Chapter 2

1 Having shewed the reason why he came not to them, 6 he requireth them to forgive and to comfort that excommunicated person, 10 even as himself also upon his true repentance had forgiven him, 12 declaring withal why he departed from Troas to Macedonia, 14 and the happy success which God gave to his preaching in all places.

1. Again. It is not clear from the Greek whether this word should be coupled with the noun “heaviness” or with the verb “come.” The last part of v. 1 reads, literally, “not again in heaviness to you to come.” If “again” goes with “heaviness,” the meaning is, “I would not pay you a second painful visit.” According to this interpretation Paul had already paid the Corinthian church one painful visit since the original visit of Acts 18:1–18. If “again” goes with “come,” the meaning is, “I would not have my second visit to you be a painful one.” According to this interpretation Paul had not been to Corinth since his original visit.

In favor of the view of two previous visits, the second of which was presumably made “in heaviness,” 2 Cor. 12:14; 13:1 are usually cited. However, the Greek construction of these passages is not conclusive (see comment there). In favor of but one previous visit it may be noted that neither Luke nor Paul either mentions or makes a clear allusion to a second previous visit. There was nothing painful—in the sense here intended—about the visit of Acts 18:1–18; and chs. 19:8, 10; 20:31 strongly imply that there was no interruption in the Ephesian ministry—the only time during which a second visit could have been made—for a journey to Corinth. Had there been such a visit it would seem logical to expect at least a brief, unambiguous mention of it in Acts or Corinthians. In 2 Cor. 1:19 Paul speaks of his first visit to Corinth as if he had not been there since that time. In v. 15 he speaks of a visit he had since been “minded” to make—but seems to have postponed—as “a second benefit.”

In ch. 2:1–4 Paul continues the explanation of his decision not to go directly from Ephesus to Corinth, begun in ch. 1:15. The Corinthians may have imagined that Paul sought to lord it over them (see on ch. 1:24), while all the time he was grieving over their sins and their coldness toward him. His only thought was for the well-being of the Corinthians as individuals and as a church.

Heaviness. Gr. lupeµ, “sorrow,” “pain,” “grief.”

2. Make … sorry. Gr. lupeoµ, “to make sad,” “to cause grief.” Paul was grieved by evils rampant in the church, and his previous letter of reproof had no doubt saddened the sincerehearted members of the church, as it had angered others (cf. ch. 10:9, 10). Under such circumstances a second visit would have been painful both to him and to them. This would compound the sadness for all concerned. But if his letter could first accomplish its intended result, another visit would prove mutually joyful.

3. I wrote. Paul here probably refers to 1 Corinthians, though possibly to the letter mentioned in 1 Cor. 5:9. Arguments to the effect that the context here (2 Cor. 2:3, 4) and in ch. 7:8–12 precludes the possibility of reference to 1 Corinthians are not convincing (see p. 822; 1 Cor. 3 to 6).

This same unto you. Gr. touto auto, which should probably be translated “this very thing,” though possibly, “for this very reason.” Paul had written that previous letter of censure and admonition in the hope that it might effect a reformation (see on v. 2).

Ought to rejoice. Paul’s supreme joy was that of seeing men and women experience the new birth and grow up into Christ. His happiness depended upon their spiritual state of health. Paul could not be happy while they were weak or downcast. The work of the gospel minister is to dispense joy, not sorrow. Christ desired His own joy to be reflected in the hearts and lives of His disciples (John 17:13).

Of you all. Paul believed that what brought joy to him would also bring joy to them.

4. Anguish. Gr. sunocheµ, “distress,” “anguish,” literally, “a holding together,” that is, a tenseness. The thought is that the heart seems to be under great pressure, and that the pressure produces grief.

I wrote. See on v. 3.

Many tears. Paul had administered stern reproof and discipline, not in anger but in sorrow. Christ wept as He yearned for His people (Matt. 23:37, 38). Reproof intended to win back the erring must never be done in harshness or with an overbearing attitude, but with great tenderness and compassion. Paul possessed boundless courage in the face of danger, persecution, and death, but he wept when compelled to censure his brethren in Christ (see Acts 20:31; Phil. 3:18).

Successful dealing with sinners is not achieved by bitter denunciation, by ridicule or sarcasm, by making public their sins. What these harsh weapons cannot accomplish may be done by affectionate concern, with “many tears.” The unfortunate spectacle of a church member falling into sin awakens anguish and distress in the mind of every true follower of Christ. Godly concern and Christlike love unite the church and prevent differences of opinion concerning those disciplined.

