2 Corinthians 11:20

For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face. FOR - ye may well "bear with" fools; for ye even "bear with" oppressors. 'Ye bear with them.' IF A MAN - as the false apostles do. BRING YOU INTO BONDAGE - to himself. Translate, 'brings,' for the case is not a supposed case, but a case actually then occurring. Also 'devours,'-namely, by exactions (Matthew 23:14) - 'takes,' 'exalts,' 'smites,' take of you. So the Greek [ lambanei (G2983)] for "take" is used for 'take away from' (Revelation 6:4). Billroth tra...

20._For ye bear with it, if any one. _There are _three _ways in which this may be understood. He may be understood as reproving the Corinthians in _irony, _because they could not endure any thing, as is usually the case with effeminate persons; or he charges them with indolence, because they had given themselves up to the false Apostles in a disgraceful bondage; or he repeats, as it were, in the person of another, what was spitefully affirmed respecting himself, (845) as if he claimed for himself a tyrannical authority over them. The _second _meaning is approved by Chrysostom, Ambrose, and Augustine, and hence it is commonly received; and, indeed, it corresponds best with the context, although the _third _is not less in accordance with my views. For we see, how he was calumniated from time to time by the malevolent, as if he domineered tyrannically, while he was very far from doing so. A...

16-21 It is the duty and practice of Christians to humble themselves, in obedience to the command and example of the Lord; yet prudence must direct in what it is needful to do things which we may do lawfully, even the speaking of what God has wrought for us, and in us, and by us. Doubtless here is reference to facts in which the character of the false apostles had been shown. It is astonishing to see how such men bring their followers into bondage, and how they take from them and insult them....

Verse 20. _FOR YE SUFFER_] As you are so _meek_ and _gentle_ as to submit to be brought into _bondage_, to have your property _devoured_, your goods _taken_ away, yourselves laid in the dust, so that others may _exalt_ themselves over you, yea, and will bear from those the most degrading _indignity_; then of course, you will bear with _one_ who has never _insulted, defrauded, devoured, taken_ of you, _exalted_ himself against you, or offered you any kind of indignity; and who only wishes you to bear his confident boasting, concerning matters which he can substantiate. The expressions in this verse are some evidence that the false apostle was a _Judaizing_ teacher. _You suffer_, says the apostle, _if_ _a man_, καταδουλοι, _bring you into bondage_, probably meaning to the Jewish _rites_ and _ceremonies_,...

FOR YE SUFFER ... - You bear patiently with people who impose on you in every way, and who are constantly defrauding you, though you profess to be so wise, and you may bear with me a little, though I have no such intention. Seriously, if you bear with boasters who intend to delude and deceive you in various ways, you may bear with one who comes to you with no such intention, but with an honest purpose to do good. IF A MAN BRING YOU INTO BONDAGE - (καταδουλοῖ katadouloi). If a man, or if anyone (εἴ τις ei tis) “make a slave of you,” or reduce you to servitude. The idea is, doubtless, that the false teachers set up a lordship over their consciences; destroyed their freedom of opinion; and made them subservient to their will. They really took away their Christian freedom as much as if they had b

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 ...

FOR YE SUFFER IF A MAN BRING YOU INTO BONDAGE,.... They not only suffered and tolerated the foolish boasting of these men with pleasure, but patiently and stupidly bore their oppressions, injuries, and insults, things that were intolerable, which no man of any sense and wisdom would ever suffer; and yet they took all quietly from them, made no objection, but patiently submitted to them, and therefore might well bear a little with him; they were voluntarily led captive, and brought into bondage by them, to the yoke of the ceremonial law, to the observance of circumcision, meats and drinks, days, months, times and years; and to the yoke of human doctrines, traditions, tenets, laws, and rules: if a man devour or eat; though they devoured their houses, as the Pharisees did; ate up their substance, were insatiable in their covetousness; were greedy dogs that could never have enough, could not...

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 ...

COMPARISON BETWEEN PAUL AND HIS OPPONENTS (_cf._ 2 Corinthians 11:6). Under the pressure of intense feeling he will break through his inclination and self-imposed resolve of silence, to let his character and his sufferings in the cause of Christ speak for themselves. But in doing so, he makes it clear that he waives all authority of one who speaks in the Lord. Speaking simply as a frail man, he pleads that he may receive at least such a hearing as the Corinthians have given to the other men who have tyrannised over them, exploited them, even buffeted them. If such high-handed arrogance as they have practised be what they mean by strength, then he admits (ironically adding to my disgrace) that he had been weak. The passage which follows (2 Corinthians 11:22 to...

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