2Cor 13:11-14 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 11. Finally, brethren . λοιπον. The remainder; all that remains is for me to bid you an affectionate farewell. The word here rendered "farewell," (χαιρετε,) means usually to joy and rejoice, or to be glad, ; and it is often used in the sense of "joy to you!" "hail!" as a salutation, ; . It is also used as a salutation at the beginning of an epistle, in the sense of greeting , . It is generally agreed, however, that it is here to be understood in the sense of farewell , as a parting salutation, though it may be admitted that there is included in the word an expression of a wish for their happiness. This was among the last words which Cyrus, when dying, addressed to his friends. Be perfect . , . It was a wish that every disorder might be removed; that all that was out of joint might be restored; that everything might be in its proper place; and that they might be just what they ought to be. A command to be perfect, however, does not prove that it has ever in fact been obeyed; and an earnest wish on the part of an apostle that others might be perfect,, does not demonstrate that they were; and this passage should not be adduced to prove that any have been free from sin. It may be adduced, however, to prove that an obligation rests on Christians to be perfect, and that there is no natural obstacle to their becoming such, since God never can command us to do an impossibility. Whether any one, but the Lord Jesus, has been perfect, however, is a question on which different denominations of Christians have been greatly divided. It is incumbent on the advocates of the doctrine of sinless perfection to produce some one instance of a perfectly sinless character. This has not yet been done. Be of good comfort . Be consoled by the promises and supports of the gospel. Take comfort from the hopes which the gospel imparts. Or the word may possibly have a reciprocal sense, and mean, comfort one another . See Schleusner. Rosenmuller renders it, "receive admonition from all with a grateful mind, that you may come to greater perfection." It is, at any rate, the expression of an earnest wish, on the part of the apostle, that they might be happy. Be of one mind . They had been greatly distracted, and divided into different parties and factions. At the close of the epistle he exhorts them, as he had repeatedly done before, to lay aside these strifes, and to be united, and manifest the same spirit. ; ; . The sense is, that Paul desired that dissensions should cease, and that they should be united in opinion and feeling as Christian brethren. Live in peace . With each other. Let contentions and strifes cease. To promote the restoration of peace had been the main design of these epistles. And the God of love and peace . The God who is all love, and who is the Author of all peace. What a glorious appellation is this! There can be no more beautiful expression, and it is as true as it is beautiful, that God is a God of love and of peace . He is infinitely benevolent; he delights in exhibiting his love; and he delights in the love which his people evince for each other. At the same time he is the Author of peace, and he delights in peace among men. When Christians love each other, they have reason to expect that the God of love will be with them; when they live in peace, they may expect the God of peace will take up his abode with them. In contention and strife we have no reason to expect his presence; and it is only when we are willing to lay aside all animosity that we may expect the God of peace will fix his abode with us. (e) "perfect" (a) "of one mind"

2 Corinthians 13:11-14

Verse 11. Finally, brethren. λοιπον. The remainder; all that remains is for me to bid you an affectionate farewell. The word here rendered "farewell," (χαιρετε,) means usually to joy and rejoice, or to be glad, Lk 1:14, Jn 16:20,22; and it is often used in the sense of "joy to you!" "hail!" as a salutation, Mt 26:49; Mt 27:29. It is also used as a salutation at the beginning of an epistle, in the sense of greeting, Acts 15:23, 23:26, Jas 1:1. It is generally agreed, however, that it is here to be understood in the sense of farewell, as a parting salutation, though it may be admitted that there is included in the word an expression of a wish for their happiness. This was among the last words which Cyrus, when dying, addressed to his friends.

Be perfect. 2Cor 13:9, Rom 9:22. It was a wish that every disorder might be removed; that all that was out of joint might be restored; that everything might be in its proper place; and that they might be just what they ought to be. A command to be perfect, however, does not prove that it has ever in fact been obeyed; and an earnest wish on the part of an apostle that others might be perfect,, does not demonstrate that they were; and this passage should not be adduced to prove that any have been free from sin. It may be adduced, however, to prove that an obligation rests on Christians to be perfect, and that there is no natural obstacle to their becoming such, since God never can command us to do an impossibility. Whether any one, but the Lord Jesus, has been perfect, however, is a question on which different denominations of Christians have been greatly divided. It is incumbent on the advocates of the doctrine of sinless perfection to produce some one instance of a perfectly sinless character. This has not yet been done.

