Chapter XI.
(Vers. 1.)
(Verse 1.) I wish you would tolerate my slight foolishness! But you also put up with me. Beginning to tell the truth about oneself, one says that they are foolish; for it seems to pertain to their praise. For this reason, it is said: Let not your lips praise you, but your neighbor (Prov. XXVII, 2). But he is compelled by pain here because those who should have thought well of him above others, felt indignation.
(Vers. 2.)
(Verse 2.) For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it! (2 Corinthians 11:2-4) Hence it is that we also read about it in the Revelation of John: 'These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins; they follow the Lamb wherever he goes' (Rev. 14:4). By women, he signified error; for error began through a woman, just as Jezebel also called herself a woman because of her marriage to Ahab, who killed the prophets of Baal out of zeal for God (1 Kings 18:40); by which is understood idolatry, which corrupts morals and the truth of faith. For if you understand women to be called virgins because they have kept their bodies undefiled, then you exclude the saints from this glory; for all the apostles, except John and Paul, had wives. And see if it is fitting to accuse the Apostle Peter, who is first among the apostles, how much more so the others?
(Vers. 3.)
(Verse 3) However, I fear that just as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus. He shows why he is compelled to make a true statement about himself; for he acknowledges that glory has been given to him, not to praise himself, but to expose those who preach against Christ under the name of Christ, by whom the Corinthians were deceived; and this truth benefited them more than it did him. For he taught this to prevent the deceivers, whom the devil has likened to cunning in their malice, from being heard; because they endeavor to corrupt the hearts of the faithful from the truth of Christ. Therefore, fearing this, he is always anxious about them, lest they be violated.
(Vers. 4.)
(Verse 4) For if someone comes and preaches to you a different Christ, whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different Spirit, whom you have not received, or a different gospel, which you have not accepted, you would rightly endure it. Therefore he says: You would rightly endure if another Christ had been preached to you, or if another Spirit or another gospel had been handed to you, as he says to the Galatians: If anyone preaches to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be accursed (Galatians 1:9). If it was wrong for the Galatians to accept something other than what was handed down by the apostles, how was it right for the Corinthians if a different Christ had been preached to them? But the Apostle knew that no other Christ except the one who was crucified was preached, therefore he says: You would rightly endure if a different and superior Christ had been preached to you by those who come. But to the Galatians he says: let them be accursed if they hear something different, not necessarily greater, but rather contrary. But, he says, if Christ himself is preached by those who are announced by us, and this Gospel; what is the reason that we are considered inferior, since nothing more is learned from them? He speaks above about false apostles, corrupters of faith, in this place however about true preachers; because the Corinthian people were fluctuating in various errors, so that some favored the false apostles, some heard from them the same words that they had heard from the Apostle: others, however, favored the apostles, because they had been with the Lord, deforming their apostle Paul, because he did not see the Lord in the flesh.
(Vers. 5.)
(Verse 5) For I consider myself in no way inferior to those who are considered to be super apostles. I do not want the grace of God to appear inferior in me; for he taught in the same way and did the same things as the apostles who seemed to be more influential. Moreover, he started teaching before them and had been with the Lord, so he was considered to have greater authority. And his apostleship was confirmed by remarkable testimonies, and he worked harder than the others and saw the Lord praying in the temple and speaking to him.
(Vers. 6.)
(Verse 6.) But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not lacking in knowledge. This does not apply to the apostles; for although they were not eloquent, being uneducated, yet they were filled with the Holy Spirit. But it does concern those whom the Corinthians preferred, on account of precise speech; for in matters of religion, the power of speech is necessary, not sweet sound. However, how does he humble himself by saying that he is unskilled in speech? And where is that which Festus said: Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad! (Acts 26:24)? Therefore, saying this, he did not want it to be understood that he did not know how to speak, but rather for the sake of those who wanted to be commended not by faith, but by eloquence. And yet, he declared himself to be unskilled in that regard, which is not a crime; but in that which seeks salvation, and the ignorance of which is not without crime, he did not declare himself unskilled; because one who is unskilled in speech is not guilty before God; but one who does not have knowledge of God is guilty of ignorance; because it is not allowed to be ignorant, especially in matters concerning salvation. Therefore the Apostle, disregarding eloquence, acted in such a way that faith would be acceptable through the testimony of virtue; so that eloquence would not commend faith, but rather virtue, to which eloquence yields. In all things, however, I am manifest to you. He says that he is manifest to the Corinthians in all things, because they were not ignorant that he had skill in speaking, and knowing this, others favored him in the area where they did not know him to be inferior; therefore he speaks with emotion, because this was worse, that when they knew him to be lacking in nothing, they would humble him before others; having seen through him not only the fulfillment of the preaching, but also the signs and wonders of the apostle being done.
