2 Corinthians 11:33

22-33 The apostle gives an account of his labours and sufferings; not out of pride or vain-glory, but to the honour of God, who enabled him to do and suffer so much for the cause of Christ; and shows wherein he excelled the false apostles, who tried to lessen his character and usefulness. It astonishes us to reflect on this account of his dangers, hardships, and sufferings, and to observe his patience, perseverance, diligence, cheerfulness, and usefulness, in the midst of all these trials. See what little reason we have to love the pomp and plenty of this world, when this blessed apostle felt so much hardship in it. Our utmost diligence and services appear unworthy of notice when compared with his, and our difficulties and trials scarcely can be perceived. It may well lead us to inquire whether or not we really are followers of Christ. Here we may study patience, courage, and firm trust...

Verse 2 Corinthians 11:33. _THROUGH A WINDOW IN A BASKET_] Probably the house was situated on the wall of the city. See the notes on this history, Acts 9:23. IN ver. 2 of this chapter 2 Corinthians 11:2 the apostle most evidently alludes to the history of the _temptation_, and _fall_ of Adam and Eve, as related in Genesis 3:1, c. and which fall is there attributed to the agency of a being called נחש _nachash_, here, and in other places, translated οφις, _serpent_. In my notes on Genesis I have given many, and, as I judge, solid reasons, why the word cannot be understood lite

AND THROUGH A WINDOW - That is, through a little door or aperture in the wall; perhaps something like an embrasure, that might have been large enough to allow a man to pass through it. Luke says Acts 9:25 that they let him down “by the wall.” But there is no inconsistency. They doubtless first passed him through the embrasure or loop-hole in the wall, and then let him down gently by the side of it. Luke does not say it was over the top of the wall, but merely that he descended by the wall. It is not probable that an embrasure or opening would be near the bottom, and consequently there would be a considerable distance for him to descend by the side of the wall after he had passed through the window. Bloomfield, however, supposes that the phrase employed by Luke and rendered “by the wall,” means properly “through the wall.” But I prefer the former interpretation....

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 ...

AND THROUGH A WINDOW IN A BASKET WAS I LET DOWN,.... The house in which he was, like Rahab's, was built upon the wall of the city, and as she let down the spies by a cord through the window, and as David was by Michal; so the apostle was let down by the brethren with cords, as Jeremiah was, Jeremiah 38:6 where the Septuagint use the same word as here, through a window; "which", as the Arabic version reads it, "was in the wall"; or he was let down by the wall side, "in a basket or net"; so σαργανη, and סריגתא, the word which the Syriac version here uses, signify and design a basket made of withs, wrought together in the form of network; frequent mention is made in the Jewish writings e of סריגות החלונות, "the networks and lattices of windows"; whether these were not taken off the window and put into a form like a basket, and in it the apostle let down by the brethren with the help of cord...

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)...

THROUGH. Greek. _dia._ App-104. 2 Corinthians 11:1. WINDOW. Greek. _thuris._ See Acts 20:9. BASKET. Greek. _sargane._ Only here. In Acts 9:25 the word is _spuris._ LET DOWN. Greek. _chalao_. See Luke 5:4, BY. Greek. _dia_, as above....

St Paul permits himself to enumerate his labours for the Gospel's sake 18. _after the flesh_ See note on _after the Lord_, and Philippians 3:4. Also note on ch. 2 Corinthians 10:3. St Paul means after the manner of those who judge only by what is outward and visible, or perhaps he may mean boasting of things, such as "high birth, wealth, wisdom, of being circumcised, of Hebrew ancestry, of popular renown" (Chrysostom), on which fleshly men set high value. _I will glory also_ "It is remarkable that St Paul does not glory in what he has _done_, but what he has _borne_." Robertson....