¶ Would that ye would bear with me in a little folly; but indeed bear with me. v.1 In the next two chapters Paul continues the defense of his apostleship. The seriousness of the danger from false apostles in Corinth called for Paul to get very personal is his defense. He had just said “But he that boasts, let him boast in the Lord” (2 Cor. 10:17). The only One Christians should boast in is the Lord. But now the Corinthians had compelled Paul to speak of himself, which Paul acknowledged was “a little folly (foolishness)“. He apologizes for having to speak this way. It is not seemly for a servant of the Lord to do so, but it was needful for the Corinthians, and needful for us as well.

 

2 For I am jealous as to you with a jealousy which is of God; for I have espoused you unto one man, to present you a chaste virgin to Christ. v.2 Often we think of jealousy as a manifestation of the flesh, but there is such a thing as godly jealousy. In fact, when warning Israel of the sin of idolatry, Jehovah declared “For thou shalt worship no other god: for Jehovah, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (Exodus 34:14). Jealousy in this sense is a protectiveness, defensiveness, and vigilance over what rightfully belongs to you. Envy is different; wanting what rightfully belongs to another. God is jealous of our affections, of our praise, and of our worship. Paul was jealous over the Corinthians as well. Paul could say, “I have espoused you unto one man, to present you a chaste virgin to Christ”. He was the one what had brought the gospel to Corinth, and was like one who orchestrates the espousal of man and woman, and takes a special interest in the success of that engagement. Although the expression seems to fall short of the universal Church, yet in a sense, espousal presents the relation of the Church to Christ at this time. The dowry or down-payment has been given, which is the Holy Spirit, who is “the earnest of our inheritance” (Eph. 1:13-14). Even though we have never met our Bridegroom, we know His love, His voice, His very thoughts through the Holy Spirit. The next thing we are waiting for is our Heavenly Bridegroom to take us home to the Father’s house, followed by the “marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:9). But the point here is that Paul had been faithful with the Corinthians, and always directed their hearts to Christ. Paul’s desire was that the saints would be preserved spiritually for Christ like a “chaste virgin” for her wedding day. A chaste virgin is characterized by both affection and fidelity.

 

3 But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craft, so your thoughts should be corrupted from simplicity as to the Christ. v.3 The false teachers in Corinth were seeking to do the opposite, to detach the hearts of God’s people from Christ, just as the serpent cast doubt on the goodness of God. To bring in anything in addition to the Word of God is to have our thoughts corrupted. The enemy of our soul is always looking to cast doubt on the simple declarations of God. He will use “any means” to lead us away from the truth. “Hath God said?” is the age old technique of Satan. Before this, the matter of the forbidden fruit was very simple. Satan seeks to complicate it. The command from God to man was simple, but Satan’s line of attack was to fabricate some hidden plot of God withholding good from man, a higher knowledge to be desired, and it served to complicate and confuse the matter. Satan planted a seed of doubt in Eve’s mind as to the goodness of God, and deceived her. As soon as Eve began to distrust God, she became open to deception. Like Eve, the Corinthians had become open to deception as well.

 

4 For if indeed he that comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or ye get a different Spirit, which ye have not got, or a different glad tidings, which ye have not received, ye might well bear with it. v.4 The exact meaning of v.4 is not entirely clear. The last part of the verse could be taken two ways. If the teachers had been able (“if indeed”) to bring another Jesus, a different Spirit, and a different gospel, there would at least have been some logical reasoning for the Corinthians to bear with the teachers that had come among them; “ye might well bear with it”. But since there is only one Jesus, one Spirit, and one gospel, there was no excuse for receiving these men… especially since it came at the rejection of Paul, who had presented the one true Jesus, Spirit, and gospel to them. An alternative meaning could be that Paul was fearful that the Corinthians had been so deceived that, if someone came preaching false doctrine concerning the very foundations of Christianity, that the assembly might be likely to tolerate it; “ye might well bear with it”. In either case, what identifies a false apostle is that they bring false doctrine, and a twisted version of true Christianity.

The assembly is to have zero-tolerance for evil doctrine, yet these false apostles had found a place of acceptance among the Corinthians.

