John Calvin on 2 Corinthians 11:17

17. What I speak, I speak not after the Lord His disposition, it is true, had an eye to God, but the outward appearance “La facon exterieure en laquelle il procede;” — “The outward manner in which he goes to work.” might seem unsuitable to a servant of the Lord. At the same time, the things that Paul confesses respecting himself, he, on the other hand, condemns in the false Apostles. “C’est plustos afin de lea condemner es faux-Apostres;” — “It is rather with the view of condemning them in the false Apostles.” For it was not his intention to praise himself, but simply to contrast himself with them, with the view of humbling them. “Afin de leur abbaisser le coquet:” — “With the view of bringing down their talk.” Hence he transfers to his own person what belonged to them, that he may thus open the eyes of the Corinthians. What I have rendered boldness, is in the Greek ὑπόστασις, as to the meaning of which term we have spoken in the ninth chapter. (2 Corinthians 9:4.) Subject-matter Calvin refers here to the rendering of Erasmus, and of the Vulgate. The term employed by Erasmus is argumenturm (subject-matter.) In accordance with this, Cranmer’s version (1539) reads, “in this matter of boastinge.” The Vulgate makes use of the term substantia, (substance.) Wiclif (1380) reads, “in this substance of glorie” The Rheims version (1582), “in this substance of glorying.” — Ed. or substance, unquestionably, would not be at all suitable here. “Certes il ne conueniendroit pas bien yci de traduire matiere ou substance, combien que le mot signifie quelque fois cela;” — “Certainly it would not be suitable here to render it subject-matter or substance, though the word sometimes bears that meaning.”