10. Greek, "There is (the) truth of Christ in me that," &c. ([Ro 9:1]).
no man shall stop me of--The oldest manuscripts read, "This boasting shall not be shut (that is, stopped) as regards me." "Boasting is as it were personified ... shall not have its mouth stopped as regards me" [Alford].
11. Love is often offended at its favors being not accepted, as though the party to whom they are offered wished to be under no obligation to the offerer.
12. I will do--I will continue to decline help.
occasion--Greek, "the occasion," namely, of misrepresenting my motives, which would be afforded to my detractors, if I accepted help.
that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we--Bengel joins this clause with "the occasion," namely, of glorying or boasting; the occasion "that they may be found (a point wherein they glory) even as we," that is, quite as disinterested, or virtually, quite as gain-seeking and self-seeking. It cannot mean that the false teachers taught gratuitously even as Paul (compare [2Co 11:20]; [1Co 9:12]). Alford less clearly explains by reference to [2Co 11:18], &c., where the "glorying" here is taken up and described as "glorying after the flesh"; thus it means, that in the matters of which they beast they may be found even as we, that is, we may been a fair and equal footing; that there may be no adventitious comparisons made between us, arising out of misrepresentations of my course of procedure, but that in every matter of boasting we may be fairly compared and judged by facts; FOR ([2Co 11:13]) realities they have none, no weapons but misrepresentation, being false apostles.
13. For--reason why he is unwilling they should be thought like him [Bengel].
such--they and those like them.
false apostles--those "overmuch apostles" (see on [2Co 11:5]) are no apostles at all.
deceitful workers--pretending to be "workmen" for the Lord, and really seeking their own gain.
14. is transformed--rather, "transforms himself" (compare [Job 1:6]); habitually; the first occasion of his doing so was in tempting Eve. "Himself" is emphatical: If their master himself, who is the "prince of darkness," the most alien to light, does so, it is less marvellous in the case of them who are his servants ([Lu 22:54]; [Ep 6:12]).
15. no great thing--no difficult matter.
if his ministers also--as well as himself.
righteousness--answering to "light" ([2Co 11:14]); the manifestation wherewith God reveals Himself in Christ ([Mt 6:33]; [Ro 1:17]).
end--The test of things is the end which strips off every specious form into which Satan's agents may now "transform" themselves (compare [Php 3:19], ).
according to their works--not according to their pretensions.
16. I say again--again taking up from [2Co 11:1] the anticipatory apology for his boasting.
if otherwise--but if ye will not grant this; if ye will think me a fool.
yet as a fool--"yet even as a fool receive me"; grant me the indulgent hearing conceded even to one suspected of folly. The Greek denotes one who does not rightly use his mental powers; not having the idea of blame necessarily attached to it; one deceived by foolish vanities, yet boasting himself [Tittmann], ([2Co 11:17], ).
that I--The oldest manuscripts read, "that I, too," namely, as well as they, may boast myself.
17. not after the Lord--By inspired guidance he excepts this "glorying" or "boasting" from the inspired authoritativeness which belongs to all else that he wrote; even this boasting, though undesirable in itself, was permitted by the Spirit, taking into account its aim, namely, to draw off the Corinthians from their false teachers to the apostle. Therefore this passage gives no proof that any portion of Scripture is uninspired. It merely guards against his boasting being made a justification of boasting in general, which is not ordinarily "after the Lord," that is, consistent with Christian humility.
foolishly--Greek, "in foolishness."
confidence of boasting--([2Co 9:4]).
18. many--including the "false teachers."
after the flesh--as fleshly men are wont to boast, namely, of external advantages, as their birth, doings, &c. (compare [2Co 11:22]).
I will glory also--that is, I also will boast of such fleshly advantages, to show you that even in these I am not their inferiors, and therefore ought not to be supplanted by them in your esteem; though these are not what I desire to glory in ([2Co 10:17]).
