Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.
The verse opens Paul's account of his own experience. The plea to bear with him is a request to be patiently heard while plain, direct counsel is given on a matter of personal conduct and spiritual influence. The surrounding chapter shows that looking at matters with merely human sight leads to very grave mistakes when people take up a work God has not appointed but has condemned. That condemned work is criticizing others, climbing upon the judgment seat, and pronouncing sentence upon them.
The verse with its context is to be studied and made to speak decidedly as a warning not to enter into controversy with anyone and not to seek to be original by bringing in odd notions. Instead the aim is to obtain a deeper experience and to move in a dignified, elevated, and ennobling manner. For spiritual advancement it is far better to look carefully to one's own shortcomings and defects of character by watchful examination of one's own heart. This means removing the beam of faultfinding, evil surmising, evil speaking, bearing false witness, hatred, and accusing fellow believers.
The verse opens Paul's account of his own experience. The plea to bear with him is a request to be patiently heard while plain, direct counsel is given on a matter of personal conduct and spiritual influence. The surrounding chapter shows that looking at matters with merely human sight leads to very grave mistakes when people take up a work God has not appointed but has condemned. That condemned work is criticizing others, climbing upon the judgment seat, and pronouncing sentence upon them.
The verse with its context is to be studied and made to speak decidedly as a warning not to enter into controversy with anyone and not to seek to be original by bringing in odd notions. Instead the aim is to obtain a deeper experience and to move in a dignified, elevated, and ennobling manner. For spiritual advancement it is far better to look carefully to one's own shortcomings and defects of character by watchful examination of one's own heart. This means removing the beam of faultfinding, evil surmising, evil speaking, bearing false witness, hatred, and accusing fellow believers.