[I] For what have I to do—] Some doubt there is of the reading and rendering the words from this place to the end of the chapter. Theophylact tells us of some that set the point after οὐχί, and then began a new sense without an interrogation. And then the reading must be, What have I to do to judge those that are without? No, judge ye those that are within, adding as in a parenthesis, (but those that are without God judgeth,) and ye shall take away the evil from among you, which best agrees to the καὶ (and, not therefore) in the Greek, and to the reading of Chrysostom and Theophylact, who read ἐξαιρεῖτε τὸ πονηρὸν, ye shall remove the evil thing (not ἐξαιρεῖτε τὸν πονηρὸν, remove the evil or wicked person) from among you, referring, γទូរស they, to the passage in the Old Testament, Deut. xiii. 5, and xxii. 21. And accordingly Theodoret and the Vulgar read τὸ πονηρὸν, the evil. For this latter part, that this reading and rendering is to be adhered to, there will be little doubt to any that considers how evidently these last words, καὶ ἐξαιρεῖτε—, and ye shall remove the evil from among you, refer to the phrase in the Old Testament, Deut. xxii. 21, (though there the Rome edition reads corruptly τὸν πονηρὸν,) all the question is of the former part, which depends on the pointing of the οὐχί, of which Theophylact adds, τινὲς δὲ συναπτῶς, καὶ ἐρωτηματικῶς, “some read it conjoined with what follows, and by way of interrogation,” as we do, and all the copies that now we meet with. And that I prefer this reading, beside the consent of copies, these are my reasons: 1st, because the context agrees very well to it, the thing that the apostle now hath in hand, being to disclaim meddling with heathens, in the beginning of the verse, upon which that which is here added, οὐχὶ τοὺς ἔσω ὑμεῖς κρίνετε, τοὺς δὲ ἔξω Θεὸς κρίνετε; if it be read all in one interrogation, Do not ye judge those that are within, but those that are without God judgeth? will follow, and cohere very commodiously; for thus it will lie, I have nothing to do to judge those that are without, but as ye, that is, the church, use to censure those that are within, who belong to your cognizance, so for all others they must be referred and left to God’s tribunal: (many speeches of this kind are taken notice of, note [d] on Matt. ix.) 2dly, because in the former reading οὐχὶ is made an answer to τί, which I believe to be without example, the question by τί being so strong and familiar a negative, that generally there is not any negation added to it, and if there were, οὐδὲν would be it most regularly: 3dly, because οὐχὶ is very frequently an interrogative form, and οὐκ and μὴ, οὐδαμῶς and μηδαμῶς, the forms of answering the question, and that argues the necessity of retaining the second reading. The only difficulty remaining is how καὶ ἐξαιρεῖτε, and ye shall take away the evil from among you, shall fitly connect with this sense. For that καὶ should be rendered therefore* is not very reasonable, and that also which supposeth the right reading to be ἐξαιρεῖτε τὸν πονηρὸν, take away the evil person, And therefore, I beseech you, let the form of doctrine which I left you be retained among you, without any new insertions by any other. For this purpose I have sent unto you Timothy, whom I converted to the faith, and one that hath long associated with me, and done faithful service to me in the propagating of the gospel, who therefore, exactly knowing my whole course of Christian doctrine, may be your remembrancer, and tell you what my doctrine and practice is in every church where I come to confirm them.