2 Corinthians 13:4

What is, "though He was crucified through weakness?" "For though He chose," he says, "to endure a thing which seems to carry a notion of weakness, still this in no way breaks in upon His Power. That still remains invincible, and that thing which seemeth to be of weakness, hath nothing harmed it, nay this very thing itself shows His Power most of all, in that He endured even such a thing, and yet His Power was not mutilated." Let not then the expression "weakness" disturb thee; for elsewhere also he says, "The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men;" although in God is nothing either foolish or weak: but he called the Cross so, as setting forth the conception of the unbelieving regarding it. Hear him, at least, interpreting himself. "For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." And again; "But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." And again; "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit, for they are foolishness unto him." Observe, how in every place he expresseth the conception of the unbelieving, who look upon the Cross as foolishness and weakness. And so, in truth, here also he means not "weakness" really such, but what was suspected to be such with the unbelieving.

He doth not then say this, that because He was weak He was crucified. Away with the thought! For that He had it in His power not to have been crucified He showed throughout; when He now cast men down prostrate, now turned back the beams of the sun, and withered a fig-tree, and blinded their eyes that came against Him, and wrought ten thousand other things. What then is this which he says, "through weakness!" That even although He was crucified after enduring peril and treachery, (for we have showed that peril and treachery are called weakness,) yet still He was nothing harmed thereby.

And he said this to draw the example unto his own case. For since the Corinthians beheld them persecuted, driven about, despised, and not avenging nor visiting it, in order to teach them that neither do they so suffer from want of power, nor from being unable to visit it, he leads on the argument up to The Master, because "He too," saith he, "was crucified, was bound, suffered ten thousand things, and He visited them not, but continued to endure things which appeared to argue weakness, and in this way displaying His Power, in that although He punishes not nor requites, He is not injured any thing at all. For instance, the Cross did not cut asunder His life, nor yet impeded His resurrection, but He both rose again and liveth."

And when thou hearest of the Cross and of life, expect to find the doctrine concerning the Incarnation for all that is said here hath reference to that. And if he says "through the Power of God," it is not as though He were Himself void of strength to quicken His flesh; but it was indifferent with him to mention either Father or Son. For when he said, "the Power of God," he said by His own Power. For that both He Himself raised it up and sustains it, hear Him saying, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." But if that which is His, this he saith to be the Father's, be not disturbed; "For," He saith, "all My Father's things are Mine." And again, "All Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine." "As then He that was crucified was nothing harmed," he says, "so neither are we when persecuted and warred against."

"For even we also if we are weak in Him, yet we shall live with Him through the Power of God." What is the meaning of "we are weak in Him?" We are persecuted, are driven here and there, suffer extremity. But what is "with Him?" "Because of the preaching," he says, "and our faith in Him. But if for His sake we undergo what is sad and disagreeable, it is quite plain that we shall what is pleasant also:" and so he added, "but we are saved with Him by the Power of God."

Then, as I said, by transferring the argument from himself to Christ, he enhances their fear, he increases his threat. And what he says is this; "for even supposing I should do something and chastise and take vengeance on the guilty ones, is it I that chastise and take vengeance? it is He that dwelleth in me, Christ Himself. But if ye do not believe this, but are desirous of receiving a proof by deeds of Him that dwelleth in me, ye shall know presently; For he is not weak to you-ward, but is even powerful." And wherefore added he "to you-ward," seeing He is mighty everywhere? for should He be minded to punish unbelievers, He is able; or demons, or anything whatsoever. What then is the import of the addition? The expression is either as shaming them exceedingly by remembrance of the proofs they have already received; or else as declaring this, that meanwhile He shows His power in you who ought to be corrected.

As he said also in another place, "For what have I to do to judge them also that are without?" "For those that are without," he says, "He will then call to account in the day of judgment, but you even now, so as to rescue you from that punishment." But nevertheless even this instance of his solicitude, although arising from tender affection, observe how he combines with fear and much anger, saying, "Who to you-ward is not weak, but is powerful in you."

