Clarke's Bible Commentary - 2 Corinthians 1:12
Verse 12. For our rejoicing is this] h kauchsiv. Our boasting, exultation, subject of glorying. The testimony of our conscience] marturion thv suneidhsewv? That testimony or witness which conscience, under the light and influence of the Spirit of God, renders to the soul of its state, sincerity, safety, &c.
In simplicity] aplothti? from a, denoting unity or together, and pelw, to be; or from a, negative, and poluv, many; not compounded, having one end in view, having no sinister purpose, no by end to answer. Instead of aplothti, many MSS. and versions have agiothti, holiness.
In godly sincerity] eilikrineia qeou? The sincerity of God: that is, such a sincerity as comes from his work in the soul. eilikrineia, sincerity, and eilikrinhv, sincere, come from eilh, the splendour, or bright shining of the sun; and here signifies such simplicity of intention, and purity of affection, as can stand the test of the light of God shining upon it, without the discovery being made of a single blemish or flaw.
Not with fleshly wisdom] The cunning and duplicity of man, who is uninfluenced by the Spirit of God, and has his secular interest, ease, profit, pleasure, and worldly honour in view.
But by the grace of God] Which alone can produce the simplicity and godly sincerity before mentioned, and inspire the wisdom that comes from above.
We have had our conversation] anestrafhmen? We have conducted ourselves. The word properly refers to the whole tenor of a man's life-all that he does says, and intends; and the object or end he has in view, and in reference to which he speaks, acts, and thinks; and is so used by the best Greek writers. The verb anastrefw is compounded of ana, again, and strefw, to turn; a continual coming back again to the point from which he set out; a circulation; beginning, continuing, and ending every thing to the glory of God; setting out with Divine views, and still maintaining them; beginning in the Spirit, and ending in the Spirit; acting in reference to God, as the planets do in reference to the sun, deriving all their light, heat, and motion from him; and incessantly and regularly revolving round him. Thus acted Paul; thus acted the primitive Christians; and thus must every Christian act who expects to see God in his glory. The word conversation is not an unapt Latinism for the Greek term, as conversatio comes from con, together, and verto, I turn; and is used by the Latins in precisely the same sense as the other is by the Greeks, signifying the whole of a man's conduct, the tenor and practice of his life: and conversio astrorum, and conversiones caelestes, is by CICERO used for the course of the stars and heavenly bodies. - De Leg. c. 8: Caelum una conversione atque eadem, ipse circum se torquetur et vertitur. - CIC de Univers., c. 8: "The heaven itself is, with one and the same revolution, whirled about, and revolves round itself." In the world] Both among Jews and Gentiles have we always acted as seeing Him who is invisible.
More abundantly to you-ward.] That is, We have given the fullest proof of this in our conduct towards you; YOU have witnessed the holy manner in which we have always acted; and GOD is witness of the purity of the motives by which we have been actuated; and our conscience tells us that we have lived in uprightness before him.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 12. For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience , etc..] This rejoicing or glorying of the apostle's in the testimony of their consciences, to the goodness of their hearts, actions, conduct, and behaviour, was not before God, and in his sight, but before men, who were ready to accuse their good conversation in Christ: nor are these words to be considered as they generally are by interpreters, as if it was the testimony of a good conscience, which was the ground of their faith and confidence, that God would deliver them, and was an helping cause, together with the prayers of the saints, of their present deliverance. They refer to the charge exhibited against the apostle, that he had falsified his word in not coming to Corinth according to his promise; under which charge he could sit easy, having a witness within him, which was better than a thousand others, that we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to youwards ; the Corinthians, of which they themselves must be conscious: in simplicity ; in opposition to double mindedness; they did not say one thing, and mean another, and act contrary to both; their heart and mouth went together, and their conduct agreed with both; what they promised they meant to perform; and where there was a want of performance, it was owing to intervening providences, which hindered, and not to any deceitfulness in them: the conscience of the apostle bore him witness, that he behaved in the simplicity and singleness of his heart; and also in godly sincerity , or in the sincerity of God; that is, such as God requires, gives, and approves of, and which will stand in his sight, will bear his examination, and to which he gives his testimony; and that his conduct was not influenced with fleshly wisdom : he used no artful sophistical methods to impose upon, and delude persons, for any sinister ends, or worldly advantage: but by the grace of God ; which was bestowed upon him, implanted in him, and which taught him to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this world.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 12-14 - Though, as a sinner, the apostle could only rejoice and glory in Chris Jesus, yet, as a believer, he might rejoice and glory in being reall what he professed. Conscience witnesses concerning the steady cours and tenor of the life. Thereby we may judge ourselves, and not by thi or by that single act. Our conversation will be well ordered, when we live and act under such a gracious principle in the heart. Having this we may leave our characters in the Lord's hands, but using proper mean to clear them, when the credit of the gospel, or our usefulness, call for it.
Greek Textus Receptus
η 3588 T-NSF γαρ 1063 CONJ καυχησις 2746 N-NSF ημων 2257 P-1GP αυτη 3778 D-NSF εστιν 2076 5748 V-PXI-3S το 3588 T-NSN μαρτυριον 3142 N-NSN της 3588 T-GSF συνειδησεως 4893 N-GSF ημων 2257 P-1GP οτι 3754 CONJ εν 1722 PREP απλοτητι 572 N-DSF και 2532 CONJ ειλικρινεια 1505 N-DSF θεου 2316 N-GSM ουκ 3756 PRT-N εν 1722 PREP σοφια 4678 N-DSF σαρκικη 4559 A-DSF αλλ 235 CONJ εν 1722 PREP χαριτι 5485 N-DSF θεου 2316 N-GSM ανεστραφημεν 390 5648 V-2API-1P εν 1722 PREP τω 3588 T-DSM κοσμω 2889 N-DSM περισσοτερως 4056 ADV δε 1161 CONJ προς 4314 PREP υμας 5209 P-2AP
Vincent's NT Word Studies
12. Godly sincerity (eilikrineia tou Qeou). Lit., sincerity of God, as Rev. See on 2 Pet. iii. 1.We have had our conversation (anestrafhmen). Rev., behaved ourselves. See on 1 Pet. i. 15.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
1:12 {Glorying} (kaucesis). Act of glorying, while in verse #14 kaucema is the thing boasted of. {The testimony of our conscience} (to marturion tes suneidesews hemwn). In apposition with kaucesis. {Sincerity of God} (eilikrineiai tou qeou). Like dikaiosune qeou (#Ro 1:17; 3:21), the God-kind of righteousness. So the God-kind (genitive case) of sincerity. Late word from eilikrines. See on 1Co 5:8. {Not in fleshly wisdom} (ouk en sofiai sarkikei). See on 1Co 1:17; 2:4,13f. Paul uses sarkikos five times and it occurs only twice elsewhere in N.T. See on 1Co 3:3. {We behaved ourselves} (anestrafemen). Second aorist passive indicative of anastrefw, old verb, to turn back, to turn back and forth, to walk. Here the passive is used as in late Greek as if middle. {More abundantly to you-ward} (perissoterws pros humas). They had more abundant opportunity to observe how scrupulous Paul was (#Ac 18:11).
