ladly therefore will I rather glory in
my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

PAUL'S GLORY IN HIS LABOR AND SUFFERING.

1. They who praise themselves are fools according to the views and
speech of the world. The saying is, "Self-praise is unsavory." It is
forbidden by Solomon in Proverbs 27, 2: "Let another man praise thee,
and not thine own mouth." And Christ says (Jn 8, 54), "If I glorify
myself, my glory is nothing." Paul acknowledges that he had to become
a fool, something for which he had no desire, by reason of the
necessity laid upon him to praise himself. The false apostles, as
false spirits habitually do, delivered great, fine, splendid speeches
to the multitude, in their vainglorious attempt to raise themselves
above Paul, thereby to make contemptible and insignificant that
apostle and his doctrine.

2. Paul was little concerned that he personally should be lightly
esteemed and the false apostles highly honored, but he could not bear
to have the Gospel perish in that way and his Corinthian converts
seduced. Therefore he exerts himself to the utmost, at the risk of
becoming a fool by his boasting. But he, in his strong spiritual
wisdom, glories in a masterly manner, and skilfully puts to shame the
boasts of the false apostles.

First, he shows them he can glory in the very things wherein they
glory, and in even more. At the same time he declares himself a fool
for glorying. He might have said: "Foolish, indeed, are they, and
boorish creatures, who glory in themselves. They should feel shame to
the very depth of their heart. No true, sane man boasts of what he is.
The wicked and the frivolous do that." But the apostle's attack is not
quite so severe and harsh. He addresses them civilly and delicately in
that he makes himself appear a fool, as if to say: "Look! how becoming
self-praise is in myself, although I have grounds for my glorying. But
how much more disgraceful for you to boast when perhaps none of your
claims are true." So Paul wears the foolscap, that those coarse fools
might have a mirror in which to behold their real selves. This is
wisely making foolishness minister to the good of the neighbor and to
the honor of the Gospel. To the just, even folly is wisdom, just as
all things are pure and holy unto him.

3. Second, Paul deals the false apostles a stout blow when he shows
them to be ignorant of the grounds in which a true Christian seeks his
glory. For, as he teaches them