For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:
Referring to the imminent risk of life which he ran in Ephesus (Acts 19:23, etc.), when the whole multitude were worked up into a fury by Demetrius, on the plea of Paul having assailed the religion of Diana of Ephesus, and other like dangers.
We had the sentence of death in ourselves - meaning that he looked upon himself as condemned to die. Alford thinks the danger at Ephesus so slight that it cannot be the reference here, without exposing Paul to a charge of cowardice; hence, he supposes some deadly sickness of Paul (2 Corinthians 1:9-10). But "the sufferings of Christ" (2 Corinthians 1:5) would not apply; for Christ never suffered sickness. There is little doubt that, had Paul been found by the mob, he would have been torn in pieces: besides, there were other dangers equally distressing-such as "lyings in wait of the Jews" (Acts 20:19). They, doubtless, had incited the multitude at Ephesus (Acts 19:9), and were the chief of the "many adversaries," like "(wild) beasts," which he had to fight with (1 Corinthians 15:32; 1 Corinthians 16:9). His weak health combined with this to make him regard himself as all but dead (2 Corinthians 11:29; 2 Corinthians 12:10). The very cause of his not having visited Corinth directly, as he had intended, for which he apologizes (2 Corinthians 1:15-23), was, that there might be time to see whether the evils arising there, not only from Greek, but from Jewish disturbers (2 Corinthians 11:22), would be checked by his first letter: their not being fully so was what entailed the need of this second letter. His not specifying this expressly is what we might expect in the outset of this letter; toward the close, when he had won their favourable hearing by a kindly tone, he more distinctly refers to Jewish agitators (2 Cor. 20:22).
Above strength - i:e., ordinary powers of endurance.
Despaired - as far as human help or hope was concerned. But in respect to help from God we were "not in despair" (2 Corinthians 4:8).
Verse 9. But - `yea.'
The sentence - rather х apokrima (G610), not katakrima (G2631)], 'the answer.' When I asked myself what must I expect? the answer was "death," Vulgate. Wahl supports the English version.
In God which raiseth the dead. We had so given up all thoughts of life, that our only hope was fixed on the coming resurrection. So in 1 Corinthians 15:22 this hope buoyed him up in contending with foes savage as wild beasts. Here he touches only on the doctrine, taking it for granted that its truth is admitted by the Corinthians, and urging its bearing on their practice.