CHAPTER 11

(A.D. 60)

GODLY JEALOUSY

¹Would to God you could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. (In effect, the Apostle is saying, indulge me.)

²For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy (refers to the jealousy of God [Ex. 20:5; 34:14; Nah. 1:2]): for I have espoused you to one husband (not jealous of the Corinthians affection for himself, but of their affection for Christ), that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. (They must not commit spiritual adultery, which refers to trusting in things other than Christ and the Cross.)

³But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty (the strategy of Satan), so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. (The Gospel of Christ is simple, but men complicate it by adding to the Message.)

⁴For if he who comes preaching another Jesus (a Jesus who is not of the Cross), whom we have not preached (Pauls Message was Jesus Christ and Him Crucified; anything else is another Jesus), or if you receive another spirit (which is produced by preaching another Jesus), which you have not received (thats not what you received when we preached the True Gospel to you), or another gospel, which you have not accepted (anything other than Jesus Christ and Him Crucified is another gospel), you might well bear with him.(The Apostle is telling the Corinthians they have, in fact, sinned because they tolerated these false apostles who had come in, bringing another gospel which was something other than Christ and the Cross.)

APOSTLESHIP

⁵For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very Chiefest Apostles. (Apparently, this critic was claiming that Paul was not one of the original Twelve, so his Ministry was of little significance.)

⁶But though I be rude in speech (the truth is he was not a poor speaker), yet not in knowledge (what his critics were really opposing was his Message); but we have been thoroughly made manifest among you in all things. (In other words, the Corinthians knew Paul, so they should not believe the ridiculous accusations.)

⁷Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that you might be exalted, because I have preached to you the Gospel of God freely? (He is using irony.)

⁸I robbed other Churches (received Offerings from other Churches), taking wages of them, to do you service (meaning he asked no monetary help from the Corinthians while he was establishing their Church).

⁹And when I was present with you, and wanted (in need), I was chargeable to no man (meaning he did not make his need the Corinthians responsibility): for that which was lacking to me the Brethren which came from Macedonia supplied (other Churches supplied help): and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.(He wasnt after their money.)

¹⁰As the Truth of Christ is in me (he is declaring this in the Presence of Christ) no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia. (This actually means no man can disprove what the Apostle is saying.)

¹¹Wherefore? because I love you not? (This is actually meant to have the opposite meaning I do what I do, because I love you.) God knows. (This refers to the fact that what he is saying is true.)

FALSE APOSTLES

¹²But what I do, that I will do (I will continue to pursue the course of life I have been pursuing), that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion (he will not do anything that will give his enemies occasion to find fault, at least, truthfully); that wherein they glory (they claim to not be interested in your money, but thats not true), they may be found even as we. (If they arent interested in your money, let them conduct themselves as we do and not take your money.)

¹³For such are false apostles, deceitful workers (they have no rightful claim to the Apostolic Office; they are deceivers), transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ. (They have called themselves to this Office.)

¹⁴And no marvel (true Believers should not be surprised); for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light. (This means he pretends to be that which he is not.)

¹⁵Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers (Satans ministers) also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness (despite their claims, they were Satans ministers because they preached something other than the Cross [I Cor. 1:17-18, 21, 23; 2:2; Gal. 1:8-9]); whose end shall be according to their works (that end is spiritual destruction [Phil. 3:18-19]).

SUFFERINGS

¹⁶I say again, Let no man think me a fool (proclaims the Apostles embarrassment at having to deal with this issue); if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little. (Whatever you think of me, hear what I have to say simply because it is very important.)

¹⁷That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord (not commanded, but permitted), but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting (because it is necessary).

¹⁸Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also. (The flesh is that which pertains to human ability.)

¹⁹For you suffer fools gladly (speaking of the false apostles), seeing you yourselves are wise (presents the highest of irony).

²⁰For you suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you(speaks of bringing one into slavery, which is exactly what these false apostles were doing to the Believers at Corinth, and anywhere else they were allowed to intrude), if a man exalt himself (these false teachers exalted self, not Christ), if a man smite you on the face (meaning these false teachers treated them with such little respect as if they smote them on the face).

²¹I speak as concerning reproach (the Apostle had suffered terrible reproach at the hands of these detractors), as though we had been weak. (These false apostles referred to Paul as a weak sister.) Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also. (He will now speak of the qualifications he has.)

²²Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

²³Are they Ministers of Christ? (They claim to be, but they really were not.) (I speak as a fool) I am more (proclaims the Apostle stooping to a level in which he is not comfortable); in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft (means that he was exposed to death often).

²⁴Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

²⁵Thrice was I beaten with rods (different from the beatings listed in the previous Verse), once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep (probably refers to a particular time when the Apostle was adrift on the open sea for a night and a day, and was in constant danger of drowning);

²⁶In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren (this probably represents the crowning danger);

²⁷In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

²⁸Beside those things that are without, that which comes upon me daily, the care of all the Churches. (All the Churches he had planted needed his constant supervision, as would be obvious.)

²⁹Who is weak, and I am not weak? (This presents the Apostle carrying the burden of each and every member of these Churches.) who is offended, and I burn not? (This concerns those who fail in times of temptations and trial.)

³⁰If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern my infirmities. (If I have to glory, I will glory in my weaknesses, which force me toward total dependence on the Lord.)

³¹The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knows that I lie not. (If his detractors call him a liar, they are at the same time calling God a liar.)

³²In Damascus the Governor under Aretas the King kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me (he is speaking of the time he was first saved, recorded in Acts, Chpt. 9):

³³And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.