IL (i. 23) "But I call God for a witness upon my soul, that to spare you I forbore to come to Corinth:" (xiii. 2) "I have said before hand, and 1 do say beforehand . . . that, if I come again, I will not spare." III. (ii. 9) "For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye are obedient in all things;" (x. 6) " - being in readiness to arenge all disobedience, when your obedience shall be made full." From these passages it would appear (1) that the actions or states of feeling described in the later chapters as future are in the earlier chap ters described as past: (2) that between the future references to these states and actions and the references to them that are past there had come over the situation to which they apply a change for the better. These two phenomena are rendered the more significant by the fact that the passages in the earlier chapters are all of them from a portion of the letter (i. 23 ii. 11) in which reference is made expressly to the painful letter (ii. 3, 4) and most probably to -the experiences of the sorrowful visit (ii. 5-11) ; while two of the three passages in the later chapters are from a portion of the letter 1-10) in which reference is made specif ically to a contemplated visit which has in it the possibilities of being one of unpleasantness be tween the Apostle and his people.
These internal evidences are confirmed by the fact that II. Corinthians does not seem to have been known as early in the post-Apostolic Church as I. Corinthians. This is especially evident from the fact that Clement of Rome, in writing to the Corinthian Church (A.D. 95). though there was in the situation of the Church that which would have made references on his part to II. Corinthians most apt and forceful, apparently confines all his references to the less applicable I. Corinthians. There seems to be no allusion to it before Polyearp's letter to the Philippian Church 116) ; while, generally speaking, references to it by the Fathers are few and not over clear. But if 11. Corinthians was thus so much later in coining to the notice of the Church, this period of obscurity would involve neces sarily a harsh. usage for the first copies of both the letters of which it is composed, and this may easily have resulted in a loss of the clos ing portion from %Paul's last letter (chaps. i.-iv.) and, correspondingly, of the earlier por tion of his painful letter (chaps. x.-xiii.). In asmuch. however, as both these fragnwnts, when finally discovered, gave evidence of having been written by Paul (cf. i. 1, 2, which gives the Apostolic greeting in the name of Paul: "Paul an Apostle," etc., and 1, which presents Paul by Milne as the writer: "Now 1, Paul, my self entreat you," etc.), and as one showed itself clearly to be the beginning, while the other as clearly showed itself to be the close of one of his letters, it would be not at all unnatural were the two fragments placed together as one Epistle and so received generally in the Church.
In view, therefore, of the facts presented in the Epistles, we recognize three visits of Paul to Corinth: (a) at the founding of the Church; (b) in response to the urgency call; (c) at the close of his mission work in the East. We recog
nize also four letters of Paul to the Church: (a.) the letter of prohibition: (b) the canonical L Corinthians; (c) the painful letter (II. Co rinthians x.-xiii.) ; (d) the canonical 11. Co rinthians (chaps. i.-ix.).
Together with the Epistle to the Galatians and the Epistle to the Romans, the Corinthian Epistles have been almost universally received as genuine letters of Paul. The Tiibingen School (1845) made these four Epistles the standard for their criticism against the remain ing New Testament writings. Recently a school of Dutch critics (1880-90) has sought to dis prove their Apostolic origin. Other Continental critics (1875-90). while admitting their substan tial genuineness, have attempted to redistribute their contents among various documents. Still other critics (1880-87) confine their efforts to the elimination of certain minor interpretations. Apart: however, from the two-epistle theory for II. Corinthians, as advanced in this article, the letters are not only unmistakably genuine prod ucts of Paul, but are clearly integral in their contents.
BIBLIOGRAPHY. COMMentaries: A. KlOpper Bibliography. COMMentaries: A. KlOpper (Berlin, 1S74) ; T. S. Evans, in the 8pcaker's [Bible] Commentary (New York, 1881) ; A. P. Stanley (London, 1882) T. C. Edwards.
I. Corinthians (London. 1855) : F. andel, I. Corinthians, English trans. (Edinburgh, 1886) ; C. J. Ellicott, I. Corinthians (Andover, 1880) ; P. W. Scluniedel. in Handkommcntur :um Neucn Testament (Freiburg, 1891) ; G. Selmeder mann, in Strack u. Zikkler, Kommentar (Mu nich. 1894) ; H. A. W. Meyer. edited by C. F. G. Ileinrici (Gottingen. 1896-1900). In troduetions: A. Hilgenfeld (Halle. 1875); B. Weiss, English trans. (Edinburgh. 1S8S) ; H. J. Holtzmann (Freiburg, 1892) ; G. Salmon (Lon don, 1894) ; Th. Zahn (Leipzig, 1900) : B. IV. Bacon, in "New Testament Handbook Series" (New York, 1900) ; A. ,Jiilicher (Leipzig, 1901) ; J. Moffatt, The Historical Testament (New York,1901). Discussions: A. Hausrath, Der Virrhailitelbrief des Paulus alb die Corinther (Heidelberg, 1870) ; F. C. Baur, Paulus, English trans. (London, 1573-75) ; E. J. Knowling, The Witness of the EpistbS to Christ (London, 1892) ; F. .1. A. ]fort, The Christian Ecelcsia (London, 1895) : Rohr, "Paulus mid die Ge meinde von Corinth," in Biblisehe Ntudien, vol. iv. (Freiburg. 1899). .1. II. Kennedy, The fond and Third Epistles of ,Su ii( Paul to the Co rinthians (London, 1900). The "Dutch School of Criticism" is represented specially by A. Pier son and S. A. Nabe•, in l'crisimitiu (Amster dam and The Hague, 1886) ; W. C. Van Slanen, in Paulus (Leyden, 1800-911: the "Distribution School" specially by C. Clemen, Die Einheit lichkeit der Paulinische,' Brie& ( Gottingen, 1394) ; 1I. Liseo, Die Entstehuny des ztrcitcn Korintherbriefes (Berlin, 18!16) ; the "Interpo lation School" specially by C. Holsten, Das Eranffelium des Paulus, vol. i. (Berlin, 1880) ; C. M. S. Baljnn, De Tukst der Briercn tom de Homeincts, Corinthiers en Galatii'rs ( Utrecht, 1S84).