nd wherewith Paul portrays the character of false
teachers, showing how they betray their avarice and ambition. First,
they permit true teachers to lay the foundation and perform the labor;
then they come and desire to do the work over, to reap the honors and
the benefits. They bring about that the name and the work of the true
teachers receive no regard and credit; what they themselves have
brought--that is the thing. They make the poor, simple-minded people
to stare open-mouthed while they win them with flowery words and
seduce them with fair speeches, as mentioned in Romans 16, 18. These
are the idle drones that consume the honey they will not and cannot
make. That this was the condition of affairs at Corinth is very clear
from this epistle--indeed, from both epistles. Paul continually refers
to others having followed him and built upon the foundation he has
laid. Messengers of the devil, he terms them.

10. And such false teachers have the good fortune that all their folly
is tolerated, even though the people realize how these act the fool,
and rather rudely at that. They have success with it all, and people
bear with them. But no patience is to be exercised toward true
teachers! Their words and their works are watched with the intent of
entrapping them, as complained of in Psalm 17, 9 and elsewhere. When
only apparently a mote is found, it is exaggerated to a very great
beam. No toleration is granted. There is only judgment, condemnation
and scorn. Hence the office of preaching is a grievous one. He who has
not for his sole motive the benefit of his neighbor and the glory of
God, cannot continue therein. The true teacher must labor, and permit
others to have the honor and profit of his efforts, while he receives
injury and derision for his reward. Here the saying holds true: "To
love without guerdon, nor wearying of the burden." Only the Spirit of
God can inspire such love. To flesh and blood it is impossible. Paul
here scores the false prophets when he says, "Ye suffer fools gladly";
in other words, "I know the false preachers often act as fools, nor
can they help it, because their teaching is false; yet ye excuse
them."

11. In the second place such teachers are disposed to bring the people
into downright bondage and to bind their conscience by forcing laws
upon them and teaching work-righteousness. The effect is that fear
impels them to do what has been pounded into them, as if they were
bond-slaves, while the