Many are troubled by these words, but know that infirmity refers to bodily weakness; infirmity also refers to unsteadiness in faith, as in the words: "him that is weak in the faith receive" (Rom. 14:1); and finally, infirmity refers to plots, dangers, and humiliations, as …

Not only in you has Christ's power appeared, but also in himself, inasmuch as he rose from the death of the cross, which he endured from human weakness, which he assumed in poverty and lives by the power of God, which is God: "The weakness …

He was crucified through weakness - Through the impotence of human nature. We also are weak with him - We appear weak and despicable by partaking of the same sufferings for his sake.

), so the apostles, how mean and contemptible soever they appeared to the world, did yet, as instruments, manifest the power of God, and particularly the power of his grace, in converting the world to Christianity. And therefore, as a proof to those who among the Corinthians sought a proof of Christ's speaking in the apostle, he puts them upon proving their Christianity (

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation

For though he was crucified through weakness,....

though--omitted in some of the oldest manuscripts; then translate, "For He was even crucified," &c. through weakness--Greek, "from weakness"; that is, His assumption of our weakness was the source, or necessary condition, from which the possibility of His crucifixion flowed (Heb 2:14; Php 2:7, 8). by--Greek, "from"; "owing to." the power of God--the Father (Ro 1:4;

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens

The Apostle had much joy in being the founder, the father and the fosterer of so many Churches, but this joy brought with it constant and heavy trial. Care pressed heavily upon him, for he mentions it as the crown and crush of all his burdens—"That which comes upon me daily, the care of all the Churches." He was not simply as a father among them, but he was as a nurse, continually on the watch and, in all tenderness, anxious for her little ones.

The Apostle had much joy in being the founder, the father and the fosterer of so many Churches, but this joy brought with it constant and heavy trial. Care pressed heavily upon him, for he mentions it as the crown and crush of all his burdens—"That which comes upon me daily, the care of all the Churches." He was not simply as a father among them, but he was as a nurse, continually on the watch and, in all tenderness, anxious for her little ones. He was deeply grieved when he saw anything wrong, lest he should have labored in vain, and should see any perish who appeared to be hopeful converts. He always had in his mind's eye the account which he would have to give at the last—and his prayer was that he might render that account with joy and not with grief, for he adds, "That is unprofitable for you." His whole soul went after the people of his charge and his heart sank within him when he observed prominent sin among them. The Corinthian Church was enriched with many gifts, but impoverished by slender Grace. This Church had elected to conduct its arrangements upon the principle of everybody speaking who had something to say. Moreover, it chose to be a Church without rule and order, not caring to appoint officers who would be shepherds of the flock. That Church seems to have been a frequent trial to the Apostle and, after writing to them once very earnestly, he wrote to them a second time with equal tenderness and energy—and then he said he would have to visit them in person—and when he did come, he would, by discipline among them, make them know that Christ would not endure sin in His Church. Whatever they had to say about Paul, personally, he meant to be faithful to God and to the Truth of God—and he was sure that the power of God would be with him to support him in the work of reformation.

For though he was crucified through weakness - Various modes have been adopted of explaining the phrase “through weakness.” The most probable explanation is that which refers it to the human nature which he had assumed Php 2:7-8; 1Pe 3:18, and to the appearance of weakness which he manifested. He did not choose to exert his power. He appeared to his enemies to be weak and feeble. This idea would be an exact illustration of the point before the apostle. He is illustrating his own conduct, and especially in the fact that he had not exerted his miraculous powers among them in the punishment of offenders; and he does it by the example of Christ, who though abundantly able to have exerted his power and to have rescued himself from his enemies, yet was willing to appear weak, and to be crucified. It is very clear: (1) That the Lord Jesus seemed to his enemies to be weak and incapable of resistance. (2) That he did not put forth his power to protect his life. He in fact offered no resistance, as if he had no power. (3) He had a human nature that was especially sensitive, and sensible to suffering; and that was borne down and crushed under the weight of mighty woes; see my notes on Isa 53:2-3. From all these causes he seemed to be weak and feeble; and these appear to me to be the principal ideas in this expression. Yet he liveth - He is not now dead. Though he was crucified, yet he now lives again, and is now capable of exerting his great power He furnishes proof of his being alive, in the success which attends the gospel, and in the miracles which are performed in his name and by his power. […]