 

5 For I reckon that in nothing I am behind those who are in surpassing degree apostles. v.5 Paul words this carefully. He did not say that he was ahead of the other apostles. He puts it another way, that he was not behind the greatest of the twelve, such as Peter, James, and John. In the book of Galatians, Paul expands on this very point from a doctrinal standpoint; his knowledge of Christian doctrine was not behind the chiefest of the twelve. Here in 2 Corinthians, he demonstrates the same fact, but more from the perspective of moral power.

 

6 But if I am a simple person in speech, yet not in knowledge, but in everything making the truth manifest in all things to you. v.6 Paul was not known for great eloquence, like the false apostles in Corinth prided themselves. He was simple in speech, which his detractors were quick to point out. But he was not simple in the knowledge of the things of God. Paul used simple, understandable language to present the full knowledge (“in all things”) of God. We can learn something important from this. Do we listen to someone just because they are a good speaker? What do they say? Does it agree with the Word of God? Does it tend to occupy the hearer with Christ, or with the speaker? These are searching questions. Not only was Paul’s speech full of the knowledge of God, but his moral character made the truth manifested; “making the truth manifest in all things to you”. The true ministers of Christ must have these two components: clarity in doctrine, and sound moral character.

Judaizing teachers are mentioned in many of the Epistles: they had made inroads among the Corinthians (2 Cor. 11:22), the Philippians (Phil. 3:2), the Colossians (Col. 2:18), the Cretans (Tit. 1:10), but nowhere with as much success as among the Galatian assemblies. The tendency towards natural religion has been the bane of Christianity. They were those of whom Paul wrote, "desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm" (1 Tim. 1:7). They were of Jewish ethnicity but had come under the umbrella of Christianity. They found some benefit to being among Christians. Their primary motive was to gain a following and thereby to profit financially. They claimed to be closely connected to the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, but they could not prove their genealogy as Paul could (Phil. 3). Paul was raised up as a suited vessel to deal with the Judaizers, because he himself had been one!

¶ 16 Again I say, Let not any one think me to be a fool; but if otherwise, receive me then even as a fool, that “I” also may boast myself some little. 17 What I speak I do not speak according to the Lord, but as in folly, in this confidence of boasting. vv.16-17 It was not Paul’s desire, nor was it his custom, to boast of himself. Even though he had much to boast of, it wasn’t direct occupation with Christ, and therefore it was distasteful to him. In v.16 he says “Let not any one think me to be a fool”; in other words, please don’t think I’m really a boaster. But then he says “receive me then even as a fool”. If the assembly had gotten down to the level of judging a man by his boasting, then Paul was willing to boast himself “some little”. Yet boasting of any kind is foolish, and Paul wouldn’t forget it, even if they compelled him to boast a little.

 

18 Since many boast according to flesh, “I” also will boast. 19 For ye bear fools readily, being wise. 20 For ye bear if any one bring you into bondage, if any one devour you, if any one get your money, if any one exalt himself, if any one beat you on the face. vv.18-19 Again, if the Corinthians were willing to bear with fools, Paul would also boast, behaving himself as a fool for their profit. Paul says they were “‘wise”, speaking with pointed irony. They thought they were wise, but they were really putting up with those who would take advantage of them. What the Corinthians were tolerating from the false apostles was:

A Twofold Boast. The false apostles boasted in two things: (v.22) of their being Jews, and (v.23) of their claim to be servants of Christ. As to the first claim, Paul shows that he was equal as a Jew (“I also”), and therefore the false apostles had no advantage over him. As to the second claim, Paul shows that he was more (“above measure so”). There was really no comparison when it came to service for Christ.

 

21 I speak as to dishonour, as though “we” had been weak; but wherein any one is daring, (I speak in folly,) “I” also am daring. 22 Are they Hebrews? “I” also. Are they Israelites? “I” also. Are they seed of Abraham? “I” also. vv.21-22 In contrast to the false apostles, Paul had been among them as “weak”. That is, he hadn’t brought them into bondage, or took control of the assembly, or exalted himself. But his detractors had used this very thing to reproach him before the Corinthians! Since Paul’s humility, which was the greatest proof of his ministry, had been discounted, he now turns a different direction: to boast in that which the flesh could admire (v.22). They boasted in being Jews. The three names given rise successively in honor:

In each of the claims, Paul could claim as much. Actually, if he had not left these things behind, he would have even more to boast of. “If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee” (Phil. 3:4-5). But Paul had left those things behind, counting them loss for Christ.

