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Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
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Commentary & Explanation
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Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
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CHAPTER 11
Maintain the simplicity that is in Christ—Satan sends forth false
apostles—Paul glories in his sufferings for Christ.
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1 WOULD to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.
2 For I am ajealous over you
with godly jealousy: for I have bespoused you to one
husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the
aserpent bbeguiled Eve through his
csubtilty, so your minds should be
dcorrupted from the esimplicity that is
in Christ.
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4 For if he that cometh preacheth another
aJesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive
another spirit, which ye have not received, or another
bgospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear
with him.
5 For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.
6 But though I be
arude in speecha, yet
not in knowledge; but we have been
throughly made manifest among you in all things.
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6a though I be rude in
speech This is not that Paul spoken bad words, but rather he
spoke in a common dialect and not polished, which when conpared to a trained
orator of the high and most proper language, was contemptible to the 'high
society' types of education and religious scholarship. Remember Saul's or
Paul's profession was but a tent maker and he would have developed that
common language of dealing with men at that level. Yet Paul taught in
plainness of language by the spirit which was powerful to the communicating
the word of God even though by a common tongue. And thus perhaps the better
for one need not worry about becoming rapped around Paul's words to awe at
but rather unto simple understanding. Remember Paul would rather speak five
words with plainess and understanding that by the high and fancy tongues of
men which could not be so simply understood.
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7 Have I committed an offence in abasing myself
that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God
afreely?
8 I arobbed other churches,
taking bwages of them, to do you service.
9 And when I was present with you, and wanted,
I was achargeable to no man: for that which was
blacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia
csupplied: and in all things I have kept myself from
being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.
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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
aglory, they may be found even as we.
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13 For such are
afalse apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves
into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no marvel; for aSatan
himself is transformed into an bangel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if
his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose
aend shall be according to their works.
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16 I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if
otherwise, yet as a fool areceive me, that I may
bboast 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.
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19 For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.
20 For ye suffer, if a man bring you into
abondage, if a man devour 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 is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.
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22 Are they aHebrews? so
am I. Are they bIsraelites? so am I. Are
they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
23 Are they aministers of
Christ? (I speak as a fool) bI am more; in
clabours more abundant, in dstripes above
measure, in eprisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
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24 Of the Jews five times received I
aforty stripes save one.
25 Thrice was I abeaten with
rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 In journeyings often, in
perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine
own acountrymen, in perils by the
bheathen, in cperils in the city,
in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in
perils among false brethren;
27 In aweariness and
bpainfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in
fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
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28 Beside 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
aweak? who is offended, and I bburn
not?
30 If I must needs glory, I will glory
of the things which concern mine
infirmitiesa.
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30a I will glory of the things which
concern mine infirmities Paul could have spoken and boasted of his
own religious training and his one time position in the Jewish religion of
the law of Moses, but rather Paul would boast in those things in which he was
but common and ordinarily living. He would not be a fancy pants unto the
people but a simple honest straight forward minister, not living by any wage
paid by the people and he would be long sufftering in those afflictions which
others of such prideful natures would inflect upon him. And this to the good
and benefit of God and man and not pridefully of himself. In this did Paul
boast, like unto King Benjamin who stated that he had served his people all
the days of his life to their benefit and not to his own, not laying any
burden upon the people other than that of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Pual
was cut of that same fabric as all such honest servants of God, serving and
even suffering of himself for the good of the people.
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31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the
king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to
aapprehend me:
33 And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.
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