· Translation: KJV

2 Corinthians 11:19For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise.

The setting

Corinth, Greece, ~55 AD. Paul writing his second letter, defending his ministry against false apostles who have infiltrated the church...

The emotion here: frustrated and sarcastic, watching his spiritual children be deceived

The original word

anekhesthe (ἀνέχεσθε) — to endure, tolerate, literally 'hold up under'

Why it matters

The Corinthians were wealthy and prideful, making them susceptible to impressive but false teachers

Read with care

What most readers miss in 2 Corinthians 11:19

This is dripping with sarcasm — Paul is saying they're so 'wise' they gladly tolerate fools

Common misconceptionPeople think this is about being patient with genuinely foolish people. Paul is actually using biting sarcasm about tolerating manipulative false teachers.

Bible Genome reading

2 Corinthians 11:19 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerPaul
Eraearly_church
Primary emotionangry
Literary typedialogue

Emotional genome

Comfort power10%
Quotability40%
Memorability50%
Crisis relevance60%
Standalone50%
Themes:ironytolerance

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open 2 Corinthians 11

2 Corinthians 11:19 comes from the book of 2 Corinthians, written during the early_church period. These words are attributed to Paul. The dominant emotion in this verse is angry, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is conversational. It belongs to the dialogue genre of biblical literature. Key themes include irony, tolerance. Notable phrases: bear with the foolish gladly; being wise.

Your reflection

What does 2 Corinthians 11:19 mean to you, today?

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