Albert Barnes Commentary 2 Corinthians 11:12

"But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them that desire an occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we." — 2 Corinthians 11:12 (ASV)

But what I do. The course of life which I have been pursuing I will continue to pursue. That is, I will continue to preach as I have done without demanding support. I will labor with my own hands if necessary; I will preach without demanding rigidly what I might be entitled to.

That I may cut off occasion. That I may give them no opportunity of accusing me of desiring to grow rich, and of slandering me. Paul meant that they should have no plausible pretext even for accusing him; that no man should be able to say that he was preaching merely for payment.

Which desire occasion. No doubt his enemies eagerly sought opportunities of accusing him, and greatly wished for some plausible reason for charging him with that which would be disgraceful and ruinous to his character. Or it may mean that they desired opportunity from Paul’s example to justify themselves in their course; that they took wages from the church at Corinth generously, and desired to be able to say that they had his example.

That wherein they glory. This probably means that they boasted that they preached the gospel free of charge; that they received nothing for their labors. Yet while they did this, it is not improbable that they received presents from the Corinthians, and under various pretenses contrived to get from them ample support, perhaps much more than would have been a reasonable compensation.

Men who profess to preach the gospel free of charge usually contrive in various ways to get more from the people than those who receive a regular and stipulated compensation. By taxing their hospitality quite liberally, by accepting generous presents, and by frequent proclamation of their self-denial and poverty, they usually pilfer large amounts from the people.

No people were ever louder in praise of poverty, or in proclamation of their own self-denials, than some orders of monks, even when it could almost be said that the richest possessions of Europe were passing into their hands. In any case, Paul meant that these men should have no opportunity from his course to take any such advantage.

He knew what he had a right to (1 Corinthians 9), but he had not urged the right. He had received nothing from the church at Corinth, and he meant to receive nothing. He had honestly preached the gospel to them without charge, and he meant still to do it (1 Corinthians 9:18). Therefore, they should have no opportunity from his conduct either to accuse him of preaching for money, or to shelter themselves under his example by pretending to preach for nothing, when they were in fact obtaining large sums from the people.

They may be found even as we. That they may be compelled honestly to pursue such a course as I do, and be found to be in fact what they pretend to be. The sense is, "I mean to act so that if they follow my example, or plead my authority, they may be found to lead an honest life; and that if they boast on this subject, they shall boast strictly according to truth. There shall be no trick; nothing underhanded or deceptive in what they do, so far as my example can prevent it."