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2 Corinthians 11

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Paul Defends His Apostolic Motives 1–6

1
Would that ye could bear with me in a little foolishness: but indeed ye do bear with me. ​
2
For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy: for I espoused you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ. ​
3
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ. ​
4
For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if ye receive a different spirit, which ye did not receive, or a different gospel, which ye did not accept, ye do well to bear with him. ​
5
For I reckon that I am not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles. ​
6
But though I be rude in speech, yet am I not in knowledge; nay, in every way have we made this manifest unto you in all things.

Financial Independence and Exposure of False Apostles 7–15

7
Or did I commit a sin in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I preached to you the gospel of God for nought? ​
8
I robbed other churches, taking wages of them that I might minister unto you; ​
9
and when I was present with you and was in want, I was not a burden on any man; for the brethren, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my want; and in everything I kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.
10
As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this glorying in the regions of Achaia. ​
11
Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.
12
But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them that desire an occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. ​
13
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ. ​
14
And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. ​
15
It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Paul Adopts the Fool’s Boast 16–21

16
I say again, Let no man think me foolish; but ifye do, yet as foolish receive me, that I also may glory a little. ​
17
That which I speak, I speak not after the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of glorying. ​
18
Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.
19
For ye bear with the foolish gladly, being wise yourselves. ​
20
For ye bear with a man, if he bringeth you into bondage, if he devoureth you, if he taketh you captive, if he exalteth himself, if he smiteth you on the face. ​
21
I speak by way of disparagement, as though we had been weak. Yet whereinsoever any is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also.

The Catalog of Hardships 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 one beside himself) I more; in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, 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 have I been in the deep; ​
26
in journeyings often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my countrymen, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27
in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28
Besides those things that are without, there is that which presseth upon me daily, anxiety for all the churches. ​
29
Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is caused to stumble, and I burn not?
30
If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things that concern my weakness. ​
31
The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed for evermore knoweth that I lie not.
32
In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes in order to take me: ​
33
and through a window was I let down in a basket by the wall, and escaped his hands. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 2 Corinthians 11

Verse 1

bear with me a little in my folly — Aphrosune, folly, occurs only here, in vv.17 and 21, and in Mark 7:22. 'Bear with' is anechomai, the verb of the chapter: it returns in v.4 ('ye might well bear with him') and in vv.19–20 as 'suffer'. The Corinthians who bear with a false teacher are asked to bear with Paul.

Verse 2

godly jealousy — Literally it is a jealousy 'of God', and the zeal is God's own. The LORD calls himself his people's husband in Isa 54:5, 'thy Maker is thine husband'. Harmozo, 'espoused', occurs only here. The church is betrothed to 'one husband' and to be 'presented' (the verb of Eph 5:27) 'as a chaste virgin to Christ'.

Verse 3

as the serpent beguiled Eve — Paul reads Gen 3:13, 'The serpent beguiled me', as the pattern: the serpent began with 'Yea, hath God said' (Gen 3:1). 'Subtilty' (panourgia) is 'craftiness' in 2 Cor 4:2, where Paul says he has renounced it. The mind is corrupted 'from the simplicity that is in Christ'.

Verse 4

another Jesus… another spirit… another gospel — Paul says allos of 'another Jesus' and heteros of 'another spirit' and 'another gospel'; Gal 1:6–7 has both words together: 'another gospel' (v.6), 'Which is not another' (v.7). Each is tied to a verb: Jesus 'preached', the Spirit 'received', the gospel 'accepted'.

Verse 5

the very chiefest apostles — Hyperlian, 'beyond measure', occurs only here and in 2 Cor 12:11, where Paul again says he is 'in nothing… behind' them. He points in 12:12 to 'the signs of an apostle… in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds', and says in 1 Cor 15:10, 'I laboured more abundantly than they all'.

Verse 7

abasing myself… freely — He abased himself by working with his hands (1 Cor 4:12), at Corinth in the trade of Aquila and Priscilla, 'tentmakers' (Acts 18:2–3). Dorean, 'freely', is 'as a gift': 'when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge' (1 Cor 9:18).

Verse 8

I robbed other churches — Sulao, to strip or despoil, occurs only here. The word is Paul's irony: the 'wages' (opsonion, a soldier's pay) were support given by 'the brethren which came from Macedonia' (v.9). The Philippians sent 'once and again' to his need (Phil 4:15–16).

Verse 10

the regions of Achaia — Corinth lay in Achaia (Acts 18:12 names its deputy, Gallio), and the letter is addressed to 'all the saints which are in all Achaia' (2 Cor 1:1). 'As the truth of Christ is in me' is an oath-like formula, as in Rom 9:1. The boast is that he has not been a charge (vv.7–9), and will not be.

