2 Corinthians 11:27 - Printer Friendly

ESV: in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

NIV: I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.

NASB: I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

CSB: toil and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and without clothing.

NLT: I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

KJV: In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

NKJV: in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—

Paul is presenting a long list of ways in which he has suffered as a servant of Christ. This included punishment by both Jewish and Roman authorities. It involved natural disasters and accidents. He has listed being jailed, shipwrecked, and facing constant danger from every side.

The strange thing about this list is that Paul began it by saying he would "boast" about how he was superior to the false apostles in Corinth as a servant of Christ. His purpose (2 Corinthians 11:21, 23) was to satirize the deceivers and their own bragging. Paul's boasting so far, though, would have sounded like a list of failures and disasters to everyday Corinthians.

Paul now adds a list of ways in which he has experienced physical discomfort for Christ. This included difficult and strenuous work, sleepless nights, going without food or water, and suffering cold and exposure to the elements. Some of this would have been the result of being underfunded in his work, while other suffering may have come with being jailed or traveling under harsh conditions. In all cases, Paul understood his suffering to have been directly related to his service to Christ.

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.