TEXT. 5 For, I suppose, I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apos tles. 6 But, though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been thoroughly made manifest, among you, in all things. PARAPHRASE. has been a leader amongst you, can preach to you another Saviour, whom I have not preached; or if you receive from him other, or greater gifts of the Spirit, than those you received from me; or another gospel than what you accepted from me; you might well bear with him, and allow his pretensions of be5 ing a new and greater apostle. For, as to the apostles of Christ, I suppose I am not a whit behind the 6 chiefest of them. For though I am but a mean speaker, yet I am not without knowledge; but in every thing have been made manifest unto you, i. e. to be an apostle. NOTE. "nor roving after any other, that he may take you to wife, and marry you to "himself for ever." It is plain, their perverter, who opposed St. Paul, was a jew, as we have seen. It was from the jews, from whom, of all, professing christianity, St. Paul had most trouble and opposition. For they having their hearts set upon their old religion, endeavoured to mix judaism and christianity together. We may suppose the case here to be much the same with that, which he more fully expresses, in the epistle to the galatians, particularly Gal. i. 6-12, and chap. iv. 9-11, and 16-21, and chap. v. 1-13. The meaning of this place here seems to be this: "I have taught you the gospel "alone, in its pure and unmixed simplicity, by which only you can be united "to Christ: but I fear, lest this, your new apostle, should draw you from it; "and that your minds should not stick to that singly, but should be corrupted "by a mixture of judaism." After the like manner, St. Paul expresses christiaus being delivered from the law, and their freedom from the ritual observances of the jews, by being married to Christ, Rom. vii. 4, which place may give some light to this. SECT. IV. No. 4. CHAP. XI. 7-15. CONTENTS. He justifies himself to them, in his having taken nothing of them. There had been great talk about this, and objections raised against St. Paul thereupon; vid. 1 Cor. ix. 1-3. As if, by this, he had discovered himself not to be an apostle: to which he there answers, and here toucheth it again, and answers another objection, which it seems was made, viz. that he refused to receive maintenance from them out of unkindness to them. TEXT. 7 Have I committed an offence, in abasing myself, that you might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely? 8 I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service. 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, and so will I keep myself. PARAPHRASE. 7 Have I committed an offence in abasing myself, to work with my hands, neglecting my right of maintenance, due to me, as an apostle, that you might be exalted in christianity, because I preached the gospel 8 of God to you gratis? I robbed other churches, taking 9 wages of them, to do you service. And, being with you and in want, I was chargeable to not a man of you for the brethren, who came from Macedonia, 7 NOTE. The adverse party made it an argument against St. Paul, as an evidence that he was no apostle, since he took not from the corinthians maintenance, 1 Cor. ix. 1-3. Another objection raised against him from hence, was, that he would receive nothing from them, because he loved them not, 2 Cor. xi. 11. This he answers here, by giving another reason for his so doing. A third allegation was, That it was only a crafty trick in him to catch them, 2 Cor. xii. 16, which he answers there. TEXT. 10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting, in the regions of Achaia. 11 Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth. 12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them, which desire occasion, that, wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. 13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light, 15 Therefore it is no great thing, if his ministers also be transformed, as the ministers of righteousness: whose end shall be according to their works. PARAPHRASE. supplied me with what I needed: and, in all things, I have kept myself from being burdensome 10 to you, and so I will continue to do. The truth and sincerity I owe to Christ is, in what I say to you, viz. This boasting of mine shall not in the 11 regions of Achaia be stopped in me. Why so? Is it, because I love you not? For that God can be 12 my witness, he knoweth. But what I do, and shall do*, is, that I may cut off all occasion from those, who, if I took any thing of you, would be glad of that occasion to boast, that in it they had me for a pattern, and did nothing but what even I myself 13 had done. For these are false† apostles, deceitful labourers in the gospel, having put on the counter14 feit shape and outside of apostles of Christ: And no marvel; for Satan himself is sometimes transformed 15 into an angel of light. Therefore it is not strange, if so be his ministers are disguised so, as to appear ministers of the gospel: whose end shall be according to their works. NOTES. 