Verse by Verse

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

²³ Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.

²⁴ From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.

²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;

²⁶ in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

²⁷ in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—

²⁸ besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.

²⁹ Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?

Paul had already included a similar passage in this letter — 2 Corinthians 6:3-10. My notes on that passage contain addition information on some of the trials Paul listed here.

In verses 21-29, [Paul] challenges these false teachers to prove their fidelity to the gospel and to suffering humanity, by a similar or a superior record of devotion, of affliction and of national privilege.

So real was his love for all his converts (vs. 28-29) that he consciously felt their weakness, and burned with shame or indignation when anyone was injured or caused to sin. — Williams, page 907.

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In defending his apostleship, Paul does not recall his great accomplishments, but his sufferings for Christ. … This was better proof of the quality of his ministry. … To the Galatians, who had also been induced to question his call of God as an apostle, he threw the certificate of his apostleship down on the table, as it were (Galatians 1:11-16) and, closing the epistle, says: “From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks (lit., the brand) of the Lord Jesus (Galatians 6:17).

Thus, the apostle did not wish to boast, but when forced to do so he had at least boasted of the right things.

Were these Judaizers Hebrews, Israelites, of the seed of Abraham? So was he. but in suffering for Christ he was more—much more. Speaking as the “fool” they thought him to be, he lists sufferings they had not even begun to endure. …

How did the lives of the self-important Judaizers compare with this? We have already had this answered for us in vs. 19-21 where he unquestionably refers to these men, who had already taken so much from them. — Stam, pages 216-217.

From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one (v.24) — The Law stated that a man could not be whipped more than 40 times (Deuteronomy 25:2-3). The Jews limited the number to 39 in case they accidentally miscounted and broke the law.

Three times I was beaten with rods (v.25) — Acts 16:22-23; 21:32

Once I was stoned (v.25) — Acts 14:5, 19

Three times I was shipwrecked (v.25) — Acts 27:41-44

In journeys often (v.26) — The Acts records four visits of Paul to Jerusalem after his conversion: 1) Acts 9:23-30. This seems to be the same visit as that mentioned in Galatians 1:18-19. The apostles of Acts 9:27 were Peter and James, the Lord’s brother. 2) Acts 11:30. Paul may have been in Jerusalem during the events of Acts 12:1-24. See verse 25. 3) Acts 15:1-30; Galatians 2:2-10. and 4) Acts 21:17-23:35.

In addition, Paul took three long journeys to start churches around Asia and Europe.

In perils of my own countrymen (v.26) — Acts 9:23-24; 17:5

My deep concern for all the churches (v.28) — for example: Acts 15:36; 20:17-21; 2 Corinthians 7:12; 12:20; Galatians 4:11; 1 Thessalonians 3:10

¹⁶ I say again, let no one think me a fool. If otherwise, at least receive me as a fool, that I also may boast a little.

¹⁷ What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were, foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.

¹⁸ Seeing that many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast.

¹⁹ For you put up with fools gladly, since you yourselves are wise!

²⁰ For you put up with it if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face.

²¹ To our shame I say that we were too weak for that! But in whatever anyone is bold—I speak foolishly—I am bold also.

I say again, let no man think me to be foolish. But even if you do, as is the case, yet receive me as foolish in order that I also [as well as they] may boast a little. That which I am saying, not after the pattern of the Lord am I speaking, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. Seeing that many are boasting in accordance with human standards and in human attainments, I also will boast, for you gladly tolerate those who are foolish, being wise yourselves. For you tolerate a man, if, as is the case, he brings you to the point of abject slavery; if a man strips you of your possessions [by greedily demanding maintenance]; if a man takes you captive; if a man exalts himself; if a man slaps you in the face. I am speaking by way of disparagement [humbling of myself], as though, as for ourselves, we have been weak. And yet, whereinsoever a man is bold, I am speaking in foolishness, as for myself, I am bold also. — Wuest, page 434.

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“I say again” (v.16), i.e., “to return to what I was saying in verse 1:” that is, “don’t think I am foolish in speaking of myself; but if you do think me foolish, yet listen to me as you do to my detractors.”

“After the Lord” (v.17), i.e., not as commanded but permitted; and I speak as a fool in his foolish boasting speaks when applauding himself.

