Can a wise man bear with fools?

2 Corinthians 11:16-21

“I repeat, let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not as the Lord would but as a fool. Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves! For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face. To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that!”

Can a wise man bear with fools?  The Greek word used for fools means “one who is ignorant or unlearned, and I’m sure that is all encompassing for mankind.  Do you know anyone who knows everything even though many look to Google, it will fall short, only God, so it seems you and I can be conned.  What is the meaning of being wise and why is Paul taking such an approach in that we do not see this in the teaching of Christ?  In fact, Paul wants to make sure that we understand Jesus never boasted.

Once more we must look at the false teachers who had come in after Paul had left, they were boasting about what they had done and the many experiences and achievements while Paul had been very private in what God had done with his ministry.

Paul is implying that many of them had been so wise to be duped, or we might use the word deceived or conned by the false apostles.  I’ve learned to be very careful around a man who talks more about what he has done than about the majesty of Christ, and that goes double for preachers and teachers.  “For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face. To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that!” 

It seems that these false teachers were using control methods both physical as well as psychological to hold power over the people.  Paul may have been using a little tongue in cheek implying he was too weak.  Many of his letters did not come across as one who is weak in words or action.

As one who is ignorant about so much, and the examples are many, how a bumblebee can fly, why God made Raccoon’s and just how the brain has so much capacity and humans use it so little.  Now those are of the not important, and my list of ignorance can go into the writing of many a book.

So I often look to the Scriptures for in them I’ve found the answer to life, and the question that matters most, how can I be in right standing with my Creator?  And in the Scriptures I’ve found answers to how I can have peace, and joy, how to love those who are just mean-spirited and evil.  And also how to not fall under the control of conmen by applying Romans 6:16.  “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?”  And also 2 Peter 2:19, “They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity – for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice