2 Corinthians 10:16

To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(16) To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you.—It is clear, from Romans 15:19-24, that he is thinking (1) of Western Greece, (2) of Rome, (3, and chiefly) of Spain. There, apparently, he could hope to preach the gospel without even the risk of its being said that he was building on another man’s foundation.

And not to boast in another man’s line . . .—The words, like those of 2Corinthians 10:15, are at once an answer to a charge and a tu quoque retort. “Spain! Illyricum!” he seems to say within himself. “Will you say that I am transgressing boundaries and working on another man’s lines there? Can you say that you are free from that charge in your work at Corinth?”

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

10:12-18 If we would compare ourselves with others who excel us, this would be a good method to keep us humble. The apostle fixes a good rule for his conduct; namely, not to boast of things without his measure, which was the measure God had distributed to him. There is not a more fruitful source of error, than to judge of persons and opinions by our own prejudices. How common is it for persons to judge of their own religious character, by the opinions and maxims of the world around them! But how different is the rule of God's word! And of all flattery, self-flattery is the worst. Therefore, instead of praising ourselves, we should strive to approve ourselves to God. In a word, let us glory in the Lord our salvation, and in all other things only as evidences of his love, or means of promoting his glory. Instead of praising ourselves, or seeking the praise of men, let us desire that honour which cometh from God only.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you - What regions are referred to here can be only a matter of conjecture. It may be that he wished to preach in other parts of Greece, and that he designed to go to Arcadia or Lacedaemon. Rosenmuller supposes that as the Corinthians were engaged in commerce, the apostle hoped that by them some tidings of the gospel would reach the countries with which they were engaged in traffic. But I think it most probable that he alludes to Italy and Spain. It is certain that he had formed the design of visiting Spain Romans 15:24, Romans 15:28; and he doubtless wished the Corinthians to aid him in that purpose, and was anxious to do this as soon as the condition of the eastern churches would allow it.

And not to boast in another man's line of things ... - Margin, "Rule," the same word (κανὼν kanōn) which occurs in 2 Corinthians 10:13. The meaning is, that Paul did not mean to boast of what properly belonged to others. He did not claim what they had done as his own. He did not intend to labor within what was properly their bounds, and then to claim the field and the result of the labor as his. He probably means here to intimate that this had been done by the false teachers of Corinth; but so far was he from designing to do this, that he meant soon to leave Corinth, which was properly within his limits, and the church which he had founded there, to go and preach the gospel to other regions. Whether Paul ever went to Spain has been a question (see the note on Romans 15:24); but it is certain that he went to Rome, and that he preached the gospel in many other places after this besides Corinth.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

16. To—that is, so as to preach … beyond you (and) not to boast, &c.

in another man's line of things made ready to our hand—Do not connect "line of things," &c.; but "boast of things," &c. To make this clearer, arrange the words thus, "Not to boast as to things (already made by the preaching of others) ready to our hand in another man's line (that is, within the line, or sphere of labor, apportioned by God to another)."

Matthew Poole's Commentary

To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you; the apostle here expoundeth what he meaneth by the term magnified, or enlarged, in the preceding verse, viz. to have a door opened to preach the gospel in places whither it was not yet come. God honoureth persons when he maketh them instruments to bring any to an acquaintance with, and to the embracing of, his gospel, who formerly had been ignorant of it, and not acquainted with it.

And not to boast in another man’s line of things made ready to our hand: he here seemeth to reflect on the false teachers crept into this church, who had nothing to boast in but a pretended building, upon other men’s foundations, and carrying on a work by others made ready to their hands; and seemeth to prefer the work of conversion, and an instrumentality in that, before an instrumentality merely in edification, and carrying on the work of God already begun in people’s souls.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

To preach the Gospel in the regions beyond you,.... Here the apostle clearly expresses what he hoped for, and explains what he meant by being enlarged according to rule; namely, that he should be at liberty to preach the Gospel elsewhere; and hoped he should be directed by the providence of God, to carry it into the more remote and distant parts of the world, where as yet Christ had not been named:

and not to boast in another man's line: or enter into another man's province, glory in other men's labours, as did the false apostles: and boast

of things made ready to our hand; that is, of places cultivated and improved, by the preaching of the Gospel, so as to bring forth fruit to the honour and glory of God; where many souls were already converted, and churches were planted and put into good order, and were in a flourishing condition; see Romans 15:18.

Geneva Study Bible

To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in {n} another man's line of things made ready to our hand.

(n) In countries which other men have prepared and cultivated with the preaching of the Gospel.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

2 Corinthians 10:16. Infinitive without a connecting καί, and all the less therefore dependent in its turn on ἐλπίδα δὲ ἔχοντες, but rather infinitive of the aim: we hope to become exceedingly large among you, in order to preach the gospel unto the lands lying beyond you,[316] not within the boundary-line of another to boast of what is already done. This negative part is a side-glance at the opponents who in Corinth, which lay within the range of the line drawn for Paul, and so ἐν ἀλλοτρίῳ κανόνι, had boasted in regard to the circumstances of the church there, which they had, in fact, found already shaped before they came, consequently εἰς τὰ ἕτοιμα. Comp. Calvin: “quum Paulus militasset, illi triumphum agebant.” Beza and Billroth, also de Wette and Hofmann (who thinks all three infinitives dependent on ἐλπ. ἔχ.), take the infinitive as epexegesis of μεγαλυνθ. by adding an id est; but this is precluded by the correct connection of ἐν ὑμῖν with μεγαλυνθ. For, if Paul hopes to become large among the Corinthians, this cannot mean the same thing as to preach away beyond Corinth (εἰς τὰ ὑπερέκεινα ὑμ. εὐαγγ.). No; that μεγαλυνθ. denotes the becoming capable for further extended working, the being put into a position for it, and accordingly the aim of this is: εἰς τὰ ὑπερέκεινα ὑμῶν εὐαγγ. Ewald would make the infinitives εὐαγγ. and καυχ. dependent on κατὰ τ. κανόνα ἡμ., so that they would explain in what more precisely this rule consists; but this is forbidden by the fact that εἰς περισσ. is not placed before κατὰ τ. κ. ἡμ.

The adverb ὑπερέκεινα, ultra, is bad Greek. See Thomas Magister, p 336: ἐπέκεινα ῥήτορες λέγουσι … ὑπερέκεινα δὲ μόνοι οἱ σύρφακες (the rabble). Comp. Bos, Ellips., ed. Schaef. pp. 288, 290.

εἰς before ὑπερέκ. does stand for ἐν (Flatt and others), but comp. 1 Peter 1:25; John 8:26 1 Thessalonians 2:9.

οὐκ ἐν ἀλλοτρ. κανόνι] οὐκ, not μή, is here used quite according to rule (in opposition to Rückert), since the οὐκ ἐν ἀλλ. καν. is correlative to the εἰς τὰ ὑπερέκεινα ὑμῶν as contrast (Hartung, Partikell. II. p. 125 f.). And this correlation demands that ἐν be understood not of the object of καυχᾶσθαι (Hofmann), but locally, to which also the very notion of κανών (2 Corinthians 10:13) points: within the measuring-line drawn for another, i.e. as to substance: in the field of activity divinely destined for another.

On εἰς with καυχ., in reference to, comp. Arist. Pol. v. 10.

[316] “Meridiem versus et occidentem; nam Athenis Corinthum venerat, Acts 18:1,” Bengel.

Expositor's Greek Testament

2 Corinthians 10:16. εἰς τὰ ὑπερέκεινα κ.τ.λ.: so as to preach the Gospel in the regions beyond you, i.e. (if we are to press the idea of direction in ὑπερέκεινα), the western parts of Greece, Rome and Spain, which were “beyond,” if viewed from Jerusalem, the home of Christianity, whence St. Paul, like the other early preachers, received his “mission” (more probably, however, ὑπερέκεινα is used quite vaguely as ἐπέκεινα is in Amos 5:27, where the idea of direction cannot be read into it), and not to glory in another’s “line” about things made ready to our hand. This is what the intruders had done at Corinth, whose Church St. Paul had founded (1 Corinthians 3:6).

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

16. to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you] i.e. the rest of Greece, Italy and Spain. Cf. Romans 15:19; Romans 15:24; Romans 15:28. St Paul here attributes his further progress in the Gospel not to his own energy, but to their faith, another instance of his identification of himself with those in whom the same life dwelt. Cf. ch. 2 Corinthians 1:11.

and not to boast in another man’s line] Literally, and not to have boasted. Both this word and the words translated enlarged and preach the gospel are in the past tense. St Paul here again reflects indirectly, but most severely upon his opponents. Our hope is first that your faith may increase, and then that we may congratulate ourselves on having carried the good tidings of the Gospel to those who as yet have not heard them, not, as others do, on the successes which by intruding into another man’s work, we have found ready made for us.

Bengel's Gnomen

2 Corinthians 10:16. Εἰς, to) or in relation to. The antitheses are, in the places beyond you, and, as to the things (places) that are ready to our hand.—τὰ ὑπερέκεινα, those places, which are beyond) to which no person has yet come with the Gospel, towards the south and west; for he had come from Athens to Corinth, Acts 18:1.—οὐκ ἐν ἀλλοτρίῳ, not in another man’s) The antithesis is, according to our rule [2 Corinthians 10:15].—εἰς) to intrude ourselves by boasting into [as to] those things (places) which are ready to our hand.—ἓτοιμα, ready. It denotes even more than ἡτοιμασμένα.[71]

[71] Made ready for an occasion. But ἓτοιμα in a state of readiness, habitually ready.—ED.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 16. - In the regions beyond you. Even to Rome and Spain (Romans 15:19, 24, 28). 2 Corinthians 10:16

Vincent's Word Studies

In another man's line (ἐν ἀλλοτρίῳ κανόνι)

Line is the word previously rendered rule. He will not boast within the line drawn for another; in another's field of activity.