2 Corinthians 2:13 - Exposition

I had; literally, I have had . The perfect vividly realizes the scene through which he had passed. I had no rest. St. Paul had evidently told Titus to come from his mission to Corinth and meet him at Troas. But either St. Paul reached the town earlier than he intended, or Titus had been delayed. Now, the apostle was so intensely eager to know how his rebukes had been received—the name of "Corinth" was so deeply engraven on his heart—he could so ill endure the thought of being on angry terms with converts which he so deeply loved, that the non-appearance of Titus filled him with devouring anxiety and rendered him incapable of any other work. In my spirit ; rather, to my spirit . It was the loftiest part of St. Paul's nature—his spirit—which was utterly incapacitated from effort by the restlessness of his miserable uncertainty about the Corinthian Church. The disclosure of such feelings ought to have had a powerful influence on the Corinthians. We see from 1 Thessalonians 3:5 , 1 Thessalonians 3:9 that St. Paul yearned for tidings of his converts with an intensity which can hardly be realized by less fervent and self-devoted natures. I found not Titus my brother. Not only " the brother," but " my brother;" the man whom in matters of this kind I most trusted as an affectionate and able fellow worker ( 2 Corinthians 7:6 ; 2 Corinthians 8:6 ; 2 Corinthians 12:18 ). Titus, though not mentioned in the Acts, is the most prominent person in this Epistle, and it is evident that St. Paul felt for him a warm affection and respect ( 2 Corinthians 7:13 , 2 Corinthians 7:15 ; 2 Corinthians 8:16 , 2 Corinthians 8:17 ; 2 Timothy 4:10 ). Taking my leave of them; i.e. of the Christians in Troas. The word for "taking leave" is also found in Mark 6:46 . Into Macedonia. As he had intended to do ( 1 Corinthians 16:5 ; Acts 20:1 ). He had doubtless told Titus to look out for him at Philippi, and expected to meet him there on his way to Troas.