Verse 19 is ironical. Claiming to be wise they listened with good-humored conscious superiority to fools.

“Suffer” (v.20), i.e., accept or tolerate. “Devour,” i.e., lives at your expense. “Exalt himself,” i.e., claims priestly land divinely appointed authority. “Smite,” either with a hand or a foot. “Reproach,” i.e., in self-disparagement (v.21). This means that when with them, far from acting with such arrogance, he had lived among them as an ordinary, feeble man. — Williams, page 906-907.

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Again and again the apostle apologizes for his boasting in this epistle. He knows that boasting is foolish, but they have forced him to remind them of his qualifications. If his apostleship could be disproven it would mean that the gospel of the grace of God was nothing more than a product of his imagination, so this was necessary.

So, admitting that boasting is foolish, he says in verses 18-19: “Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also. For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.”

This was cutting sarcasm, but they well deserved it. In verse 20 he says in effect: “they make slaves of you” (he had served them), “they devour you, even financially” (he had labored without charge), “they take” (he had given his all), “they exalt themselves” (he had abased himself), “they ‘slap you in the face’ I speak concerning reproach” (they had insulted him).

So these “great men,” with their important recommendations, their eloquence—and their big salaries really did not amount to much when compared with this humble man of god who had first led the Corinthians to Christ and had caused them to rejoice in the riches of his grace. — Stam, page 214-215.

Paul’s manner and his message should have been enough to convince the Corinthians of his apostolic authority. But the Judaizers had come with impressive credentials, impressive words, and with scorn for Paul’s humility. Their foolish boasting had impressed the Corinthians and caused them to doubt Paul. So in response, Paul said, in essence, “Fine, if you want it that way, I can boast too. It’s foolish for me to have to do it, but it seems to be what you want. And even on this foolish level, I come out looking far more impressive.”

⁷ Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?

⁸ I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you.

⁹ And when I was present with you, and in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself.

¹⁰ As the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia.

¹¹ Why? Because I do not love you? God knows!

¹² But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast.

¹³ For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.

¹⁴ And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

exalted (v.7) — raised to that state of mind which ought to characterize a Christian

God knows! (v.11) — God knew that Paul did love the Corinthians

The meaning of verse 12 is that Paul determined to continue his practice of preaching the Gospel at Corinth without payment so as to prevent the false apostles making the point against him that they preached gratuitously and that he did not; and so they could  hint that his object in preaching was to get their money.

In verses 13-15 Paul says that these preachers of “an ethical gospel” were sham apostles, deceitful workers, servants of the devil and doomed to the lake of fire. Such language shocks modern religious feeling; but the shock proves the existence of the immense gulf lying between the teaching of [Paul] and of those who profess to be [his] successors. — Williams, page 906.

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[Paul] could speak plain truths boldly. But with the self-important bishops from Jerusalem it was an altogether different matter. Were they not fully qualified to come to Corinth (from which Paul was now absent!) and ask the Corinthians whether Paul could prove that he was an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, that is, one of the twelve! If not, what right did he have to call himself an apostle? His lack of stature was evident from his simplicity of speech, his plainness of dress, his preaching without salary and his lack of letters of commendation from the Church at Jerusalem.

The authorities there, with James as their acknowledged head, had sent these emissaries to Corinth to discredit Paul and to teach the Corinthian saints that salvation without obedience to the Law was impossible. But what an argument they gave for legalism! “Just look at Paul,” they said, He is no qualified preacher, much less an apostle.” Ah, but they misjudged Paul, for his arguments here are to men parading their own questionable qualifications and recommendations.

Had he committed an offense, he asked, in preaching the gospel freely, i.e., without cost, thus abasing himself so that they might be exalted? He knew beforehand that this would cause much discussion about “the growing church at Corinth,” and less about himself. Will these Judaizers now condemn him for this? How self-effacing his ministry among them had been!