19. gladly--willingly. Irony. A plea why they should "bear with" ([2Co 11:1]) him in his folly, that is, boasting; ye are, in sooth, so "wise" ([1Co 4:8], ; Paul's real view of their wisdom was very different, [1Co 3:1-4]) yourselves that ye can "bear with" the folly of others more complacently. Not only can ye do so, but ye are actually doing this and more.
20. For--Ye may well "bear with" fools; for ye even "bear with" oppressors. Translate, "Ye bear with them."
a man--as the false apostles do.
bring you into bondage--to himself. Translate "brings," not "bring"; for the case is not merely a supposed case, but a case actually then occurring. Also "devours" (namely, by exactions, [Mt 23:24]; [Psa 53:4]), "takes," "exalts," "smites."
take of you--So the Greek for "take" is used for "take away from" ([Re 6:4]). Alford translates, as in [2Co 12:16], "catches you."
exalt himself--under the pretext of apostolic dignity.
smite you on the face--under the pretext of divine zeal. The height of insolence on their part, and of servile endurance on yours ([1Ki 22:24]; [Ne 13:25]; [Lu 22:64]; [Ac 23:2]; [1Ti 3:3]).
21. as concerning reproach--rather, "by way of dishonor (that is, self-disparagement) I say it."
as though we ... weak--in not similarly ([2Co 11:20]) showing our power over you. "An ironical reminiscence of his own abstinence when among them from all these acts of self-exaltation at their expense" (as if such abstinence was weakness) [Alford]. The "we" is emphatically contrasted with the false teachers who so oppressively displayed their power. I speak so as though WE had been weak when with you, because we did not show our power this way. Howbeit (we are not really weak; for), whereinsoever any is bold ... I am bold also.
22. Hebrews ... Israelites ... the seed of Abraham--A climax. "Hebrews," referring to the language and nationality; "Israelites," to the theocracy and descent from Israel, the "prince who prevailed with God" ([Ro 9:4]); "the seed of Abraham," to the claim to a share in the Messiah ([Ro 11:1]; ). Compare [Php 3:5], "An Hebrew of the Hebrews," not an Hellenist or Greek-speaking Jew, but a Hebrew in tongue, and sprung from Hebrews.
23. I speak as a fool--rather, as Greek, "I speak as if beside myself"; stronger than "as a fool."
I am more--namely, in respect to the credentials and manifestations of my ministry, more faithful and self-denying; and richer in tokens of God's recognition of my ministry. Old authorities read the order thus, "In prisons above measures, in stripes more abundantly" (English Version, less accurately, "more frequent"). [Ac 16:23-40] records one case of his imprisonment with stripes. Clement of Rome [First Epistle to the Corinthians] describes him as having suffered bonds seven times.
in death oft--([2Co 4:10]; [Ac 9:23]; ; , 6, 19; , ).
24. [De 25:3] ordained that not more than forty stripes should be inflicted To avoid exceeding this number, they gave one short of it: thirteen strokes with a treble lash [Bengel]. This is one of those minute agreements with Jewish usage, which a forger would have not been likely to observe.
25. The beating by Roman magistrates at Philippi ([Ac 16:23]) is the only one recorded in Acts, which does not profess to give a complete journal of his life, but only a sketch of it in connection with the design of the book, namely, to give an outline of the history of the Gospel Church from its foundation at Jerusalem, to the period of its reaching Rome, the capital of the Gentile world.
once was I stoned--([Ac 14:19]).
thrice ... shipwreck--before the shipwreck at Melita ([Ac 27:44]). Probably in some of his voyages from Tarsus, where he stayed for some time after his conversion, and from which, as being a seafaring place, he was likely to make missionary voyages to adjoining places ([Ac 9:30]; ; [Ga 1:21]).
a night and a day ... in the deep--probably in part swimming or in an open boat.
26. In--rather, "By": connected with [2Co 11:23], but now not with "in," as there, and as in [2Co 11:27], where again he passes to the idea of surrounding circumstances or environments [Alford, Ellicott and others].