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4. In much patience. The whole of the enumeration that follows is intended to show, that all the tests by which the Lord is accustomed to try his servants were to be found in Paul, and that there was no kind of test to which he had not been subjected, in order that the faithfulness of his ministry might be more fully established. ⁵⁸⁴⁵⁸⁴     “Afin que sa fidelite fust tant plus notoire, et la certitude de son ministere tant mieux approuvee;” — “In order that his faithfulness might be so much the better known, and the stability of his ministry so much the better approved.” Among other things that he enumerates, there are some that are under all circumstances required for all the servants of Christ. Of this nature are labors, sincerity, knowledge, watchings, gentleness, love, the word of truth, the Spirit, the power of God, the armor of righteousness. There are other things that are not necessary in all cases; for in order that any one may be a servant of Christ, it is not absolutely necessary, that he be put to the test by means of stripes and imprisonments Hence these things will in some cases be wanting in the experience of the best. It becomes all, however, to be of such a disposition as to present themselves to be tried, as Paul was, with stripes and imprisonments, if the Lord shall see meet.

Patience is the regulation of the mind in adversity, which is an excellence that ought invariably to distinguish a good minister. ⁵⁸⁵⁵⁸⁵     “The words ἐν ὑπομονὣ πολλὣ, (in much patience,) must be connected with the following clauses up to ἐν νηστείαις (in watchings,) and denote patient endurance of the various afflictions specified in the words following, which are not to be treated (with Rosenm.) as merely synonymes denoting evils in general, but considered specially, and (as I conceive the Apostle meant) in groups.” — Bloomfield. — Ed. Afflictions include more than necessities; for by the term necessity here I understand poverty. Now this is common to many ministers, there being few of them that are not in poor circumstances; but at the same time not to all. For why should a moderate amount of riches prevent a man from being reckoned a servant of Christ, who, in other respects, is pious, is of upright mind and honorable deportment, and is distinguished by other excellences. As the man that is poor is not on that account to be straightway accounted a good minister, so the man that is rich is not on that account to be rejected. Nay more, Paul in another passage glories not less in his knowing how to abound, than in knowing how to be in want. (Philippians 4:12.) Hence we must observe the distinction that I have mentioned, between occasional and invariable grounds of commendation. ⁵⁸⁶⁵⁸⁶     “Entre les louanges temporelles et perpetuelles, c’est ... dire qui doyuent tousiours estre es vrais ministres;” — “Between occasional grounds of commendation and perpetual, that is to say, what ought to be found invariably in true ministers.”

5. In tumults In proportion to the calmness and gentleness of Paul’s disposition was there the greater excellence displayed in his standing undaunted in the face of tumults; and he takes praise to himself on this account — that while he regarded tumults with abhorrence, he nevertheless encountered them with bravery. ⁵⁸⁷⁵⁸⁷     “D’vne courage magnanime;” — “With magnanimous heroism.” Nor does the praise simply consist in his being unmoved by tumults, (this being commonly found among all riotous persons, ⁵⁸⁸⁵⁸⁸     “Veu que cela est coustumier ... tous mutins de ne s’estonner point quand seditions s’esmeuuent;” — “As it is customary for all riotous persons to be thrown into no alarm when tumults break out.” ) but in his being thrown into no alarm by tumults that had been stirred up through the fault of others. And, unquestionably, two things are required on the part of ministers of the Gospel — that they should endeavor to the utmost of their power to maintain peace, and yet on the other hand go forward, undaunted, through the midst of commotions, so as not to turn aside from the right course, though heaven and earth should be mingled. ⁵⁸⁹⁵⁸⁹     A proverbial expression made use of by Virgil. ‘n. I. 133,134 — Ed. Chrysostom, however, prefers to understand ἀκαταστασίαις to mean — frequent expulsions, ⁵⁹⁰⁵⁹⁰     “L’incommodite de ce qu’il estoit souuent contraint de changer de pays, pource qu’ on ne le laissoit en paix en quelque lieu qu’il fust;” — “The inconvenience of being frequently under the necessity of changing his country, because they did not allow him to be in peace in any place in which he might be.” inasmuch as there afforded him a place of rest. ⁵⁹¹⁵⁹¹     Semler understands the term in the same sense — “Quod non licet diu manere et quiescere quasi uno in loco, sed semper periculorum vitandorum causa locum et solum mutare. Iud’i autem faciunt jam infensi et infesti hostes Pauli, ut vel ex actibus Luc’ satis patet; Paulus ἀκατάστατος, (Jacobi 1:8) dici potest, licet sine animi sui vitio;” — (“As not being allowed to remain long at rest, as it were, in one place, but always changing his place and soil (for the sake of avoiding dangers.) The Jews were enemies to Paul, so exasperated and deadly, as appears even from Luke’s narrative in the Acts, that Paul may be said to have been unstable, (James 1:8,) though without any fault on his part.” — “I agree,” says Dr. Bloomfield, “with Theophyl., Schleus., and Leun., that the term refers to that unsettled and wandering kind of life, which, that the Apostle thought very miserable, is plain from his connecting it at 1 Corinthians 4:11, with the endurance of hunger, thirst, and nakedness,(Πεινῶμεν καὶ διψῶμεν, καὶ γυμνητεύομεν, καὶ ἀστατοῦμεν) which passage, indeed, is the best comment on the present, and shows that κόποις (labors) must be chiefly understood of his labors at his trade, and νηστείαις, (fastings,) of that insufficient support, which labors so interrupted by his ministerial duties, could alone be expected to supply. ᾿Αγρυπνίαις (watchings) seems to refer to the abridgment of his rest by night, to make up for the time expended by day on his ministerial labors.” — Ed. In fastings He does not mean — hunger arising from destitution, but a voluntary exercise of abstinence.

Knowledge may be taken in two senses — either as meaning doctrine itself, or skill in acting properly and knowingly. The latter appears to me the more likely, as he immediately adds — the word of truth The Spirit is taken by metonymy, to denote spiritual graces. Frivolous, however, is the cavil of Chrysostom, who infers from this, that the other excellences are peculiar to the Apostle, because he makes mention of the Spirit separately, as if kindness, knowledge, pureness, armor of righteousness, were from any other source, than from the Holy Spirit. He makes mention, however, of the Spirit separately, as a general term in the midst of particular instances. ⁵⁹²⁵⁹²     “ ᾿Εν πνεύματι ἁγίω — ’In demonstration of the Holy Spirit — so that I showed that the Holy Spirit wrought by me.’ It is possible, that in these words, Paul makes an allusion to the χαρίσματα, (gifts,) but it seems better, nevertheless, to suppose with Calvin, that he sets genus and species over against each other.” — Billroth. — Ed. The power of God showed itself in many things — in magnanimity, in efficacy in the maintaining of the truth, in the propagation of the Gospel, in victory over enemies, and the like.