2 Corinthians 12

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Corinthians 12:14

Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you ,.... Not that he had been twice at Corinth, and was now about to come a third time; for as yet he had been but once there, when he first preached to them, was the means of their conversion, and settled them in a church state; he had promised them to come a second time, but as yet was prevented; see 1 Corinthians 16:5 , and now a third time he had purposed it in his mind, and had prepared for it, and was just ready to come unto them; when he... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Corinthians 12:15

And I will gladly spend ,.... Meaning all his time, talents, and strength, which God had bestowed upon him for their spiritual profit and advantage; yea, all that small pittance of worldly goods that he enjoyed: he not only determined to take nothing from them, but was willing to communicate his little substance to them, or spend it in their service; and not only so, but be spent for them: and be spent for you , or "for your souls": for the good of them; his sense is, either that he was... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Corinthians 12:16

But be it so, I did not burden you ,.... These words are not spoken by the apostle in his own person of himself, but in the person of his adversaries, and contain a concession and an objection of theirs, but be it so; they granted that he had not burdened the Corinthians, that he had took nothing of them himself for preaching the Gospel; they owned that he had preached it freely; this was so clear a point, and so flagrant a case, that they could not deny it; yet they insinuated to the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Corinthians 12:17

Did I make a gain of you ,.... He appeals to the Corinthians against such calumnies and false insinuations, whether ever he had circumvented them in such a manner, or had ever used such artful methods to pillage them; or whether ever he had discovered any covetous disposition towards anything of theirs; or had employed any persons to draw out their substance from them, and get it for himself: he owns he had sent some persons to them on different errands, and asks if he had dealt fraudulently... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Corinthians 12:18

I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother ,.... The apostle proceeds to mention one or two persons that he had sent unto them, and desires to know whether they could charge them with any such practices. He had desired, exhorted, and encouraged Titus to go unto them, and collect money from them; but not for either of themselves, but for the poor saints at Jerusalem; and he sent another brother along with him, who is by some supposed to be Luke, to be a companion of him, and an assistant... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Corinthians 12:19

Again, think you that we excuse ourselves to you? .... The apostle would not have the Corinthians imagine, that by what he had said once and again in this epistle, he meant to excuse himself from coming to them, for he really and sincerely intended it; or that by this long defence of himself against the false apostles, he designed so much an apology for himself, or that he used any feigned words, or artful methods, to exculpate himself from any charge against him, particularly that of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Corinthians 12:20

For I fear lest when I come ,.... This fear arose from his fatherly affection for them, and care of them: I shall not find you such as I would ; truly penitent for former sins, thoroughly reformed in life and manners, zealous for God, Christ, and the Gospel, and hearty lovers of one another: and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not ; sharp in his reproofs and admonitions, severe in his corrections and censures, and lawfully using the authority he had from Christ, to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Corinthians 12:21

And lest when I come again ,.... Another thing which he feared would be the case when he came again to them, that he himself should be afflicted and distressed, seeing them in a disorderly and dissolute course of life, be obliged to punish them, which would be an humiliation and matter of grief to him: my God will humble me ; instead of rejoicing in the fruit of his labours, that they were not in vain, he signifies that he should have great sorrow of heart; and whereas he had promised... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Corinthians 12

St. Paul mentions some wonderful revelations which he had received from the Lord, 2 Corinthians 12:1-5 . He speaks of his suffering in connection with these extraordinary revelations, that his character might be duly estimated, 2 Corinthians 12:6 . That he might not be too much exalted, a messenger of Satan is sent to buffet him; his prayer for deliverance, and the Divine answer, 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 . He exults in sufferings and reproaches, and vindicates his apostleship, 2 Corinthians... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Corinthians 12:1

It is not expedient for me - There are several various readings on this verse which are too minute to be noticed here; they seem in effect to represent the verse thus: "If it be expedient to glory, (which does not become me), I will proceed to visions," etc. The plain meaning of the apostle, in this and the preceding chapter, in reference to glorying is, that though to boast in any attainments, or in what God did by him, was in all possible cases to be avoided, as being contrary to the... read more

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