Verse 12

cut off occasion — Aphorme is a starting-point or opening, the 'occasion' sin took by the commandment (Rom 7:8). Paul 'cuts off' (ekkopto) the opening of those who want to be 'found even as we', by continuing to work without pay, as he did in 1 Cor 9:12: 'we have not used this power; but suffer all things'.

Verse 13

false apostles — Pseudapostolos occurs only here. 'Transforming themselves' (metaschematizo) is the verb of vv.13, 14 and 15: the false apostles, Satan, and his ministers all 'transform'. Christ warned of 'false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing' (Matt 7:15) and to Ephesus of those who 'say they are apostles, and are not' (Rev 2:2).

Verse 14

an angel of light — The verb is the same as in v.13, metaschematizo: Satan takes the form of a messenger of light. He is 'that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world' (Rev 12:9), the serpent of v.3. 'No marvel' follows from that: his ministers do as he does (v.15).

Verse 16

as a fool receive me — v.1 asked the Corinthians to bear with 'a little' folly; here he asks it again, 'that I may boast myself a little'. The boasting runs to v.30 and on into chapter 12, where he says, 'It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory' (12:1) and 'I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me' (12:11).

Verse 17

not after the Lord — The standard is set in 10:17–18: 'he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord… not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.' Boasting of his own record falls short of it, and he says so, calling it speech 'as it were foolishly' (aphrosune, v.1).

Verse 19

ye suffer fools gladly — 'Suffer' is anechomai, the verb of v.1, 'bear with me'. 'Wise' is phronimos, the word Paul uses of the Corinthians in 1 Cor 4:10, 'ye are wise in Christ', set against his own 'fools for Christ's sake'. He answers a request to be borne with by pointing to those they already bear (v.20).

Verse 20

if a man bring you into bondage — Five 'if a man' clauses follow, each a verb of mastery: bring into bondage (katadouloo, as in Gal 2:4), devour (katesthio), take, exalt himself, smite on the face. 'Devour' is Christ's word for scribes who 'devour widows' houses' (Matt 23:14). Paul had refused 'dominion over your faith' (2 Cor 1:24).

Verse 22

Hebrews… Israelites… the seed of Abraham — These are three claims, each answered 'so am I'. Paul makes them elsewhere: 'an Hebrew of the Hebrews', of the tribe of Benjamin (Phil 3:5), and 'an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham' (Rom 11:1). 'Israelites' is the covenant name, those 'to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants' (Rom 9:4).

Verse 23

ministers of Christ… I am more — The comparison moves from descent (v.22) to service. 'As a fool' is paraphroneo, found only here, and it marks what follows as boasting. His proof is a list of labours and sufferings (vv.23–33); Acts 16:23–24 records one of the imprisonments, at Philippi.

Verse 24

forty stripes save one — Deut 25:3 sets the limit: 'Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed.' The count of thirty-nine stops one short of it. Christ had said of his disciples, 'they will scourge you in their synagogues' (Matt 10:17).

Verse 25

beaten with rods… stoned — Rhabdizo is the verb of Acts 16:22, where the magistrates 'commanded to beat them' at Philippi (Paul's protest in v.37: 'being Romans'). The stoning is Acts 14:19: 'having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead'. 'A night and a day' (nuchthemeron) and 'the deep' (buthos) each occur only here.

Verse 28

the care of all the churches — What 'cometh upon' him (episustasis, a crowding in) daily is the 'care' (merimna) of the churches. The next verse gives its form: 'Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?' It comes 'beside those things that are without', the hardships listed in vv.23–27.

Verse 30

mine infirmities — Astheneia, weakness, is where he will boast, and v.33 gives the example. In 2 Cor 12:5 he repeats, 'of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities'; the Lord's answer is 'my strength is made perfect in weakness' (12:9). The rule behind it is 'He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord' (1 Cor 1:31; Jer 9:23–24).

Verse 32

Aretas the king — The governor is an 'ethnarch' (ethnarches), a word found only here, who 'kept the city… with a garrison' to apprehend Paul. Acts 9:23–24 tells the same flight from the other side: the Jews took counsel to kill him and 'watched the gates day and night'.

Verse 33

in a basket… by the wall — Sargane, basket, occurs only here; Acts 9:25 uses another word (spuris) for the same escape. The 'window' (thuris) in the wall recalls Rahab, who 'let them down by a cord through the window' (Josh 2:15), and Michal, who let David down (1 Sam 19:12). Paul chooses this as the example of his 'infirmities' (v.30).