Some 12 years previously the apostle had gotten a job making tents with Aquila and Priscilla, to support himself and his coworkers, but as the Corinthian church was founded and rapidly grew, would one not conclude that they should have offered to support him, indeed should have insisted on doing so? But not the Corinthians! For 12 years, as he labored tirelessly among them, this thought, evidently, had not struck them. As the burdens of the work became greater and more time-consuming, it was the beloved Macedonians, especially the church at Philippi, who, out of their “great trials” and “deep poverty,” supported him financially (8:2, cf Philippians 4:15-16). “I robbed other churches,” he says, “taking wages of them to do you service” (v.8). Imagine, the poor, afflicted Macedonians supporting him while he worked for the rich Corinthians, yes, and lived among them making certain that he would not be in any way a burden to them (v.9).

But the overbearing Jerusalem bishops, with their haughty attitudes and their exorbitant demands actually convinced some of the Corinthian believers that all this proved that Paul was not qualified to be a preacher, much less an apostle.

Ah, but they were no match to a man of God such as Paul, for Paul pointed to his manner of life to “cut off occasion from them which desire occasion, that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we,” i.e., fragile human beings (v.12).

When the apostle declared that no one would stop him from this glorying in his way of life “in the regions of Achaia,” it was not because his love for the Corinthians had waned, but it does show that the Corinthians’ manner of life had spread throughout that whole region. — Stam, pages 208-209.

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It is rather frightening … that religious leaders of high repute, men who stand in the pulpit and preach from the Bible, may be “false” and “deceitful.” … At the great Jerusalem council of Acts 15, “false brethren” were “unawares brought in,” says Paul, “to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus; that they might bring us into bondage” (Galatians 2:4).

Think: False brethren … secretly brought in … to spy out the liberty from Moses’ law which the Gentile saints had so richly enjoyed, so as to bring them into the bondage of the Law, a yoke which neither these Judaizers nor their fathers had been “able to bear” (Acts 15:10).

Thank God for “our beloved brother Paul,” that “good soldier of Jesus Christ,” who could later write: “To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you” (Galatians 2:5).

It was not merely Paul, writing to the Ephesians; it was the Holy Spirit speaking to believers of every generation, who said: “… be no longer children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the slight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Ephesians 4:14).

Indeed, 2 Timothy 3:13 warns us that: “… evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” (This by no means indicates that they are innocently deceived. These are “evil men,” self-deceived, determined to believe what they wish to believe.) — Stam, pages 210-211

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Satan has an extensive wardrobe. He appears in many ways: a serpent, a roaring lion, a dragon, etc. but in the present dispensation of grace he appears as an angel of light and transforms his ministers into “ministers of righteousness” (vs. 14-15).

Therefore Enemy No. 1 to the world today is not the atheist, who belittles Christ and the Bible and does not believe that there even is a God, but the one who teaches his hearers to “be good and do good” so that they may “feel better about themselves.” Their outlook is wholly humanistic. — Stam, pages 212-213.

1 Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly—and indeed you do bear with me.

² For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

³ 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.

⁴ 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!

⁵ For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles.

⁶ Even though I am untrained in speech, yet I am not in knowledge. But we have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things.

To most men it is pleasant to speak of themselves and of their doings; to the Apostle Paul it was painful. Yet the anxiety of his love for the Corinthians compelled him to this humiliation. His love for them was a true affection, for it was charged with anxiety for their spiritual welfare. So he begged them to listen to him while he acted like a fool in speaking of himself.

His love for them was a jealous love; but he was not jealous of their affection for himself, but of their affection for Christ.

Satan is to be dreaded as a lion; more to be dreaded as a serpent (v.3); and most to be dreaded as an angel (v.14).

“The very chiefest apostles (v.5) i.e., not the Twelve Apostles, but these self-made and very preeminent apostles. The language is ironic.

Paul was not defective in knowledge both sacred and secular; and he reminds his converts that he had made that fact thoroughly manifest amongst them by his teaching in all the realms of the Christian faith. — Williams, page 906.

jealous, jealousy (v.2) — in Greek, an onomatopoetic word, imitating the sound of boiling water — to bubble over because so hot, “to burn with zeal,” “to be deeply committed to something,” “to be completely intent upon.”

betrothed to (v.2) = to join, to fit together,

Paul was naturally jealous over the Corinthians with Godly jealousy. They had truly been in love with Christ at the beginning, wholly taken up with Him. And, indeed, Paul still hoped to present them as a chaste virgin to Christ—to be His alone. But he feared that as the serpent had beguiled Eve through His subtlety so their minds might be corrupted from “the simplicity that is in Christ.” Then it would no longer be Christ only, Christ enough, Christ all.

