CompleteConcise
In this chapter the apostle goes on with his discourse, inopposition to the false apostles, who were very industrious to lessen hisinterest and reputation among the Corinthians, and had prevailed too much bytheir insinuations. I. He apologizes for going about to commend himself, andgives the reason for what he did (v. 1-4). II. He mentions, in his own necessaryvindication, his equality with the other apostles, and with the false apostlesin this particular of preaching the gospel to the Corinthians freely, withoutwages (v. 5-15). III. He makes another preface to what he was about further tosay in his own justification (v. 16-21). And, IV. He gives a large account ofhis qualifications, labours, and sufferings, in which he exceeded the falseapostles (v. 22 to the end).
Here we may observe, 1. The apology the apostle makes for goingabout to commend himself. He is loth to enter upon this subject ofself-commendation: Would to God you could bear with me a little in my folly,v. 1. He calls this folly, because too often it is really no better. In his caseit was necessary; yet, seeing others might apprehend it to be folly in him, hedesires them to bear with it. Note, As much against the grain as it is with aproud man to acknowledge his infirmities, so much is it against the grain with ahumble man to speak in his own praise. It is no pleasure to a good man to speakwell of himself, yet in some cases it is lawful, namely, when it is for theadvantage of others, or for our own necessary vindication; as thus it was here.For, 2. We have the reasons for what the apostle did. (1.) To preserve theCorinthians from being corrupted by the insinuations of the false apostles, v.2, 3. He tells them he was jealous over them with godly jealousy; he wasafraid lest their faith should be weakened by hearkening to such suggestions astended to lessen their regard to his ministry, by which they were brought to theChristian faith. He had espoused them to one husband, that is, convertedthem to Christianity (and the conversion of a soul is its marriage to the LordJesus); and he was desirous to present them as a chaste virginpure,and spotless, and faithful, not having their minds corrupted with falsedoctrines by false teachers, as Eve was beguiled by the subtlety of theserpent. This godly jealousy in the apostle was a mixture of love and fear;and faithful ministers cannot but be afraid and concerned for their people, lestthey should lose that which they have received, and turn from what they haveembraced, especially when deceivers have gone abroad, or have crept inamong them. (2.) To vindicate himself against the false apostles, forasmuchas they could not pretend they had another Jesus, or another Spirit, or anothergospel, to preach to them, v. 4. If this had been the case, there would havebeen some colour of reason to bear with them, or to hearken to them. But seeingthere is but one Jesus, one Spirit, and one gospel, that is, or at least thatought to be, preached to them and received by them, what reason could there bewhy the Corinthians should be prejudiced against him, who first converted themto the faith, by the artifices of any adversary? It was a just occasion ofjealousy that such persons designed to preach another Jesus, another Spirit, andanother gospel.
After the foregoing preface to what he was about to say, theapostle in these verses mentions,
I. His equality with the other apostlesthat he was not awhit behind the very chief of the apostles, v. 5. This he expresses verymodestly: I suppose so. He might have spoken very positively. Theapostleship, as an office, was equal in all the apostles; but the apostles, likeother Christians, differed one from another. These stars differed one fromanother in glory, and Paul was indeed of the first magnitude; yet he speaksmodestly of himself, and humbly owns his personal infirmity, that he was rudein speech, had not such a graceful delivery as some others might have. Somethink that he was a man of very low stature, and that his voice wasproportionably small; others think that he may have had some impediment in hisspeech, perhaps a stammering tongue. However, he was not rude in knowledge;he was not unacquainted with the best rules of oratory and the art ofpersuasion, much less was he ignorant of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven,as had been thoroughly manifested among them.
II. His equality with the false apostles in this particularthepreaching of the gospel unto them freely, without wages. This the apostlelargely insists on, and shows that, as they could not but own him to be aminister of Christ, so they ought to acknowledge he had been a good friend tothem. For, 1. He had preached the gospel to them freely, v. 7-10. He hadproved at large, in his former epistle to them, the lawfulness of ministers'receiving maintenance from the people, and the duty of the people to give theman honourable maintenance; and here he says he himself had taken wages ofother churches (v. 8), so that he had a right to have asked and receivedfrom them: yet he waived his right, and chose rather to abase himself, byworking with his hands in the trade of tent-making to maintain himself, than beburdensome to them, that they might be exalted, or encouraged to receivethe gospel, which they had so cheaply; yea, he chose rather to be supplied fromMacedonia than to be chargeable unto them. 2. He informs them of the reason ofthis his conduct among them. It was not because he did not love them (v.11), or was unwilling to receive tokens of their love (for love and friendshipare manifested by mutual giving and receiving), but it was to avoid offence,that he might cut off occasion from those that desired occasion. He wouldnot give occasion for any to accuse him of worldly designs in preaching thegospel, or that he intended to make a trade of it, to enrich himself; and thatothers who opposed him at Corinth might not in this respect gain an advantageagainst him: that wherein they gloried, as to this matter, they mightbe found even as he, v. 12. It is not improbable to suppose that the chiefof the false teachers at Corinth, or some among them, were rich, and taught (ordeceived) the people freely, and might accuse the apostle or his fellow-labourersas mercenary men, who received hire or wages, and therefore the apostle kept tohis resolution not to be chargeable to any of the Corinthians.
