and settled purpose of his life never to be burdensome to any man. What a noble resolution! How fixed were the principles of his life! And what an instance of magnanimous self-denial and of elevated purpose! Every man, minister or otherwise, should adopt a similar resolution. He should resolve to receive nothing for which he has not rendered a fair equivalent, and resolve if he has health, never to be a burden to his friends or to the church of God. And even if sick, he may yet feel that he is not burdensome to others. If he is gentle and grateful; if he makes no unnecessary care; and especially if he furnishes an example of patience and piety, and seeks the blessing of God on his benefactors, he furnishes them what they will usually esteem an ample equivalent. No man need be burdensome to his friends; and all should resolve that by the grace of God they never will be. There is considerable variety in the MSS here, (see Mill on the place,) but in regard to the general sense, there can be no doubt. Nothing should ever hinder this boasting; nothing should deprive him of the privilege of saying that he had not been a burden. In the regions of Achaia.-Achaia was that part of Greece of which Corinth was the capital. See Note on Acts xviii. 12.

VER. 11. Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.

Wherefore, &c.-It is not because I do not love you. It is not from pride, or because I would not as willingly receive aid from you as from any other. It is not because I am more unwilling to be under obligation to you than to others. I have a deep and tender attachment to you; but it is because I can thus best promote the gospel, and advance the kingdom of the Redeemer. Possibly it might have been thought that his unwillingness to receive aid from them was some proof of reserve towards them or want of affection, and this may have been urged against This he solemnly denies.

him.

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 labour 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 may 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 themselves in their course; that they took wages from the church at Corinth largely, and desired to be able to say that they had his example. That wherein they glory.-Probably meaning that they boasted that they preached the gospel gratis; that they received nothing for their labours. Yet while they did this, it is not improbable that they received presents from the Corinthians, and under various pretences contrived to get from them an ample support, perhaps much more than would have been a reasonable compensation. Men who profess to preach the gospel gratis usually contrive, in various ways, to get more from the people than those who receive a regular and stipulated compensation. By taxing pretty liberally their hospitality; by accepting liberal presents; by frequent proclamation of their selfdenial and their poverty, they usually filch large amounts from the people. No people were ever louder in praise of poverty, or in proclamation of their own self-denials, than some orders of monks, and that when it might be said, almost, that the richest possessions of Europe were passing into their hands. At all events, Paul meant that these men should have no opportunity from his course to take any such advantage. He knew what he had a right to, (1 Cor. ix.,) but he had not urged the right. He had received nothing from the church at Corinth, and he meant to receive nothing. He had honestly preached the gospel to them without charge, and he meant still to do it. (1 Cor. ix. 18.) They should, therefore, have no opportunity, from his conduct, either to accuse him of preaching for money, or of sheltering themselves under his example in pretending to preach for nothing, when they were in fact obtaining large sums from the people. They may be found even as we.-That they may be compelled honestly to pursue such a course as I do, and be found to be in fact what they pretend to be. The sense is, "I mean so to act, that if they follow my example, or plead my authority, they may be found to lead an honest life; and that if || they boast on this subject, they shall boast strictly according to truth. There shall be no trick; nothing underhanded or deceptive in what they do, so far as my example can prevent it."

VER. 13.-For such are false apostles, deceitful P workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

For such are false apostles.-They have no claim to the apostolic office. They are deceivers. They pretend to be apostles; but they have no divine commission from the Redeemer. Paul had thus far argued the case without giving them an explicit designation as deceivers. But here he says that men who had conducted thus; who had attempted to impose on the people; who had brought another gospel, whatever pretences they might have-and he was not disposed to deny that there was much that was plausible-were really impostors, and the enemies of Christ. It is morally certain, from ver. 22, that these men were Jews; but why they had engaged in the

work of preaching, or why they had gone to Corinth, cannot with certainty be determined. Deceitful workers.--Impostors. Men who practise various arts to impose on others. They were crafty, and fraudulent, and hypocritical. It is probable that they were men who saw that great advantage might be taken of the new religion; men who saw the power which it had over the people, and who saw the confidence which the new converts were inclined to repose in their teachers; perhaps men who had seen the disciples to the Christian faith commit all their property to the hands of the apostles. or who had heard of their doing it, (Comp. Acts iv. 34, 35,) and who supposed that by pretending to be apostles also they might come in for a share of this confidence, and avail themselves of this disposition to commit their property to their spiritual guides. To succeed, it was needful, as far as possible, to undermine the influence of the true apostles, and take their place in the confi- | dence of the people. Thence they were "deceitful (cóλtot) workers," full of trick, and cunning, and of plausible arts to impose on others. Transforming themselves, &c.-Pretending to be apostles. Hypocritical and deceitful, they yet pretended to have been sent by Christ. This is a direct charge of hypocrisy. They knew they were deceivers; and yet they assumed the high claims of apostles of the Son of God.

