2 Cor. xi. 13
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into Apostles of Christ.
sayest thou? they that
preach Christ, they that take not money, they that bring not in a
different gospel, “false apostles?” ‘Yes,’ he saith, and
for this very reason most of all, because they make pretense of all
these things for the purpose of deceiving. “Deceitful
workers,” for they do work indeed, but pull up what has been
planted. For being well aware that otherwise they would not be
well received, they take the mask of truth and so enact the drama
of error. ‘And yet,’ saith one, ‘they take no money.’
That they may take greater things; that they may destroy the
soul. Yea rather, even that was a falsehood; and they took money
but did it secretly: and he shows this in what follows. And
indeed he already hinted this where he said, “that wherein they
glory, they may be found even as we:” (ver. 12.) in what follows, however, he hinted it more plainly, saying, “If a man devour you, if a man take you captive, if a man exalt himself, ye bear with him.” (ver. 20.) But at present he accuses them on another account, saying, “fashioning themselves.” They had only a “fashion;” the skin of the sheep was but outside clothing.
Ver. 14, 15. “And no marvel; for if
even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light, is it a great
thing if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of
righteousness?”
So that if one ought to marvel, this is what
he ought to marvel at, and not at their transformation. For when
their teacher dares do any thing, no marvel that the disciples also
follow. But what is “an angel of light?” That hath free
liberty to speak, that standeth near to God. For there are also
angels of darkness; those which be the devil’s, those dark and
cruel ones. And the devil hath deceived many so, fashioning
himself “into,” not becoming, “an angel of light.” So do
also do these bear about them the form of an Apostle, not the power
itself, for this they cannot. But nothing is so like the devil as to do
things for display. But what is “a ministry of
righteousness?” That which we are who preach to you a Gospel
having righteousness. For he either means this, or else that they
invest themselves with the character of righteous men. How then
shall we know them? “By their works,” as Christ said. Wherefore he is compelled to place his own good deeds and their wickedness side by side, that the spurious may become evident by the comparison. And when about again to enter upon his own praises, he first accuses them, in order to show that such an argument was forced upon him, lest any should accuse him for speaking about himself, and says,
Ver. 16. “Again I say.” For he
had even already used much
preparatory corrective: ‘But nevertheless I am not contented
with what I have said, but I say yet again,’
“Let no man think me foolish.” For this
was what they did—boasted without a reason.—But observe, I pray
you, how often, when about to enter upon his own praises, he checks
himself. ‘For
indeed it is the act of folly,’ he says, ‘to boast: but I do
it, not as playing the fool, but because compelled. But if ye do
not believe me, but though ye see there is a necessity will condemn
me; not even so will I decline the task.’ Seest thou how he showed that
there was great necessity for his speaking. For he that shunned
not even this suspicion, consider what violent impulsion to speak
he must have undergone, how he travailed and was constrained to
speak. But, nevertheless, even so he employs this thing with
moderation. For he did not say, ‘that I may glory.’ And
when about to do “a little,” again he uses yet another
deprecatory expression, saying,
Ver. 17. “That which I speak, I
speak not after the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence
of glorifying.”