2 Corinthians 12:19
Of old, think you that we excuse ourselves to you? We speak before God in Christ; but all things, my dearly beloved, for your edification.
Open 2 Corinthians 12:19 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Olim putatis quod excusemus nos apud vos ? coram Deo in Christo loquimur : omnia autem, carissimi, propter ædificationem vestram.
- Greek New Testament (SBLGNT)
- Πάλαι δοκεῖτε ὅτι ὑμῖν ἀπολογούμεθα; κατέναντι θεοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ λαλοῦμεν. τὰ δὲ πάντα, ἀγαπητοί, ὑπὲρ τῆς ὑμῶν οἰκοδομῆς,
Haydock's commentary
After having answered one of their objections with regard to his disinterestedness, he thus proceeds: I perceive that of old, or for a long time, you have regarded this lengthened discourse merely as an apology to justify myself from the suspicion of avarice. But we speak before God in Christ; or, God is my witness that I have acted thus only for your edification. (Theodoret)
Seeking not the things that are yours, but yourselves, most willingly to spend our strength and life, and to be spent or completely exhausted for the sake of your souls.
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St John Chrysostom Homilies on Second Corinthians, Homily VI
He anticipates and puts himself an objection which others would have urged against him, ‘Thou vauntest thyself;’ and this though he had before employed so strong a corrective in the expressions, “Who is sufficient for these things?” and, “of sincerity…speak we.” ( 2 Cor. ii. 16, 17 .) Howbeit he is not satisfied with these. For such is his character. From appearing to say any thing great of himself he is far removed, and avoids it even to great superfluity and excess. And mark, I pray thee, by this instance also, the abundance of his wisdom. For a thing of woeful aspect, I mean tribulations, he so much exalted and showed to be bright and lustrous, that out of what he said the present objection rose up against him. And he does so also towards the end. …
St John Chrysostom Homilies on Second Corinthians, Homily XXVIII
[2.] Ver. 19 . “Again, think ye that we are excusing ourselves unto you?”