Observe here, 1. That which the apostle calls his folly is his speaking so much in his own commendation and praise, because ordinarily self-commendation has. very great shew of folly in it, though not always. As if he had said, "I would you could bear with me. little, in that, which looks like. fool... [ Continue Reading ]
Our apostle having in the foregoing verses, with. rhetorical insinuation, begged their pardon and their patience, whilst by. just and necessary commendation of himself, he vindicated his person and office from contempt: and having shewn, that what he did and said, was the fruit and effect of. pious... [ Continue Reading ]
As if the apostle had said, "It is one Christ, one Spirit, one gospel, and not many which we have preached, and you have received; now, if your new teachers, the false apostles, have another Christ to set forth, more excellent gifts of the Spirit to boast of, another gospel to preach unto you, which... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. The great modesty of the apostle in this expression; I SUPPOSE. WAS NOT. WIT BEHIND THE CHIEFEST APOSTLES. He might have said he was equal with them, and in some sense superior to them, even the most eminent of them, Peter, James, and John. Indeed the apostleship, as an office, was... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. That St. Paul, in his former epistle to the Corinthians, abundantly proved the lawfulness of his taking maintenance from those to whom he preached the gospel: Yet here he tells the Corinthians, he preached freely to them, without putting them to any charge, though at the same time,... [ Continue Reading ]
Here our apostle returns again to his own just and necessary vindication of himself; he acknowledges it unbecoming and unseemly in itself to boast much: and that boasting is the usual mark of. fool; but it is no folly when the interest of God and souls require it: It was only seemingly, and not real... [ Continue Reading ]
Here our apostle, with some kind of salt and smartness, reflects upon the Corinthians (whom ironically he calls wise men) for suffering themselves to be imposed upon by their false teachers, to be tyrannized over, to be spunged upon and exhausted, to be brought again into bondage to Jewish ceremonie... [ Continue Reading ]
That is,. have suffered more for Christ, by stripes, by imprisonments, by daily dying, that any of them have done. Here note, That these false teachers, the Judaizing doctors, were most certainly of the Jewish race; and that they were not only converted to, but did preach up the faith of Christ; bu... [ Continue Reading ]
The law in Deuteronomy 25:3 allowed forty stripes to be given to them that were worthy to be beaten, but forbade them to exceed that number: But it being their custom to beat them with. whip that had three cords, they must either stop at thirty-nine, or exceed and go to forty-two. Here observe, Tha... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold what. catalogue the apostle here gives of his sufferings and services: He was scourged by the Jews with whips, beaten by the Gentiles with rods, stoned by the rabble, thrice suffered shipwreck,. night and. day tossed to and fro upon the sea, and in great danger of perishing; in journeyings of... [ Continue Reading ]
The apostle's burden of outward troubles was discovered before: His burden of inward care is declared now. Besides, those things which were afflicting to him from without, the care and business of all the new-planted churches was daily upon his heart and hand; besides all his bodily labours by journ... [ Continue Reading ]
That is, "What particular church, or what particular Christian in any of the churches of Christ, is weak in faith, or wavering in their profession: Where is the person that is assaulted with inward temptations, or outward troubles, and. do not sympathize with him, yea, burn with holy zeal and ferven... [ Continue Reading ]
By INFIRMITIES here, we are to understand sufferings, reproaches, and disgraces, afflictions and persecutions, for the sake of the gospel. Where note, That the apostle chose rather to glory in what Christ had enabled him to SUFFER, than what he enabled him to DO for him; he had wrought divers tongu... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, How the apostle, in. most awful and solemn manner, appeals to the all-knowing and heart-searching God, that the foregoing account of his sufferings for Christ and his gospel was the exact truth and no lie. He calls God to bear witness to the certainty of all that he had said of him the... [ Continue Reading ]
The apostle concludes this chapter, containing. relation of his sufferings, with. remarkable deliverance which God gave him from danger and death, at the city of Damascus, soon after his conversion, of which mention is made, Acts 9:24-25. The Jews, whom he confuted and confounded with his arguments... [ Continue Reading ]