(Vers. 7.)
(Verse 7.) Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself, that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge? I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, nobody in the regions of Achaia will stop this boasting of mine. Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do! For it was proper that he should receive expenses from those to whom he preached the gospel of God, as the Lord had commanded, saying, 'The laborer is worthy of his wages' (Luke 10:7). But he rejected them in order to benefit them. He rejected the expenses for two reasons: so that he would not be found similar to false apostles, who preached not for the glory of God but for their own benefit, so that they would not have an opportunity to plunder. For if one is not receiving, he cannot ask for much from another. And so that the power of the gospel might not grow weak; for he who receives from sinners loses the authority to rebuke. Thus, therefore, they are exalted, since it is not received by them in order that they may be corrected when caught, raised from death to life.
(Vers. 8.)
(Verse 8) I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you. And when I was with you and in need, I burdened no one. For the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. So I refrained from burdening you in any way, and will continue to do so. As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. Therefore, he imposed shame on them; for he did not refute them with deceit when he himself served them, even though by this very service they would more easily fulfill what they had promised, knowing that they were debtors; so that their ministry may not now be very glorious, but a debt; lest they boast even from there.
(Vers. 9.)
(Ver. 9.) And when I was with you and in need, I was not a burden to anyone. In fact, I wanted to be of such help to you that I comforted myself in my own poverty for the sake of your well-being. I endured poverty willingly so that they would not suffer any hardship. For whoever gives, believes they will be exalted and does not allow themselves to be accused. Indeed, my brothers from Macedonia provided for my needs. They always supported me, for they had already corrected their own faults. And just as it was not to be accepted from the Corinthians, so as not to cause them scandal, so it was necessary to be accepted again from the Macedonians, so that those sowing well would not lose their fruit.
(Vers. 10.)
(Verse 10.) And in all things, without burdening you, I have saved myself and will continue to do so. He says he will always remain in that, in order to correct himself because of the false apostles who were seeking an opportunity to exploit them.
The truth of Christ is in me, since this glory will not be infringed upon in me in the regions of Achaia. He urges all of Achaia to serve the saints: but he himself does not allow that he might not fulfill the glory that he has begun; for glory is to refrain from what is unlawful, especially for the salvation of others. Therefore, in the regions of Achaia, he did not want to use [it], but he used [it] in the others; and he promises even more under the testimony of Christ, saying that he will remain in [it]; lest he receive [anything] from the regions of Achaia at any time.
(Vers. 11.)
(Verse 11.) Why? Because I do not love you? God knows. In providing an explanation, God's knowledge serves as a witness to His love, which He had towards them. For He did not refuse to accept them because He did not love them, but rather, because He loved them, He wanted to benefit them by doing so, as I have said.
(Vers. 12.)
(Verse 12.) But what I am doing, I will continue to do, in order to cut off the opportunity of those who want an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things they boast about. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
(Vers. 13.)
(v. 13) For such pseudo-apostles are workers, deceitful, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. They are deceitful because, motivated by greed, they did not preach Christ with a religious mind or as sent, usurping the apostolic name for themselves.
(Vers. 14.)
(Verse 14) It is not surprising, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. It is evident that Satan frequently deceives many by presenting himself as an angel of God, in order to deceive them. Therefore, Joshua was concerned about who appeared to him. (Joshua 5:13) And the apostles, in a boat, were terrified and thought it was a ghost. So, the Apostle Peter said to the Lord: Do not be afraid, it is I. (Matthew 14:27) But being skeptical, he said: If you are, command me to come to you on the water. (Ibid., 28) So that if he had firmly set foot on the water, he would know that it was true and not a phantom that appeared.
(Vers. 15.)
(Verse 15) Therefore, it is not surprising if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness. The ministers of righteousness are apostles, whose companions they pretended to be in order to deceive the listeners. Their end will be according to their deeds. Without a doubt, they will be judged according to the wickedness of their minds; because they pretend to be ministers of God not for the sake of God, but for the sake of their own belly. However, the end of them is declared to be according to their deeds: just as the works and concerns of the belly perish, so they also will be understood to perish.