The ministry needs men who will not palliate or excuse sin, nor shrink from rebuking evil (cf. Eze. 9:4). They are men who, while dealing courageously with evil in the church, are constrained by the love of Christ (2 Cor. 5:14). They are, in a special sense, repairers of the “breach” and restorers of “paths to dwell in” (Isa. 58:12; see Heb. 13:7, 17). It is never a demonstration of love to pass by sin. Sometimes love must needs be severe. Love in the church does not mean the display of pity and long-suffering toward obdurate members at the expense of the integrity of the church or the safety of other members. To consider love as something always necessarily flaccid is to identify it with weakness, lack of initiative, forcefulness, and courage. The minister’s love for his people means more than a feeling of tender emotion for them, it means also a continuous attitude of concern for their well-being, joy in their spiritual growth, sadness over their sins, strong leadership, and firm, unyielding courage when the enemy of souls seeks to scatter the flock. Paul, as a minister of the everlasting gospel, was prepared to go through any amount of suffering, even to the sacrifice of life itself, for the salvation of others. There was nothing weak or effeminate about his love. Neither Jesus nor Paul invest love with sickly sentimentality. Both continually reveal the capacity for noble and difficult accomplishments and strength to overcome the devil in whatever guise he may appear to attack the church. See on Matt. 5:43, 44.

Know the love. Paul’s purpose in writing was not to cause sorrow, but to express, if possible, the ardent love that guided the apostle in all his relations with them (see on ch. 5:14). If they could first realize that all he said was spoken in love they would be able the better to profit by it.

5. Caused grief. There is a difference of opinion as to whether Paul here refers to the incestuous person of 1 Cor. 5:1 or to the ringleader of opposition to him. Reasons set forth for both are inconclusive. However, because there is no specific reference in Scripture to the ringleader, as there is to the incestuous person, this commentary assumes that Paul refers to the latter. From the first epistle it appears that this case of immorality had been the most acute problem in the Corinthian church. The case had been aggravated by the open toleration of this offender and by the stubborn refusal, for a time, to deal effectively with it. This passage (2 Cor. 2:5–11) reveals that the church had by now complied with Paul’s instructions and had disfellowshiped the offender. This course of action had evidently led him to genuine repentance. Paul here counsels his restoration and reinstatement in the church.

Paul’s method of dealing with an erring member provides a commendable example for similar cases today. Paul’s firmness and severity toward the man while he remained unrepentant gave way to great tenderness once he had repented. Paul now sought to mitigate the contrite man’s burden of guilt and condemnation, and to restore him to favor with his brethren. Never once does he mention the man’s name, but considerately speaks of him as “such a one” (v. 7). There is no needless repetition of the man’s sins to wound his feelings. Today his name is known only to God. This is the spirit and method of Christ in dealing with such cases (see John 8:10, 11; see on Matt. 18:1–35). How different from those who would publicize the names of offenders and thereby crush them with unnecessary pain and dishonor! Where there is genuine repentance the case should be brought to a close, with no further reference to the incident and with wholehearted acceptance of the forgiven person.

Not grieved me. No personal motives had been involved in the stern measures recommended by Paul. His grief had been over the distress and confusion that had come to the church.

But in part. The latter part of the verse may be rendered more clearly, “but to some extent all of you—lest I be too severe [toward the repentant offender].” The offense was not so much against Paul as against the entire Corinthian church.

Overcharge. Gr. epibareoµ, “to put a burden upon.” Now that the case had been settled, Paul deliberately avoided wounding the offender by appearing to magnify the offense.

6. Sufficient. The objective of church discipline had been accomplished; the offender had repented, and it was now time to restore him to the confidence and fellowship of his brethren. Christian discipline is a work of love, not of vengeance. Its objective is not revenge, but restoration. It must uphold the commandments of God and maintain church order. It must safeguard the other members of the church and protect the good name of the church, but it should also, wherever possible, lead the sinner to repentance. It must serve as a warning to other potential offenders and a deterrent to a repetition of the offense.

Punishment. Or, “penalty,” implying a merited judgment.