III. The false apostles are charged as deceitful workers(v. 13), and that upon this account, because they would transform themselvesinto the likeness of the apostles of Christ, and, though they were the ministersof Satan, would seem to be the ministers of righteousness. They would beas industrious and as generous in promoting error as the apostles were inpreaching truth; they would endeavour as much to undermine the kingdom of Christas the apostles did to establish it. There were counterfeit prophets under theOld Testament, who wore the garb and learned the language of the prophets of theLord. So there were counterfeit apostles under the New Testament, who seemed inmany respects like the true apostles of Christ. And no marvel (says theapostle); hypocrisy is a thing not to be much wondered at in this world,especially when we consider the great influence Satan has upon the minds ofmany, who rules in the hearts of the children of disobedience. As he canturn himself into any shape, and put on almost any form, and look sometimes likean angel of light, in order to promote his kingdom of darkness, so he willteach his ministers and instruments to do the same. But it follows, Their endis according to their works (v. 15); the end will discover them to bedeceitful workers, and their work will end in ruin and destruction.
Here we have a further excuse that the apostle makes for what hewas about to say in his own vindication. 1. He would not have them think he wasguilty of folly, in saying what he said to vindicate himself: Let no manthink me a fool, v. 16. Ordinarily, indeed, it is unbecoming a wise man tobe much and often speaking in his own praise. Boasting of ourselves is usuallynot only a sign of a proud mind, but a mark of folly also. However, says theapostle, yet as a fool receive me; that is, if you count it folly in meto boast a little, yet give due regard to what I shall say. 2. Hementions a caution, to prevent the abuse of what he should say, telling themthat what he spoke, he did not speak after the Lord, v. 17. He would nothave them think that boasting of ourselves, or glorying in what we have, is athing commanded by the Lord in general unto Christians, nor yet that this isalways necessary in our own vindication; though it may be lawfully used, becausenot contrary to the Lord, when, strictly speaking, it is not after the Lord. Itis the duty and practice of Christians, in obedience to the command and exampleof the Lord, rather to humble and abase themselves; yet prudence must direct inwhat circ*mstances it is needful to do that which we may do lawfully, even speakof what God has wrought for us, and in us, and by us too. 3. He gives a goodreason why they should suffer him to boast a little; namely, because theysuffered others to do so who had less reason. Seeing many glory after theflesh (of carnal privileges, or outward advantages and attainments), Iwill glory also, v. 18. But he would not glory in those things, though hehad as much or more reason than others to do so. But he gloried in hisinfirmities, as he tells them afterwards. The Corinthians thought themselveswise, and might think it an instance of wisdom to bear with the weakness ofothers, and therefore suffered others to do what might seem folly; therefore theapostle would have them bear with him. Or these words, You suffer foolsgladly, seeing you yourselves are wise (v. 19), may be ironical, and thenthe meaning is this: "Notwithstanding all your wisdom, you willingly sufferyourselves to be brought into bondage under the Jewish yoke, or sufferothers to tyrannize over you; nay, to devour you, or make a prey of you,and take of you hire for their own advantage, and to exalt themselvesabove you, and lord it over you; nay, even to smite you on the face, orimpose upon you to your very faces (v. 20), upbraiding you while they reproachme, as if you had been very weak in showing regard to me," v. 21. Seeingthis was the case, that the Corinthians, or some among them, could so easilybear all this from the false apostles, it was reasonable for the apostle todesire, and expect, they should bear with what might seem to them anindiscretion in him, seeing the circ*mstances of the case were such as made itneedful that whereinsoever any were bold he should be bold also,v. 21.
Here the apostle gives a large account of his ownqualifications, labours, and sufferings (not out of pride or vain-glory, but tothe honour of God, who had enabled him to do and suffer so much for the cause ofChrist), and wherein he excelled the false apostles, who would lessen hischaracter and usefulness among the Corinthians. Observe,
I. He mentions the privileges of his birth (v. 22), which wereequal to any they could pretend to. He was a Hebrew of the Hebrews; of a familyamong the Jews that never intermarried with the Gentiles. He was also anIsraelite, and could boast of his being descended from the beloved Jacob as wellas they, and was also of the seed of Abraham, and not of the proselytes. Itshould seem from this that the false apostles were of the Jewish race, who gavedisturbance to the Gentile converts.
