2 Corinthians 11:1

Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. WOULD TO GOD - Greek, 'I would that.' BEAR WITH ME - I may not unreasonably ask to be borne with: not so the false apostles. (2 Corinthians 11:4; 2 Corinthians 11:20). MY. So 'Aleph (') G f g, Vulgate. B Delta omit "my" [ tees (G3588)]. FOLLY. The Greek is a milder term than "foolishness" (1 Corinthians 3:19; Matthew 5:22;...

1._Would that ye did bear with me. _As he saw that the ears of the Corinthians were still in part pre-engaged, (793) he has recourse to another contrivance, for he turns to express a wish, as persons do when they do not venture openly to entreat. (794) Immediately afterwards, however, as if gathering confidence, he nevertheless entreats the Corinthians to bear with his_folly_. He gives the name of _folly _to that splendid proclamation of his praises, which afterwards follows. Not as if he were a fool in glorying; for he was constrained to it by necessity, and besides, he restrained himself in such a manner, that no one could justly regard him as going beyond bounds; but as it is an unseemly thing to herald one’s own praises, and a thing that is foreign to the inclinations of a modest man, he speaks by way of concession. What I have rendered in the imperative

1-4 The apostle desired to preserve the Corinthians from being corrupted by the false apostles. There is but one Jesus, one Spirit, and one gospel, to be preached to them, and received by them; and why should any be prejudiced, by the devices of an adversary, against him who first taught them in faith? They should not listen to men, who, without cause, would draw them away from those who were the means of their conversion....

CHAPTER XI. _The apostle apologizes for expressing his jealousy relative to_ _the true state of the Corinthians; still fearing lest their_ _minds should have been drawn aside from the simplicity of the_ _Gospel_, 1-3; _From this he takes occasion to extol his own ministry, which_ _had been without charge to them, having been supported by the_ _Churches of Macedonia while he preached the Gospel at Corinth_, 4-11. _Gives the character of the false apostles_, 12-16. _Shows what reasons he has to boast of secular advantages of_...

WOULD TO GOD - Greek, “I would” (Ὄφελον Ophelon). This expresses earnest desire, but in the Greek there is no appeal to God. The sense would be well expressed by “O that,” or “I earnestly wish.” YE COULD BEAR WITH ME - That you would bear patiently with me; that you would hear me patiently, and suffer me to speak of myself. IN MY FOLLY - Folly in boasting. The idea seems to be, “I know that boasting is generally foolish, and that it is not to be indulged in. But though it is to be generally regarded as folly, yet circumstances compel me to it, and I ask your indulgence in it.” It is possible also that his opponents accused him of folly in boasting so much of himself. AND INDEED BEAR WITH ME - Margin, “Ye do bear.” But the text has probably the correct rendering

AN APOSTLE DRIVEN AGAINST HIS WILL INTO A SEMBLANCE OF BOASTING. EXPOSITION An apology for the "foolishness" of boasting (2 Corinthians 11:1). He is not afraid of comparisons (2 Corinthians 11:5, 2 Corinthians 11:6). He will not recede from his despised practice of teaching gratuitously (2 Corinthians 11:7). A second apology, drawn from the outrageous conduct of his opponents ...

WOULD TO GOD YOU COULD BEAR WITH ME A LITTLE,.... The false apostles boasted so much of their gifts, abilities, and usefulness, that the apostle found himself under a necessity of saying some things in his own defence, for the honour of God, and the good of this church; which otherwise his modesty would not have permitted him, and which he saw would be accounted and censured as folly in him by others; and therefore he entreats their patience a little while, and that they would suffer him to say a few things in vindication of his character, and not be offended; though it would be in commendation of himself, which, were he not forced to, would look vain and foolish: and therefore says, BEAR WITH ME A LITTLE IN MY FOLLY, and which he presses with importunity, AND INDEED BEAR WITH ME; he insists upon it, he urges it as what he must not be denied in; for could he have avoided it, he would n...

2. ANSWERING HIS ADVERSARIES. HIS BOASTINGS. CHAPTER 11 _ 1. The Danger Through False Teachers. (2 Corinthians 11:1)_ 2. Answering His Adversaries. (2 Corinthians 11:7) 3. His Boastings of Labors and Sufferings. (2 Corinthians 11:16 .) Inasmuch as he did not want to boast, he tells the Corinthians to bear with him a little while he acts foolishly in speaking of himself. It had become necessary to do so in order to answer his adversaries, who were making havoc among the Corinthians, but he looks upon his vindication and boasting as nothing less than folly. He is about to do what he had exposed in others in the previous chapter ...

A TENDER APPEAL TO THE CHURCH AS A WHOLE. This appeal may sound like foolish sentiment. Let them bear with him. _Indeed_ he is sure that they do. What has happened under Paul's guidance and inspiration is nothing less than the betrothal of the Corinthian church as a pure virgin to Christ, a new Eve for the new Adam. But as there was a serpent in the first Eden, so now the tempter is at work. They have been only too complaisant in hearkening to his voice, to those who have preached another Jesus, laying all the emphasis on His earthly life and His observance of the Law. If these Judaizing teachers claimed for their doctrine the support of those who called themselves or were called the superior apostles, such a claim was absurd. There was no superiority. Paul might be unequal to some of them in eloquence, but not in that knowledge of Divine truth, which he communicated in every particular...

Would that you would bear with me in a little foolishness--but I know that you do bear with me. I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God, for I betrothed you to one husband, I wished to present a pure maiden to Christ. But I am afraid, that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your thoughts may be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity which look to Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus, a Jesus whom we did not preach, if you take a different spirit, a spirit which you did not take, if you receive a different gospel, a gospel which you did not receive, you bear it excellently! Well, I reckon that I am in nothing inferior to these super-apostles. I may be quite untrained in speaking, but I am not untrained in knowledge, but, in fact, in everything and in all things we made the knowledge of God clear to you. All through this section Paul has to adopt met...