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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadJohn Bengel Commentary - 2 Corinthians 11:6 - 11:6
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2Co 11:6. Εἰ, if) He proves himself to be an apostle, 1. from his knowledge worthy of an apostle; 2. from his self-denial in refraining from asking them for maintenance, 2Co 11:7-8. He makes by anticipation a way to himself for stating both of these facts, so that the necessity of stating them may be clearly seen.-ἰδιώτης, rude) This word is opposed to his apostolic eminence [2Co 11:5]. His detractors spoke of Paul as ‘rude’ [untutored]. He declares that he was not rude in knowledge, which was the first gift of an apostle: and an extraordinary instance of it is found in the next chapter. That he was rude in speech, he neither very strongly denies, since that was not injurious to the apostleship, nay, it conduced to its advantage, 1Co 1:17, etc.: nor does he confess it with greater prolixity [at greater length] than his power in speaking allowed; nor does he answer, that other apostles also may be considered rude in speech, but he leaves the matter undetermined, comp. ch. 2Co 10:10-11, and to be decided by the Corinthians themselves; for he adds: but we have been made manifest to you in all things, etc. [He therefore removes out of the way one after another of those things, which the Corinthians opposed to his prerogative as an apostle.-V. g.]-ἀλλʼ ἐν παντὶ φανερωθένες ἐν πᾶσιν εἰς ὑμᾶς) The Vulgate has, but we are manifested in all things to you,[78] as if either ἘΝ ΠΑΝΤῚ or ἘΝ ΠᾶΣΙΝ were superfluous. But the two expressions have a different meaning: ἘΝ ΠΑΝΤῚ, in every thing, even in speech and knowledge; ἐν πᾶσιν, in all men, ch. 2Co 1:12, 2Co 3:2, 2Co 4:2. ἐν πᾶσι, is used in the Masc. gend., 1Co 8:7; Heb 13:4, and in other places. At the same time it occurs in the Neut. gend., 1Ti 3:11; 1Ti 4:15; 2Ti 2:7; 2Ti 4:5; Tit 2:9-10; Heb 13:18. But ἘΝ ΠΑΝΤῚ occurs only in the Neut. gend., and that too very often, 2Co 11:9, ch. 2Co 4:8, 2Co 6:4, 2Co 7:5; 2Co 7:11; 2Co 7:16, 2Co 8:7, 2Co 9:8; 2Co 9:11; Php 4:6. Therefore in this passage ἘΝ ΠᾶΣΙΝ is masculine, ἘΝ ΠΑΝΤῚ neut. So Php 4:12, ἘΝ ΠΑΝΤῚ ΚΑῚ ἘΝ ΠᾶΣΙ ΜΕΜὐΗΜΑΙ.-ΕἸς ὙΜᾶς, with respect to [among] you) From the circumstance, that Paul was also engaged among others, the fruit redounded to the hearts of the Corinthians.
[78] In omnibus autem manifestati sumus vobis. So also the Ante-Hieronymic Lat. Versions fg and the uncial MS. G. But the weight of authorities support both ἐν παντὶ and ἐν πᾶοιν.-ED.