ACC ~ 2 Corinthians 10 v18

SENT AND COMMENDED. AMBROSIASTER: God does not commend someone whom he does not send. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

PROPER MODESTY. CHRYSOSTOM: Paul did not claim this for himself but left it to the Lord. Paul is modest, but not to the point where he neglects to tell the truth about himself. It is possible to do harm by ill-timed modesty or to do good by saying something admirable of oneself at the right time. There was a real danger that the disciples might be persuaded to have a low opinion of Paul, precisely because of his modesty. Paul did not seek human praise, but when he was accused of being a braggart he defended himself. HOMILIES ON THE EPISTLES OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS 23.3.

PAUL’S APPARENT FOOLISHNESS 2 CORINTHIANS 11:1-6

OVERVIEW: Paul uses heavy irony to make his point. What he is about to say he says out of love for the Corinthians (AMBROSIASTER), even to the point of jealousy. For God is said to be jealous, not in a human way but that everyone may know that he claims sovereign rights over those whom he loves and does what he does for their exclusive benefit (CHRYSOSTOM). They are to be regarded as spouses of Christ in their faith, hope and love (AUGUSTINE), provided they are willing to preserve both bodily chastity and virginity of heart (ORIGEN, NOVATIAN, AUGUSTINE, CAESARIUS OF ARLES). He is afraid that they will be led astray like the serpent who deceived Eve by lying to her about God, saying that God merely threatened humanity with death but would never kill anyone (PELAGIUS, AMBROSIASTER). What probably happened was that false teachers appeared from elsewhere and added to what the apostles had already taught. Their claim would have been that the apostles had not said all that there was to say, which Paul is at pains to deny (CHRYSOSTOM). In reference to “unskilled speech,” he did not mean that he did not know how to speak but that commendation did not depend on mere eloquence (AMBROSIASTER, JEROME, CHRYSOSTOM).

2 Cor