2Co 11:1
11:1 Would {1} to God ye could bear with me a little in [my]
     folly: and indeed bear with me.

 (1) He grants that in a way he is playing the fool in this
     exalting of things, but he adds that he does it against his
     will for their profit, because he sees them deceived by
     certain vain and crafty men, through the craft and subtilty
     of Satan.

2Co 11:2
11:2 For I am jealous over you with {a} godly jealousy: for I
     have espoused you to one husband, that I may {b} present
     [you as] a chaste virgin to Christ.

     (a) He speaks as one who woos them, but yet as one that
         seeks them not for himself, but for God.
     (b) To marry you together.

2Co 11:3
11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve
     through his subtilty, so your minds should be {c} corrupted
     from the simplicity that is in {d} Christ.

     (c) This passage is to be noted against those who hate the
         plain and pure simplicity of the scriptures, in
         comparison of the elegance and fluency of man's
         eloquence.
     (d) Which is proper for those who are in Christ.

2Co 11:4
11:4 {2} For if he that cometh preacheth {e} another Jesus, whom
     we have not preached, or [if] ye receive another spirit,
     which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye
     have not accepted, ye might well bear with [him].

 (2) He shows that they deceive themselves, if they look to
     receive from any other man, either a more excellent Gospel,
     or more excellent gifts of the Holy Spirit.
     (e) A more perfect doctrine of Jesus Christ.

2Co 11:6
11:6 {3} But though [I be] {f} rude in speech, yet not in
     knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among
     you in all things.

 (3) He refutes the slanders of those boastful and proud men.  I
     grant, he says, that I am not so eloquent an orator, but
     yet they cannot take away the knowledge of the Gospel from
     me, of which you have had good proof, and that in every
     manner of way.
     (f) Paul did not lack the type of eloquence which is proper
         for a man, and fit for the Gospel, but he willingly
         lacked that eloquent type of speech, which too many now
         a days search after and follow.

2Co 11:7
11:7 {4} Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye
     might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel
     of God freely?

 (4) Another slander, that is, that he was a rascal, and lived
     by the labour of his own hands.  But in this, the apostle
     says, what can you lay against me, except that I was
     content to take any pains for your sakes?  For when I
     lacked, I travailed for my living with my own hands.  And
     also when poverty forced me, I chose rather to seek my
     sustenance than to be any burden to you, even though I
     preached the Gospel to you.

2Co 11:9
11:9 And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was
     chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the
     brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all
     [things] I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you,
     {5} and [so] will I keep [myself].

 (5) An amplification: so far is he from being ashamed of this
     act, that he has also resolved with himself to act in no
     other way while he is among them, in order that it may
     always be truly said that he taught in Achaia for nothing.
     And this is not because he disdains the Corinthians, but
     rather so that these proud and boastful men may never find
     the occasion which they have already sought for, and he in
     the meantime may set something before the Corinthians to
     follow, so that at length they may truly say that they are
     like Paul.

2Co 11:10
11:10 As the {g} truth of Christ is in me, no man shall {h} stop
      me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.

      (g) This is a form of an oath, as if he said, "Let me not
          be thought to have any truth in me."
      (h) Will be always open to me.

2Co 11:12
11:12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion
      from them which desire occasion; that wherein they {i}
      glory, they may be found even as we.

      (i) Paul's adversaries sought all occasions they could to
          be equal to him.  And therefore seeing they had rather
          live off the Corinthians then preach to them for
          nothing, they sought another occasion, that is, to
          make Paul take something.  And if he had done this,
          then they hoped by this means to be equal to him.  For
          they made such a show of zeal and knowledge, and set
          it forth with such a flattering type of eloquence,
          that some of them even despised Paul.  But he shows
          that all this is nothing but frivolities and
          pretensions.

2Co 11:13
11:13 {6} For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers,
      transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

 (6) Now at length he portrays these fellows as they truly are,
     forewarning that it will come to pass that they will at
     length betray themselves, no matter how they may be
     pretending that they have a zeal for God's glory.

2Co 11:14
11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an
      angel of {k} light.

      (k) By light is meant the heavenly glory, of which the
          angels are partakers.

2Co 11:16
11:16 {7} I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise,
      yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a
      little.

 (7) He goes forward boldly, and using a vehement irony or type
     of taunting, desires the Corinthians to pardon him, if for
     a time he argues as a fool before them, who are wise, along
     with those other wise ones, as he talks about those
     external things such as his stock, his ancestors, and
     valiant acts.

2Co 11:20
11:20 {8} For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a
      man devour [you], if a man take [of you], if a man exalt
      himself, if a man smite you on the face.

 (8) Before he comes to the matter, he talks directly to the
     Corinthians, who persuading themselves to be very wise men,
     did not mark in the meanwhile that those false apostles had
     abused their simplicity for advantage.

2Co 11:21
11:21 I speak as concerning {l} reproach, as though we had been
      {m} weak.  Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak
      foolishly,) I am bold also.

      (l) As if he said, "In respect of that reproach which they
          do to you, which surely is as evil as if they beat
          you."
      (m) Paul is called weak, in that he seems to be to the
          Corinthians a vile and abject man, a beggarly
          craftsman, a most wretched and miserable idiot,
          whereas in reality God's mighty power was made
          manifest in that.

2Co 11:23
11:23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I [am]
      {n} more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above
      measure, in prisons more frequent, in {o} deaths oft.

      (n) Paul being honourable indeed, defends his ministry
          openly, not for his own sake, but because he saw his
          doctrine come into danger.
      (o) In danger of present death.

2Co 11:24
11:24 Of the Jews {p} five times received I forty [stripes] save
      one.

      (p) He alludes to that which is written in @De 25:3.
          And moreover this place shows us that Paul suffered
          many more things which Luke omitted in writing Acts.

2Co 11:25
11:25 {q} Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned,
      thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been
      in the deep;

      (q) By the Roman magistrates.

2Co 11:27
11:27 In weariness and {r} painfulness, in watchings often, in
      hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and
      nakedness.

      (r) Painfulness is a troublesome sickness, as when a man
          who is weary and wants rest is forced to begin new
          labour.

2Co 11:28
11:28 {9} Beside those things that are without, that which
      cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

 (9) He further adds this in conclusion, that the Corinthians
     should be ashamed to despise him upon whose care almost all
     churches depended, as it was plainly seen by experience.

2Co 11:30
11:30 {10} If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things
      which concern mine infirmities.

 (10) He turns that against the adversaries which they objected
      against him: as if he should say, "They allege my
      calamities to take away my authority from me: but if I
      would boast myself, I could use no better argument.  And
      God himself is my witness that I am not making up or
      forging anything."



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