1 Put up with me if I am a little foolish: but, truly, you do put up with me.
For you put up with the foolish gladly, being wise yourselves.
For if anyone comes preaching another Jesus from the one whose preachers we are, or if you have got a different spirit, or a different sort of good news from those which came to you, how well you put up with these things.
I say this by way of shaming ourselves, as if we had been feeble. But if anyone puts himself forward (I am talking like a foolish person), I will do the same.
I say again, Let me not seem foolish to anyone; but if I do, put up with me as such, so that I may take a little glory to myself. What I am now saying is not by the order of the Lord, but as a foolish person, taking credit to myself, as it seems.
He is able to have feeling for those who have no knowledge and for those who are wandering from the true way, because he himself is feeble;
I have been forced by you to become foolish, though it was right for my praise to have come from you: for in no way was I less than the chief of the Apostles, though I am nothing.
And Moses said to him, Are you moved by envy on my account? If only all the Lord's people were prophets, and the Lord might put his spirit on them!
Let no man have a false idea. If any man seems to himself to be wise among you, let him become foolish, so that he may be wise.
And Paul said, It is my prayer to God that, in little or great measure, not only you, but all those hearing me today might be even as I am, but for these chains.
But when Paul was about to say something, Gallio said to the Jews, If this was anything to do with wrongdoing or crime, there would be a reason for me to give you a hearing:
And she said to her master's wife, If only my lord would go to the prophet in Samaria, he would make him well.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 2 Corinthians 11
Commentary on 2 Corinthians 11 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 11
In this chapter the apostle goes on with his discourse, in opposition to the false apostles, who were very industrious to lessen his interest and reputation among the Corinthians, and had prevailed too much by their insinuations.
2Cr 11:1-4
Here we may observe,
2Cr 11:5-15
After the foregoing preface to what he was about to say, the apostle in these verses mentions,
2Cr 11:16-21
Here we have a further excuse that the apostle makes for what he was about to say in his own vindication.
2Cr 11:22-33
Here the apostle gives a large account of his own qualifications, labours, and sufferings (not out of pride or vain-glory, but to the honour of God, who had enabled him to do and suffer so much for the cause of Christ), and wherein he excelled the false apostles, who would lessen his character and usefulness among the Corinthians. Observe,
In the last two verses, he mentions one particular part of his sufferings out of its place, as if he had forgotten it before, or because the deliverance God wrought for him was most remarkable; namely, the danger he was in at Damascus, soon after he was converted, and not settled in Christianity, at least in the ministry and apostleship. This is recorded, Acts 9:24, 25. This was his first great danger and difficulty, and the rest of his life was a piece with this. And it is observable that, lest it should be thought he spoke more than was true, the apostle confirms this narrative with a solemn oath, or appeal to the omniscience of God, v. 31. It is a great comfort to a good man that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is an omniscient God, knows the truth of all he says, and knows all he does and all he suffers for his sake.