VER. 14. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

q Gen. iii. 1, 5. Rev. xii. 9.

And no marvel.-And it is not wonderful. (Ver. 15.) Since Satan himself is capable of appearing to be an angel of light, it is not to be deemed strange that those who are in his service also should resemble him. For Satan himself is transformed, &c.-That is, he who is an apostate angel; who is malignant and wicked; who is the prince of evil, assumes the appearance of a holy angel. Paul assumes this as an indisputable and admitted truth, without attempting to prove it, and without referring to any particular instances. Probably he had in his eye cases where Satan put on false and delusive appearances for the purpose of deceiving, or where he assumed the appearance of great sanctity and reverence for the authority of God. Such instances occurred in the temptation of our first parents, (Gen. iii. 1-6,) and in the temptation of the Saviour. (Matt. iv.) The phrase "an angel of light" means a pure and holy angel, light being the emblem of purity and holiness. Such are all the angels that dwell in heaven; and the idea is, that Satan assumes such a form as to appear to be such an angel. Learn here, (1.) His power. He can assume such an aspect as he pleases. He can dissemble, and appear to be eminently pious. He is the prince of duplicity as well as of wickedness; and it is the consummation of bad power for an individual to be able to assume any character which he pleases. (2.) His art. He is long practised in deceitful arts. For six thousand years he has been practising the art of delusion. And with him it is perfect.

(3.) We are not to suppose that all that appears to be piety is piety. Some of the most plausible appearances of piety are assumed by Satan and his ministers. None ever professed a profounder regard for the authority of God than Satan did when he tempted the Saviour. And if the prince of wickedness can appear to be an angel of light, we are not to be surprised if those who have the blackest hearts appear to be men of most eminent piety. (4.) We should be on our guard. We should not listen to suggestions merely because they appear to come from a pious man, nor because they seem to be prompted by a regard to the will of God. We may be always sure that, if we are to be tempted, it will be by some one having a great appearance of virtue and religion. (5.) We are not to expect that Satan will appear to man to be as bad as he is. He never shows himself openly to be a spirit of pure wickedness; or black and abominable in his character; or full of evil and hateful. He would thus defeat himself. It is for this reason that wicked men do not believe that there is such a being as Satan. Though continually under his influence, and "led captive by him at his will," yet they neither see him, nor the chains which lead them, nor are they willing to believe in the existence of the one or the other.

VER. 15. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Phil. iii. 19.

Therefore it is no great thing, &c.—It is not to be deemed surprising. You are not to wonder if men of the basest, blackest character, put on the appearance of the greatest sanctity, and even become eminent as professed preachers of righte ousness. Whose end shall be, &c.-Whose final destiny. Their doom in eternity shall not be according to their fair professions and plausible pretences, for they cannot deceive God; but shall be according to their real character and their works. Their work is a work of deception, and they shall be judged according to that. What revelations there will be in the day of judgment, when all impostors shall be unmasked, and when all hypocrites and deceivers shall be seen in their true colours! And how desirable is it that there should be such a day to disclose all beings in their true character, and for ever to remove imposture and delusion from the universe!

as a fool for doing it." If otherwise.-If you think otherwise. If I cannot obtain this of you, that you will not regard me as acting prudently and wisely. If you will think me foolish, still I am constrained to make these remarks in vindication of myself. Yet as a fool receive me.Marg., "suffer." See ver. 1. Bear with me as you do with others. Consider how much I have been provoked to this; how necessary it is to my character; and do not reject and despise me because I am constrained to say that of myself which is usually regarded as foolish boasting. That I may boast myself a little.-Since others do it and are not rebuked, may I be permitted to do it also. See ver. 18, 19. There is something sarcastic in the words "a little." The sense is, "others are allowed to boast a great deal. Assuredly I may be allowed to boast a little of what I have done."

VER. 17. That which I speak, I speak it "not after the Lord, but as it were, foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.

