2 Corinthians 11:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

NIV: And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.

NASB: No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

CSB: And no wonder! For Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

NLT: But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

KJV: And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

NKJV: And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

Paul has brutally called out his opponents in Corinth for what they were: deceivers pretending to be what Paul truly was: an apostle of Christ. They were attempting to seduce the Corinthians away from true devotion to Jesus, preaching to them a different gospel about a different Jesus and a different spirit. In other words, they were distorting all the true things Paul had taught to the Corinthians in order to gain some advantage for themselves.

Scripture indicates that this tactic should not be surprising. Satan also disguises himself as an angel of light. The Devil's greatest weapon has always been deception. The most effective deception is to convince people that what is evil is actually good, that what is dark is actually light. By coating lies in a veneer of truth, it's much easier to fool people into accepting what is false. Paul had already compared the work of these false apostles to Satan's deception of Eve in the garden (2 Corinthians 11:3; Genesis 3:1–8). He takes that even further in the following verse.

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 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.

Accessed 4/28/2024 10:54:55 PM