(Vers. 16.)
(Verse 16) Again I say, let no one think me foolish; but if you do, receive me as foolish, so that I too may boast a little. Above (Chapter 2, Verse 1) he already said: I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness, and now he is repeating it; for he always introduces what he will later expound after many intervening points. Therefore, what he set forth above, he now begins to explain, for he is about to speak the truth and says that he is as foolish, because they seem to pertain to his praise. And I too, he says, will boast for a short while. He said 'a short while' because it is in words, not in meaning. Therefore, he does not truly speak these things for his own glory, but he wants to show them that those who are considered glorious have nothing more from this: and by this he says 'and I.' He says that this is the folly of an ignorant person, to pursue something for his own praise, while being forced to speak this. For it pains him that they would think highly of those who have nothing more from him, while despising this.
(Vers. 17.)
(Verse 17) What I am saying, I am not saying according to God. He does not speak according to God; because these things pertain to the swelling of the flesh, and glory does not arise from inflation before God; because humility is glorious before God. But it is like foolishness in this substance of boasting. He did not say complete foolishness, but in part; for it is the truth. But because sinful elevation is a harmful thing; therefore, although what is said is true; it is like foolishness to praise oneself. But it is full foolishness if someone praises themselves with falsehoods: for one is proud of what is true, the other is foolish of what is false; yet the substance of this boasting is carnal in nature; for just as the flower of hay, so this glory fades away.
(Vers. 18.)
(Verse 18.) Because many boast according to the flesh, and I will boast too. This is what he says, because some of the Jews who believed presumed that they were children of Abraham. This is to boast according to the flesh, to claim nobility for themselves. They defend the privilege of their lineage because they are called children of his who have believed in God: 'The soul that sins shall die' (Ezekiel 18:20). So if this is boasting, he says, then I will boast too; because I am also a son of Abraham. But it profits nothing to be a son of Abraham before God; for it is faith that saves, not the propagation of Abraham's lineage. Therefore, this glory of the flesh is glory, as if, for example, it is said, a noble son of man.
(Vers. 19, 20.)
(Verse 19, 20.) For you gladly endure fools, being wise yourselves. He calls them fools who boasted about the circumcision of the flesh, and because they were being carried away by the Corinthians, so that they might appear glorious. Therefore, the Apostle also wants to be endured by them, so that he may show that he is like them, and yet not boast in this way according to God; hence he calls this boasting foolishness. He says he boasts according to the flesh; but he confesses that this is foolish, so that he may empty this boasting and show that he was driven by a compulsion to burst forth in praise of the flesh. Therefore, this is irony. For how can those who are often criticized be wise? Doesn't the ignorance of the Apostles have more wisdom than the prudence of these people? Here, the wise person endures the foolish, who with their patience allows them to make progress; not provoking or rejecting them, lest they make them worse, but certainly if they cannot make progress in them, they preserve their modesty. There is nothing of this sort among the Corinthians. So how then do they willingly endure the foolish, when they themselves are wise? Is it not because they do not want to be understood in the way their words sound? This is in terms of meaning and pronunciation; because indeed the same words do not have the same meaning, they are pronounced differently; so that sometimes he affirms, sometimes denies, what he says. For these wise ones, the foolish ones tolerated false apostles. For you endure, if someone reduces you to slavery. This is true; because they were reduced to slavery, not by wisdom, but by foolishness; so that they would serve the pseudo-apostles. If anyone devours. This is not false; because they were content to have their things devoured by false teachers. If anyone receives. To receive is to take someone's property by deceit; therefore, it means that they are taken by deceitful masters, and accept what is not beneficial. If anyone exalts himself. Exalting oneself is pride. Therefore, it refers to those who were proud, speaking ill of the Apostle; and they did not displease them. If anyone strikes you on the face. One is struck on the face, where an injury is inflicted. Now they signify those who were from the lineage of Abraham, deceiving them because they were uncircumcised, exalting themselves and humbling these people.
(Vers. 21.)