The apostle was distressed, deeply distressed. For one thing, there were now Judaizers in the Corinthian church who sought to prove from the Scriptures that Christ was not enough, and gradually, with some of them, the all-sufficiency of Christ was being displaced by the Law of Moses.

Naturally, these Judaizers found Paul and his message of grace most distasteful. Indeed, they questioned his very apostleship. They represented a church of Jewish kingdom disciples.

Paul, thus, was obliged to defend his God-given position. If his apostleship could be discredited, so could his message, “the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24), the message that had brought salvation, light, and blessing to these Corinthians.

And so, in 2 Corinthians 11 we have Paul vigorously defending his apostleship, so vigorously that he must begin by beseeching his readers: “Bear with me a little in my folly; and indeed [lit., “really”] bear with me.

We take it that Paul here uses the words “folly” and “foolish” by way of accommodation, for it would be more than strange to find divinely-inspired foolishness in the Bible! No, Paul was about to defend his apostleship with such vigor that it might, at times, seem foolish to them. Thus: “Bear with me in what may sometimes seem to you to be folly.” He writes this to prepare them for a maximum defense. — Stam, pages 203-204

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Few today know Christ as He should be known and this is because so many Christian leaders are preaching “another Jesus.” Comparatively little is said about the One who came from heaven’s glory to bear the disgrace and penalty for our sins and now dispenses to believing sinners the riches of His grace. Rather Christ is presented as One who is so nice to know, One with whom we can go down the road of life hand in hand so that we may have “happiness all the time,” as the modern hymn says. But this is not the Christ Paul preached. … Hear Paul’s Spirit-inspired words in 2 Corinthians 5:16: “… yea though we have known Christ after the flesh [as some of the Corinthian believers had known Him], yet now henceforth know we Him no more.”

We are to “know” or recognize our Lord, not as the earthly Jesus, who, while proclaiming His royal rights as Israel’s king, went about healing the sick, casting out demons and doing good generally, but as the glorified Lord at the Father’s right hand, dispensing the riches of His grace to all who will receive.

We believe that “another spirit,” here refers to “another spirit” from the Holy Spirit, who they had, by the grace of God received. We believe the context demands this interpretation. We do not believe that it refers to another attitude on the part of the Corinthian saints, for this would hardly harmonize with an allusion to the Lord Jesus preceding it and an allusion to the gospel following.

The Church today has surely perverted and “wrongly divided” the Scriptures where the person and work of the Holy Spirit are concerned. The Holy Spirit’s ministry in convicting men of sin, imparting eternal life to those who believe, sealing them and baptizing them into Christ and His  Body, bears little resemblance to the “Holy Spirit” whom false teachers have so thoroughly associated with emotionalism, sensualism, and outward demonstration. Theirs is “another spirit,” certainly not the Holy Spirit of the Bible.

As to “another gospel,” which they had not hitherto received, Paul had previously written—and by divine inspiration: “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8).

And realizing fully that this was a strong statement, he repeated it for emphasis: “If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed” (v.9).

And as Christian ministers have continued to mix Paul’s “preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery” [Romans 16:25] with the gospel of the kingdom, the preaching of the Law, the Sermon on the Mount, et al, their followers and they themselves have continued to reap the curse of Galatians 1:8-9. Rather than the clear, powerful proclamation of “the gospel of the grace of God” holding sway, all is a Babel of confusion in Christendom. — Stam, page 205-206.

manifested (v.6) = made clear, made known — Paul’s knowledge had been made completely clear to them “in all things.”

In verse 4, where Paul wrote “you may well put up with it!,” I believe he was admonishing the Corinthians with a little sarcasm and snark. It’s a continuation of his statement in v.3, which beings with “But I fear …” He was saying that he was afraid that Satan would deceive them and cause them to depart from the simplicity of the gospel to the degree that when the Judaizers told them something entirely different about Jesus, about the Holy Spirit, and about the gospel, that they would actually fall for it!

⁷ Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ’s, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ’s, even so we are Christ’s.

