Note 1 at 2Co 11:16: Paul was speaking not as a command from the Lord but as a fool (see note 2 at 2Co 11:1). Since many of these false apostles were so eager to boast of their merely human achievements, so was Paul. In their human wisdom, the Corinthians were gladly tolerating fools. If someone brought them into bondage, took advantage of them, trapped them, looked down on them, or slapped them on the face, they tolerated it. Here, Paul was asking them to tolerate him as he indulged in some boasting about his qualifications.