(Verse 21.) According to their lowly status, I speak. By lowly status he means what he said above: 'And I will boast about myself according to the flesh' (2 Corinthians 11:18). For he does not say that it belongs to praise, because he was not weak in the one in whom they boasted, whom he secretly refers to. Hence he adds: 'As though we were weak in this matter.' It is clear that he was not weak in this glory, in which the Jews, whom they tolerated, believed themselves to be superior. As if he were an Apostle, but different in this respect, because he himself was of the seed of Abraham, and by this means he was not weak in this glory of the flesh. But those who were applied to the descendants of Abraham were considered weak. For they, as if weak, in that they were surpassing him, in that they were Israelites, in this very thing were willing to be punished. In order to show that in this glory of the flesh they were not different and weak, when he speaks of his own cause, he introduces also the person of Barnabas, his companion. And in the first letter he says: Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working? (I Cor. IX, 6) Were they not therefore inferior in this glory, in which the Jews boasted, but not without reason? Finally he says, Who dares ? I speak foolishly, I dare too: that is, not being weak in the glory in which the Israelites boasted; nor indeed being shown to be prudent in this matter; for the prudent do not want to show themselves superior. Therefore, he says that he dares to be inexperienced in that which those who boast dare, because they are children of Abraham, so that he may discredit their glory: he declares himself to be foolish so that they may not appear prudent or noble in this matter.
Ver. 22.) They are Hebrews, and so am I; they are Israelites, and so am I; they are descendants of Abraham, and so am I. In this, he shows that he is equal to those he mentioned earlier, in order to prove that the accusations against him, by those who considered him unworthy, are false.
(Vers. 23.)
(Verse 23.) They are the servants of Christ, and I speak as a fool, I am more. Speaking the truth about himself, he declares himself a fool, so that it may be understood that he is compelled to speak in praise of himself. For one who willingly reports those things that contribute to his own praise does not consider himself foolish. Therefore, he shows what things make him more of a minister of Christ than the rest of the preachers. For finding an occasion, he touches upon the lives of all, even the apostles, sorrowing because he was judged to be of less importance in the grace of God, even though he performed the same deeds as the other apostles and endured greater hardships for the sake of the faith. Where he also says in another letter: I have labored more than all of them (I Cor. XV, 10).
In many labors. Therefore, he speaks of many labors because they also worked, but not to the same extent. For from morning until the fifth hour, he sought food with his hands, and then from the fifth hour until the tenth hour, he publicly debated with such effort, that he persuaded those who contradicted him. In prisons more abundantly. It is clear that he was sent to prison more frequently than them. In beatings beyond measure. Therefore, beyond measure, because it was beyond what was necessary. For they too were killed, but not only them. Often in death. It is true, because he often faced danger here more frequently than others.
(Vers. 24.)
(Verse 24.) Five times from the Jews I received forty minus one. He says this because he was whipped five times by the Jews according to the law of Moses, receiving thirty-nine lashes, as it is written in Deuteronomy (Deut. XXV, 3). This is briefly summed up as happening five times.
(Vers. 25.)
(Verse 25.) I was beaten three times with rods. I endured this from the Gentiles. I was stoned once. I was stoned by the Jews in the city of Lystra (Acts 14:18). Three times I was shipwrecked. For someone who is constantly sailing, it is easy to experience shipwrecks in stormy weather. I spent a night and a day in the deep sea. This happened when I was sent to Rome and appealed to Caesar (Acts 25:12). At that time, in deep despair of life, that is, in the deep sea, I faced death before my eyes. For indeed it is written in that place: So that we despaired even of living (II Cor. I, 8).
(Vers. 26.)
(Verse 26.) Often on his journeys. Now he recalls other dangers, so that he may show himself to have been afflicted for Christ according to the flesh, both on land and sea. Dangers, he says, of rivers. If he recounts the dangers of journeys, what is it that he says? Dangers of rivers? But he was making the journey in winter; for certainly rain is continuous, and when he was making his way, he encountered the danger of rivers. Dangers of robbers. When the devil could not kill him in the city, he incited robbers against him on the road, when he carried nothing that robbers desired. Dangers from his own people. He speaks of the persecutions of the Jews, who were his brothers according to the flesh; for they were grieved that he had abandoned the Law and converted to the Gospel of Christ. Dangers from the Gentiles. He suffered persecutions from the Gentiles because of the mystery of the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ and the preaching of the one God. Dangers in the city. The danger in the city was so great that he had to escape through a window from those who were plotting against him (2 Corinthians 11:33). Dangers in the desert. This danger was brought upon him by the Jews, when they were plotting to kill him on the road (Acts 27:43). Dangers at sea. He already said before: Three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I was adrift at sea; what other danger was there at sea? But this is the danger, when at sea, that is, on the ship, the soldiers had planned to kill all the prisoners, so that no one would escape by swimming. The centurion prevented this danger from happening so that Paul would be brought alive to Rome. Dangers in fake brothers. These are false brothers, of whom he says to the Galatians: Now because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy on our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus (Gal. II, 4). For they were partly Christians, partly Jews, but in neither fully, who aroused envy against the Apostle because he proclaimed that the Law had already ceased with the coming of Christ. Finally, under their pressure, Timothy was compelled to be circumcised. Therefore, a fake Christian is one who imitates a Christian out of envy, and this person is a false brother. If only Jews were these fake brothers, and he calls them false brothers because of Judaism, why was it necessary to repeat it? For he already said above: Perils of the same race. But according to the flesh, they are not false brothers, but in Christ, they are false; because they are not fully committed to being Christians (2 Timothy 1:4). There were also other false brothers, such as Demas and Hermogenes (2 Timothy 4:9).
