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2 Corinthians 1:1 Douay-Rheims

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother: to the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints that are in all Achaia:

A.D. 407 – 1863 8 witnesses 9 excerpts

Patristic

before A.D. 750
407
A.D.
John Chrysostom Patristic
A.D. 347–407
“"Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Timothy our brother." In the first Epistle he promised he would send him; and charged them, saying, "Now if Timothy come, see that he be with you without fear." How then is it that he associates him here in the outset with himself? After he had been amongst them, agreeably to that promise of his teacher, "I have sent unto you Timothy who shall put you in remembrance of my ways which be in Christ," and had set everything in order, he had returned back to Paul; who on sending him, had said, "Set him forward on his journey in peace that he may come to me, for I expect him with the brethren." Since then Timothy was restored to his teacher, and after having with him set in order the things in Asia, had crossed again into Macedonia; Paul not unreasonably associates him hereafter as abiding with himself. For then he wrote from Asia, but now from Macedonia. Moreover, thus associating him he at once gains increased respect for him, and displays his own exceeding humility: for Timothy was very inferior to himself, yet doth love bring all things together. Whence also he everywhere makes him equal with himself; at one time saying, "as a child serveth a father so he served with me;" at another, "for he worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do;" and here, he even calleth him, "brother;" by all making him an object of respect to the Corinthians amongst whom he had been, as I have said, and given proof of his worth. "To the Church of God which is at Corinth." Again he calleth them "the Church," to bring and bind them all together in one. For it could not be one Church, while those within her were sundered and stood apart. "With all the saints which are in the whole of Achaia." In thus saluting all through the Epistle addressed to the Corinthians, he would at once honor these, and bring together the whole nation. But he calls them "saints," thereby implying that if any be an impure person, he hath no share in this salutation. But why, writing to the mother city, does he address all through her, since he doth not so everywhere? For instance, in his Epistle to the Thessalonians he addressed not the Macedonians also; and in like manner in that to the Ephesians he doth not include all Asia; neither was that to the Romans written to those also who dwell in Italy. But in this Epistle he doth so; and in that to the Galatians. For there also he writeth not to one city, or two, or three, but to all who are scattered every where.”
Source

