2 Corinthians 11:12

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. I WILL DO - I will continue to decline help. OCCASION, [ teen (G3588) aformeen (G874)] - 'the handle,' namely, of misrepresenting my motives, which would be afforded to detractors, if I accepted help. THAT WHEREIN THEY GLORY THEY MAY BE FOUND EVEN AS WE. This cannot mean that the false teachers taught gratuitously even as Paul (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:20; 1 Corinthians 9:12). Olshausen makes this...

12._But what I do. _He again explains the reason of his intention. (831) The false Apostles, with the view of alluring to themselves ignorant persons, took no pay. Their serving gratuitously was a show of uncommon zeal. (832) If Paul had availed himself of his right, he would have given them occasion to raise their crest, as if they had been greatly superior to him. Paul, accordingly, that he might give them no occasion of doing injury, did himself, also, preach the Gospel, free of charge, and this is what he adds — that he is desirous to _cut off occasion from those that desire occasion _For the false Apostles were desirous to insinuate themselves by this artifice, and to detract, in proportion to this, from Paul’s credit, if they were superior to him in any respect. He says, that he will not give them this advantage. “They will be found,” says he, “on a level with us

5-15 It is far better to be plain in speech, yet walking openly and consistently with the gospel, than to be admired by thousands, and be lifted up in pride, so as to disgrace the gospel by evil tempers and unholy lives. The apostle would not give room for any to accuse him of worldly designs in preaching the gospel, that others who opposed him at Corinth, might not in this respect gain advantage against him. Hypocrisy may be looked for, especially when we consider the great power which Satan, who rules in the hearts of the children of disobedience, has upon the minds of many. And as there are temptations to evil conduct, so there is equal danger on the other side. It serves Satan's purposes as well, to set up good works against the atonement of Christ, and salvation by faith and grace. But the end will discover those who are deceitful workers; their work will end in ruin. Satan will al...

Verse 2 Corinthians 11:12. _BUT WHAT I DO_, c.] I act thus _that I may cut off_ _occasion_ of glorying, boasting, or calumniating _from them_-the false prophets and his partisans, _who seek occasion_-who would be glad that I should become _chargeable_ to you, that it might in some sort vindicate them who exact much from you for they _bring you_ _into bondage_, and _devour you_, 2 Corinthians 11:20. Nothing could mortify these persons more than to find that the apostle did take nothing, and was resolved to take nothing; while _they_ were fleecing the people. It is certain that the passage is not to be understood as though the false apostles took nothing from the people, to whatever disinterestedness they might

BUT WHAT I DO - The course of life which I have been pursuing I will continue to pursue. That is, I will continue to preach as I have done without demanding a support. I will labor with my own hands if necessary; I will preach without demanding rigidly what I might be entitled to. THAT I MAY CUT OFF OCCASION - That I might give them no opportunity of accusing me of desiring to grow rich, and of calumniating me. Paul meant that they should have no plausible pretext even for accusing him; that no man should be able to say that he was preaching merely for the hire. WHICH DESIRE OCCASION - No doubt his enemies eagerly sought opportunities of accusing him, and greatly wished for some plausible reason for charging him with that which would be disgraceful and ruinous to his character. Or it may mean that they desired opportunity from the example of Paul to justify th

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 ...

BUT WHAT I DO, THAT I WILL DO,.... As he preached the Gospel freely at Corinth and in Achaia, so he was determined to do it for the future, for this reason only, or chiefly: THAT, says he, I MAY CUT OFF OCCASION FROM THEM WHICH DESIRE OCCASION: meaning the false apostles, who sought for, and were desirous of every occasion and opportunity of exalting themselves, and reproaching him: that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we; the sense of which according to some interpreters is, that whereas some of the false apostles, at least who were rich men, took nothing for preaching, but gave their labours freely, were very desirous that the apostle would receive of the churches in these parts, that they might have an occasion against him, and an opportunity of showing themselves, as in learning and eloquence, so in this respect, to be superior to him, in that they preached freely, an...

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...

THE PERIL OF SEDUCTION (2 Corinthians 11:1-6)...