13. Por such (are) false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
The reason assigned in this verse for the determination expressed in the preceding, to cut off occasion from those who sought to degrade the apostle, is, the unworthy character of his opponents. They were so unprincipled and unscruj^ulous that Paul was determined they should have no advantage over him. The words ol tolovtol xJ/evSaTroa-ToXot may be rendered either, Such false apostles are, &c., or, Such are false apostles. The Vulgate, Luther, Calvin, and the majority of the earlier commentators, give the former interpretation ; most of the later writers the latter. The latter is to be preferred because the emphasis is on the vrovd false ajyo sties ; and because such false apostles would imply that there were other false apostles who were not deceitful workers. False apostles are those who falsely claimed to be apostles, as false Christs, Matt. 24, 24, and false prophets, Matt. 11, 15, are those who falsely claimed to be Christ or prophets. An apostle was commis- sioned by Christ, endowed with the gifts of plenary inspiration and knowledge, and invested with supernatural powers. Those in that age, and those who now claim to be apostles without this commission, these gifts, and these signs of ths apostleship, are false apostles. They claim to be what they are not, and usurp an authority which does not belong to them. The fundamental idea of Romanism is the perpetuity of the apostolic office. Bishops are assumed to be apostles, and therefore clauii infallibility in teaching, and supreme au- thority in ruling. If we admit them to be apostles, we must admit the validity of their claims to unquestioning faith and obedience. Deceitful icorkers, i. e. workers who use deceit. They were workers in so far as they were preachers or teach- ers ; but they were not honest ; they availed themselves of every means to deceive and pervert the j^eople. To the same persons the apostle refers in Phil. 3, 2, "as evil workers." Transformmg themselves into, i. e. assuming the character of, tJie apostles of Christ. Though their real object was not to advance the kingdom and glory of Christ, and although they were never commissioned for that work, they gave themselves out as Christ's messengers and servants, and even claimed to have a more intimate relation to him, and to be more devoted to his service than Paul himself, 12