_(B) 11:1-15. DEFENCE OF HIS GOSPEL AND OF HIS INDEPENDENCE_ St. Paul says that he also will now boast a little, for he is as much an Apostle as those whom they prefer. If he refuses monetary support from them, it is in order to prevent these false teachers charging him with making gain of the mini... [ Continue Reading ]
GODLY JEALOUSY] lit. 'the jealousy of God.' I HAVE ESPOUSED YOU] cp. Ephesians 5:25; 2 John 1:1; 2 John 1:13; Revelation 19:7; Revelation 21:2; Revelation 22:17.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SIMPLICITY THAT IS IN CHRIST] i.e. the pure gospel that salvation is by faith in Christ alone.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT COMETH] i.e. any new arrival claiming to be an Apostle. PREACHETH ANOTHER JESUS] These preachers, who were hostile to St. Paul, proclaimed Jesus as a Jewish teacher who demanded strict adherence to the Law, and declared that those who became His followers must observe the rites of Judaism. T... [ Continue Reading ]
PARAPHRASE. 'And my fear is not without reason, for you are certainly very favourably inclined towards those who bring quite a different gospel from that which I preached. (5) But if you tolerate them, you can surely tolerate me, for I venture to think that I am quite as good in every way as these v... [ Continue Reading ]
THE VERY CHIEFEST APOSTLES] RM 'those preëminent apostles'; i.e. of course not the members of the apostolic band like St. Peter and St. John, but the false teachers to whom he is constantly referring.... [ Continue Reading ]
RUDE IN SPEECH] Evidently a stock charge of his enemies: cp. 2 Corinthians 10:10.... [ Continue Reading ]
AN OFFENCE] His very independence had been used against him. For his practice cp. 1 Thessalonians 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:8.... [ Continue Reading ]
PARAPHRASE. 'Is it a fault in your eyes that I took nothing from you while labouring for your spiritual benefit, but gave you the gospel gratuitously? (8) I took more than their due from others to promote my mission to you, (9) and anything I wanted when among you I received not from any of you, but... [ Continue Reading ]
OTHER CHURCHES] especially the Philippian Church (Philippians 4:15).... [ Continue Reading ]
WANTED] RV 'was in want.' His supplies gave out. THE BRETHREN] perhaps Silas and Timothy (Acts 18:1; Acts 18:5).... [ Continue Reading ]
AS THE TRUTH OF CHRIST IS IN ME] an adjuration calculated to impress them: cp. Romans 9:1 THIS BOASTING] of preaching the gospel without cost to them.... [ Continue Reading ]
PARAPHRASE. 'I assure you, by the truth of Christ within me, that I shall permit no one to interfere with the grounds of this boast in the district of Achaia. (11) And that, too, not because I despise you and contemn your gifts, (12) but because I am determined that my opponents shall have no occasi... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE I LOVE YOU NOT?] This was the reason his enemies gave for his independence of the Corinthians. GOD KNOWETH] that I love you.... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT WHEREIN THEY GLORY, THEY MAY BE FOUND EVEN AS WE] The 'false apostles,' or Judaisers, received support (2 Corinthians 11:20) as due to their apostleship. Had St. Paul done so they would have charged him with greed; but he is determined not to give them the opportunity. And by refusing support h... [ Continue Reading ]
FALSE APOSTLES] He now exposes them in plain terms. TRANSFORMING THEMSELVES] RV 'fashioning themselves,' and so in next v.... [ Continue Reading ]
SATAN HIMSELF.. INTO AN ANGEL OF LIGHT] tempting men by making evil seem good, 'making the worse appear the better reason.' _(C) 11:16-12:18. THE EVIDENCES OF HIS APOSTLESHIP IN SUFFERING AND SERVICE_ The Apostle goes on to show that if he begins to boast, he has far more to boast of than the Juda... [ Continue Reading ]
A FOOL] The repetition of this word so frequently suggests that he had been jeered at as a fool among the members of the Church. This whole passage (2 Corinthians 11:16) is full of irony.... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT AFTER THE LORD] entirely on his own responsibility. He is very jealous of Christ's honour.... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER THE FLESH] i.e. of their worldly advantages: cp. 2 Corinthians 11:22; 2 Corinthians 11:23.... [ Continue Reading ]
SUFFER] RV 'bear with.'... [ Continue Reading ]
IF A MAN] i.e. any of his Jewish opponents. BRING YOU INTO BONDAGE] to the Ceremonial Law: cp. Galatians 2:4. DEVOUR] make money out of you: cp. Mark 12:40; Luke 22:47. TAKE _of you_] RV 'taketh you captive.' SMITE YOU] may be literal, but is more probably figurative, denoting the extreme of insult... [ Continue Reading ]
AS CONCERNING REPROACH] RV 'by way of disparagement.' 'I admit to my own shame that I was incapable of acting as such an one.' The words are, of course, ironical.... [ Continue Reading ]
PARAPHRASE. 'I confess to my shame I was far too weak, as they call it, to act in that way. But if there is to be boasting, I am a fool and can boast too. (22) Are they of the chosen race claiming Abraham as their ancestor? I am on an equal footing with them. (23) Do they boast of their missionary s... [ Continue Reading ]
HEBREWS] by descent. ISRAELITES] in privilege. THE SEED OF ABRAHAM] in respect of promised blessings. There is probably a climax in the order.... [ Continue Reading ]
I _am_ MORE] i.e. in a higher degree, as I can easily prove. IN DEATHS] in danger of death: cp. Acts 14:19.... [ Continue Reading ]
FORTY _stripes_ SAVE ONE] A Jewish punishment: cp. Deuteronomy 25:3. Only thirty-nine were given lest by a miscount the number were exceeded. None of the five cases is mentioned in Acts.... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH RODS] A Roman scourging, as at Philippi (Acts 16:22). STONED] at Lystra (Acts 14:19). SHIPWRECK] The only instance recorded in Acts was later than this. IN THE DEEP] floating on wreckage or on a raft.... [ Continue Reading ]
BESIDE THOSE THINGS THAT ARE WITHOUT] i.e. besides these exceptional troubles, there is the daily anxiety for the Churches. Or, as others suggest, 'besides all the rest which I do not mention.'... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I AM NOT WEAK] The Apostle shares the sufferings of others by sympathy. OFFENDED] RV 'made to stumble,' i.e. led into sin. BURN] i.e. with anger.... [ Continue Reading ]
PARAPHRASE. 'If, however, I must boast in self-defence, I shall boast about my weakness and helplessness; for I shall thus make it plain what Christ has done by means of such a feeble servant. (31) And God is my witness that I speak the truth. (32) From the very outset I have endured ignominy; for i... [ Continue Reading ]
DAMASCUS] This event in his career happened either immediately after his conversion, or after his return from his subsequent sojourn in Arabia: cp. Acts 19:9 and Galatians 1:17. ARETAS] This king (Aretas IV) ruled Arabia Petræa from 9 b.c. to 40 a.d. Damascus was taken by the Romans in 65 b.c., and... [ Continue Reading ]