Of many. That is, by the majority. The church had complied with Paul’s recommendation in the case, but the decision had not been unanimous. The dissenting minority doubtless included some who tended to be lax in morals themselves, members of the Judaizing faction, and a few who resented Paul’s interference in the case, challenged his authority, or objected to so severe a penalty. Remedial discipline—as contrasted with punitive discipline—requires patience and understanding. In this instance it had become the responsibility of the whole church (see 1 Cor. 12:20–27). Paul might have taken the opposition of the dissident minority as a personal affront and responded to its misrepresentation and criticism in a spirit of bitterness and vindictiveness, but he did not.

7. So that contrariwise. Having made an incision and accomplished his purpose, a surgeon binds up the wound and seeks to restore his patient to health. The offender at Corinth had been deprived of Christian fellowship by the majority of the church members. But now that he had repented, further discipline would be vindictive and punitive, and would tend to discourage him from being loyal to his new resolve.

Comfort him. Forgiveness was not enough. The church was to receive this returning brother as God receives a penitent sinner into His favor. The offense should be forgiven and forgotten. It is the duty of the church to treat every true penitent with kindness (see on Luke 15:7; Eph. 4:32).

Swallowed up. Or, “overwhelmed,” as if drowning. Excessive sorrow or calamity is often compared to floodwaters (see Ps. 69:1; 124:2–5; Isa. 8:7, 8). We commonly speak of being overwhelmed with grief or drowned in sorrow. Paul was genuinely concerned for the repentant man’s soul. There must be no evidence of continued rejection or disdain by church members, lest excessive grief overwhelm him and drive him back into sin.

8. Confirm. Gr. kurooµ, “to ratify,” “to confirm,” “to reaffirm” (cf. Gal. 3:15). It was a legal term used of validating an agreement. Here it means to ratify or confirm by decree or vote of the church (see on Matt. 18:18). Acting in its corporate capacity, the church should revoke its former action and restore the man to fellowship. Discipline had been administered by a formal action on the part of the church; restoration to fellowship should be no less public and official. The man was to have full assurance of the favor of his brethren in the church. Thus, in the future, no question as to the validity of his reinstatement could arise.

9. Did I write. See on v. 3.

The proof. Another reason for Paul’s instruction regarding the church offender in his former epistle was his desire to test their obedience and loyalty. Events had now proved them loyal. They had measured up to the test by dealing faithfully with sin in the church. This test, however, was not so much one of obedience to Paul’s authority as to that of Christ. They submitted to Paul as an apostle, a direct representative of Jesus Christ, and as one to whom the Lord said: “He that heareth you heareth me” (Luke 10:16).

10. Whom ye forgive. Because the Corinthian church had given full proof of its loyalty to principle, Paul now unites with its members in the proposed vote of confidence. He fully recognizes the authority of the church, under Christ, to deal with its own problems (see Matt. 16:19; 18:17, 18; John 20:23). Christ has delegated authority to the church as a corporate body, acting under the direction and presidency, as it were, of the Holy Spirit.

Various scholars have noted that this is the only specific instance on record in the NT of the exercise of ecclesiastical authority to retain and remit sins, and that here it is exercised by Paul, not by Peter. This power was given by Christ to the apostles collectively and as representatives of the Christian church (see John 20:23).

Person of Christ. Rather, “presence of Christ,” or “before Christ.” There is no basis for concluding that either the apostle or the church had power to release the man from accountability for his sins before God. None but God could do that (see Mark 2:7–11). If the man had sincerely repented, God, according to His promise, had already forgiven him (Jer. 31:34; 1 John 1:9). Paul’s vote to forgive was simply the human acknowledgment that God had already pardoned him (see on Matt. 16:19). God has authorized His representatives on earth to assure the forgiveness of Heaven to every repentant soul.

11. Lest Satan. Paul had instructed the Corinthians to deliver the sinner “unto Satan” (1 Cor. 5:4, 5), with a view to his ultimate salvation. But if the church failed to forgive and restore the repentant offender, Satan would still gain an advantage. He gains an advantage not only by leading people into sin but also by our failure to forgive them when they repent.

Devices. Or, “designs.” Satan is constantly seeking to injure and destroy the souls of men. His designs are directed particularly against the church and against individuals who aspire to follow Christ. He sometimes succeeds in perverting even the best and purest plans and efforts of individuals, and even of the church. Where the salvation of the individual is lost sight of, hearts will be embittered or driven to despair, and irritation and division will injure the church.

Satan’s designs are accomplished in rash and misguided zeal of church members, by harsh and rigid pretensions at perfection, by a critical and censorious spirit, by cold indifference to the fate of men, by tithing mint and anise and cummin and omitting the weightier matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faith (Matt. 23:23). God’s character is thus maligned and misunderstood, His cause is dishonored, and the standing of the church is seriously impaired.

