Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 2 Corinthians 11:17

"That which I speak, I speak not after the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of glorying." — 2 Corinthians 11:17 (ASV)

These two verses are likely a sort of parenthesis. Under normal circumstances, Paul claims, his conduct and words as a servant of Christ and of the Corinthians (4:5; 11:23) would have been marked by “the meekness and gentleness of Christ” (10:1), not the “self-confident boasting” of the fool (v.17). This was not the example of Christ, but he felt he had to follow the example of his opponents in order to win over the Corinthians, who had driven him to this desperate measure of self-exaltation.

Although hesitant to talk “as a fool,” Paul partially overcomes his reluctance when he recalls that his converts have grown accustomed to self-advertisement —people boasting “in the way the world does” of personal privileges and achievements (as Paul himself is about to do; vv.22ff.).