Scholastic

c. 1100 – 1500
1272
A.D.
Thomas Aquinas Catholic
1225–1274
“Ministers of our God, it shall be said to you, Is. LXI, v. 6. In these words the subject matter of this second epistle to the Corinthians is fittingly touched upon. For in the first epistle the Apostle deals with the sacraments themselves, but in this second he deals with the ministers of these sacraments, both good and bad. Now the reason for writing this epistle was that the Corinthians, after his preaching, had admitted false apostles, whom they preferred to the Apostle. On account of this he writes them this epistle, in which he commends the apostles and shows the dignity of the true apostles; he also shows and censures the falsity of the false apostles. He commends the dignity of the true apostles from this, that they are ministers of God. Ministers, he says, of God, it shall be said to you, namely to the apostles, who indeed are called ministers with respect to three things. First, with respect to the dispensing of the sacraments. I Cor. IV, 1: let a man so account of us as of ministers, et cetera. For Christ is the institutor of the sacraments, but the apostles and their successors dispense them, and therefore it is added in the aforesaid authority, and dispensers of the mysteries of God. Second, with respect to governance, namely insofar as they govern the people of God. Sap. c. VI, 5: when you were ministers, you did not judge rightly, et cetera. For God governs all things through prudence. Hence whoever governs anything is called a minister of God. Third, with respect to the working of human salvation, namely insofar as by their ministry and preaching, men were converted to salvation: of which salvation God alone is the author, because he it is who came to save what had perished, while the apostles are ministers. I Cor. III, v. 4 s.: what then is Apollo? What is Paul? Ministers of him in whom you believed, et cetera.”
Source
“Of these ministers, then, the Apostle treats here, showing in this epistle their dignity, even while writing to the Corinthians. In this epistle he sets down certain things beforehand. First, the salutation; second, he continues the epistle, at the place blessed be God, etc. Now in the salutation he sets down three things: for first he describes the persons who greet; second, the persons greeted, at the place to the Church which is, etc.; third, the goods wished for, at the place grace to you, etc. Concerning the first, first the principal person who greets is described, namely Paul; second, the person joined to him, namely Timothy. The person greeting is described from humility, since Paul, in Latin, is said to mean small. This is that small one of whom Isaiah 60:22 speaks: the smallest shall become a thousand, etc. Or from teaching, since Paul is said to be the mouth of a trumpet. This is that trumpet of which Zechariah 9:14 speaks: the Lord shall sound the trumpet, etc. And what is said in Isaiah 58:1 fits: lift up your voice like a trumpet, etc. From the authority of dignity, since apostle, etc. Here three things are set down. First, that he is an envoy, whence he is called apostle, that is, one sent in a principal way. For only the twelve chosen apostles were sent by Christ. Luke 6:13: he chose twelve, whom also apostles, etc. But the other disciples were not sent in a principal way, but in a secondary way. And hence it is that bishops succeed the apostles, who have special care of the Lord's flock. But the other priests succeed the seventy-two disciples, who carry out the duties entrusted to them by the bishops. His dignity, then, is that he is an apostle. 1 Corinthians 9:2: if to others I am not an apostle, yet to you I am, etc. Galatians 2:8: he who worked in Peter, etc. But why does he call himself apostle here, saying Paul, apostle, when in the epistle to the Romans he writes of himself as servant? The reason for this is that he rebukes the Romans for dissension and pride, which is the mother of dissension, since among the proud there are always quarrels. Hence, in order to call them back from dissension, he leads them to humility, by calling himself servant. But the Corinthians were stubborn and rebellious, and therefore, in order to repress their insolence, he here uses the name of dignity, calling himself apostle. Second, it is set down whose envoy he is, namely of Jesus Christ. Below, 5:20: we discharge an embassy for Christ. Third, the manner is set down by which he obtained the embassy, namely that he did not thrust himself forward like a false one. Jeremiah 23:21: I did not send them, and they ran. He was not given to the people out of divine fury, according to that word of Job 34:30: who makes a hypocrite to reign, etc. Hosea 13:11: I will give you a king, but in my fury. He obtained the apostolate from the will and good pleasure of God. Acts 9:15: this man is a vessel of election to me. And therefore he says through the will of God. Now the person joined to him is Timothy. Hence he says, and Timothy the brother. Brother, I say, on account of the faith, Matthew 23:8: you are all brothers, etc., and on account of dignity, since he was a bishop; and hence it is that the Pope calls all bishops brothers. Now he numbers Timothy along with himself, because, since he himself had passed through them, as he said in the first epistle, in the last chapter, they might believe that he had maliciously reported to the apostle those things about which he himself writes to them. Consequently the persons greeted are set down, first the principal ones, second those joined to the principal ones, in what he says, to the Church of God, which is the whole faithful people, both clergy and laity. 1 Timothy 3:15: that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself. Which is at Corinth, since Corinth was the metropolis of Achaia. But the persons joined are all the saints, who are reborn by the grace of the one Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 6:11: but you have been washed, but you have been sanctified, etc. Who are in Achaia, whose metropolis is Corinth. Now to these persons greeted the Apostle wishes good things. Hence he says, grace to you, etc. And concerning this he does two things. First he sets down the goods themselves; second, their author, at the place from God the Father, etc. Now he sets down these two extreme goods, so that in them the intermediate ones may be understood. For the first good is grace, which is the principle of all goods. For before grace there is nothing in us but what is diminished. But the last of all goods is peace, since peace is the general end of the mind. For however peace is taken, it has the nature of an end; and in eternal glory, and in governance, and in conduct of life, the end is peace. Psalm 147:3: who has placed peace as your boundaries. But who is the author of these goods he shows, adding from God the Father, etc. And these two can be distinguished in two ways, since when he says from God the Father, it can be understood of the whole Trinity. For although the person of the Father is said to be the Father of Christ by nature, yet the whole Trinity is our father by creation and governance. Isaiah 63:16: and now, Lord, you are our father. Jeremiah 3:19: you shall call me father. From God our father, then, that is, from the whole Trinity, goods come forth. Matthew 7:11: if you, though you are evil, etc. But if God our father is taken for the whole Trinity, why is the person of the Son added, when he says and the Lord Jesus Christ? Is he then another person besides the Trinity? It must be said that he is added not on account of another person but on account of another nature, namely of the humanity assumed by the Son into the divine person; and this indeed he numbers along with the Trinity, since all goods come to us from the Trinity through the incarnation of Christ; and first grace, John 1:17: grace and truth, etc., second peace, Ephesians 2:14: he himself is our peace, etc. Likewise, when he says from God our father, the person of the Father alone can be understood; and although the whole Trinity is our father, as has been said, yet the person of the Father is our father by appropriation; and thus what he says, and the Lord Jesus Christ, is understood of the person of the Son. But no mention is made here of the person of the Holy Spirit, because, as Augustine says, since he is the bond of the Father and the Son, wherever the person of the Father and the person of the Son are set down, the person of the Holy Spirit is understood.”
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Reformation

c. 1500 – 1650
1637
A.D.
Cornelius a Lapide Catholic
1567–1637
“Timothy our brother . That is our co-Apostle; so the Pope calls Bishops his brethren, a Bishop his canons, an abbot his monks”
Source