12 * Kai wońcw, "that I will do," rather, "and will do ; so the words stand in the Greek, and do not refer to ver. 10, as a profession of his resolution to take nothing of them; but to verse 11, to which it is joined; showing that his refusing any reward from them, was not out of unkindness, but for another reason. 13 They had questioned St. Paul's apostleship, I Cor. ix. because of his not taking maintenance of the corinthians. He here directly declares them to be no true apostles. SECT. IV. N°. 5. CHAP. XI. 16-33. CONTENTS. He goes on, in his justification, reflecting upon the carriage of the false apostle towards the corinthians, ver. 16-21. He compares himself with the false apostle, in what he boasts of, as being a Hebrew, ver. 21, 22, or minister of Christ, ver. 23, and here St. Paul enlarges upon his labours and sufferings. 16 I say again, Let no man TEXT. think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little. 17 That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but, as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting. 18 Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory aiso. 19 For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise. 20 For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour PARAPHRASE. 16 I say again, Let no man think me a fool, that I speak so much of myself: or, at least, if it be a folly in me, bear with me as a fool, that I too, as well as 17 others*, may boast myself a little. That, which I say on this occasion, is not by command from Christ, but, as it were, foolishly, in this matter of boasting. 18 Since many glory † in their circumcision, or extrac19 tion, I will glory also. For ye bear with fools 20 easily §, being yourselves wise. For you bear with it, if a man bring you into bondage |, i. e. domineer 16 Vid. ver. 18. 18 Vid. chap. xii. 11. NOTES. "After the flesh." What this glorying "after the flesh" was, in particular here, vid. ver. 22, viz. being a jew by descent. 19 Spoken ironically, for their bearing with the insolence and covetousness of their false apostle. 29 || The "bondage" here meant, was, subjection to the will of their false apostle, as appears by the following particulars of this verse, and not subjection to the jewish rites. For if that had been, St. Paul was so zealous against it, TEXT. you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face. 21 I speak, as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak: howbeit, whereinsoever any are bold, (I speak foolishly) I am bold also. 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 PARAPHRASE. over you, and use you like his bondmen; if he make a prey of you; if he take, or extort presents, or a salary, from you; if he be elevated, and high, amongst you; if he smite you on the face, i. e. treat you con21 tumeliously. I speak, according to the reproach has been cast upon me, as if I were weak, i. e. destitute of what might support me in dignity and authority, equal to this false apostle, as if I had not as fair pre22 tences to power and profit amongst you, as he. Is he an hebrew *, i. e. by language an hebrew? So am I. Is he an israelite, truly of the jewish nation, and bred up in that religion? So am I. Is he of the seed of Abraham, really descended from him? And not a proselyte, of a foreign extraction? So am I. 23 Is he a minister of Jesus Christ? (I speak in my foolish way of boasting) I am more so: in toilsome labours I surpass him: in stripes I am exceedingly beyond him in prisons I have been oftener; and NOTES. that he would have spoken more plainly and warmly, as we see in his epistle to the galatians; and not have touched it thus, only by the bye, slightly, in a doubtful expression. Besides, it is plain, no such thing was yet attempted openly; only St. Paul was afraid of it; vid. ver. 3. 22" Is he an hebrew?" Having, in the foregoing verse, spoken in the singular number, I have been fain to continue the same number here, though different from that in the text, to avoid an inconsistency in the paraphrase, which could not but shock the reader. But this I would be understood to do, without imposing my opinion on any body, or pretending to change the text: but, as an expositor, to tell my reader that I think, though St. Paul says, "they," he means but one; as often, when he says, "we," he means only himself, the reason whereof I have given elsewhere. 23 + Ἐν πληγαῖς ὑπερβαλλόνίως, "in stripes above measure," rather "in "stripes exceeding." For these words, as the other particulars of this verse, ought to be taken comparatively, with reference to the false apostle, with whom St. Paul is comparing himself, in the ministry of the gospel. Unless this be |