Commentaries:
Barnes' Notes
I robbed other churches - The churches of Macedonia and elsewhere, which had ministered to his needs. Probably he refers especially to the church at Philippi (see Philippians 4:15-16), which seems to have done more than almost any other church for his support. By the use of the word "robbed" here Paul does not mean that he had obtained anything from them in a violent or unlawful manner, or anything which they did not give voluntarily. The word ( ̓́ esulēsa ) means properly, "I spoiled, plundered, robbed," but the idea of Paul here is, that he, as it were, robbed them, because he did not render an equivalent for what they gave him. They supported him when he was laboring for another people. A conqueror who plunders a country gives no equivalent for what he takes. In this sense only could Paul say that he had plundered the church at Philippi. His general principle was, that "the laborer was worthy of his hire," and that a man was to receive his support from the people for whom he labored (see I Corinthians 9:7-14), but this rule he had not observed in this case.
Taking wages of them - Receiving a support from them. They bore my expenses.
To do you service - That I might labor among you without being supposed to be striving to obtain your property, and that I might not be compelled to labor with my own hands, and thus to prevent my preaching the gospel as I could otherwise do. The supply from other churches rendered it unnecessary in a great measure that his time should be taken off from the ministry in order to obtain a support.
Other Barnes' Notes entries containing 2 Corinthians 11:8:
Romans 12:7
1 Corinthians 9:7
1 Corinthians 9:12
2 Corinthians 12:13
Philippians 4:15
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