TRV
Translation
King James Version
The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
Complete Jewish Bible
God the Father of the Lord Yeshua — blessed be he forever — knows that I am not lying!
Berean Standard Bible
The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is forever worthy of praise, knows that I am not lying.
American Standard Version
The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed for evermore knoweth that I lie not.
World English Bible Messianic
The God and Father of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah, he who is blessed forever more, knows that I don’t lie.
Geneva Bible (1599)
The God, euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, which is blessed for euermore, knoweth that I lie not.
Young's Literal Translation
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ--who is blessed to the ages--hath known that I do not lie! --
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In the KJVVerse 29,021 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on 2 Corinthians 11 verses 22–33
22 ¶ Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:
33 And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.
Here the apostle gives a large account of his own qualifications, labours, and sufferings (not out of pride or vain-glory, but to the honour of God, who had enabled him to do and suffer so much for the cause of Christ), and wherein he excelled the false apostles, who would lessen his character and usefulness among the Corinthians. Observe,
I. He mentions the privileges of his birth (Co2 11:22), which were equal to any they could pretend to. He was a Hebrew of the Hebrews; of a family among the Jews that never intermarried with the Gentiles. He was also an Israelite, and could boast of his being descended from the beloved Jacob as well as they, and was also of the seed of Abraham, and not of the proselytes. It should seem from this that the false apostles were of the Jewish race, who gave disturbance to the Gentile converts.
II. He makes mention also of his apostleship, that he was more than an ordinary minister of Christ, Co2 11:23. God had counted him faithful, and had put him into the ministry. He had been a useful minister of Christ unto them; they had found full proofs of his ministry: Are they ministers of Christ? I am more so.
III. He chiefly insists upon this, that he had been an extraordinary sufferer for Christ; and this was what he gloried in, or rather he gloried in the grace of God that had enabled him to be more abundant in labours, and to endure very great sufferings, such as stripes above measure, frequent imprisonments, and often the dangers of death, Co2 11:23. Note, When the apostle would prove himself an extraordinary minister, he proves that he had been an extraordinary sufferer. Paul was the apostle of the Gentiles, and for that reason was hated of the Jews. They did all they could against him; and among the Gentiles also he met with hard usage. Bonds and imprisonments were familiar to him; never was the most notorious malefactor more frequently in the hands of public justice than Paul was for righteousness' sake. The jail and the whipping-post, and all other hard usages of those who are accounted the worst of men, were what he was accustomed to. As to the Jews, whenever he fell into their hands, they never spared him. Five times he fell under their lash, and received forty stripes save one, Co2 11:24. Forty stripes was the utmost their law allowed (Deu 25:3), but it was usual with them, that they might not exceed, to abate one at least of that number. And to have the abatement of one only was all the favour that ever Paul received from them. The Gentiles were not tied up to that moderation, and among them he was thrice beaten with rods, of which we may suppose once was at Philippi, Act 16:22. Once he was stoned in a popular tumult, and was taken up for dead, Act 14:19. He says that thrice he suffered shipwreck; and we may believe him, though the sacred history gives a relation but of one. A night and a day he had been in the deep (Co2 11:25), in some deep dungeon or other, shut up as a prisoner. Thus he was all his days a constant confessor; perhaps scarcely a year of his life, after his conversion, passed without suffering some hardship or other for his religion; yet this was not all, for, wherever he went, he went in perils; he was exposed to perils of all sorts. If he journeyed by land, or voyaged by sea, he was in perils of robbers, or enemies of some sort; the Jews, his own countrymen, sought to kill him, or do him a mischief; the heathen, to whom he was sent, were not more kind to him, for among them he was in peril. If he was in the city, or in the wilderness, still he was in peril. He was in peril not only among avowed enemies, but among those also who called themselves brethren, but were false brethren, Co2 11:26. Besides all this, he had great weariness and painfulness in his ministerial labours, and these are things that will come into account shortly, and people will be reckoned with for all the care and pains of their ministers concerning them. Paul was a stranger to wealth and plenty, power and pleasure, preferment and ease; he was in watchings often, and exposed to hunger and thirst; in fastings often, it may be out of necessity; and endured cold and nakedness, Co2 11:27. Thus was he, who was one of the greatest blessings of the age, used as if he had been the burden of the earth, and the plague of his generation. And yet this is not all; for, as an apostle, the care of all the churches lay on him, Co2 11:28. He mentions this last, as if this lay the heaviest upon him, and as if he could better bear all the persecutions of his enemies than the scandals that were to be found in the churches he had the oversight of. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is offended, and I burn not? Co2 11:29. There was not a weak Christian with whom he did not sympathize, nor any one scandalized, but he was affected therewith. See what little reason we have to be in love with the pomp and plenty of this world, when this blessed apostle, one of the best of men that ever lived, excepting Jesus Christ, felt so much hardship in it. Nor was he ashamed of all this, but, on the contrary, it was what he accounted his honour; and therefore, much against the grain as it was with him to glory, yet, says he, if I must needs glory, if my adversaries will oblige me to it in my own necessary vindication, I will glory in these my infirmities, Co2 11:30. Note, Sufferings for righteousness' sake will, the most of any thing, redound to our honour.
In the last two verses, he mentions one particular part of his sufferings out of its place, as if he had forgotten it before, or because the deliverance God wrought for him was most remarkable; namely, the danger he was in at Damascus, soon after he was converted, and not settled in Christianity, at least in the ministry and apostleship. This is recorded, Act 9:24, Act 9:25. This was his first great danger and difficulty, and the rest of his life was a piece with this. And it is observable that, lest it should be thought he spoke more than was true, the apostle confirms this narrative with a solemn oath, or appeal to the omniscience of God, Co2 11:31. It is a great comfort to a good man that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is an omniscient God, knows the truth of all he says, and knows all he does and all he suffers for his sake.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 22–33. Public domain.
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AmbrosiasterAD 384
COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES
Paul calls God as his witness in order that what he says may be readily believed.
John ChrysostomAD 407
Homily 25 on 2 Corinthians
"The God and Father of the Lord Jesus knoweth that I lie not. The Governor under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes, desiring to apprehend me." What can be the reason that he here strongly confirms and gives assurance of [his truth], seeing he did not so in respect to any of the former things? Because, perhaps, this was of older date and not so well known; whilst of those other facts, his care for the churches, and all the rest, they were themselves cognisant. See then how great the war [against him] was, since on his account the city was "guarded." And when I say this of the war, I say it of the zeal of Paul; for except this had breathed intensely, it had not kindled the governor to so great madness. These things are the part of an apostolic soul, to suffer so great things and yet in nothing to veer about, but to bear nobly whatever befalls; yet not to go out to meet dangers, nor to rush upon them.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
In 2 Corinthians 11:31, the Apostle Paul makes a profoundly solemn declaration, invoking the very character and being of God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, as his unimpeachable witness. This powerful oath serves to underscore the absolute truthfulness of his statements, particularly in the context of defending his apostolic integrity against the accusations and deceitful practices of false teachers in Corinth. It is a testament to the gravity with which Paul regarded his ministry and the veracity of his message, appealing to the ultimate authority who knows all things.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Paul employs several potent literary devices in this verse. The most prominent is Solemn Affirmation or Oath, where he invokes the highest possible authority—God Himself—to guarantee the truth of his words. This is a form of Divine Appeal, lending immense weight and credibility to his statement. The phrase "blessed for evermore" functions as a Doxology, an expression of praise to God, which not only honors Him but also reinforces His absolute trustworthiness and eternal nature, thereby strengthening the authority of the oath. Furthermore, the verse demonstrates Apostolic Assertion, as Paul, through this divine witness, forcefully asserts his integrity and the authenticity of his ministry against the slanders of his opponents. The stark contrast between Paul's truthfulness and his adversaries' deceit is an implicit Antithesis.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Paul's invocation of God as his witness in 2 Corinthians 11:31 is a profound theological statement about God's omniscience, truthfulness, and His active involvement in the lives and ministries of His servants. It underscores the biblical principle that God is the ultimate arbiter of truth and integrity, and that genuine ministry must be lived transparently before Him. This verse connects to the broader biblical theme of God's unchangeable character and His perfect knowledge, assuring believers that He sees and knows all things, including our deepest intentions. It also highlights the gravity of speaking truth, especially when representing God, and provides a model for how believers, particularly those in leadership, should conduct themselves with unimpeachable honesty, trusting in God's ultimate vindication rather than human approval.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
In a world often characterized by skepticism, misinformation, and a lack of accountability, Paul's solemn oath in 2 Corinthians 11:31 serves as a powerful reminder of the profound importance of truthfulness and integrity for every believer. Our words, actions, and even our unspoken intentions are known to God, who is "blessed for evermore." This verse challenges us to live lives of such transparency and honesty that we, too, could confidently appeal to God as a witness to our sincerity. For those in leadership, Paul's example is particularly poignant: true authority is not found in self-promotion or eloquent speech, but in a life genuinely submitted to God and marked by unwavering truth, even when facing opposition or misunderstanding. Ultimately, our vindication comes not from human approval but from the God who "knoweth that I lie not." This should inspire us to prioritize genuine service and truth over worldly accolades, trusting that God sees and honors our faithfulness.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why does Paul make such a strong oath here?
Answer: Paul makes this strong oath to emphatically affirm his truthfulness and integrity in the face of severe accusations from false apostles in Corinth. These rivals were undermining his authority and ministry, suggesting he was deceitful or insincere. By invoking "The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," Paul appeals to the highest possible authority, one who knows all things, to vouch for his honesty. This was not a casual statement but a solemn declaration intended to silence his critics and reassure the Corinthian believers of his genuine commitment to the gospel and his transparent conduct, especially as he was about to recount a specific, verifiable event (his escape from Damascus) as further proof of his authenticity.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Paul's oath in 2 Corinthians 11:31 is a powerful assertion of his personal integrity, it ultimately points beyond himself to the perfect truthfulness and faithfulness of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the very embodiment of truth, as He declared, "I am the way, the truth, and the life". He is the "faithful and true witness" (Revelation 3:14), whose every word and action perfectly reflects the will and character of God the Father. Unlike Paul, who had to appeal to God to affirm his truthfulness, Jesus inherently possesses all knowledge and is incapable of falsehood. His life, death, and resurrection are the ultimate testament to God's unwavering faithfulness and the truth of His promises. In Christ, the "Amen" (Revelation 3:14), all of God's promises find their "Yes and Amen". Therefore, Paul's appeal to the God who "knoweth that I lie not" foreshadows the ultimate reality that in Jesus, we have a High Priest who perfectly understands our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15) and a Savior whose testimony is eternally true, providing the secure foundation for our faith and hope.