2 Corinthians 11 - Printer Friendly

Paul feels protective of the Christians in Corinth. He compares them to a betrothed bride and himself to her father. False apostles in Corinth are trying to seduce the Corinthians away from their commitment to Christ. As their spiritual father, Paul is attempting to keep the Corinthians from sin. The false apostles teach a different Jesus, a different spirit and a different gospel—all false. They are like the serpent in the garden tempting Eve to sin (2 Corinthians 11:1–3).

Paul wonders if one reason why the Corinthians are so easily led astray by the false "super-apostles" is because of his refusal to take money from them for his own needs. He did so to keep anyone from being able to accuse him of having false motives in serving them. They seem to think that his working with his hands and taking money from others is an insult to them and diminishes his status in their eyes (2 Corinthians 11:4–8).

Paul states that his refusal to take money sets him apart from the false apostles, who likely took all the money they could from the Corinthians. Their boast that they work on the same terms he does is clearly false. Paul describes them as liars, pretending to be apostles to deceive the Corinthians. They disguise themselves as servants of righteousness in the same way Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Their end is coming, and it will fit their evil deeds (2 Corinthians 11:9–15).

The so-called "super-apostles" treat the Corinthians horribly, and they seem to gladly put up with being bullied, ordered around as slaves, taken advantage of, and treated as inferior. Perhaps the Corinthians felt this was the way strong apostles should treat people. Paul sarcastically says he is ashamed he was too weak to treat them that way (2 Corinthians 11:16–21).

Next, Paul says that he will, after all, foolishly boast about himself as the false apostles boast about themselves. He calls himself a madman for saying he is a better servant of Christ than they are, since a true servant of Christ would never say such a thing. His reason for doing so, of course, is not really to brag about himself, but to contrast his actions with those of the false teachers. When he actually begins "boasting," though, he mostly makes a list of all the terrible things he has experienced in his service to Christ. To the Corinthians who valued strength, position, and privilege, this list would sound only like weakness and failure (2 Corinthians 11:21–29).

In the end, Paul agrees that he is boasting about all of the things that show his weakness, including his very first escape from a royal death sentence for declaring that Christ is the Son of God in a Damascus synagogue. As Paul will show in the following chapter, Christ's power is made perfect in the weakness of his servants (2 Corinthians 11:30–33).

Second Corinthians 11:1–15 includes Paul's unmasking of the false apostles in Corinth. They are like the serpent in the garden tempting Eve. Or, they resemble a man trying to seduce a betrothed woman away from her promised husband. They disguise themselves as servants of righteousness as Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Paul is a spiritual father who must protect the Corinthians from deceptions like a false Christ and a false spirit. Paul doubles down on his commitment not to take funds from the Corinthians for his own needs, simply to prove how he is different from the false apostles.

Second Corinthians 11:16–33 includes Paul's long list of ways he has suffered in his service to Christ. He describes this as crazy talk, mocking the arrogant style of the false apostles. In truth, the Corinthians probably would have thought of these as signs of failure, weakness, and loss. Paul is shocked that they are so willing to be mistreated by the false apostles. This abuse was something Paul was ''too weak'' to do in his Christlike service for them. Paul's discussion of his weakness will lead to his conclusion in the following chapter that Christ is strongest in him when he is weak.

Second Corinthians 11 compares the believers in Corinth to a betrothed bride. It also pictures them as Eve facing temptation from the snake in the garden in Genesis 3. Paul's job as their spiritual father is to protect them from the lies of false apostles. These deceivers disguise themselves as servants of righteousness in the same way that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Paul is shocked the Corinthians put up with such harsh treatment from these men. He sarcastically pretends to brag about himself as the false teachers do about themselves. Instead, he boasts mostly about the ways he has endured suffering in his service to Christ.

Chapter 11 follows Paul's warning in the previous chapter. There, he vowed to be as bold as needed when he comes to see them in person. He describes himself as a protective spiritual father trying to save the Corinthians from the deceptions of the false apostles to teach a false gospel about a false Jesus. He is shocked the Corinthians put up with their harsh treatment and says he has decided to foolishly boast in order to compete with the false apostles. His boasting about his service to Christ, though, is mostly a long list of all the ways he has suffered for Christ. That theme continues into chapter 12, where Paul explains just how much his suffering has improved his walk with Christ.

Second Corinthians returns to similar themes as those Paul mentioned in his first letter to this church. Paul is glad to hear that the church in Corinth has heeded his advice. At the same time, it is necessary for Paul to counter criticisms about his personality and legitimacy. Most of this text involves that subject. The fifth chapter, in contrast, contains comforting words which Christians have quoted often in times of hardship. Paul also details his expectations that the church in Corinth will make good on their promise to contribute to the needs of suffering believers in Jerusalem.