Actually Paul is saying to HIS disciples that he wants to present them pure to the Lord. Now the apostle Paul DOES NOT present US to the Lord, for it is the Lord Himself who will present us to Himself.
`Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to PRESENT YOU faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy...` (Jude 24)
How is Paul going to present us? He doesn`t.
We can`t build a doctrine on a symbolic picture.
Marilyn, perhaps this will help you understand verse 2 of 2 Corinthians.
2 Corinthians 11 Bible Commentary
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- Matthew Henry Bible Commentary (complete)
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- 2 Corinthians 11
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary (complete)
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In this chapter the apostle goes on with his discourse, in opposition to the false apostles, who were very industrious to lessen his interest and reputation among the Corinthians, and had prevailed too much by their insinuations. I. He apologizes for going about to commend himself, and gives the reason for what he did (v. 1-4). II. He mentions, in his own necessary vindication, his equality with the other apostles, and with the false apostles in this particular of preaching the gospel to the Corinthians freely, without wages (v. 5-15). III. He makes another preface to what he was about further to say in his own justification (v. 16-21). And, IV. He gives a large account of his qualifications, labours, and sufferings, in which he exceeded the false apostles (v. 22 to the end).
Verses 1-4
Here we may observe, 1. The apology the apostle makes for going about to commend himself. He is loth to enter upon this subject of self-commendation:
Would to God you could bear with me a little in my folly, v. 1. He calls this folly, because too often it is really no better. In his case it was necessary; yet, seeing others might apprehend it to be folly in him, he desires them to bear with it. Note, As much against the grain as it is with a proud man to acknowledge his infirmities, so much is it against the grain with a humble man to speak in his own praise. It is no pleasure to a good man to speak well of himself, yet in some cases it is lawful, namely, when it is for the advantage of others, or for our own necessary vindication; as thus it was here. For, 2. We have the reasons for what the apostle did. (1.) To preserve the Corinthians from being corrupted by the insinuations of the false apostles,
v. 2, 3. He tells them
he was jealous over them with godly jealousy; he was afraid lest their faith should be weakened by hearkening to such suggestions as tended to lessen their regard to his ministry, by which they were brought to the Christian faith. He had
espoused them to one husband, that is, converted them to Christianity (and the conversion of a soul is its marriage to the Lord Jesus); and he was desirous to
present them as a chaste virgin—pure, and spotless, and faithful, not having
their minds corrupted with false doctrines by false teachers, as
Eve was beguiled by the subtlety of the serpent. This godly jealousy in the apostle was a mixture of love and fear; and faithful ministers cannot but be afraid and concerned for their people, lest they should lose that which they have received, and turn from what they have embraced, especially when
deceivers have gone abroad, or have
crept in among them. (2.) To vindicate himself against the false apostles, forasmuch as they could not pretend they had another Jesus, or another Spirit, or another gospel, to preach to them, v. 4. If this had been the case, there would have been some colour of reason to bear with them, or to hearken to them. But seeing there is but one Jesus, one Spirit, and one gospel, that is, or at least that ought to be, preached to them and received by them, what reason could there be why the Corinthians should be prejudiced against him, who first converted them to the faith, by the artifices of any adversary? It was a just occasion of jealousy that such persons designed to preach another Jesus, another Spirit, and another gospel.
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