2 Corinthians 5:12

We commend not. Throughout both epistles to the Corinthians, Paul has been defending and magnifying his ministry, not to exalt himself, but to win the confidence of the Corinthians in his message and in himself as God’s messenger. His preaching among them had been with power (1 Cor. 2:4; 1 Cor. 15:1, 2). He was their spiritual father (1 Cor. 4:15) and their leader in spiritual things (ch. 11:1). His ministry had been one of the “spirit,” not of the “letter”; of inward transformation, not of outward appearance (2 Cor. 3:6). Its basis of recommendation was the transparency and purity of the truth proclaimed (ch. 4:1, 2), and the sacrifice and suffering Paul had continually endured for the truth’s sake (chs. 4:8-10; 11:21–30). All this the Corinthians might construe as boasting. Doubtless many had already placed this interpretation upon such declarations in Paul’s former epistle, as would appear from his use here of the word “again” (cf. ch. 3:1). He now declares categorically that in all he has written he is not boasting. His purpose is to answer the derogatory remarks of those who were belittling his ministry.

Occasion. Gr. aphorme, “base of operations,” “starting point,” “incentive.” Paul now sets forth the purpose that prompted him to defend his ministry. The Corinthians were engaged in spiritual warfare with enemies of the gospel who sought positions of leadership in the church and who attempted to advance themselves by discrediting Paul. They had come with credentials in the form of letters of recommendation, supposedly from the brethren in Judea. They represented Paul as a self-appointed upstart, and themselves as vested with authority by the apostles (see on ch. 3:1). Not only so, they claimed to be leaders and “ministers” (ch. 11:22, 23). Paul refers to them as “false apostles” and “deceitful workers” (ch. 11:13). Evidently a considerable number of the Corinthian believers had been deceived by these men, who connived to take over the leadership of the Corinthian church. Paul declares that his sole object in defending his ministry is to provide the church with correct information and adequate answers with which to silence these false apostles.

Glory. That is, be proud of someone or something (see on ch. 1:14, where the cognate noun is translated “rejoicing”).

Appearance. Literally, “face,” “countenance,” and thus “outward appearance.” These self-appointed apostles are not what they pretend, and appear to be. They may have “letters of commendation,” but they do not have the inward witness of the Spirit in the hearts of converted and consecrated men and women (see on ch. 3:1-3). Upon those whose judgment was based on external appearance (see on 1 Sam. 16:7), these false leaders made a better impression than Paul had been able to make (see 2 Cor. 10:10). Some Corinthians had even been led to make sport of Paul’s personal defects — his bodily weakness and his poor sight (2 Cor. 10:1, 17, 12; 12:8-10; Gal. 4:13-15; see EGW Supplementary Material on 2 Cor. 12:7-9). Furthermore, Paul acknowledged himself “aide” and simple of speech (2 Cor. 11:6). The claim of the false apostles to superior ministerial authority was apparently based on a closer personal association with older apostles and on rigorous adherence to the “letter” of Hebrew orthodoxy (see on ch. 3:1-3). Their boast was based on purely external values. They appeared to be oblivious of those higher, spiritual qualities of which Paul chooses to boast, if boast he must (cf. Gal. 6:14).