Albert Barnes Commentary 2 Corinthians 11:19

"For ye bear with the foolish gladly, being wise [yourselves]." — 2 Corinthians 11:19 (ASV)

For ye suffer fools gladly. You tolerate or endure those who are really fools. This is perhaps, says Dr. Bloomfield, the most sarcastic sentence ever penned by the apostle Paul.

Its sense is, "You profess to be wonderfully wise. And yet you, who are so wise a people, freely tolerate those who are foolish in their boasting, who proclaim their own merits and attainments. You may allow me, therefore, to come in for my part, and also boast, and thus obtain your favor."

Or it may mean, "You are so profoundly wise that you easily see who are fools. You have great power of discernment in this, and have found out that I am a fool, and also that other boasters are fools. Yet knowing this, you bear patiently with such fools, have admitted them to your favor and friendship; and I may come in among the rest of the fools, and also partake of your favors."

They had tolerated the false apostles who had boasted of their endowments, and yet they claimed to be eminent for wisdom and discernment.