Post-Reformation

c. 1650 – 1900
1714
A.D.
Matthew Henry Reformed
1662–1714
“This is the introduction to this epistle, in which we have, I. The inscription; and therein, 1. The person from whom it was sent, namely, Paul, who calls himself an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. The apostleship itself was ordained by Jesus Christ, according to the will of God; and Paul was called to it by Jesus Christ, according to the will of God. He joins Timotheus with himself in writing this epistle; not because he needed his assistance, but that out of the mouth of two witnesses the word might be established; and this dignifying Timothy with the title of brother (either in the common faith, or in the work of the ministry) shows the humility of this great apostle, and his desire to recommend Timothy (though he was then a young man) to the esteem of the Corinthians, and give him a reputation among the churches. 2. The persons to whom this epistle was sent, namely, the church of God at Corinth: and not only to them, but also to all the saints in all Achaia, that is, to all the Christians who lived in the region round about. Note, In Christ Jesus no distinction is made between the inhabitants of city and country; all Achaia stands upon a level in his account. II. The salutation or apostolical benediction, which is the same as in his former epistle; and therein the apostle desires the two great and comprehensive blessings, grace and peace, for those Corinthians. These two benefits are fitly joined together, because there is no good and lasting peace without true grace; and both of them come from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the procurer and dispenser of those benefits to fallen man, and is prayed to as God.”
Source
1771
A.D.
John Gill Reformed
1697–1771
“Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,.... The inscription of this epistle is pretty much the same with that of the former; only whereas here he styles himself an apostle of Jesus Christ, there he says he was "called" to be one: for he did not assume that character and office without the call of Christ, and will of God; and which he chooses to mention, in opposition to the false apostles, who had neither. Likewise, in the inscription of the former epistle Sosthenes is joined with him; in this Timothy, whom he calls our brother, not so much on account of his being a partaker of the same grace, as for his being a minister of the same Gospel: and he the rather mentions him, because he had sent him to them, to know their state, and was now returned to him with an account of it, and who joined and agreed with him in the substance of this epistle. Moreover, the former epistle is directed as "unto the church of God which is at Corinth"; so to all that call upon the name of Christ in every place; and this is directed also to the same church, together with all the saints which are in all Achaia; which was a very considerable part of Greece, and of which Corinth was the metropolis: and the apostle's intention in directing it in this form was, that copies of this letter might be sent to them, who equally, with this church, stood in need of the reproofs, exhortations, and instructions which are in it.”
Source
1832
A.D.
Adam Clarke Methodist
1762–1832
“Paul, an apostle - Paul, commissioned immediately by Jesus Christ himself, according to the will of God, to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. See on Co1 1:1 (note). In all Achaia - The whole of the Peloponnesus, or that country separated from the main land by the Isthmus of Corinth. From this we may learn that this epistle was not only sent to the Church at Corinth, but to all the Churches in that country.”
Source
1849
A.D.
George Leo Haydock Catholic
1774–1849
“St. Timothy, it appears, had been sent to Corinth to confirm the faithful in the doctrine which they had received from St. Paul. After he had fulfilled this commission, he returned to St. Paul, and gave him an account how they had behaved, and what good effects his first letter had produced. He styles him brother, to conciliate to him the esteem and respect of the Corinthians. This epistle is not merely addressed to the Corinthians, but to all Achaia, of which Corinth was the capital. (Estius) — Others think that Timothy had left Corinth before St. Paul’s first epistle had arrived thither; and that this determined St. Paul to send Titus with another disciple thither. See 2 Corinthians xii. 18. From him St. Paul had the consolation to learn the happy effects produced by his first letter. See 2 Corinthians vi. 7. 11.”
Source
1863
A.D.
Modern · 1953 →

The in-app commentary runs from the Fathers to the early-modern record, then stops — that's where the public-domain sources end, not where the reading does. For the modern reading, follow the sources directly.