2 Corinthians 11:31

11:22-33 The apostle gives an account of his labours and sufferings; not out of pride or vain-glory, but to the honour of God, who enabled him to do and suffer so much for the cause of Christ; and shows wherein he excelled the false apostles, who tried to lessen his character and usefulness. It astonishes us to reflect on this account of his dangers, hardships, and sufferings, and to observe his patience, perseverance, diligence, cheerfulness, and usefulness, in the midst of all these trials. See what little reason we have to love the pomp and plenty of this world, when this blessed apostle felt so much hardship in it. Our utmost diligence and services appear unworthy of notice when compared with his, and our difficulties and trials scarcely can be perceived. It may well lead us to inquire whether or not we really are followers of Christ. Here we may study patience, courage, and firm trust in God. Here we may learn to think less of ourselves; and we should ever strictly keep to truth, as in God's presence; and should refer all to his glory, as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for evermore.

Whether this phrase be the form of an oath, or a mere assertion of God’s knowledge of the heart, is a point not worth the arguing. If we look upon it in the former notion, it is no profane oath, because made in the name of God; nor no vain oath, because it is used in a grave and serious matter, and for the satisfaction of those who were not very easy to believe the apostle in this matter. But I had rather take it as a solemn assertion of God’s particular knowledge of the truth of his heart in what he had said. The term blessed for evermore, may either be applied to the Father, or to Jesus Christ. It is applied to the Creator, Romans 1:25 , and to Jesus Christ, Romans 9:5 . It is here so used, as that it is applicable either to the First or Second Person. The usage of it in these three texts, is an undeniable argument to prove the Godhead of Christ. The apostle, in these words, seemeth rather to refer to what he had said before, of his various labours and sufferings, than to that which followeth; which was but a single thing, and a danger rather than a suffering.

2 Corinthians 11:31 . Εὐλογητὸς , blessed ) This increases the sacredness of the cath.— οἶδεν , knoweth ) The persecution at Damascus was one of the first and greatest, and belonged particularly to this place; and Paul calls God to witness, for he could produce to the Corinthians no witness among men, concerning a matter which was known to few, and had happened long before: comp. Galatians 1:20 . Luke afterwards recorded it, Acts 9:25 . This religious preface increases even the credit of the circumstances, related in the following chapter.

2 Corinthians 11:31 . ὁ Θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ κ . τ . λ .: the God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed for evermore (see on 2 Corinthians 1:3 , and for ὁ ὤν as applied to God, “the self-existent one,” cf. Exodus 3:14 , Wis 13:1 , Revelation 1:8 ), knoweth that I lie not ( cf. 2 Corinthians 12:6 ). This solemn asseveration belongs (see reff.) to what follows , and not to the statements which precede it. If the text is not corrupt, it would seem that the Apostle intended now to illustrate in detail the providence which overruled his life, the “strength which was perfected in weakness,” and that, beginning with one of the earliest and least dignified perils of his career as a Christian missionary, he then is led off through some train of ideas which we cannot trace into the quite different subject of his “visions” and “revelations,” which diverts him from his original intention. If, on the other hand, we might suppose 2 Corinthians 11:32-33 to be a marginal gloss (founded on Acts 9:23-25 , and perhaps introduced in reference to the κίνδυνοι ἐκ γένους of 2 Corinthians 11:26 ) which was not part of the original text—though possibly an autograph addition made after the letter was finished—the argument would be quite consecutive. He feels the remarkable account in 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 to be so incredible that he thinks it right to prefix the strong asseveration of 2 Corinthians 11:31 that he is telling the truth.

Verse 31. - The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. This solemn asseveration does not seem to be retrospective. It is used to preface what was perhaps intended to be a definite sketch of the most perilous incidents and trials of his life, which would have been to us of inestimable value. This awful attestation of his truthfulness was necessary, (1) because even the very little which we do know shows us that the tale would have been "passing strange;" and (2) because his base and shameless calumniators had evidently insinuated that he was not straightforward ( 2 Corinthians 12:16 ). (On the phrases used, see 2 Corinthians 1:23 ; 1 Corinthians 15:24 ; Ephesians 1:3 .) 2 Corinthians 11:31

31. This solemn asseveration refers to what follows. The persecution at Damascus was one of the first and greatest, and having no human witness of it to adduce to the Corinthians, as being a fact that happened long before and was known to few, he appeals to God for its truth. Luke (Ac 9:25) afterwards recorded it (compare Ga 1:20), [Bengel]. It may ALSO refer to the revelation in 2Co 12:1, standing in beautiful contrast to his humiliating escape from Damascus.

31. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ ] St Paul is now about to give a remarkable proof of the truth of what he has just said, and one which he confirms by a solemn asseveration (cf. ch. 2 Corinthians 1:18 ; 2 Corinthians 1:23 ). That these words belong to what follows, and not to what precedes, is the opinion of commentators so widely differing as Chrysostom, Calvin, Meyer, Bp Wordsworth, Deans Stanley and Alford. A strong argument appears to be brought against this view by the fact that the incident related does not warrant so strong an affirmation. But as Meyer reminds us, the visions and revelations related in ch. 2 Corinthians 12:1-4 are an interruption of his enumeration of his infirmities, which he resumes in ch. 2 Corinthians 12:5 . And perhaps eighteen centuries of Christianity have somewhat dimmed our perception of the immense difference between this vaunt, and those customary among the inflated teachers of St Paul’s day. They enlarged upon their triumphs, their influence with the rich and great, the success of their Oratory, the number of their disciples, and this with an arrogance which in our days would be justly contemptible.

St Paul, while he shews his sincerity by the fact that his life was exposed to danger, narrates nothing but his escape, a circumstance not likely in itself to raise his reputation among men who judged according to outward appearance (we may compare the reproaches cast upon Cyprian for a similar flight), and not rendered more dignified by the manner in which it was accomplished. See Dean Alford’s note. which is blessed for evermore ] Literally, existing, blessed unto the ages .

(31) The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. —The solemn attestation was, we may believe, a natural introduction to what was possibly intended, as the words passed from his lips, to be the beginning of a much fuller narrative than that which was its actual outcome. Which is blessed for evermore.—The Greek has no conjunction, but its force is best given either by which is, and is blessed for evermore, or, by an emphasis of punctuation and the insertion of a verb, which is: blessed is He for evermore. The Greek participle is not a single predicate of blessedness, such as the English expresses, but is that constantly used in the LXX. version as the equivalent of the Hebrew name for Jehovah: “He that is,” the “I AM” of Exodus 3:13-14; Jeremiah 14:13; and in a later and probably contemporary work, not translated from the Hebrew, in Wisdom Of Solomon 13:1 (“they could not . . . know Him that is”). So Philo, in like manner, speaks of “He that is” as a received name of God. (See also Notes on John 8:58-59; Romans 9:5.)