Second Corinthians 11:19 is Paul’s ironic remark that the Corinthian believers were willing to put up with foolish talk because they considered themselves wise. Paul is writing sarcastically, and he is pointing out how easily the church had tolerated false teachers who bullied and exploited them. The words come from the apostle Paul, addressed to the church in Corinth.
For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise.
2 Corinthians 11:19 (WEB)
What 2 Corinthians 11:19 Means
The phrase “you bear with the foolish gladly” is the heart of the verse. “Bear with” means to put up with, tolerate, or patiently endure. Paul is saying that the Corinthians were happy to tolerate people who acted foolishly, which is an odd thing to do if you think of yourself as wise. Paul is not complimenting them. He is using irony to expose a contradiction in their behavior.
The word “being wise” is the twist. The Corinthians saw themselves as sensible, discerning people, so they should have been quick to spot foolishness. Instead they gave foolish men a generous hearing. Paul is showing that their wisdom was not doing its job. The verse does not promise anything directly. It is a rebuke wrapped in sarcasm, meant to make the readers recognize their own poor judgment.
The Context of 2 Corinthians 11:19
Second Corinthians is one of the letters Paul wrote to the church he had planted in Corinth, a busy port city in Greece where believers faced pressure from culture, rivals, and internal disputes. In this letter Paul defends his apostolic authority against rival teachers who had come into the church, boasted of their credentials, and made themselves the center of attention. Many scholars date the letter to the mid-50s AD.
The verses just before and after 2 Corinthians 11:19 explain why Paul writes this way. In verses 16 through 18 he says he will boast a little, though he admits it is foolish, because others are boasting according to human standards. In verses 20 through 22 he lists the abuses the Corinthians have endured, from enslavement and exploitation to public humiliation, and then points out that his own Jewish heritage and labor match theirs. Read in that setting, verse 19 is the hinge: Paul is mocking the Corinthians for tolerating abuse while calling it wisdom, and he is about to show what true boasting in weakness looks like.
Key Phrases in 2 Corinthians 11:19
Proverbs 3:7
Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
(WEB)
This verse warns against thinking you are wise in your own eyes, which is exactly the trap Paul exposes in the Corinthians. Reading it alongside 2 Corinthians 11:19 shows that self-assessed wisdom can blind us to the harm we are allowing.
2 Corinthians 11:3
But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
(WEB)
Just a few verses earlier, Paul warns the Corinthians that they might be led astray from their sincere devotion to Christ, as Eve was deceived. Reading this with verse 19 helps you see that Paul’s concern is not only about bad manners but about being drawn away from the truth.
A Short Prayer From 2 Corinthians 11:19
Lord, you have given me a mind that can judge between what is good and what is harmful. Help me to use it honestly, especially when I am tempted to excuse behavior that hurts me or others just because it is familiar or comfortable. Show me where my patience has turned into avoidance, and give me the courage to speak and act with the wisdom that comes from you. Let my confidence rest in you rather than in my own opinion of myself. Amen.