Be of good comfort. Be consoled by the promises and supports of the gospel. Take comfort from the hopes which the gospel imparts. Or the word may possibly have a reciprocal sense, and mean, comfort one another. See Schleusner. Rosenmuller renders it, "receive admonition from all with a grateful mind, that you may come to greater perfection." It is, at any rate, the expression of an earnest wish, on the part of the apostle, that they might be happy.

Be of one mind. They had been greatly distracted, and divided into different parties and factions. At the close of the epistle he exhorts them, as he had repeatedly done before, to lay aside these strifes, and to be united, and manifest the same spirit. Rom 12:16; Rom 15:5; 1Cor 1:10. The sense is, that Paul desired that dissensions should cease, and that they should be united in opinion and feeling as Christian brethren.

Live in peace. With each other. Let contentions and strifes cease. To promote the restoration of peace had been the main design of these epistles.

And the God of love and peace. The God who is all love, and who is the Author of all peace. What a glorious appellation is this! There can be no more beautiful expression, and it is as true as it is beautiful, that God is a God of love and of peace. He is infinitely benevolent; he delights in exhibiting his love; and he delights in the love which his people evince for each other. At the same time he is the Author of peace, and he delights in peace among men. When Christians love each other, they have reason to expect that the God of love will be with them; when they live in peace, they may expect the God of peace will take up his abode with them. In contention and strife we have no reason to expect his presence; and it is only when we are willing to lay aside all animosity that we may expect the God of peace will fix his abode with us.

(e) "perfect" 2Cor 13:9 (a) "of one mind" Rom 12:16, 15:5, Eph 4:3, Php 2:2, 1Pet 3:8 Verse 12. Greet. Salute. Rom 16:3. With an holy kiss. Rom 16:16.

(b) "Greet" Rom 16:16 Verse 13. All the saints salute you. That is, all who were with Paul, or in the place where he was. The epistle was written from Macedonia, probably from Philippi. See Introduction to Epistle, paragraph 3. Verse 14. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Rom 16:20. This verse contains what is usually called the apostolic benediction the form which has been so long, and which is almost so universally used, in dismissing religious assemblies. It is properly a prayer; and it is evident that the optative ειη, "May the grace," etc., is to be supplied. It is the expression of a desire that the favours here referred to may descend on all for whom they are thus invoked.

And the love of God. May the love of God towards you be manifest. This must refer peculiarly to the Father, as the Son and the Holy Spirit are mentioned in the other members of the sentence. The "love of God" here referred to is the manifestation of his goodness and favour in the pardon of sin, in the communication of his grace, in the comforts and consolations which he imparts to his people, in all that constitutes an expression of love. The love of God brings salvation; imparts comfort; pardons sin; sanctifies the soul; fills the heart with joy and peace; and Paul here prays that all the blessings which are the fruit of that love may be with them.

And the communion of the Holy Ghost. 1Cor 10:16. The word communion (κοινωνια) means, properly, participation, fellowship, or having anything in common, Acts 2:42, Rom 15:26; 1Cor 1:9, 10:16, 2Cor 6:14, 8:4, 9:13, Gal 2:9, Eph 3:9, 1Jn 1:3. This is also a wish or prayer of the apostle Paul; and the desire is either that they might partake of the views and feelings of the Holy Ghost--that is, that they might have fellowship with him--or that they might all in common partake of the gifts and graces which the Spirit of God imparts, lie gives love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (Gal 5:22,) as well as miraculous endowments; and Paul prays that these things might be imparted freely to all the church in common, that all might participate in them, all might share them.

Amen. This word is wanting, says Clarke, in almost every Ms. of any authority. It was, however, early affixed to the epistle.