The Christian deals not simply with some error of judgment and conduct in an offending brother but with a personal foe (see on Matt. 4:1). It was a personal devil that tempted our Lord in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1–11). Paul had been buffeted by a “messenger of Satan” (2 Cor. 12:7), and knew from experience the kind of adversary he had to face. He recognized the devil for what he is. His clear spiritual perception pierced the disguise used by Satan, and he overcame him by the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God (Eph. 6:16, 17; 1 John 2:14). Victory over our adversary comes by following the admonition to “put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph. 6:11). Compare GC 516.

12. Came to Troas. Verses 12, 13 reveal Paul’s deep personal affection for the Corinthian believers and his unabated interest in their welfare. He had apparently dispatched Titus to Corinth to work for the restoration of harmony and to obtain a full report of conditions and of how the Corinthians received his letter of reproof (cf. AA 323). It seems that they had agreed to meet each other at Troas, but Titus had apparently been prevented from keeping that appointment. Anxiety overwhelmed Paul as he imagined that his worst fears about the Corinthian church had come true. This frame of mind made it impossible for him to labor effectively at Troas. Concerning the city of Troas and Paul’s previous visit there see on Acts 16:8–11. Paul again visited Troas on his return from Corinth, en route to Jerusalem (Acts 20:6–12), and also after his release from his first imprisonment at Rome (see on 2 Tim. 4:13).

Christ’s gospel. That is, the gospel that proceeds from Christ. Upon leaving Ephesus, Paul had intended to devote some considerable time to evangelistic labors at Troas.

A door. Apparently there was a ready response to Paul’s preaching at Troas. The figure of a door to represent opportunity appears elsewhere in 1 Cor. 16:9 (see on Rev. 3:8). Divine providence had opened many doors for Paul, including the door of escape from death (see 2 Cor. 1:8–10). Paul saw God’s hand in the light and in the darkness, in sunshine and in rain. He even saw God’s hand turning the “thorn” in his “flesh” to a good purpose (ch. 12:7). The Christian must ever be alert for the providence of God upon his pathway—earnestly watching, patiently waiting, promptly obeying, and thankfully rejoicing.

13. No rest. Paul’s state of anxiety continued until he finally met Titus in Macedonia. So overwhelming was his anxiety that he could not tarry to preach in Troas, even though the prospects there were bright. Here is evidence of Paul’s intense personal interest in his converts. We have no other record of Paul’s turning away from “an open door.” The most successful worker for God is not always above deep emotion that may unsettle him and render it impossible for him to continue his work for a time. While crisis confronted the work of Christ at Corinth, Paul could neither rest nor concentrate his faculties on other activities.

Into Macedonia. Macedonia lay on the way to Corinth, and there Paul could expect to meet Titus sooner than at Troas.

14. Thanks be unto God. Irrepressible anxiety gives way to exuberant joy when Paul reaches Macedonia and meets Titus. Paul here begins a lengthy exposition on the motives and spiritual power of the gospel minister as exemplified in his own life. This is the theme of his letter through ch. 7:4. No passage in the Scriptures gives so earnest and impassioned a portrayal of the inner experience of a true ambassador for Christ (see ch. 5:20).

Causeth … to triumph. Gr. thriambeuoµ, “to triumph,” that is, to celebrate a triumph or to lead in a triumphal procession, the sense in which Paul uses this verb in Col. 2:15 and the sense in which it is always used in the papyri. The translation here should probably be “leads … in triumph.” It is not Paul and his co-workers who triumph, rather, they, as captives of the Lord Jesus Christ, are led by Him in triumphal procession as they go through the world proclaiming the gospel, living examples of His triumph over the powers of darkness (Col. 2:15).

