11:1 Would 1 to God ye could bear with me a little in [my]
folly: and indeed bear with me.
(1) He grants that in a way he is playing the fool in this
exalting of things, but he adds that he does it against his
will for their profit, because he sees them deceived by
certain vain and crafty men, through the craft and subtilty
of Satan.
11:2 For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy: for I
have espoused you to one husband, that I may b present
[you as] a chaste virgin to Christ.
(a) He speaks as one who woos them, but yet as one that
seeks them not for himself, but for God.
(b) To marry you together.
11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve
through his subtilty, so your minds should be c corrupted
from the simplicity that is in d Christ.
(c) This passage is to be noted against those who hate the
plain and pure simplicity of the scriptures, in
comparison of the elegance and fluency of man's
eloquence.
(d) Which is proper for those who are in Christ.
11:42 For if he that cometh preacheth e another Jesus, whom
we have not preached, or [if] ye receive another spirit,
which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye
have not accepted, ye might well bear with [him].
(2) He shows that they deceive themselves, if they look to
receive from any other man, either a more excellent Gospel,
or more excellent gifts of the Holy Spirit.
(e) A more perfect doctrine of Jesus Christ.
11:63 But though [I be] f rude in speech, yet not in
knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among
you in all things.
(3) He refutes the slanders of those boastful and proud men. I
grant, he says, that I am not so eloquent an orator, but
yet they cannot take away the knowledge of the Gospel from
me, of which you have had good proof, and that in every
manner of way.
(f) Paul did not lack the type of eloquence which is proper
for a man, and fit for the Gospel, but he willingly
lacked that eloquent type of speech, which too many now
a days search after and follow.
11:74 Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye
might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel
of God freely?
(4) Another slander, that is, that he was a rascal, and lived
by the labour of his own hands. But in this, the apostle
says, what can you lay against me, except that I was
content to take any pains for your sakes? For when I
lacked, I travailed for my living with my own hands. And
also when poverty forced me, I chose rather to seek my
sustenance than to be any burden to you, even though I
preached the Gospel to you.
11:9 And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was
chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the
brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all
[things] I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you,
5 and [so] will I keep [myself].
(5) An amplification: so far is he from being ashamed of this
act, that he has also resolved with himself to act in no
other way while he is among them, in order that it may
always be truly said that he taught in Achaia for nothing.
And this is not because he disdains the Corinthians, but
rather so that these proud and boastful men may never find
the occasion which they have already sought for, and he in
the meantime may set something before the Corinthians to
follow, so that at length they may truly say that they are
like Paul.
11:10 As the g truth of Christ is in me, no man shall h stop
me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
(g) This is a form of an oath, as if he said, "Let me not
be thought to have any truth in me."
(h) Will be always open to me.
11:12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion
from them which desire occasion; that wherein they i
glory, they may be found even as we.
(i) Paul's adversaries sought all occasions they could to
be equal to him. And therefore seeing they had rather
live off the Corinthians then preach to them for
nothing, they sought another occasion, that is, to
make Paul take something. And if he had done this,
then they hoped by this means to be equal to him. For
they made such a show of zeal and knowledge, and set
it forth with such a flattering type of eloquence,
that some of them even despised Paul. But he shows
that all this is nothing but frivolities and
pretensions.
11:136 For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers,
transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
(6) Now at length he portrays these fellows as they truly are,
forewarning that it will come to pass that they will at
length betray themselves, no matter how they may be
pretending that they have a zeal for God's glory.
11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an
angel of k light.
(k) By light is meant the heavenly glory, of which the
angels are partakers.
11:167 I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise,
yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a
little.
(7) He goes forward boldly, and using a vehement irony or type
of taunting, desires the Corinthians to pardon him, if for
a time he argues as a fool before them, who are wise, along
with those other wise ones, as he talks about those
external things such as his stock, his ancestors, and
valiant acts.
11:208 For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a
man devour [you], if a man take [of you], if a man exalt
himself, if a man smite you on the face.
(8) Before he comes to the matter, he talks directly to the
Corinthians, who persuading themselves to be very wise men,
did not mark in the meanwhile that those false apostles had
abused their simplicity for advantage.
11:21 I speak as concerning l reproach, as though we had been
m weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak
foolishly,) I am bold also.
(l) As if he said, "In respect of that reproach which they
do to you, which surely is as evil as if they beat
you."
(m) Paul is called weak, in that he seems to be to the
Corinthians a vile and abject man, a beggarly
craftsman, a most wretched and miserable idiot,
whereas in reality God's mighty power was made
manifest in that.
11:23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I [am]
n more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above
measure, in prisons more frequent, in o deaths oft.
(n) Paul being honourable indeed, defends his ministry
openly, not for his own sake, but because he saw his
doctrine come into danger.
(o) In danger of present death.
11:24 Of the Jews p five times received I forty [stripes] save
one.
(p) He alludes to that which is written in (De 25:3).
And moreover this place shows us that Paul suffered
many more things which Luke omitted in writing Acts.
11:25q Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned,
thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been
in the deep;
(q) By the Roman magistrates.
11:27 In weariness and r painfulness, in watchings often, in
hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and
nakedness.
(r) Painfulness is a troublesome sickness, as when a man
who is weary and wants rest is forced to begin new
labour.
11:289 Beside those things that are without, that which
cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
(9) He further adds this in conclusion, that the Corinthians
should be ashamed to despise him upon whose care almost all
churches depended, as it was plainly seen by experience.
11:3010 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things
which concern mine infirmities.
(10) He turns that against the adversaries which they objected
against him: as if he should say, "They allege my
calamities to take away my authority from me: but if I
would boast myself, I could use no better argument. And
God himself is my witness that I am not making up or
forging anything."
