The New Testament with Commentary 2 Corinthians 11

A godly jealousy

1 I could wish that you would put up with a little of my foolishness, but indeed you already are. 2 For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy, because I betrothed you to one man to present you to Christ as a pure virgin. 3 But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve with his cunning, so your minds may be corrupted* from the integrity that is in Christ. 4 For if someone comes and preaches another ‘Jesus’ whom we did not preach, or you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you easily put up with it.†

Paul ministered without charge

5 Now I consider that I am not at all inferior to the very best apostles. 6 Though I may not be a trained speaker, I do have knowledge—but we have been fully manifested to you in all things. 7 Or did I commit a sin in humbling self so that you might be exalted, in that I proclaimed God's Gospel to you free of charge? 8 I ‘robbed’ other congregations, receiving support from them so as to serve you, 9 and when I was with you and in need, I did not burden anyone; because the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. Yes, I kept myself from being a burden to you in anything, and will keep on.

Exposing deceivers

10 The truth of Christ is in me: this boasting will not be silenced in me in the regions of Achaia. 11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows! 12 Further, I will keep on doing what I do in order to cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things of which they boast. 13 Such men are really false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into ‘apostles’ of Christ.‡ 14 And no wonder, because Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 So it is no great thing if his servants also masquerade as ministers of righteousness,§ whose end will be according to their works.

A little ‘necessary’ boasting

16 Again I say, let no one think me a fool. But should anyone do so, at least receive me as a fool, that I also may boast a little bit. 17 What I am going to say I do not say according to the Lord, but as though foolishly,* in this confident boasting. 18 Since many are boasting according to the flesh, I will too 19 (for you put up with fools gladly, being so wise yourselves!). 20 In fact, you even put up with someone who enslaves you, who ‘devours’ you, who takes advantage, who exalts himself, who beats on your face!† 21 Is it disrespectful to say that we were ‘weak’?‡

In whatever anyone is bold (I speak foolishly), I am bold also. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I'm being irrational) I am more: in labors more abundantly, in beatings beyond count, in prison more frequently, in ‘deaths’ often§— 24 five times from the Jews I received the ‘forty lashes minus one’;* 25 three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked (I spent twenty-four hours in the open sea)— 26 in frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, in danger from robbers, in danger from my countrymen, in danger from Gentiles, in danger in cities, in danger in wildernesses, in danger in the sea, in danger among false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, in many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, in frequent fastings, in cold and nakedness†— 28 quite apart from the other things, my daily disturbances, my concern for all the congregations. 29 Who is weak, and I do not feel it? Who is caused to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?

When I am weak, then I am strong

30 Well, if I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ,‡ who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. 32 In Damascus the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of the Damascenes, wanting to arrest me; 33 but I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped from his hands.§

*11:3 The implication is clear: Satan does the corrupting, directly or indirectly, and it is their thinking that he is corrupting (and that is serious—Proverbs 23:7).

†11:4 The impression one gets is that the Corinthian believers were lacking in discernment, or commitment, or both.

‡11:13 There have always been those who want to ‘get on the bandwagon’, to get a free ride; who traffic in spiritual things for personal, temporal advantage. Since such people only do damage, Paul's desire to expose them stems from his concern for the Corinthians' welfare.

§11:15 It is well to remember that neither Satan nor his servants are in the habit of appearing with horns and tails. Just because someone ‘looks good’ doesn't mean that he is.

*11:17 The implication would appear to be that whatever we do that is not ‘according to the Lord’ is foolish.

†11:20 Paul is really worked up. Even allowing for his sarcasm, there were evidently negative things going on at Corinth that we do not know about.

‡11:21 I found this sentence to be especially difficult to translate, and am not sure I got it right. Compared to the types described in verse 20, he might have come across as being ‘weak’.

§11:23 Verses 24 and 25 spell out the ‘deaths’; verse 26 resumes with the ‘in’s. We have no record of most of the experiences listed, an impressive list! Humanly speaking, he should have died several times.

*11:24 Deuteronomy 25:3 forbids exceeding forty blows, so the Jews always stopped one short, just in case they had miscounted.

†11:27 When the Lord told Ananias to go and restore Saul's sight, and he protested, the Lord continued, “For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name's sake” (Acts 9:16). Paul paid for what he did against the early Church. By the way, we usually have to pay for our misdeeds down here (how can you pay in Heaven?).

‡11:31 Perhaps 4% of the Greek manuscripts omit “Christ”, to be followed by NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.

§11:33 Apparently Paul considered this to be a humiliating experience.