2 Corinthians 5:12 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
2 Corinthians 5:12
For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart.
to give (used in a very wide application · verb — present active participle, nominative plural masculine
you
ὑμῖνhymîn
G5213
to (with or by) you
occasion
ἀφορμὴνaphormēn
G874
a starting-point · noun — accusative singular feminine
glory
καυχήματοςkauchēmatos
G2745
a boast (properly · noun — genitive singular neuter
our
ἡμῶνhēmōn
G2257
of (or from) us
behalf
ὑπὲρhuper
G5228
"over" · preposition
that
ἵναina
G2443
compare G3588 (ὁ)) · conjunction
have
ἔχητεechēte
G2192
to hold (used in very various applications · verb — present active subjunctive, 2nd person plural
to
πρὸςpros
G4314
a preposition of direction · preposition
them
τοὺςtous
G3588
the (sometimes to be supplied · article — accusative plural masculine
glory
καυχωμένουςkauchōmenous
G2744
to vaunt (in a good or a bad sense) · verb — present middle or passive deponent participle, accusative plural masculine
in
ἐνen
G1722
"in · preposition
appearance
προσώπῳprosōpō
G4383
the front (as being towards view) · noun — dative singular neuter
and
καὶkai
G2532
and · conjunction
not
οὐou
G3756
the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb
heart
καρδίᾳ.kardia
G2588
the heart · noun — dative singular feminine
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
2 Corinthians 3:1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
2 Corinthians 1:14 As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.
Galatians 6:12-14 As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the c…
2 Corinthians 10:18 For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.
2 Corinthians 11:12-16 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even…
Proverbs 27:2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
2 Corinthians 6:4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
2 Corinthians 10:8 For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I shou…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on 2 Corinthians 5:12-15
Here observe, I. The apostle makes an apology for seeming to commend himself and his fellow-labourers (Co2 5:13), and tells them, 1. It was not to commend themselves, nor for their own sakes, that he had spoken of their fidelity and diligence in the former verses; nor was he willing to suspect their good opinion of him. But, 2. The true reason was this, to put an argument in their mouths wherewith to answer his accusers, who made vain boastings, and gloried in appearances only; that he might give them an occasion to glory on their behalf, or to defend them against the reproaches of their adversaries. And if the people can say that the word has been manifested to their consciences, and been e…
For--the reason why he leaves the manifestation of his sincerity in preaching to their consciences (Co2 3:1), namely, his not wishing to "commend" himself again.
occasion to glory-- (Co2 1:14), namely, as to our sincerity.
in appearance--Greek, "face" (compare Sa1 16:7). The false teachers gloried in their outward appearance, and in external recommendations (Co2 11:18) their learning, eloquence, wisdom, riches, not in vital religion in their heart. Their conscience does not attest their inward sincerity, as mine does (Co2 1:12).
Adam Clarke on 2 Corinthians 5:12
For we commend not ourselves? - I do not say these things to bespeak your good opinion, to procure your praise; but to give you an occasion to glory - to exult on our behalf; and to furnish you with an answer to all those who either malign us or our ministry, and who only glory in appearance - have no solid ground of exultation, and whose heart is dishonest and impure. St. Paul probably speaks here concerning the false apostle, who had been dividing the Church and endeavoring to raise a party to himself, by vilifying both the apostle and his doctrine.
John Gill on 2 Corinthians 5:12
For we commend not ourselves again to you,.... We have no need to do so, being well known to you; nor do we intend it when we thus speak of ourselves, and of our ministrations:
but give you occasion to glory on our behalf; suggest some things to you which you may make use of in our favour, for the vindicating of our characters and conduct:
that you may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart; by whom are meant the false apostles who gloried in an outward show, in their learning, eloquence, and popular applause they had acquired, and not in the sincerity of their hearts, and the testimony of a good conscience, things which the true apostles of Christ were mo…
The Church Fathers
Paul is saying this because of some people who used to take a personal pride in making it known that they had been taught by men who had always been with the Lord.
See how he is continually obviating the suspicion of appearing to praise himself. For nothing is so offensive to the hearers as for any one to say great and marvellous things about himself. Since then he was compelled in what he said to fall upon that subject, he uses a corrective, saying, we do this for your sakes, not for ours, that ye may have somewhat to glory of, not that we may. And not even this absolutely, but because of the false Apostles. Wherefore also he added, "To answer them that glory in appearance, and not in heart." Seest thou how he hath detached them from them, and drawn them to himself; having shown that even the Corinthians themselves are longing to get hold of some occasion, whereby they may have it in their power to speak on their behalf and to defend them unto their accusers. For, says he, we say these things not that we may boast, but that ye may have wherein to speak freely on our behalf; which is the language of one testifying to their great love: and not that ye may boast merely: but that ye may not be drawn aside. But this he does not say explicitly, but manages his words otherwise and in a gentler form, and without dealing them a blow. But what is "in appearance?" In what is seen, in what is for display. For of such sort were they, doing every thing out of a love of honor, whilst they were both empty inwardly and wore indeed an appearance of piety and of venerable seeming, but of good works were destitute.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Hypocrites · Described as: Glorying in appearance only — Described as: Glorying in appearance only
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
2 Corinthians 5:9-12
9. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
9. Quapropter contendimus, sive domi agentes, sive foris peregrinantes, ut illi placeamus.
10. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
10. Omnes enim nos manifestari [527] oportet coram tribunali Christi, ut reportet unusquisque, qu? per corpus facta fuerint, prout fecerit, sive bonum, sive malum. [528]
11. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your conscience…
