Commending his apostleship, though he might glory of his wonderful revelations, yet the Apostle rather chooseth to glory of his infirmities, blaming the Corinthians for forcing him to this boasting: he promiseth to come to them again; but yet altogether in the affection of a father, although he feareth he shall, to his grief, find many offenders and public disorders there.
Anno Domini 58.
AFTER enumeratingintheformerChapter hisalmostincrediblelaboursandsufferings for the gospel, the Apostle in this, directing his discourse to the faction who had ridiculed him for praising himself, said to them ironically, Well, it does not become me to boast of any thing I have done or suffered as a minister of Christ: nevertheless, I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord, 2 Corinthians 12:1.—But that he might not offend their affected delicacy, he did not say these visions and revelations were given to himself. He only told them that he knew a servant of Christ, who, fourteen years before the date of this letter, had been caught up as far as to the third heaven, 2 Corinthians 12:2.—Though whether in the body or out of the body, the Apostle did not know, 2 Corinthians 12:3.—This servant of Christ, in paradise, heard things which could not be expressed in human language, 2 Corinthians 12:4.—Concerning such a person, the Apostle said he would boast; but, concerning himself, he told them, ironically, he would not boast, except in his weaknesses, for which they had ridiculed him, and of which he had boasted in the end of the preceding chapter, 2 Corinthians 12:5.—And yet, being himself that servant of Christ who had been caught up, he told them that if he inclined to boast concerning himself, as the person who was so highly honoured, he should not be a fool, because he should speak nothing of himself but what was strictly true. Nevertheless he forbare, lest forsooth any of them should think more highly of him than his appearance or his manner of speaking warranted. This he said in high but sacred ridicule of their gibe that his bodily presence was weak, but his letters weighty and powerful, 2 Corinthians 12:6
Farther, because he had said he would not boast, except in his weaknesses, for whichtheyhadridiculedhim,hetold them that his bodily infirmity, instead of rendering him contemptible, was an honour to him; because it was sent on him by God, to prevent him from being too much elated with the transcendency of the revelations which had been given to him, 2 Corinthians 12:7.—That he had besought the Lord thrice to remove it, 2 Corinthians 12:8.—But that he told him his grace was sufficient for making him successful as an Apostle, and his power in converting the world was most illustriously displayed in the weakness of the instruments employed for that end. The Apostle therefore boasted in his own weakness, that the power of Christ might be seen to dwell upon him, 2 Corinthians 12:9.—Nay, he even took pleasure in weaknesses, insults, &c. for Christ's sake, 2 Corinthians 12:10.—But added, that if he appeared a fool in thus praising himself, his friends among the Corinthians had constrained him to it; because when his enemies called his apostleship in question, they ought to have spoken in his vindication, as they well knew that he was in no respect inferior to the greatest of the apostles, 2 Corinthians 12:11.—All the proofs of an apostlehe had frequently shewed in their presence, by signs and wonders, and powers, 2 Corinthians 12:12.—So that as a church they were inferior to others in nothing, except that he, their spiritual father, had not taken maintenance from them. But, in irony of their finding fault with him on that account, he begged them to forgive him that injury, 2 Corinthians 12:13.—Yet to shew that he had done them no injury in that matter, he now told them he was coming to them the third time, and still would not be burdensome to them: because he did not seek their goods, but their salvation, and because the children ought not to provide for the parents, but the parents for the children, 2 Corinthians 12:14.—and therefore with pleasure he would spend his time and waste his body for their souls' sake, so much did he love them; although the more he loved them, he found the less he was beloved by them, 2 Corinthians 12:15.—Well then, said he, ye must acknowledge that I did not burden you, by taking maintenance from you. Nevertheless, the faction say, (because it is the practice of the false teacher to whom they are attached,) that by this shew of disinterestedness I craftily made you lay aside all suspicion of my loving money, that I might draw it the more effectually from you by my assistants, when absent, 2 Corinthians 12:16.—But did I make the least gain of you by any of those whom I sent to you after my departure? 2 Corinthians 12:17.—I besought Titus to visit you lately. Did Titus, or the brother that I sent with him, make any gain of you? Did they not walk in the same spirit, and in the same steps with me? 2 Corinthians 12:18. Farther, by sending Titus to you this second time, do I apologize to you for not coming myself? In the sight of God I solemnly protest that I speak by the direction of Christ, when I tell you that my sending Titus is designed for your edification, by giving the faulty among you time to repent, 2 Corinthians 12:19.—Yet I am afraid that when I come I shall not find you such reformed persons as I wish you to be, and that I shall be found by you such as ye do not wish. My meaning is, that I shall find strifes, emulations,&c. among you, 2 Corinthians 12:20.—So that when I come, I shall be so far humbled among you by my God, as to be obliged with grief to punish those among you who have formerly sinned, and have not repented of the uncleanness, and fornication, and lasciviousness which they have habitually committed, 2 Corinthians 12:21.