2 Corinthians 11:1

And if, saith he, we have uttered any great thing, (for this is what he here calls being beside himself, as therefore in other places also he calls it folly; 2 Cor. xi. 1, 17, 21 .) for God’s sake we do this, lest ye thinking us to be worthless should despise us and perish; or if again any modest and lowly thing, it is for your sakes that ye may learn to be lowly-minded. Or else, again, he means this. If any one thinks us to be mad, we seek for our reward from God, for Whose sake we are of this suspected; but if he thinks us sober, let him reap the advantage of our soberness. And again, in another way. Does any one say we are mad? For God’s sake are we in such sort mad. Wherefore also he subjoins;

2 Cor. xi. 1 Would that ye could bear with me in a little foolishness and, indeed ye do bear with me. Being about to enter upon his own praises he uses much previous correction. And he does this not once or twice, although the necessity of the subject, and what he had often said, were sufficient excuse for him. For he that remembereth sins which God remembered not, and who therefore saith that he was unworthy of the very name of the Apostles, even by the most insensate is seen clearly not to be saying what he is now going to say, for the sake of glory. For if one must say something startling, even this would be especially injurious to his glory, his speaking something about himself; and to the more part it is offensive. But nevertheless he regarded not timidly any of these things, but he looked to one thing, the salvation of his hearers. …

See him again drawing back and using depreciation and correctives beforehand, although he has already even said many such things: “Would that ye could bear with me in a little foolishness;” ( Ver. 1 .) and again, “Let no man think me foolish: if ye do, yet as foolish receive me.” ( Ver. 16 .) “That which I speak, I speak not after the Lord, but as in foolishness.” ( Ver. 17 .) “Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also;” ( Ver. 18 .) and here again, “Whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak in foolishness) I am bold also.” Boldness and folly he calls it to speak aught great of himself, and that though there was a necessity, teaching us even to an excess to avoid any thing of the sort. …

How then saidst thou before, “Would that ye could bear with me a little in my foolishness;” ( Chap. xi. 1 .) and, “That which I speak, I speak not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly;” ( Chap. xi. 17 .) but here, “Though I should even desire to glory, I shall not be foolish?” Not in regard of glorying, but of lying; for if glorying be foolishness, how much more lying?