⁸ For even if I should boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave us for edification and not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed—

⁹ lest I seem to terrify you by letters.

¹⁰ “For his letters,” they say, “are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.”

¹¹ Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will also be in deed when we are present.

¹² For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

¹³ We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us—a sphere which especially includes you.

¹⁴ For we are not overextending ourselves (as though our authority did not extend to you), for it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ;

¹⁵ not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere,

¹⁶ to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s sphere of accomplishment.

¹⁷ But “he who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”

¹⁸ For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

edification (v.8) means “building up,” while destruction means “tearing down.”

Williams has an interesting take (below) which I don’t know if I entirely agree with in this context, but it bears consideration.

“Authority” (v.8), i.e., his power to inflict sickness or death. The power was real, for when exercised, as in the case of Elymas [Acts 13:8-11], it was effective; and so the Apostle did not fear to be put to shame as he would have been if nothing followed upon his imprecation (v.15). — Williams, page 906.

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Don’t go by “outward appearance,” says the apostle (v.7). “If a man trust to himself that he is Christ’s, let him think again, that Paul is Christ’s too—and with greater evidence to substantiate his claim. — Stam, page 194.

In verse 12, when Paul wrote “we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those … ” I think he was being a little sarcastic. Those men were big shots, they had the recommendations, and their appearance and words, unlike Paul’s, were impressive. But Paul wasn’t about to attempt to play their game. God had appointed him to his role, and that’s the directions he would continue to follow. He restates this in verses 17-18.

Why always compare ourselves with others? (v.12). What matters is that the best of us “come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). It is “not wise” to compare ourselves with others for then, assuredly, we have taken our eyes off God.

It will be remembered that there was great rivalry among the Corinthian believers to promote the leaders they preferred. The really serious thing, however, was that some Judaizers and legalizers had infiltrated their ranks, questioning the apostleship of Paul, whom God had so mightily used to found the great church at Corinth.

These Judaizers came with recommendations from the Messianic Church in Jerusalem and asked, in effect, “How can Paul claim to be an apostle of Christ? Christ had twelve apostles when He was on earth, and Paul was not one of them.” — Stam, page 195.

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It was comparatively easy for these Judaizers to come into Corinth and build on the foundation laid by Paul and then belittle him for his lack of recommendations from “the mother church.” But when Paul had come to Corinth he, most assuredly, did not build upon another man’s foundation. Outside of the synagogue to which he had first come, and from which he had had to separate himself, his was entirely a ministry to the Gentiles, and here God had used him to establish what was probably the largest Christian assembly in the world at that time.

And he had done this according to a “rule” which God had “distributed” or “allotted” to him with respect to reaching out farther with the gospel. The rule was essentially this: “Reach out no farther than permitted by the funds supplied by God’s people.” Following this rule Paul and his co-workers had been able to reach as far as Corinth (v.14).

He had not had to “stretch”his funds to evangelize Corinth. He had not had to build upon other men’s foundations. He had not boasted of other men’s labors,  as though they were his own accomplishments. No, he had moved forward in his evangelistic efforts only as sufficient funds were contributed by God’s people. Indeed, it was his hope that now, with the Corinthian church established, their faith might be increased, and he might be “enlarged abundantly” by them, according to this rule to preach the gospel in regions beyond [them] (vs. 15-16).

Thus he replies to his detractors: “We have not had to boast of things ‘made ready to our hand’ by others” (as they had so freely done). Rather we can praise Him for His leading and for the fruit borne at Corinth—with funds provided by Him through His people.

But all this would be accomplished only “according to this rule,” not confusing faith with presumption, but looking to God to prosper him, through the financial support of His people. And thus he would always be able to practice what he had so long and so faithfully preached: “he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.” — Stam, pages 197-198.

1 Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.

² But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.

⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,

⁵ casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

⁶ and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

The Epistle proper closes at the last verse of the previous chapter, but the Apostle in his anxious love for his converts at Corinth adds a personal postscript (chapters 10-13)—marked by the words “I,” “Me,” and “My”— to enforce his Apostleship, to expose the self-made and false apostles who were corrupting the faith of the converts, and to save them from the destructive teaching of these ministers of Satan (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

The postscript throbs with entreaty and severity—both vehemently expressed because of the vehemence of Paul’s love for his children in the Gospel. — Williams, page 905

lowly (v.1) = humble — inner lowliness describing the person who depends on the Lord rather than self

confidence (v.2) — with the punitive authority that was Paul’s due to his apostleship.

walk in the flesh (v.3) — are men physically

strongholds (v.4) — philosophic strongholds (v.5)

In Chapter 10 the apostle appears to turn from dealing with the backslidden Corinthians as a whole, to answer the legalizers and Judaizers among them who were belittling his apostleship and ministry, for these were exerting a profound influence on the Corinthian congregation. But how humbly and lovingly he protests! …

Recall the touching story recorded for us in John 13. Imagine the Creator of the universe washing His disciples’ feet! Paul partook of this divine humility. He did not come with self-importance or pomp, but in love he sought to show them the truth. He even got a job making tents to support himself and his co-workers while establishing the vast assembly at Corinth. — Stam, page 191.

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The apostle had come to the Corinthians in humble simplicity (2 Corinthians 1:12). He readily acknowledges that as as to his appearance, when among them, it was “base,” (lit., lowly). Indeed, the Corinthian critics voiced this as one of their objections: “For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible” [lit., unimpressive].”

They did not realize that it was what he said that was so effective. Corinth was a great seat of learning, and the Greek philosophers who held forth there were masters of oratory, yes, and sophistry. But Paul, though their peer intellectually, had renounced all this display of wisdom and had come to Corinth in the power of truth.

Thus he beseeches them that he may not need to be bold when he appears among them, certainly not with that “confidence” with which he had contemplated being bold against those who considered him as “walking according to the flesh,” i.e. not being led by the Spirit. Some of these had in fact understood all the apostle’s talk about coming to Corinth, as mere bluff, as though he wouldn’t dare to appear among them.

Paul readily agreed that he was still “in the flesh,” but denied that his spiritual warfare was waged “after the flesh.” “For the weapons of our warfare,” he says, “are not carnal [lit., physical], but [they are] mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.”

Strong language this, and followed by a statement as to how, specifically, God used these “mighty weapons” to “pull down strongholds”: “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”

On several occasions Paul says, as it were, that it would be up to them whether he came to them “with a rod” or “in love and in the spirit of meekness.” [For example]: “What will ye, shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love and in the spirit of meekness?” (1 Corinthians 4:21). And, “If I come again I will not spare, since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me” (2 Corinthians 13:2-3). — Stam, pages 192-193

the obedience of Christ (v.5) — obedience to Christ. Paul was using an analogy of warfare. The strongholds of false doctrine, pride, and sin would be torn down, and all the reason, philosophy, imagination and sin of the false teachers would be led in triumph like the inhabitants of a captured city to the will of Christ.

Note it was when their obedience had been fulfilled and their gift had gone to Judaea (v.6), that there would be time enough to punish all the “disobedience” of those who were causing such distress at the Corinthian church. — Stam, page 194.

Paul was exerting and defending his apostolic authority—he didn’t look or sound like an apostle in person, but his words were bold. He intended to use that authority to punish disobedience if it was needed, but he begged the Corinthian believers to behave in such a way that they wouldn’t need it. He would punish those who mocked him for his physical appearance and used that to discredit his authority. By the power given to him by God, he would destroy the arguments of his opponents who thought they could stand against the truth of God.

¹⁰ Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,

¹¹ while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.

¹² For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God,

¹³ while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men,

¹⁴ and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you.

¹⁵ Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

liberality (v.11) = lit. “simplicity,” “sincerity.” Openness of heart manifesting itself by benefactions, without self-seeking.

administration (v.12) = waiting at a table; in a wider sense, service done with a willing attitude

abounding (v.12) = exceeding the ordinary, overflowing,

The clause in verse 14 could be translated, “for the obedience you render (present, give) to what you profess concerning the gospel.”

liberal (v.13) — same as liberality in v.11 above

indescribable (v.15) — words fail to adequately describe and commemorate it.

God gives a crop to the farmer sufficient to feed him and his family, and to provide seed for the next season, and to help the necessitous and the poor.