Thriambeuoµ is related to thriambos, a hymn sung in connection with processions celebrating great military victories. The famous Roman triumph was conferred on successful generals by the Roman Senate, in celebration of some outstanding military victory or campaign. A victorious general was welcomed by government officials at the gates of the imperial city, where the triumphal march began. First came the Senators, preceded by a body of magistrates. After the Senators came trumpeters, heralding the approach of the victor. Then followed a long train of carts laden with the spoils of war. Articles of great value, rarity, or beauty were fully exposed to view. There were also white bulls and oxen destined for sacrifice. Here and there incense bearers waved their censers to and fro, perfuming the air. Lions, tigers, elephants, and other strange animals from the captive lands often appeared in the procession. After these came the captive kings, princes, or generals, and a long train of inferior captives, bound and fettered. Next came the great conqueror himself, standing in a splendid chariot. A crown of laurel or gold was upon his head. In one hand he held a branch of laurel, the emblem of victory, and in the other his truncheon or staff of authority. Following him marched many of those who had fought under him—officers, horse soldiers, foot soldiers—each holding aloft a spear adorned with laurel boughs. The procession moved on through the crowded streets, along the Via Sacra, through the Triumphal Arch to the Capitoline hill (see Paul at Rome). There it halted, and some of the captives were executed in cold blood or thrown into prison to await death in the Colosseum. Others, considered worthy of pardon, were set free. Animal sacrifices were offered to the Roman gods, and the triumphal feast began.

Paul envisions Christ as a great conqueror, leading the conquered in a triumphal procession. Paul, his co-workers, and all those won to Christ by them are captives in God’s great triumph. Paul does not speak of himself as the triumphant commander of God’s army, but gives God all the glory. For Paul to be led in triumph as a trophy of divine grace accords with his habitual attitude and feelings (see 1 Cor. 4:9, 10; 2 Cor. 4:10; 11:23; Col. 1:24). He here emphasizes God’s successful use of him as an evangelist. God is leading him and his fellow workers about in triumph. Everywhere the gospel was gaining such victories and triumphs as had been won in the Corinthian church. All true Christians are God’s slaves (see Rom. 6:16), trophies of the Redeemer’s victorious campaign against sin. To see Paul, a captive chained to the chariot of Christ, was to see what Christ could do for reprobate men. God was leading him up and down the world, an example of His conquering power and matchless grace. The grandest of all victories is the victory over sin through the power of Christ. He who conquers the moral and spiritual foes of the soul achieves a far grander triumph than he who conquers an opposing army upon the battlefield (cf. Prov. 16:32).

The savour. That is, fragrance scattered by the incense bearers along the route of the procession. Clouds of incense rose from wayside altars and were wafted from censers and from open temples. The entire city was filled with the smoke of sacrifices and the fragrance of flowers and incense. Paul thinks of himself as an incense bearer in the triumphal procession of Christ.

Knowledge. In the Greek this word stands in apposition to “savour.” Thus the knowledge of Christ becomes the fragrance of which Paul speaks. Through Paul’s ministry and that of his fellow workers, through the righteousness of Christ manifest in the lives of His followers, this spiritual savor is manifested in every place, in the church at Corinth, in fact, throughout Achaia.

In every place. That is, wherever Paul had been. Less than 35 years after the crucifixion the gospel had been extensively preached throughout the Mediterranean world (see Acts 19:10, 26, 27; Rom. 1:8; 15:18, 19).

15. Sweet savour. Euoµdia, from two words meaning “good” and “smell.” Euoµdia is applied to persons or things well pleasing to God (see Eph. 5:2; Phil. 4:18). In the LXX it is used of the incense in the tabernacle (see Ex. 29:18; Lev. 1:9; 2:2; etc.).

Paul is still thinking of the aroma of incense in the streets of Rome during a triumph, but the figure changes slightly. In 2 Cor. 2:14 the odor represents the knowledge of God, diffused through human representatives. In v. 15 Paul and his fellow ministers constitute the odor of Christ. Christ is the primary medium through which God diffuses the knowledge that is from above; Paul and his fellow ministers are the secondary medium. They become one with Christ, who lives in them (Gal. 2:20) and manifests the fragrance of spiritual things through them.

Are saved. Literally, “are being saved.” Those who are being saved are saved by the grace of Christ; those who are lost are responsible for the loss of their own souls.

To return to the figure of the Roman triumph. Some who marched in the procession were on their way to execution, others to release or triumph. Both groups breathed the perfume as they marched along. To one it was a reminder of death, to the other a reminder of life. So it is with the gospel. To those who accept it, it becomes the pledge of a happy future, but to those who reject it, it becomes a warning of death. The preaching of the gospel never leaves a man in the same state in which it finds him. It either leads him on to eternal life or hardens him so that he rejects life (see on v. 16). It either subdues or hardens, alienates or reconciles. The gospel changes not, it is always the “power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16), but those who reject it are condemned by it (see on Matt. 7:21–27; Mark 16:16; John 3:17–21). He who came to be the chief cornerstone of men’s lives becomes “a stone of stumbling” to those who reject Him (1 Peter 2:8).

