Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
Are we beginning (2 Corinthians 2:17) again to recommend ourselves? (2 Corinthians 5:12) (as some might say he had done in his first letter.)
Commendation - recommendation (cf. 2 Corinthians 10:18). The "some" refers to particular persons of the "many" (2 Corinthians 2:17) teachers who opposed him, and who came to Corinth with letters of recommendation from other churches; and when leaving that city obtained similar letters from the Corinthians to other churches. The 13th canon of the council of Chalcedon (451 AD) ordained that 'clergymen coining to a city where they were unknown should not be allowed to officiate without letters commendatory from their own bishop.' The history (Acts 18:27) proves the custom here alluded to in the letter: "When Apollos was disposed to pass into Achaia (Corinth), the brethren (of Ephesus) wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him." This was about two years previously, and is probably one of the instances to which Paul refers, as many at Corinth boasted of being followers of Apollos (1 Corinthians 1:12).