Christian benevolence not only supplies the wants of the needy but also motives a great thanksgiving chorus to God from the hearts and lips of the needy. It also fortifies the faith of the Christian recipients, for it is a demonstration to them of the reality of the Gospel and its moral power in the heart of the believer. It also awakens and deepens Christian love, for the recipients of the bounty feel an affection for the donors and desire to meet them and to know them.

Man’s gifts are measurable in language but God’s great gift of His Son—the best thing in heaven for the worst thing on earth—is [indescribable]. — Williams, page 905.

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God does not save us just to make us happy forever. He says in v.11, “Being enriched in everything to all bountifulness.” True, we are not saved by good works, but we are saved “unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). These good works cause many to thank God, bringing glory to His name. — Stam, page 188.

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The word “experiment” (v.13) is dokime in the Greek, having to do with proof. Thus the proof given by your diakonias, service, or ministry, of your acknowledged subjection to the gospel of Christ, will bring glory to God. We take it that the sense here is that the impoverished saints in Judaea were praying and longing that the grace of God might work in the Corinthians “exceedingly,” for their need was indeed great. The Corinthian believers may have expected this, but did they realize how truly valuable were these Judaean prayers in their behalf? Perhaps unwittingly, these poverty-stricken saints were praying the same prayer for the Corinthians as was Paul: that the grace of God might abound in them. — Stam, pages 188-189.

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This gift [of Christ], he says, is indescribable, not “unspeakable.” In 2 Corinthians 12:4, we find Paul, “caught up into Paradise,” where he “heard unspeakable words, which it is not permitted to a man to utter,” but this “unspeakable” is a different word altogether. God’s gracious gift to us is rather beyond our comprehension and certainly beyond our ability to describe in words. — Stam, page 189.

In short, by giving unselfishly to the believers in Judea, the Corinthians would

• be helping them (the believers in Judea) physically.
• be enriching themselves (the Corinthians) spiritually.
• causing Paul and many others to thank God for them (the Corinthians).
• causing the Judean believers to glorify God for the evidence of the Corinthians’ adherence to the gospel
• causing the Judeans to pray for the Corinthians because of the evidence of God’s grace demonstrated by their giving.

All that from simply giving of their abundance to fellow believers in need.

⁶ But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

⁷ So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

⁸ And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

⁹ As it is written: “He has dispersed abroad, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.”

But [although I am not pressing you to give] this [is true] — he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly, and he who sows in a beneficent, generous spirit, with a view to the blessing of the recipient, shall also reap blessings given in a beneficent, generous manner. Let each one give according as he has purposed in his heart, not out of an annoyed and troubled heart, nor because of necessity, for God loves a cheerful, ready giver. Moreover, God is powerful to make every grace superabound to you in order that, having always an all-sufficiency in all things, you may superabound to every good work, even as it stands written, He [the liberal person] scattered abroad, he gave to those who are poor, his righteousness abides forever. — Wuest, page 430.

sparingly (v.6) = abstemiously, stingily

bountifully (v.6) = “with blessing,” with the idea of benefit

Facts in the spiritual realm harmonize with those in the physical (v.6). Many a farmer has a poor crop because he sows sparingly, and many a Christian suffers inward poverty because of outward illiberality. God loves a cheerful believer; but few people believe it. — Williams, page 905.

purposes (v.7) = prefer, to choose for oneself before another thing, to intend

grudgingly (v.7) = with a sour, reluctant mind

necessity (v.7) = compulsion

cheerful (v.7) = joyful, not grudging, prompt, willing

abound and abundance (v.8) = exceed the ordinary, overflow, to be over and above

sufficiency (v.8) = independence, contentment

The quote in verse 9 is from Psalm 112:9 — He has dispersed abroad, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be exalted with honor.

dispersed (v.9) = scatter abroad

The apostle does not say that God will recompense generous contributors with material things. We cannot use God in this way … but He surely will enrich their lives and make them more rewarding than they ever were.

Whatever we do, we should avoid giving “grudgingly,” or “of necessity,” i.e. because we don’t know how to avoid it. … God knows our hearts and knows whether we do or do not really want to make a sacrifice for Him. This is why Paul goes on to say in v.7, “for God loveth a cheerful giver.” (The Greek word here is hilaros, our “hilarious.”) We have a good example of this in the Macedonians. They gave gleefully, happily. They really wanted to help the poor saints in Jerusalem. — Stam, page 186.

