SECT. IV. N°. 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 ser vice. 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 of God to you gra8 tis? I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to 9 do you service. And, being with you and in want, I was chargeable to not a man of you: for the brethren, who ΝΟΤΕ. 7 a 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 answere here, by giving another reason for his so doing. A third allesation 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. came from Macedonia, supplied me with what I needed: and, in all things, I have kept myself from being burden10 some 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 regions of 11 Achaia be stopped in me. Why so? Is it, because I love you not? For that God can be my witness, he 12 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 13 even I myself had done. For these are false' apostles, deceitful labourers in the gospel, having put on the counterfeit shape and outside of apostles of Christ: 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is sometimes trans15 formed 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 h Kai wo now, "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 ver. 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, 1 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 car riage 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. TEXT. 16 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. 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 also. 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 others, may 17 boast myself a little. That, which I say on this occasion, is not by command from Christ, but, as it were, 18 foolishly, in this matter of boasting. Since many glory in their circumcision, or extraction, I will glory also. 19 For ye bear with fools easily, being yourselves wise. 20 For you bear with it, if a man bring you into bondage, 16 a 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. 20 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, VOL. VIII, S 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 the seed of Abraham? 23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I Are they Israelites? So am I. speak as a fool) I am more: in PARAPHRASE. i. e. domineer 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 21 contumeliously. 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 pretences to 22 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 23 extraction? So am I. 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; 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 8 Ἐν πληγαῖς ὑπερβαλλόνως, "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 TEXT. labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. 24 Of the jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25 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: 26 Iu journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 28 Besides those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? 30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. PARAPHRASE. 24 and in the very jaws of death, more than once: Of the jews I have, five times, received forty stripes save one. 25 Thrice was I whipped with rods: once was I stoned: thrice shipwrecked: I have passed a night and a day in 26 the sea: In journeyings often: in perils by water; în perils by robbers; in perils by mine own countrymen ; in perils from the heathen; in perils in the city; in perils in the country; in perils at sea; in perils among false 27 brethren; In toil and trouble, and sleepless nights, often; in hunger and thirst; in fastings, often; in cold and 28 nakedness. Besides these troubles from without the disturbance that comes daily upon me, from my con29 cern for all the churches. Who is a weak christian, in danger, through frailty or ignorance, to be misled, whose weakness I do not feel and suffer in, as if it were my own? Who is actually misled, for whom my zeal and concern do not make me uneasy, as if I had a fire in 30 me? If I must be compelled to glory, I will glory NOTES. understood so, there will seem to be a disagreeable tautology in the following verses; which, taking these words in a comparative sense, are proofs of his saying, "In stripes I am exceedingly beyond him; for of the jews five "times," &c. 30 "Compelled." Vid. chap. xii. 11. By navxãobat, which is translated sometimes "to glory," and sometimes |