16. To the one. Christ is life or death to men as they accept or reject Him. This is inevitably so because He is the one and only source of life. Once confronted by truth as it is in Christ, no man can avoid making a decision. This contrast between the intended saving effect of the gospel and its opposite effect of condemnation is often alluded to in the NT (see John 3:19; 15:22; 1 Cor. 1:18, 23, 24). The sun, which imparts life to a tree that is planted in good soil, decomposes and destroys it if it is plucked up and exposed on the surface of the ground. Sunlight melts wax, but hardens clay. The difference is in the substances themselves. Even so with human hearts, some are melted, some hardened, depending on their individual response to the gospel.

Who is sufficient? The question is rhetorical. Paul senses the solemnity of the responsibility resting upon him for the salvation of men. This sense of responsibility was an important contributing factor to his success. It was this that had made him feel so deeply concerned over the state of affairs in Corinth (see on v. 13). This feeling of concern grows out of a deep sense of the importance of the task and of the value of souls. The minister who truly believes the truths of God’s Word, particularly those that have to do with the nearness of the end of time, cannot be indifferent toward lost men and women.

The minister of the gospel is responsible for how he lives, for what he preaches, and for the faithful delivery of his message. The responsibility of being an ambassador for God surpasses that of any other calling. Only as the ambassador for Christ is a living example of the message he proclaims, and as he lives in uninterrupted contact with the One whom he represents, can he expect to be “sufficient for these things.”

17. Many. Literally, “the many,” that is, those who opposed Paul. Apparently a large number of church members in Corinth had concluded that “the many” could not be wrong. To them the only important question was, Which is the popular side?

Which corrupt. Literally, “retailers,” “peddlers,” “hucksters,” “sharp dealers.” The word thus translated is always used in an uncomplimentary sense. It was used, for instance, of a retailer of wine, or vintner, who adulterated his wine by adding either water or some other inferior mixture, in order to make a greater profit. It came also to be used in an intellectual sense. Plato thus refers to philosophers who, according to his way of thinking, adulterated true philosophy.

Paul now speaks of those who adulterate, or deal deceitfully with, the Word of God. “The many” at Corinth were like dishonest tavernkeepers and wine peddlers, dispensing a gospel corrupted with human theories and traditions. According to Rev. 17:2 the apostate church makes the inhabitants of the earth drunk with the wine of her fornication, that is, the wine of adulterated, false doctrines. False teachers are content with a counterfeit, with a cheap substitute, with superficial obedience, with trying to achieve righteousness by works. They sell the Word for personal profit, at a low price of personal sacrifice on the part of the buyer. The methods and teachings of such hucksters of religion are often alluded to in Scripture (Isa. 50:11; 2 Cor. 10:12, 13; 11:13–15; 2 Tim. 4:3; 2 Peter 2:1–18).

A man corrupts the Word of God when he considers it primarily as a means of making a livelihood, when he tempers either its goodness or its severity, when he eases the high requirements it makes of Christians, or when he preaches himself, his cleverness, or his own learning. Thus he makes the Word minister to him, instead of ministering the Word.

As of sincerity. The successful minister of the gospel is conscious that God has sent him, conscious that God sees him, conscious of the spirit of Christ within him. The true preacher will be free from all self-seeking, all duplicity and hypocrisy, all sordid motives, all cravings for popularity and fame. He will preach the Word, with Christ as its center.

Ellen G. White comments

4    AA 300; MH 166

11   GC 516; PK 654; 1T 211, 304, 707; 2T 143, 313; 3T 476; 6T 446

12, 13  AA 323

14, 15  RC 61

14–16AA 326; 6T 316

15–172T 706

16   AA 249, 369, 423, 510, 551; AH 37; CG 64; CH 342, 559; CM 125; COL 277, 298, 304, 337, 340; CT 197; DA 439; Ed 282; Ev 208, 297, 383, 561, 631; EW 62; FE 109, 262; GW 78, 120; ML 22, 32, 178, 190; MM 173, 181, 227, 246; MYP 364; PK 86, 128, 232, 234; TM 144, 158, 223, 309, 318; 1T 139, 591; 2T 124, 152, 187, 343, 669; 3T 31, 60, 216, 306; 4T 69, 198, 308, 371, 446, 524; 5T 157, 345, 716; 6T 63, 122, 173, 317, 319, 371; 7T 36, 93, 155, 157; 8T 23, 144, 233; WM 287