SEV Biblia, Chapter 7:5
¶ Porque aun cuando vinimos a Macedonia, ningn reposo tuvo nuestra carne; antes, en todo fuimos atribulados; de fuera, cuestiones; de dentro, temores.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 2 Corinthians 7:5
Verse 5. When we were come into Macedonia] St. Paul, having left Ephesus, came to Troas, where he stopped some time; afterwards he came to Macedonia, whence he wrote this epistle, Our flesh had no rest] So exceedingly anxious was he to know the success of his first epistle to them. Without were fightings] The oppositions of pagans, Jews, and false brethren.
Within were fears.] Uncertain conjectures relative to the success of his epistle; fears lest the severity of it should alienate their affections utterly from him; fears lest the party of the incestuous person should have prevailed; fears lest the teaching of the false apostle should have perverted their minds from the simplicity of the truth; all was uncertainty, all apprehension; and the Spirit of God did not think proper to remove the causes of these apprehensions in any extraordinary way.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 5. For when we were come into Macedonia , etc..] Whither Paul went in quest of Titus, not finding him at Troas, ( 2 Corinthians 2:12,13) and where he met with him, and had the agreeable account from him of the state of this church; but here, as elsewhere, they had their troubles: our flesh had no rest ; that is, their outward man, their bodies; they were continually fatigued with preaching, disputing, fighting; what with false teachers, and violent persecutors, they had no rest in their bodies; though, in their souls, they had divine support and spiritual consolation; and it was no small addition to their joy to hear of the flourishing condition of this church: but were troubled on every side ; from every quarter, by all sorts of enemies; (see 2 Corinthians 4:8). Without were fightings, within were fears ; there seems to be an allusion to ( Deuteronomy 32:25). They had continual combats with false teachers, and furious persecutors, without the church, or in the world, or in their bodies; and within the church, or in themselves, in their own minds, had many fears, lest any should be discouraged by the violence of persecutions, or be drawn aside by the doctrines of the false apostles: and as it was with the apostles in these respects, so it is with private believers: without are fightings; their outward conversation in this life is a warfare; partly with false teachers, with whom they fight the good fight of faith, contend for the doctrine of faith, using the spiritual weapons of the Scriptures of truth; and partly with the men of the world, to whose rage and contempt they are exposed, and among whom they endure a great fight of afflictions, with patience, and in the exercise of faith, whereby they gain the victory over the world and partly with Satan, their avowed adversary, and implacable enemy, against whom they wrestle in the strength of Christ, making use of the whole armour God provided for them, by the help of which, through divine grace, they come off more than conquerors; and partly with the lusts and corruptions, or open prevailing iniquities which are in the world, to which they oppose themselves, and, by the power of God keeping them, are preserved from: not that their only fightings are thus without; for there is, as it were, a company of two armies within them, sin and grace, flesh and spirit, opposing each other: and hence, as well as from other causes, are fears within; about their interest in everlasting love, electing grace, and the covenant of grace; about the presence of God with them, and the truth of grace in them; about their interest in Christ, their sonship, their final perseverance, and enjoyment of the heavenly glory: and though these fears are not their excellencies, but their infirmities, yet this will be more or less their case, till that state takes place, when there will be no more fightings, no more fears.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 5-11 - There were fightings without, or continual contentions with, an opposition from Jews and Gentiles; and there were fears within, an great concern for such as had embraced the Christian faith. But God comforts those who are cast down. We should look above and beyond all means and instruments, to God, as the author of all the consolation an good we enjoy. Sorrow according to the will of God, tending to the glory of God, and wrought by the Spirit of God, renders the hear humble, contrite, submissive, disposed to mortify every sin, and to walk in newness of life. And this repentance is connected with savin faith in Christ, and an interest in his atonement. There is a grea difference between this sorrow of a godly sort, and the sorrow of the world. The happy fruits of true repentance are mentioned. Where the heart is changed, the life and actions will be changed. It wrough indignation at sin, at themselves, at the tempter and his instruments It wrought a fear of watchfulness, and a cautious fear of sin. I wrought desire to be reconciled with God. It wrought zeal for duty, an against sin. It wrought revenge against sin and their own folly, by endeavours to make satisfaction for injuries done thereby. Dee humility before God, hatred of all sin, with faith in Christ, a ne heart and a new life, make repentance unto salvation. May the Lor bestow it on every one of us.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ γαρ 1063 CONJ ελθοντων 2064 5631 V-2AAP-GPM ημων 2257 P-1GP εις 1519 PREP μακεδονιαν 3109 N-ASF ουδεμιαν 3762 A-ASF εσχηκεν 2192 5758 V-RAI-3S ανεσιν 425 N-ASF η 3588 T-NSF σαρξ 4561 N-NSF ημων 2257 P-1GP αλλ 235 CONJ εν 1722 PREP παντι 3956 A-DSN θλιβομενοι 2346 5746 V-PPP-NPM εξωθεν 1855 ADV μαχαι 3163 N-NPF εσωθεν 2081 ADV φοβοι 5401 N-NPM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
5. Rest (anesin). Rev., relief. See on liberty, Acts xxiv. 23.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
7:5 {When we had come} (elqontwn hemwn). Genitive absolute with second aorist active participle of ercomai. Paul now returns to the incident mentioned in #2:12 before the long digression on the glory of the ministry. {Had no relief} (oudemian esceken anesin). Perfect active indicative precisely as in #2:13 which see, "has had no relief" (dramatic perfect). {Afflicted} (qlibomenoi). Present passive participle of qlibw as in #4:8, but with anacoluthon, for the nominative case agrees not with the genitive hemwn nor with the accusative hemas in verse #6. It is used as if a principal verb as in #9:11; 11:6; Ro 12:16 (Moulton, _Prolegomena_, p. 182; Robertson, _Grammar_, pp. 1132-35). {Without were fightings} (exwqen macai). Asyndeton and no copula, a parenthesis also in structure. Perhaps pagan adversaries in Macedonia (cf. #1Co 15:32). {Within were fears} (eswqen foboi). Same construction. "Mental perturbations" (Augustine) as in #11:28.
