2 Corinthians 11
DOYLY—a night and a day I have been in the deep.] Probably in one of his shipwrecks he was tossed to and fro in the sea for this space of time, on some broken piece of a ship. Bp. Fell, Dr. Whitby.
2 Corinthians 11:7
- Have I committed an offence in abasing myself] To work with my own hands for a maintenance, and neglecting the right of maintenance due to me, “that ye might be exalted” in spiritual riches, &c. Dr. Wells, St. Paul’s enemies said, that his preaching the Gospel freely, or without reward, was a presumption that he knew himself to be no Apostle; or, if he was an Apostle, it shewed that he did not love the Corinthians. The first of these objections he had answered in his former Epistle, chap. ix. 3—19: the second he answers in this chapter, ver. 11—15, by assuring them, that his not demanding maintenance did not proceed from his not loving them, but that those teachers, who boasted of imitating him, in not receiving maintenance, might be obliged to leave off taking presents from their disciples in private. Dr. Macknight.
2 Corinthians 11:9
9.—that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied:] As St. Paul sometimes laboured with his own hands, and earned his living, 1 Cor. iv. 12; ix. 6; so at others he received supplies from the Philippians, Phil. iv. 15, 16. Dr. Hammond.
2 Corinthians 11:12
12.—that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.] It would seem that the false teachers at Corinth, in imitation of the Apostle, pretended to take nothing for their preaching, and boasted of their disinterestedness. Nevertheless on other pretences they received presents from their disciples in private, nay, extorted them; see ver. 20. Wherefore to put these impostors to shame, and to oblige them really to imitate him, the Apostle declared that he never had taken any thing, nor ever would take any thing, from the Corinthians, either in public or in private, on any account whatsoever. Dr. Macknight.
2 Corinthians 11:13
13.—transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.] Seeming to do as we do, or desiring to be thought equal to us in all things. Dr. Whitby. Counterfeiting the outward appearance of true Apostles. Dr. Wells.
2 Corinthians 11:14
14.—Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.] Pretending to do the work of such angels, and
2 Corinthians 11:15
15.—according to their works.] And not to their specious and hypocritical pretences, Phil. iii. 18. Dr. Whitby.
2 Corinthians 11:16
16.—as a fool receive me.] Or, “bear with me.” Parkhurst. Let me for the time take the privilege and liberty of folly. Bp. Hall.
2 Corinthians 11:17
17.—I speak it not after the Lord, &c.] I am content that it appear, as spoken in a certain human, and, as ye may construe it, a vain and fond manner, and not as from the Lord: but if the occasion, namely, my own defence and the vindication of my apostleship from contempt, be well considered, it will be found that this boasting is both necessary and holy. Bp. Hall.
It is observable, how many apologies for, or seeming condemnations of, himself the Apostle makes, in giving way so far to the provocation of those, who spoke or thought dishonourably of him. Of this kind are his several expressions in ver. 21, 23, 30; chap. xii. 1, 11, with others to the same purpose. So cautiously does the Apostle behave himself in a point which he rightly understood to be so nice: and his example teaches us how careful we ought to be in warding off all the uncharitable constructions apt to be made of the most necessary and the most modest publication of our own conduct and deservings. Dean Stanhope.
2 Corinthians 11:18
18.—after the flesh.] In external privileges and outward advantages, particularly in being the natural seed of Abraham. Burkitt.
2 Corinthians 11:19
19.—ye suffer fools gladly, &c.] As if he had said, Nor can my seeming folly offend you, if you be indeed what you pretend: “for ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise” in your own conceits. Dr. Whitby. This is written in the highest strain of irony, as is plain from ver. 20, where he mentions in mockery their abject bearing of the contumelious and injurious behaviour of their false teacher, as an example of their wisdom in bearing. Dr. Macknight.
Anno DOMINI 66. Paul’s labours and sufferings for the gospel’s sake. Anno DOMINI 60.
2 Corinthians 11:20
- For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, &c.] I well see that your wisdom, such as it is, hath made you very patient on other occasions; my emulous adversaries have wrought strangely upon you, and have sped well; you can be content that they should make slaves of you, and pillage you, and prey upon you at pleasure; that they should brag of themselves canselessly and unjustly; that they should smite and censure you as they list. Bp. Hall.
2 Corinthians 11:21
- I speak as concerning reproach, &c.] I tell you these things to put you in mind how reproachfully you have been used by them; as indeed I have also been set at nought and vilified by them: though whatever cause any of them hath to think well of himself, I have as much cause as he. Dr. Hammond.
