\\INTRODUCTION TO 2 CORINTHIANS 11\\

In this chapter, the apostle continues his discourse concerning the
false teachers; blames the Corinthians for their connivance at them,
and subjection to them; gives a true and ample description of them;
compares himself with them, and by various instances shows, that he was
greatly superior to them: and whereas self commendation was necessary,
and could not be avoided in this argument, and this might look like
folly, and by some be deemed such, he entreats the Corinthians that
they would bear with him in it, as well as in his reproofs and
admonitions to them, \\#2Co 11:1\\ and assigns his godly jealousy over
them, as the reason why he entered into this subject, and proceeded in
such a way of reasoning on it; and the rather this might be bore with
in him, since he had such a concern in espousing them to Christ; his
end in which was, to present them a chaste virgin to him, \\#2Co 11:2\\
and what this jealousy was he explains, lest their minds should be
corrupted by the false teachers, and they should forsake the pure and
simple Gospel of Christ; which he exemplifies in the instance of Eve
being deceived by the serpent, \\#2Co 11:3\\ and proceeds to blame them
for preferring these false teachers to the faithful ministers of the
word; seeing, put them in the best light they could, it was but the
same Jesus they preached, and not another and a better Saviour; and it
was but the same spirit of faith they received through their ministry,
and not another and a better; and the same Gospel they brought, and did
not come with better news, or more joyful tidings; had this been the
case, there would have been some reason for extolling one above
another, \\#2Co 11:4\\ for which there was not the least foundation,
especially with respect to the Apostle Paul, who was not inferior to
the chief of the true apostles of Christ, and therefore could not be at
all behind these men, \\#2Co 11:5\\ and seeing it might be objected to
him that he was rude in speech, when these were men of great eloquence,
he allows it; but then affirms he was not so in knowledge, in which he
exceeded them; for the truth of which, lie appeals to the Corinthians
themselves, \\#2Co 11:6\\ and he suggests, that it was very ungrateful
in them, that inasmuch as he humbled himself when among them, by
working with his own hands, that they might be exalted, that they
should despise him on that account, and prefer these avaricious men
before him, \\#2Co 11:7\\ when that he might be able to preach the
Gospel freely, he took of other churches, \\#2Co 11:8\\ and
particularly was supplied by the Macedonian brethren, and so was not at
all chargeable and burdensome to them, and he was determined ever to
remain so, \\#2Co 11:9\\ and which he confirms by an oath, that no man
should ever be able to prevail upon him to take anything of the
churches in the region of Achaia, in which Corinth was, \\#2Co 11:10\\
and whereas it might be insinuated that such a resolution showed that
he had no true affection for them, this he denies, and appeals to the
omniscient God for the truth of his love to them, \\#2Co 11:11\\ but
the true reason why he had so determined, was to prevent the false
teachers having any opportunity to reproach him, and exalt themselves,
\\#2Co 11:12\\ and this leads him on to a description of them, by their
ambition and arrogance, in assuming a title that did not belong to
them; by their crafty, cunning, and deceitful manner of working, and by
their hypocrisy in mimicking the apostles of Christ, \\#2Co 11:13\\ nor
need this seem strange to any, when Satan himself has been transformed
into an angel of light, \\#2Co 11:14\\ and whom, the apostle suggests,
these men imitated; whose ministers they were, though they looked like
ministers of righteousness, and on whom the apostle denounces severe
punishment, \\#2Co 11:15\\ and as he saw himself under a necessity of
boasting, in order to stop the mouths of these men, to vindicate
himself, and prevent mischief being done by them, he renews his
entreaty in \\#2Co 11:1\\ that the Corinthians would not reckon him as
a fool; or if they did, that they would bear with his folly, and suffer
him to boast of himself a little, \\#2Co 11:16\\ and that the Christian
religion, and the Gospel of Christ, might not come under any reproach
and blame, for his conduct in this particular, he observes, that what
he was about to say on this head of boasting, was not by any order or
direction from the Lord, but of himself, and might have the appearance
of folly in it, \\#2Co 11:17\\ and the rather he might be indulged in
it, seeing many, even the false teachers, had gloried in a carnal way,
and of outward things, and which made it necessary that he should glory
also, \\#2Co 11:18\\ and which foolish boasting in them, even many of
the Corinthians had bore with, and that with a great deal of pleasure;
and therefore might suffer him, a single man, to boast a little of
himself unto them, whom he ironically calls wise, \\#2Co 11:19\\ of
which he gives instances, by being brought into bondage, devoured,
pillaged, insulted, and abused, by the false teachers, \\#2Co 11:20\\
nor had they abused and reproached them only, but the apostle also, as
weak and contemptible; but then he would not bear it, but would boldly
engage and enter the lists with them, though this might be by some
reckoned foolish boasting, \\#2Co 11:21\\ and then follows the
comparison between him and them, by which it appears that he was upon
an equal foot with them, on account of nation, descent, and parentage,
\\#2Co 11:22\\ that he was superior to them as a minister of the
Gospel, as was manifest by his more abundant labours in it, and by his
sufferings for it, the dangers he was exposed unto on account of it,
and the many hardships he endured in the ministration of it, of which
he gives a variety of particulars, \\#2Co 11:23-27\\ to which he adds,
besides these things, and all other outward ones, that the daily care
of all the churches of Christ was upon him, \\#2Co 11:28\\ and such was
his sympathy with all sorts of Christians, even the weak and offended
brethren, that he was affected with them, bore their infirmities, and
sought to reconcile and make them easy, which greatly increased the
weight of business that was upon him, \\#2Co 11:29\\ and seeing there
was a necessity of glorying, he chose to glory in his infirmities and
sufferings, and on which he had mostly enlarged, \\#2Co 11:30\\ and for
the glory of divine Providence, and to express his thankfulness for the
mercy, he relates a particular instance of deliverance from imminent
danger; for the truth of which he appeals to the God and Father of
Christ, the eternally blessed One, \\#2Co 11:31\\ the danger he
escaped, the manner and means of the escape, and the place where, are
particularly mentioned, \\#2Co 11:32,33\\.