1 Now concerning the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you;

² for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority.

³ Yet I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready;

⁴ lest if some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to mention you!) should be ashamed of this confident boasting

⁵ Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation.

What! Must we belabour this subject still further? Hasn’t the apostle said quite enough about it by now? Yea, and he acknowledges: “It is superfluous for me to write to you”—in the sense that he should not need to write them further about this subject since they already knew the facts. — Stam, page 184

Macedonians (v.2) — A Roman province in the northern part of Greece. It included the cities of Berea, Thessalonica (the capital), Philippi, Amphipolis, Appollonia, Neapolis, and Nicopolis, all mentioned in the New Testament.

Achaia (v.2) — Greece, the area of the Corinthian church and other churches in the area like the one in Cenchrea (see Romans 16:1).

A year before (see 2 Corinthians 8:10), Paul had asked the members of the church in Corinth for contributions to bring to the believers in Jerusalem who were suffering. They immediately, enthusiastically agreed (see 2 Corinthians 8:11).

Paul took the story of their willingness to give and used to it encourage other churches located in Macedonia to give also. These other churches also agreed to give, even though their members were suffering persecution and were very poor (see 2 Corinthians 8:2).

The distinction was that the Macedonian churches agreed to give—and then actually took up a collection and gave. The Corinthian church, on the other hand, had stopped with agreeing. They still hadn’t collected any money. The time was coming to take the money to Jerusalem. Paul appointed a delegation led by Titus to travel to Corinth and collect the money so that, when Paul himself arrived, it would be ready.

Paul reminded the Corinthians what an embarrassment it would be to Paul (and to them) to find them unprepared—especially since several Macedonians would be traveling with Paul. These are the same Macedonians who gave—largely—because Paul had told them the Corinthians were giving.

Paul was determined to get the money. It would be much better if they willingly collected it themselves and had it ready when he arrived than if he had to scold them for it when he came.

¹⁶ But thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus.

¹⁷ For he not only accepted the exhortation, but being more diligent, he went to you of his own accord.

¹⁸ And we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches,

¹⁹ and not only that, but who was also chosen by the churches to travel with us with this gift, which is administered by us to the glory of the Lord Himself and to show your ready mind,

²⁰ avoiding this: that anyone should blame us in this lavish gift which is administered by us—

²¹ providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

²² And we have sent with them our brother whom we have often proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, because of the great confidence which we have in you.

²³ If anyone inquires about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker concerning you. Or if our brethren are inquired about, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.

²⁴ Therefore show to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love and of our boasting on your behalf.

Paul arranged that the purse of money for Judea should not be entrusted to him alone but that he should have companions in the trust, so as to avoid the possibility of a suspicion or accusation of mal-administration and personal profit.

Who Titus’ companions were is not stated but they are supposed to be Luke and Trophimus. — Williams, page 905

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Due to the large number of Gentile churches participating and the size of the offering for the Judaean poor, the gift was to be delivered by delegates, two or more from every church. These delegates would be men approved in writing by the congregations (1 Corinthians 16:3) “and,” says the apostle, “if it is meet that I go also, they shall go with me” (1 Corinthians 16:4).

In the case of Corinth Paul himself had provided three trusted men in addition to any whom they might wish to appoint (for there was much strife among them—1 Corinthians 3:3; 2 Corinthians 12:20).

Titus they knew well, and trusted. Indeed, he had shown his great affection for them often, and again now as he was not only sent by Paul, but went to them “of his own accord.” With Titus, Paul sent “the brother,” also known “throughout all the churches” as a consecrated man of God. In fact “all the churches,” as a Christian fellowship, had chosen him to travel with the other delegates to watch over and deliver the collection. Many believe that this was Luke and, indeed, he would have been an appropriate choice for this position. — Stam, pages 179-180.

messengers (v.23) — Paul uses the word for “apostle,” but most likely just in its general sense of “sent ones.”

In verse 24, Paul makes a pointed statement encouraging the Corinthians to give the money they had promised to give in order to show “proof of your love” and evidence that they deserved the kind things Paul had said about them. It was time for them to do the right thing. Paul was giving them no more opportunity to delay.