 

23a Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as being beside myself) “I” above measure so; v.23a Suffering for Christ. Paul’s apostleship was proven by a long record of what he had suffered for Christ. These were not things that the false apostles could boast in, or would want to boast in. These sufferings set Paul completely apart from all those who pretended to be the servants of Christ. The Lord had told Ananias concerning Paul, “I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake” (Acts 9:16). These sufferings did not cause Paul to become hard and bitter, but they were something he actually rejoiced in, as he could later write, “Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church” (Col. 1:24). In the following verses, Paul lists twenty-five things that he suffered, presenting a life of devotion to the service of Christ. What an example for us! Like David’s lion and bear, these things would have remained unspoken otherwise. He didn’t boast in miracles, number of converts, etc. but in the infirmity and dependence on the Lord.

 

23b ⁽¹⁾ in labours exceedingly abundant, ⁽²⁾ in stripes to excess, ⁽³⁾ in prisons exceedingly abundant, ⁽⁴⁾ in deaths oft. 24 ⁽⁵⁾ From the Jews five times have I received forty stripes, save one. 25⁽⁶⁾ Thrice have I been scourged [‘beaten with rods’]¹, ⁽⁷⁾ once I have been stoned, vv.23-25a Suffering Persecution for Christ. Firstly, Paul speaks of that which he suffered directly at the hands of the enemies of Christ.

25b ⁽⁸⁾ three times I have suffered shipwreck, ⁽⁹⁾ a night and day I passed in the deep: 26 ⁽¹⁰⁾ in journeyings often, ⁽¹¹⁾ in perils of rivers, ⁽¹²⁾ in perils of robbers, ⁽¹³⁾ in perils from my own race, ⁽¹⁴⁾ in perils from the nations, ⁽¹⁵⁾ in perils in the city, ⁽¹⁶⁾ in perils in the desert, ⁽¹⁷⁾ in perils on the sea, ⁽¹⁸⁾ in perils among false brethren; vv.25b-26 The Cost of Traveling with the Gospel. Secondly, Paul speaks of the danger he faced in bringing the gospel to the Gentiles.

27 ⁽¹⁹⁾ in labour and toil, ⁽²⁰⁾ in watchings often, ⁽²¹⁾ in hunger and thirst, ⁽²²⁾ in fastings often, ⁽²³⁾ in cold and nakedness. v.27 Personal Discomforts. Thirdly, Paul speaks of those personal discomforts that constantly accompany the path of service.

28 ⁽²⁴⁾ Besides those things that are without, the crowd of cares pressing on me daily, the burden of all the assemblies. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is stumbled, and I burn not? vv.28-29 Suffering in Sympathy with the Saints. 

30 If it is needful to boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus knows — he who is blessed for ever — that I do not lie. vv.30-31 Paul chose carefully what to boast in. He did not chose to boast in his great accomplishments in the service of Christ, nor of the miracles which he did. Those are things that the flesh can glory in. Rather, he chose to “boast in the things which concern my infirmity”… things which do not attract the praise of men. There is a practical lesson in this for any who publicly minister the Word. As a general guideline, talk about yourself rarely, if ever. And if you do talk about yourself, don’t tell stories that make you look good, or would attract the praise of men. It would be better to share an experience where you learned something the hard way, rather than pat yourself on the back, so to speak. And secondly, tell the truth (v.31). Paul was not exaggerating or embellishing these events. They actually happened, and Paul could relate them in good faith. Do not lead people to believe something wrong to accomplish your agenda. We should always tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth!

 

32 ⁽²⁵⁾ In Damascus the ethnarch of Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes shut up, wishing to take me; 33 and through a window in a basket I was let down by the wall, and escaped his hands. v.32 Humiliation before men.