That which I speak.-In praise of myself. I speak it not after the Lord.-See Note on 1 Cor. vii. 12. The phrase here may mean either, I do not speak this by inspiration, or claiming to be inspired by the Lord; or more probably it may mean, I do not speak this imitating the example of the Lord Jesus, or strictly as becomes his follower. He was eminently modest, and never vaunted or boasted. And Paul probably means to say, "I do not in this profess to follow him entirely. I admit that it is a departure from his pure example in this respect. But circumstances have compelled me; and much as I would prefer another strain of remark, and sensible as I am in general of the folly of boasting, yet a regard to my apostolic office and authority urges me to this course." Bloomfield supposes that the apostle is not speaking seriously, but that he has an allusion to their view of what he was saying. "Be it so, if you think that what I speak I speak not as I profess to do according to the Lord, or with a view to subserve the purposes of his religion, but as it were in folly, in the confidence of boasting, yet permit me to do it notwithstanding, since you allow others to do it." It is not easy to settle which is the true sense of the passage. I see no conclusive evidence against either. But the former seems to me to be most in accordance with the scope of the whole. Paul admitted that what he said was not in exact accordance with the spirit of the Lord Jesus; and in admitting this he designed probably to administer a delicate hint that all their boasting was a wide departure from that spirit. As it were foolishly.-As in folly. It is to be admitted that to boast is in general foolish; and I admit that my language is open to this general charge. In this confidence of boasting.-In confident boasting. I speak confidently, and I admit in the spirit of boasting.

VER. 18. Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.

w Phil. iii. 3, 4. 1 Cor. iv. 10.

Seeing that many glory, &c.—The false teachers in Corinth. They boasted of their birth, rank, natural endowments, eloquence, &e. See ver. 22. Comp. Phil. iii. 3, 4. I will glory also.—I also will boast of my endowments, which, though somewhat different, yet pertain in the main to the flesh also. See ver. 23, seq. His endowments in the flesh, or what he had to boast of pertaining to the flesh, related not so much to birth and rank, though not inferior to them in these, but to what the flesh had endured-to stripes and imprisonments, and hunger and peril. This is an exceedingly delicate and happy turn given to the whole subject.

VER. 19. For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.

For ye suffer fools gladly.-You tolerate or endure those who are really fools. This is perhaps, says Dr. Bloomfield, the most sarcastic sentence ever penned by the apostle Paul. Its sense is, You profess to be wondrous wise. And yet you, who are so wise a people, freely tolerate those who are foolish in their boasting; who proclaim their own merits and attainments. You may allow me, therefore, to come in for my share, and boast also, and thus obtain your favour." Or, it may mean, You are so profoundly wise as easily to see who are fools. You have great power of discernment in this, and have found out that I am a fool, and also that other boasters are fools. Yet, knowing this, you bear patiently with such fools; have admitted them to your favour and friendship, and I may come in among the rest of the fools, and partake also of your favours." They had borne with the false apostles who had boasted of their endowments, and yet they claimed to be eminent for wisdom and discernment.

VER. 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 suffer, &c.-You hear patiently with men who impose on you in every way, and who are constantly defrauding you, though you profess to be so wise, that 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, (xaraiovλoi.) -If a man or if any one (ei ric) 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 been slaves. In what way this was done is unknown. It may be that they imposed on them rites and forms, commanded expensive and inconvenient ceremonies, and required arduous services merely at their own will. A false religion always makes slaves. It

is only true Christianity that leaves perfect freedom. All heathens are slaves to their priests; all fanatics are slaves to some fanatical leader; all those who embrace error are slaves to those who claim to be their guides. The papist every where is the slave of the priest, and the despotism there is as great as in any region of servitude whatever. If a man devour you. This is exceedingly sarcastic. The idea is, “Though you are so wise, yet you in fact tolerate men who impose on you-no matter though they eat you up, or consume all that you have. By their exhorbitant demands they would consume all you have --or, as we would say, "eat you out of house and home." All this they took patiently; and freely gave all that they demanded. False teachers are always rapacious. They seek the property, not the souls of those to whom they minister. Not satisfied with a maintenance, they aim to obtain all, and their plans are formed to secure as much as possible of those to whom they minister. If a man take of you.-If he take and seize upon your possessions. If he comes and takes what he pleases and bears it away as his own. If a man exalt himself. If he set himself up as a ruler and claim submission. No matter how arrogant his claims, yet you are ready to bear with him. You might then bear with me in the very moderate demands which I make on your obedience and confidence. If a man smite you on the face.-The word here rendered "smite," (sow,) means properly to skin, to flay; but in the New Testament it means to beat, to scourge-especially so as to take off the skin. (Matt. xxi. 35. Mark xii. 3, 5.) The idea here is, if any one treats you with contumely and scorn-since there can be no higher expression of it than to smite a man on the face. (Matt. xxvi. 67.) It is not to be supposed that this occurred literally among the Corinthians; but the idea is, that the false teachers really treated them with as little respect as if they smote them on the face. In what way this was done is unknown; but probably it was by their domineering manners, and the little respect which they showed for the opinions and feelings of the Corinthian Christians. Paul says that as they bore this very patiently, they might allow him to make some remarks about himself in self-commendation.