(Vers. 27.)
(Verse 27) In labor and hardship. But it is true that there can be labor without hardship. But here he added: And hardship, in order to show that the labor itself was destructive. In many sleepless nights. There were many sleepless nights: some voluntary, others out of necessity. For being in distress, it was necessary for him to seek God's help and to teach, not only during the day but also during the night, as it is said in the Acts of the Apostles. In fame et siti (Act. XX, 31). Fugatus frequenter a Judaeis persequentibus, necesse erat ut famem pateretur et sitim per inopiam. In jejuniis saepe. Saepius jejunavit, ut Dei adminiculo protegi mereretur: jejunat enim, qui dum habet quod edat, abstinet. In frigore et nuditate. In frigore fuit et nuditate, quandonaufragium passus est. Denique ignem fecerunt, ait et refecerunt nos propter pluviam imminentem et frigus Barbari in insula Melitae (Act. XXVIII, 2).
(Vers. 28.)
(Verse 28) Apart from those things that are external to me, my daily concern is for all the churches. This concern, which he calls daily, comes from the use of tradition, so that he may instruct the people entrusted to him every day: but those things that he mentions above are imposed by necessity. For the day is given for work, the night for rest: but because the necessity was pressing, he also taught at night to help everyone. For if he hesitated not to afflict; lest he should be out of the grace of God.
(Vers. 29.)
(Verse 29.) Who is weak, and I am not weak? He says he sympathizes with everyone and feels compassion in such a way that he can provide healing for their wounds. He continues with this in order to show how he cares for and governs the Church entrusted to him, and through this he should not be considered inferior to the other apostles; for as he has declared, he has worked even harder than all of them. For he faced greater persecution among the Jews compared to the other apostles; when he was persecuting the Church, he suddenly changed and became its defender, testifying and confirming that he heard Christ, whom he had previously thought of as a dead man, speaking to him from heaven (Acts 9:6 and following). Many people necessarily followed his testimony, knowing that he had defended himself not without reason as a persecutor. Because of this, the Jews were tortured and constantly sought to kill him. Who is scandalized, and I am not burned? To be scandalized is to suffer the desire of the flesh, as far as this matter is concerned. And because even unwilling people are often scandalized, enticed by the beauty or attractiveness of the body, or by the warmth of their own flesh: the Apostle, considering the necessity of human nature, says that he is burned; so that he may console those who are tempted, sympathizing with their weakness: not condemning them, but admonishing them in humility of speech; so that they may resist the enticements of the flesh in the hope of the promised reward; lest any of those who hear him, overcome by the desires of the flesh, despair of themselves, thinking that they can no longer bear God, if they correct themselves and remain in the same things, perish.
(Vers. 30.)
(Verse 30.) If one must boast, I will boast of my weaknesses. This is said because if a Christian must boast, it must be in humility, which grows in the sight of God. Hence, it is said in another place: When I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:10), meaning that when I am more humble for the sake of my brothers' salvation, then I am exalted. Therefore, one must boast not of earthly descent, for one is of the seed of Abraham.
(Vers. 31.)
(Verse 31) Father God and our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. He gives God as a witness, so that what I say may be easily believed; and this is especially true for those who did not honor him as a true apostle.
(Vers. 32, 33.)
(Verse 32, 33.) The leader of the Damascene people, who was in charge of guarding the city of the Damascenes, was trying to capture me. But I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and I escaped from his hands.