2 Corinthians 11:20

King James Version (KJV)

For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.

Adam Clarke
Bible Commentary

For ye suffer - As you are so meek and gentle as to submit to be brought into bondage, to have your property devoured, your goods taken away, yourselves laid in the dust, so that others may exalt themselves over you, yea, and will bear from those the most degrading indignity; then of course, you will bear with one who has never insulted, defrauded, devoured, taken of you, exalted himself against you, or offered you any kind of indignity; and who only wishes you to bear his confident boasting, concerning matters which he can substantiate.

The expressions in this verse are some evidence that the false apostle was a Judaizing teacher. You suffer, says the apostle, if a man, καταδουλοι, bring you into bondage, probably meaning to the Jewish rites and ceremonies, Galatians 4:9; Galatians 5:1. If he devour you; as the Pharisees did the patrimony of the widows, and for a pretense made long prayers; if a man take of you, exact different contributions, pretendedly for the temple at Jerusalem, etc. If he exalt himself, pretending to be of the seed of Abraham, infinitely higher in honor and dignity than all the families of the Gentiles; if he smite you on the face - treat you with indignity, as the Jews did the Gentiles, considering them only as dogs, and not fit to be ranked with any of the descendants of Jacob.

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Albert Barnes
Notes on the Whole Bible

For ye suffer … - You bear patiently with people who impose on you in every way, and who are constantly defrauding you, though you profess to be so wise, and you may bear with me a little, though I have no such intention. Seriously, if you bear with boasters who intend to delude and deceive you in various ways, you may bear with one who comes to you with no such intention, but with an honest purpose to do good.

If a man bring you into bondage - ( καταδουλοῖ katadouloi). If a man, or if anyone ( εἴ τις ei tis) “make a slave of you,” or reduce you to servitude. The idea is, doubtless, that the false teachers set up a lordship over their consciences; destroyed their freedom of opinion; and made them subservient to their will. They really took away their Christian freedom as much as if they had been slaves. In what way this was done is unknown. It may be that they imposed on them rites and forms, commanded expensive and inconvenient ceremonies, and required arduous services merely at their own will. A false religion always makes slaves. It is only true Christianity that leaves perfect freedom. All pagans are slaves to their priests; all fanatics are slaves to some fanatical leader; all those who embrace error are slaves to those who claim to be their guides. The papist everywhere is the slave of the priest, and the despotism there is as great as in any region of servitude whatever.

If a man devour you - This is exceedingly sarcastic. The idea is, “Though you are so wise, yet you in fact tolerate people who impose on you - no matter though they eat you up, or consume all that you have. By their exorbitant demands they would consume all you have - or, as we would say, eat you out of house and home.” All this they took patiently; and freely gave all that they demanded. False teachers are always rapacious. They seek the property, not the souls of those to whom they minister. Not satisfied with a maintenance, they aim to obtain all, and their plans are formed to secure as much as possible of those to whom they minister.

If a man take of you - If he take and seize upon your possessions. If he comes and takes what he pleases and bears it away as his own.

If a man exalt himself - If he set himself up as a ruler and claim submission. No matter how arrogant his claims, yet you are ready to bear with him. You might then bear with me in the very moderate demands which I make on your obedience and confidence.

If a man smite you on the face - The word rendered here as “smite” ( δέρω derō) means properly “to skin, to flay”; but in the New Testament it means “to beat, to scourge” - especially so as “to take off the skin”; Matthew 21:35; Mark 12:3, Mark 12:5. The idea here is, if anyone treats you with contumely and scorn - since there can be no higher expression of it than to strike a man on the face; Matthew 26:67. It is not to be supposed that this occurred literally among the Corinthians; but the idea is, that the false teachers really treated them with as little respect as if they smote them on the face. In what way this was done is unknown; but probably it was by their domineering manners, and the little respect which they showed for the opinions and feelings of the Corinthian Christians. Paul says that as they bore this very patiently, they might allow him to make some remarks about himself in self-commendation.

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Matthew Henry
Concise Bible Commentary

It is the duty and practice of Christians to humble themselves, in obedience to the command and example of the Lord; yet prudence must direct in what it is needful to do things which we may do lawfully, even the speaking of what God has wrought for us, and in us, and by us. Doubtless here is reference to facts in which the character of the false apostles had been shown. It is astonishing to see how such men bring their followers into bondage, and how they take from them and insult them.

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SDA Bible Commentary (limited)
Volume 1-7

20. Suffer. In modern English, “endure patiently.”

Bring you into bondage. Paul here exposes and condemns the highhanded methods of the pseudo apostles at Corinth. Titus had evidently reported to Paul concerning the harsh and tyrannical authority exercised by these false leaders. This contrasted sharply with Paul’s treatment of the Corinthians, which had been marked by love and kindness. Five expressions are used to describe the nature and work of these false apostles.

The false apostles made virtual slaves of those who accepted them (cf. Matt. 23:4; Gal. 2:4; 4:9; 5:1, 13; 1 Peter 5:2, 3). Instead of bringing freedom, false teachings and false doctrines make mental and spiritual slaves of men. Truth makes men free (John 8:32, 36). The work of false teachers and religious leaders is to make themselves lords of the church by controlling the minds and hearts of men. The work of true leaders is to lead men to Christ and not to themselves.

Devour you. See on Matt. 23:14. The false apostles worked for money and worldly gain. They sheared the sheep instead of feeding them. They were inspired and motivated by selfish greed, so much so that they devoured the substance of the Corinthians. They were hirelings.

Take of you. That is, catch you, or take advantage of you. Apparently, these false leaders were outright deceivers, and had entrapped the Corinthians. Wise as they were (v. 19), the latter had been made dupes.

Exalt himself. It was characteristic of these false apostles to assume great authority. By boasting and pompous utterances they arrogated to themselves lordship over the church.

Smite you. This pictures the depths of disgrace to which the Corinthians had been subjected. In the Bible such an act is pictured as a mark of the utmost contempt (1 Kings 22:24; Neh. 13:25; cf. Isa. 58:4; Matt. 5:39; Titus. 1:7). Both Christ and Paul knew what it was to experience this form of treatment (Luke 22:64; Acts 23:2; cf. 1 Tim. 3:3). No greater insult could be offered to a man. In doing soÃ¢??figuratively at leastÃ¢??these men have proved themselves false leaders and false apostles. They have no sense of the value of souls, or even respect for the rights of others.