VER. 21. I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit wherein soever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.

I speak as concerning reproach.—I speak of disgrace. That is, says Rosenmüller, "I speak of your disgrace, or, as others prefer it, of the disgrace of the false apostles." Doddridge regards it as a question. "Do I speak this by way of dishonour, from an envious desire to derogate from my superiors so as to bring them down to my own level?" But to me it seems that Paul refers to what he had been admitting respecting himself to what he had evinced in rudeness of speech, (ver 6,) and to his not having urged his claims to the support which an apostle had a right to receive-to things in short which they

esteemed to be disgraceful or reproachful. And his idea, it seems to me, is this. "I have been speaking of reproach or disgrace as if I was weak, i. e. as if I was disposed to admit as true all that has been said of me as reproachful or disgraceful; all that has been said of my want of qualifications for the office, of my want of talent, or elevated rank, or honourable birth, &c. I have not pressed my claims, but have been reasoning as if all this were true-as if all that was honourable in birth and elevated in rank belonged to them-all that is mean and unworthy pertained to me. But it is not so. Whatever they have I have. Whatever they can boast of, I can boast of in a more eminent degree. Whatever advantage there is in birth is mine; and I can tell of toils, and trials, and sufferings in the apostolic office which far surpass theirs." Paul proceeds, therefore, to a full statement of his advantages of birth, and of his labours in the cause of the Redeemer. As though we had been weak.--As if I had no claims to urge; as if I had no just cause of boldness, but must submit to this reproach. Howbeit, (c.)—But. The sense is, if any one is disposed to boast, I am ready for him. I can tell also of things that have as high claims to confidence as they can. If they are disposed to go into a comparison on the points which qualify a man for the office of an apostle, I am ready to compare myself with them. Whereinsoever (iv q.) -In what. Whatever they have to boast of I am prepared also to show that I am equal to them. Be it pertaining to birth, rank, education, labours, they will find that I do not shrink from the comparison. Any is bold, (TIC TOλμg)—Any one dares to boast; any one is bold. I speak foolishiy.-Remember now that I speak as a fool. I have been charged with this folly. Just now keep that in mind; and do not forget that it is only a fool who is speaking. Just recollect that I have no claims to public confidence; that I am destitute of all pretensions to the apostolic office; that I am given to a vain parade and ostentation, and to boasting of what does not belong to me, and when you recollect this let me tell my story. The whole passage is ironical in the highest degree. The sense is, "It is doubtless all nonsense and folly for a man to boast who has only the qualifications which I have. But there is a great deal of wisdom in their boasting who have so much more elevated endowments for the apostolic office." I am bold also.-I can meet them on their own ground, and speak of qualifications not

inferior to theirs.

VER. 22. Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

Are they Hebrews ?-This proves that the persons who had made the difficulty in Corinth were those who were of Hebrew extraction, though it may be that they had been born in Greece, and had been educated in the Grecian philosophy and art of rhetoric. It is also clear that they prided themselves on being Jews-on having a connexion with the people and land from whence the religion which the Corinthian church now professed had emanated. Indications are apparent

