2 Corinthians 11:19

ἡδέως γὰρ�. The ἡδέως is emphatic by position, and τῶν� and φρόνιμοι are in emphatic juxtaposition. For gladly ye bear with (as in 2 Corinthians 11:1; 2 Corinthians 11:4) the foolish, because ye are wise. They were so sure of their own wisdom, that they could be serenely tolerant of what they considered folly. This of course is sarcasm. To translate ‘although ye are wise’ removes the irony and makes the φρόνιμοι ὅντες a rather pointless addition. The verbal opposition between ἄφρονες and φρόνιμοι can be preserved with ‘senseless’ and ‘sensible’; but ‘sensible’ is too weak for φρόνιμος: comp. 1 Corinthians 10:15; Romans 11:25; Romans 12:16. For the irony comp. 1 Corinthians 4:10.