II. He makes mention also of his apostleship, that he was morethan an ordinary minister of Christ, v. 23. God had counted him faithful, andhad put him into the ministry. He had been a useful minister of Christ untothem; they had found full proofs of his ministry: Are they ministers ofChrist? I am more so.
III. He chiefly insists upon this, that he had been anextraordinary sufferer for Christ; and this was what he gloried in, or rather hegloried in the grace of God that had enabled him to be more abundant inlabours, and to endure very great sufferings, such as stripes abovemeasure, frequent imprisonments, and often the dangers of death,v. 23. Note, When the apostle would prove himself an extraordinary minister, heproves that he had been an extraordinary sufferer. Paul was the apostle of theGentiles, and for that reason was hated of the Jews. They did all they couldagainst him; and among the Gentiles also he met with hard usage. Bonds andimprisonments were familiar to him; never was the most notorious malefactor morefrequently in the hands of public justice than Paul was for righteousness'sake. The jail and the whipping-post, and all other hard usages of those who areaccounted the worst of men, were what he was accustomed to. As to the Jews,whenever he fell into their hands, they never spared him. Five times hefell under their lash, and received forty stripes save one, v. 24. Fortystripes was the utmost their law allowed (Deu. 25:3), but it was usual withthem, that they might not exceed, to abate one at least of that number. And tohave the abatement of one only was all the favour that ever Paul received fromthem. The Gentiles were not tied up to that moderation, and among them he wasthrice beaten with rods, of which we may suppose once was at Philippi, Acts16:22. Once he was stoned in a popular tumult, and was taken up for dead,Acts 14:19. He says that thrice he suffered shipwreck; and we may believehim, though the sacred history gives a relation but of one. A night and a dayhe had been in the deep (v. 25), in some deep dungeon or other, shut up as aprisoner. Thus he was all his days a constant confessor; perhaps scarcely a yearof his life, after his conversion, passed without suffering some hardship orother for his religion; yet this was not all, for, wherever he went, he went inperils; he was exposed to perils of all sorts. If he journeyed by land, orvoyaged by sea, he was in perils of robbers, or enemies of some sort; the Jews,his own countrymen, sought to kill him, or do him a mischief; the heathen, towhom he was sent, were not more kind to him, for among them he was in peril. Ifhe was in the city, or in the wilderness, still he was in peril. He was in perilnot only among avowed enemies, but among those also who called themselvesbrethren, but were false brethren, v. 26. Besides all this, he had greatweariness and painfulness in his ministerial labours, and these are things thatwill come into account shortly, and people will be reckoned with for all thecare and pains of their ministers concerning them. Paul was a stranger to wealthand plenty, power and pleasure, preferment and ease; he was in watchingsoften, and exposed to hunger and thirst; in fastings often, itmay be out of necessity; and endured cold and nakedness, v. 27. Thus washe, who was one of the greatest blessings of the age, used as if he had been theburden of the earth, and the plague of his generation. And yet this is not all;for, as an apostle, the care of all the churches lay on him, v. 28. Hementions this last, as if this lay the heaviest upon him, and as if he couldbetter bear all the persecutions of his enemies than the scandals that were tobe found in the churches he had the oversight of. Who is weak, and I am notweak? Who is offended, and I burn not? v. 29. There was not a weak Christianwith whom he did not sympathize, nor any one scandalized, but he was affectedtherewith. See what little reason we have to be in love with the pomp and plentyof this world, when this blessed apostle, one of the best of men that everlived, excepting Jesus Christ, felt so much hardship in it. Nor was he ashamedof all this, but, on the contrary, it was what he accounted his honour; andtherefore, much against the grain as it was with him to glory, yet, says he, ifI must needs glory, if my adversaries will oblige me to it in my ownnecessary vindication, I will glory in these my infirmities, v. 30. Note,Sufferings for righteousness' sake will, the most of any thing, redound to ourhonour.
In the last two verses, he mentions one particular part of hissufferings out of its place, as if he had forgotten it before, or because thedeliverance God wrought for him was most remarkable; namely, the danger he wasin at Damascus, soon after he was converted, and not settled in Christianity, atleast in the ministry and apostleship. This is recorded, Acts 9:24, 25. This washis first great danger and difficulty, and the rest of his life was a piece withthis. And it is observable that, lest it should be thought he spoke more thanwas true, the apostle confirms this narrative with a solemn oath, or appeal tothe omniscience of God, v. 31. It is a great comfort to a good man that theGod and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is an omniscient God, knows thetruth of all he says, and knows all he does and all he suffers for his sake.