In regard to this closing verse of the epistle, we may make the following remarks:

(1.) It is a prayer; and if it is a prayer addressed to God, it is no less so to the Lord Jesus, and to the Holy Spirit. If so, it is right to offer worship to the Lord Jesus, and to the Holy Spirit.

(2.) There is a distinction in the Divine nature; or there is the existence of what is usually termed Three Persons in the God-head. If not, why are they mentioned in this manner? If the Lord Jesus is not Divine and equal with the Father, why is he mentioned in this connexion? How strange it would be for Paul, an inspired man, to pray in the same breath, "the grace of a man or an angel" and "the love of God" be with you! And if the "Holy Spirit" be merely an influence of God, or an attribute of God, how strange to pray that the "love of God" and the participation or fellowship of an "influence of God," or an "attribute of God," might be with them!

(3.) The Holy Spirit is a person, or has a distinct personality. He is not an attribute of God, nor a mere Divine influence. How could prayer be addressed to an attribute, or am influence? But here, nothing can be plainer than that there were favours which the Holy Ghost, as an intelligent and conscious agent, was expected to bestow. And nothing can be plainer than that they were favours in some sense distinct from those which were conferred by the Lord Jesus, and by the Father. Here is a distinction of some kind as real as that between the Lord Jesus and the Father; here are favours expected from him distinct from those conferred by the Father and the Son; and there is therefore, here, all the proof that there can be, that there is in some respects a distinction between the persons here referred to, and that the Holy Spirit is an intelligent, conscious agent.

(4.) The Lord Jesus is not inferior to the Father, that is, he has an equality with God. If he were not equal, how could he be mentioned, as he here is, as bestowing favours like God, and especially why is he mentioned first? Would Paul, in invoking blessings, mention the name of a mere man or an angel, before that of the eternal God?

(5.) The passage, therefore, furnishes a proof of the doctrine of the Trinity that has not yet been answered and, it is believed cannot be. On the supposition that there are three Persons in the adorable Trinity, united in essence, and yet distinct in some respects, all is plain and clear. But on the supposition that the Lord Jesus is a mere man, an angel, or an archangel, and that the Holy Spirit is an attribute, or an influence from God, how unintelligible, confused, strange does all become! That Paul, in the solemn close of the epistle, should at the same time invoke blessings from a mere creature, and from God, and from an attribute, surpasses belief. But that he should invoke blessings from him who was the equal with the Father, and from the Father himself, and from the sacred Spirit sustaining the same rank, and in like manner imparting important blessings, is in accordance with all that we should expect, and makes all harmonious and appropriate.

(6.) Nothing could be a more proper close of the epistle; nothing is a more appropriate close of public worship, than such an invocation. It is a prayer to the ever-blessed God, that all the rich influences which he gives as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, may be imparted; that all the benefits which God confers in the interesting relations in which he makes himself known to us, may descend and bless us. What more appropriate prayer can be offered prayer can be offered at the close of public worship. How seriously should it be pronounced as a congregation is about to separate, perhaps to come together no more! With what solemnity should all join in it, and how devoutly should all pray, as they thus separate, that these rich and inestimable blessings may rest upon them! With hearts up-lifted to God it should be pronounced and heard; and every worshipper should leave the sanctuary deeply feeling that what he most needs, as he leaves the place of public worship--as he travels on the journey of life--as he engages in its duties or meets its trials--as he looks at the grave and eternity, is the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the blessings which the Holy Spirit imparts in renewing and sanctifying and comforting his people. What more appropriate prayer than this for the writer and reader of these Notes! May that blessing rest alike upon us, though we may be strangers in the flesh; and may those heavenly influences guide us alike to the same everlasting kingdom of glory!

In regard to the subscription at the end of this epistle, it may be observed, that it is wanting in a great part of the most ancient Mss., and is of no authority whatever. See Notes at the end of the epistle to the Romans, and 1 Corinthians. In this case, however, this subscription is in the main correct, as there is evidence that it was written from Macedonia, and not improbably from Philippi. See the Introduction to the epistle.

End of Barnes Notes on 2nd Corinthians