everywhere in the New Testament of the superiority which the Jewish converts to Christianity claimed over those converted from among the heathen. Their boast would probably be that they were the descendants of the patriarchs; that the land of the prophets was theirs; that they spake the language in which the oracles of God were given; that the true religion had proceeded from them, &c. So am I.-I have as high claims as any of them to distinction on this head. Paul had all their advantages of birth. He was an Israelite; of the honoured tribe of Benjamin; a Pharisee, circumcised at the usual time, (Phil. iii. 5,) and educated in the best manner at the feet of one of their most eminent teachers. (Acts xxii. 3.) Are they Israelites?—Another name, signifying substantially the same thing. The only difference is, that the word "Hebrew" signified properly one who was from beyond, (y from y, to pass, to pass over-hence applied to Abraham, because he had come from a foreign land: and the word denoted properly a foreigner-a man from the land or country beyond, y) the Euphrates. The name Israelite denoted properly one descended from Israel or Jacob, and the difference between them was, that the name Israelite, being a patronymic derived from one of the founders of their nation, was in use among themselves; the name Hebrew was applied by the Canaanites to them as having come from beyond the river, and was the current name among foreign tribes and nations. See Gesenius' Lexicon on the word (y) Hebrew. Paul in the passage before us means to say that he had as good a claim to the honour of being a native born descendant of Israel as could be urged by any of them. Are they the seed of Abraham?-Do they boast that they are descended from Abraham. This with all the Jews was regarded as a distinguished honour, (see Matt. iii. 9; John viii. 39,) and no doubt the false teachers in Corinth boasted of it as eminently qualifying them to engage in the work of the ministry. So am I.-Paul had the same qualification. He was a Jew also by birth. He was of the tribe of Benjamin. (Phil. iii. 5.)

VER. 23. Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

x 1 Cor. xv. 10.

y Acts ix. 16; xx. 23; xxi. 11. ≈ 1 Cor. xv. 30, 32.

Are they ministers of Christ?-Though Jews by birth, yet they claimed to be the ministers of the Messiah. I speak as a fool.-As if he had said, "Bear in mind, in what I am now about to say, that he who speaks is accused of being a fool in boasting. Let it not be deemed improper that I should act in this character; and since you regard me as such, let me speak like a fool." His frequent reminding them of this charge was eminently fitted to humble them that they had ever made it, especially when they were reminded, by an enumeration of his trials, of the character of the man against whom the charge was brought. I am more.-Paul was not dis

posed to deny that they were true ministers of Christ. But he had higher claims to the office than they had. He had been called to it in a more remarkable manner, and he had shown by his labours and trials that he had more of the true spirit of a minister of the Lord Jesus than they had. He therefore goes into detail to show what he had endured in endeavouring to diffuse the knowledge of the Saviour; trials which he had borne probably while they had been dwelling in comparative ease and in a comfortable manner, free from suffering and persecution. In labours more abundant.—In the kind of labour necessary in propagating the gospel. Probably he had now been engaged in the work a much longer time than they had, and had been far more indefatigable in it. In stripes.—In receiv ing stripes; i. e. I have been more frequently scourged. (Ver. 24.) This was a proof of his being a minister of Christ, because eminent devotedness to him at that time, of necessity subjected a man to frequent scourging. The ministry is one of the very few places, perhaps it stands alone in this, where it is proof of peculiar qualification for office that a man has been treated with all manner of contumely, and has even been often publicly whipped. What other office admits such a qualification as this? Abore measure. - Exceedingly; far exceeding them. He had received far more than they had, and he judged, therefore, that this was one evidence that he had been called to the ministry. In prisons more frequent.-Luke, in the Acts of the Apostles, mentions only one imprisonment of Paul before the time when this epistle was writThat was at Philippi with Silas. (Acts xvi. 23, seq.) But we are to remember that many things were omitted by Luke. He does not profess to give an account of all that happened to Paul; and an omission is not a contradiction. For any thing that Luke says, Paul may have been imprisoned often. He mentions his having been in prison once; he does not deny that he had been in prison many times besides. See on ver. 24. In deaths oft.-That is, exposed to death; or suffering pain equal to death. See on chap. i. 9. No one familiar with the history of Paul can doubt that he was often in danger of death.

ten.

VER. 24. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes "save one.

a Deut. xxv. 3.

Of the Jews, &c.-On this verse and the following verse it is of importance to make a few remarks preliminary to the explanation of the phrases. (1.) It is admitted that the particulars here referred to cannot be extracted out of the Acts of the Apostles. A few can be identified, but there are many more trials referred to here than are specified there. (2.) This proves that this epistle was not framed from the history, but that they are written independently of one another.-Paley. (3.) Yet they are not inconsistent one with the other. For there is no article in the enumeration here which is contradicted by the history; and the history, though silent with respect to many of these transactions, has