2 Corinthians 11:22
- Are they Hebrews?] Speaking the Jewish language? So am I. “Are they Israelites,” descended from beloved Jacob? “So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham,” and not proselytes? “So am I.” Burkitt.
2 Corinthians 11:23
- Are they ministers of Christ? &c.] It is to be noticed here, that the Apostle proves the truth of his ministry and apostleship, not, as elsewhere, from the miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost, which accompanied his preaching, but from his sufferings, as being things which these false apostles could not pretend to, Gal. v. 11; vi. 12; and so could not glory that they were like unto him in them, ver. 13. Dr. Whitby. From the following account it appears, that none of the heroes of antiquity, however vehemently actuated by the love of fame, or of military glory, or of power, either did or suffered as much in the pursuit of their objects, as the Apostle Paul did and suffered for Christ and His Gospel. Dr. Macknight.
2 Corinthians 11:24
24.—forty stripes save one.] The greatest severity that the Jewish law permitted, Deut. xxv. 3. Dr. Hammond. The law forbade that forty stripes should be exceeded; the rabbies decided for thirty-nine; the manner of scourging with three things confined it to this number. Dr. Gerard.
2 Corinthians 11:25
- Thrice was I beaten with rods.] A bundle of which was carried before the Roman consul: so that the punishment here alluded to was probably inflicted by the Romans. Dr. Hammond.
—thrice I suffered shipwreck.] Of these shipshipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
2 Corinthians 11:26
26.—in the wilderness.] That is, in the country, as opposed to “the city,” or town: so called on account of the comparatively small number of the inhabitants. Dr. Wells.
2 Corinthians 11:28
- Beside those things that are without, &c.] Nor are these outward and bodily inconveniences the whole of my Christian sufferings; still greater and more constant are the inward cares, the jealousies and fears I have for all the churches I have planted. Pyle. This is very properly mentioned among the Apostle’s sufferings, because it was not one of the least of them; as we may judge from the account which he has given in these two Epistles, of the exceeding grief which the errours and irregularities of the single church of Corinth occasioned to him: “Within were fears,” chap. vii. 5. Besides, the brethren of all the Gentile churches had recourse to the Apostle in their difficulties for advice and consolation, which must have been very fatiguing to him. Dr. Macknight.
2 Corinthians 11:29
- Who is weak, and I am not weak? &c.] Among all these no person is afflicted but I sympathise with him: none is discouraged in his duty, or in danger of falling off from his principles, but I ever burn with zeal to bring him back and settle him. Dean Stanhope.
2 Corinthians 11:30
30.—mine infirmities.] That is, my sufferings for the Gospel. Dr. Wells.
Much instruction may be gathered from the subject which St. Paul here chooses to enlarge upon: not the greatness of his miracles; not the power of his eloquence and arguments; not the success of his labours, the number of the converts he had won, or of the churches he had planted: but only the toils and hardships, the persecutions and afflictions, in which the discharge of his ministry had engaged him. These were such privileges as his adversaries neither had, nor
Anno DOMINI 64. Paul’s visions and revelations. Anno DOMINI 66.
2 Corinthians 11:31
- — which is blessed for evermore.] A doxology, or some term of honour, usually annexed by the Jews at the naming of God, not unfrequent with the Apostle: as also this title, “Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,” is often used by him in glorifying God. Bp. Fell.
Chap. XII. To weigh down still more the disparagement which the false teachers had cast upon him, the Apostle further prefers himself to them, on account of the special revelations that God had vouchsafed to make him; but instances chiefly in one. He is not puffed up into pride by these great favours and privileges. God had provided him a natural remedy against such an abuse of them, namely, “a thorn in the flesh,” his bodily infirmities, wherewith his wicked adversaries reproached and mortified him. Yet he glories in these Divine revelations as manifest proofs of a true Apostleship; touches again upon his prudent resolution not to take maintenance from their church; confutes the groundless insinuation of his adversaries, that he made private gains of them, though he apparently refused to take any thing of them; expresses again his tenderness toward them, and wishes he may find no necessity of punishing their obstinacy at his next visit to their church. Pyle.
Ver. 1. It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory.] But since it may be so to you, “I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord,” in which I shall give
in the affection of a father, 20 although he feareth he shall to his grief find many offenders, and public disorders there.
Anno DOMINI 66.
IT is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.