John Calvin on 2 Corinthians 10:18

For not he that commendeth himself is approved “For it is easy to impose upon men by a false impression, and this is matter of every day occurrence. Let us, therefore, leaving off all other things, aim exclusively at this — that we may be approved by God, and may be satisfied to have his approbation alone, as it justly ought to be regarded by us as of more value than all the applauses of the whole world. There was one that said, that to have Plato’s favorable judgment was to him worth a thousand. The expression referred to occurs in the writings of Cicero. “Plato mihi unus est instar omnium;” — “Plato, even singly, is to me equal to all.” — (Cic. Brut. 51.) Cicero says elsewhere, that “he would rather err with Plato than think rightly with others.” — (Cic. Tusc. 1:17.) — Ed. The question here is not as to the judgment of mankind, in respect of the superiority of one to another, but as to the sentence of God himself, who has it in his power to overturn all the decisions that men have pronounced.

CHAPTER 11

2 Corinthians 11:1-6

1. Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.

1. Utinam tolerassetis me paulisper in insipientia mea: imo etiam sufferte me. “Mesme aussi supportez moy, ou, et certes vous me supportez;” — “Even so bear with me, or, and certainly you do bear with me.”

2. For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

2. Nam zelotypus sum erga vos Dei zelo: adiunxi enim vos uni viro, ad exhibendam virginem castam Christo.

3. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

3. Sed metuo, ne qua fiat, ut quemadmodum serpens Evam decepit versutia sua: ita corrumpantur sensus vestri a simplicitate, quae est in Christo.

4. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him

4. Nam si is qui venit, (vel, si quis veniens,) alium Iesum praedicat, quem non praedicavimus; aut si alium Spiritum accipitis, quem non accepitis: aut Evangelium aliud, quod non accepistis, recte sustinuissetis.

5. For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.

5. Arbitror enim me nihilo inferiorem fuisse eximiis Apostolis.

6. But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.

6. Caeterum licet imperitus sim sermone, non tamen scientia: verum ubique manifesti fuimus in omnibus erga vos.