2 Corinthians 11:8

I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service. I ROBBED - i:e., took from them, in order to spare you the cost of my maintenance while preaching to you, e.g., the Philippian church (Philippians 4:15). WAGES `subsidy ' WAGES - `subsidy.' TO DO YOU SERVICE - Greek, 'with a view to ministration to you:' cf. 'supplied in addition,' , implying he brought with him from the Macedonians supplies toward his maintenance at Corinth; and () when those resources failed ("when I wanted"), he received a new supply while there, from the same....

8._I robbed other churches _He has intentionally, in my opinion, made use of an offensive term, that he might the more forcibly express the unreasonableness of the matter — in respect of his being despised by the Corinthians. “I have,” says he, “procured pay for myself from the _spoils _of others, that I might serve you. While I have thus spared you, how unreasonable it is to make me so poor a return!” It is, however, a metaphor, that is taken from what is customary among soldiers; for as conquerors take _spoils _from the nations that they have conquered, so every thing that Paul took from the Churches that he had gained to Christ was, in a manner, the _spoils _of his victories, though, at the same time, he never would have taken it from persons against their will, but what they contributed gratuitously was, in a manner, due by right of spiritual warfare. (825)...

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 11:8. _I ROBBED OTHER CHURCHES_] This part of the sentence is explained by the latter, _taking wages to do you service_. The word οψωνιον signifies the _pay_ of money and provisions given daily to a _Roman soldier_. As if he had said: I received food and raiment, the bare necessaries of life, from other Churches while labouring for _your_ salvation. Will _you_ esteem this a crime?...

I ROBBED OTHER CHURCHES - The churches of Macedonia and elsewhere, which had ministered to his needs. Probably he refers especially to the church at Philippi (see Philippians 4:15), which seems to have done more than almost any other church for his support. By the use of the word “robbed” here Paul does not mean that he had obtained anything from them in a violent or unlawful manner, or anything which they did not give voluntarily. The word (ἐσύλησα esulēsa) means properly, “I spoiled, plundered, robbed,” but the idea of Paul here is, that he, as it were, robbed them, because he did not render an equivalent for what they gave him. They supported him when he was laboring for another people. A conqueror who plunders a country gives no equivalent for what he takes. In this sense only could Paul say

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 ...

I ROBBED OTHER CHURCHES,.... Meaning the churches of Macedonia; not that what he had of them was by force and rapine, or by plundering of them, and spoiling of their substance, and living upon them against their wills, as soldiers use a conquered people, though the allusion is to such a custom; for what he had of theirs was freely communicated to him; as appears from the following verse: but because these churches from whom he received were poor, and the Corinthians whom he served were rich, he calls it a robbing of the former, though there was no injury in the case, for it was voluntary, because it was expended for the service of the latter: TAKING WAGES OF THEM TO DO YOU SERVICE; or "for your ministry"; either to supply their poor, or rather to support the ministry of the Gospel among them. The apostle continues the metaphor, taken from soldiers, to whom wages are due for their warfar...

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)...