or neede we [as some other] of epistles of recomendation vnto you? or [letters] of recommendation from you?
Why are we beginning again to tell you all these good things about ourselves? Do we need letters of introduction to you or from you, like some other people?
Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some, letters of commendation to you or from you?
Does this sound as if we were again boasting about ourselves? Could it be that, like some other people, we need letters of recommendation to you or from you?
Bigynnen we therfor eftsoone to preise vs silf? or whether we neden, as summen, pistlis of preisinge to you, or of you?
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
begin: 2 Corinthians 2:17, 2 Corinthians 5:12, 2 Corinthians 10:8, 2 Corinthians 10:12, 2 Corinthians 12:11, 2 Corinthians 12:19, 1 Corinthians 3:10, 1 Corinthians 4:15, 1 Corinthians 10:33
epistles: Acts 18:27, 1 Corinthians 16:3
Reciprocal: Romans 15:18 - which Romans 16:1 - commend 1 Corinthians 9:2 - for 2 Corinthians 10:14 - we stretch not 2 Corinthians 10:18 - not 2 Corinthians 13:3 - which Galatians 1:1 - but
Cross-References
Then came to hym the tempter and sayde: yf thou be the sonne of God commaunde that these stones be made breed.
and sayd vnto hym: yf thou be the sonne of God cast thy sylfe doune. For it is wrytte he shall geve his angels charge over the and with their handes they shall holde yt vp that thou dashe not thy fote agaynst a stone.
and sayde to hym: all these will I geue ye if thou wilt faull doune and worship me.
Beholde I sende you forthe as shepe amoge wolves. Be ye therfore wyse as serpetes and innocent as doves.
And no marvayle for satan him silfe is chaunged into the fassion of an angell of light.
Lyke wyse ye men dwell with them accordinge to knowledge gevinge honoure vnto the wyfe as vnto the weaker vessell and as vnto them that are heyres also of the grace of lyfe that youre prayers be not let.
And the grett dragon that olde serpent called the devyll and Sathanas was cast out. Which desceaveth all the worlde. And he was cast into the erth and his angelles were cast out also.
And he toke the drago that olde serpet which is the devyll and Satanas and he bounde him a thousand yeares:
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Do we begin again to commend ourselves?.... The apostle having asserted that he and his fellow ministers always triumphed in Christ, and made manifest the savour of his knowledge in every place; were a sweet savour of Christ to God, did not corrupt the word of God, as some did, but sincerely and faithfully preached Christ; some might insinuate from hence, that he was guilty of arrogance and vain glory; wherefore to remove such a charge, or prevent its being brought, he asks, "do we begin again to commend ourselves?" we do not; what we say, we say honestly, sincerely, in the simplicity of our hearts, without any view to our own glory and applause among men, or for any worldly profit and advantage, or to ingratiate ourselves into your affections; we have no such views: some read these words without an interrogation, "we do begin again to commend ourselves"; as we have done already, in this and the former epistles; and as it is but just and right that we should vindicate our characters, support our good name and reputation, and secure and maintain our credit, which some would maliciously deprive us of:
though we have no need, as some others, of epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you; our persons, characters, and usefulness are too well known, to require commendatory letters front others to you, or from you to others. The false apostles are here struck at, whose practice it was to get letters of commendation from place to place; which they carried about and made use of for their temporal advantage, having nothing truly good and excellent in them to recommend them to others. The apostle does not hereby condemn letters of recommendation, which in proper cases may be very lawfully given, and a good use be made of them; only that he and other Gospel ministers were so well known, as to stand in no need of them.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Do we begin again - This is designed evidently to meet an objection. He had been speaking of his triumph in the ministry 2 Corinthians 2:14, and of his sincerity and honesty, as contrasted with the conduct of many who corrupted the Word of God, 2 Corinthians 2:17. It might be objected that he was magnifying himself in these statements, and designed to commend himself in this manner to the Corinthians. To this he replies in the following verses.
To commend ourselves? - To recommend ourselves; do we speak this in our own praise, in order to obtain your favor.
Or need we, as some others - Probably some who had brought letters of recommendation to them from Judea. The false teachers at Corinth had been originally introduced there by commendatory letters from abroad. These were letters of introduction, and were common among the Greeks, the Romans, and the Jews, as they are now. They were usually given to persons who were about to travel, as there were no inns. and as travelers were dependent on the hospitality of those among whom they traveled.
Of commendation from you - To other congregations. It is implied here by Paul, that he sought no such letter; that he traveled without them; and that he depended on his zeal, and self-denial, and success to make him known, and to give him the affections of those to whom he ministered - a much better recommendation than mere introductory letters. Such letters were, however, sometimes given by Christians, and are by no means improper, Acts 18:27. Yet, they do not appear to have been sought or used by the apostles generally. They depended on their miraculous endowments, and on the attending grace of God to make them known.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
CHAPTER III.
The apostle shows, in opposition to his detractors, that the
faith and salvation of the Corinthians were sufficient
testimony of his Divine mission; that he needed no letters of
recommendation, the Christian converts at Corinth being a
manifest proof that he was an apostle of Christ, 1-3.
He extols the Christian ministry, as being infinitely more
excellent than that of Moses, 4-12.
Compares the different modes of announcing the truth under the
law and under the Gospel: in the former it was obscurely
delivered; and the veil of darkness, typified by the veil which
Moses wore, is still on the hearts of the Jews; but when they
turn to Christ this veil shall be taken away, 13-16.
On the contrary, the Gospel dispensation is spiritual; leads to
the nearest views of heavenly things; and those who receive it
are changed into the glorious likeness of God by the agency of
his Spirit, 17, 18.
NOTES ON CHAP. III.
Verse 2 Corinthians 3:1. Do we begin again to commend ourselves — By speaking thus of our sincerity, Divine mission, c., is it with a design to conciliate your esteem, or ingratiate ourselves in your affections? By no means.
Or need we - epistles of commendation — Are we so destitute of ministerial abilities and Divine influence that we need, in order to be received in different Churches, to have letters of recommendation? Certainly not. God causes us to triumph through Christ in every place and your conversion is such an evident seal to our ministry as leaves no doubt that God is with us.
Letters of commendation — Were frequent in the primitive Church; and were also in use in the apostolic Church, as we learn from this place. But these were, in all probability, not used by the apostles; their helpers, successors, and those who had not the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, needed such letters and they were necessary to prevent the Churches from being imposed on by false teachers. But when apostles came, they brought their own testimonials, the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit.
