2 Corinthians 11:1 - 33: Paul’s Authority & Suffering as The Lord Jesus Christ’s Apostle vis a vis the Apparent Success of False Apostles at Corinth:

In Faith Study Vol 5 No 70 dated July 19, 2024, in the 10th chapter, Paul described the deceitfulness of false prophets who were preaching to the Corinthians: “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” 2 Corinthians 10:1212 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

. On the contrary, Paul would not boast of things that cannot be measured, but he would boast about the ministry to the Corinthians God had blessed him with, 2 Corinthians 10:1313 But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.

. The bottom line: “But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.” 2 Corinthians 10:17 - 1817 But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

18 For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.

. (See also Philippians 1:21 - 3021 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.

23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

25 And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;

26 That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.

27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

30 Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

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Chapter 11 reveals Paul’s Godly jealousy over the Corinthians, that is, he was inspired by God because he espoused, i.e., wooed them to Christ, that they might stand strictly in Christ alone, 2 Corinthians 11:1 - 21 Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.

2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

. He then details the characteristics of the false apostles who had gone among them; describing them like the serpent (Satan) who beguiled Eve by teaching a different Jesus, a different spirit and another gospel than what Paul taught, which sought to spoil the simplicity of the Gospel Paul preached, 2 Corinthians 11:3 - 43 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

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In defending his apostleship Paul writes there were none who could claim superiority over him even though his speech was inferior to some; there were none who surpassed him in knowledge as proven by everything they witnessed in him when he ministered among them, 2 Corinthians 11:5 - 65 For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.

6 But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.

. Comparing his ministry to that of the false apostles he notes that the false prophets sought monetary support from the Corinthians whereas, he asks if he had abased or humbled himself that they might be exalted or lifted up because he had preached the gospel to them at no charge. In fact, he was supported monetarily by other churches in Macedonia (northern Greece) and had kept himself from being a burden to the Corinthians and would continue to do so, 2 Corinthians 11:7 - 97 Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?

8 I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.

9 And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.

. He writes that God knows that in the entire Achaia region (southern Greece in which Corinth was located) no one could stop him from rejoicing about his conduct among them, 2 Corinthians 11:10 - 1110 As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.

11 Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.

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Paul conducted himself this way to cut off any opportunity the false prophets might gain to cash in on their ministry among the Corinthians and compel them be as Paul, 2 Corinthians 11:1212 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.

. He then “cuts to the chase” about the false prophets who had gone in among them: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” 2 Corinthians 11:13 - 1513 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

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

15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

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In 2 Corinthians 11:1616 I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.

Paul writes: “I say again (that is, to return to what I was saying in verse 1), don’t think I am foolish in speaking of myself; that I may boast of myself a little.” Verse 17: “After the Lord,” (i.e., not as commanded but permitted) I speak as a fool as foolish boasting speaks when applauding himself.” “Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also. For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.” 2 Corinthians 11:18 - 1918 Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.

19 For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.

. Then in verse 20 Paul tells the Corinthians that they accept or tolerate fools gladly in that the false apostles took their property and lived at the Corinthian’s expense by claiming priestly and divinely appointed authority. The last phrase of verse 20 in the King James Version: “if a man smite you on the face,” which figuratively was what the false apostles were doing to them. Verse 21 Paul answered that he speaks of shame as though he had been weak (as the false prophets had claimed he was) in not treating the Corinthians like they had. In the last phrase of verse 21 Paul introduces a description of his status as a Pharisee before The Lord saved him, which he ultimately labels as foolish.

He was a Hebrew, an Israelite from the seed of Abraham just as the false prophets were, 2 Corinthians 11:2222 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

. Paul asks foolishly if the false prophets were ministers of Christ (as they were not) but Paul was more so, in labors/trouble/weariness Paul far outdid the false prophets, Paul had been physically wounded and imprisoned, facing death often, 2 Corinthians 11:2323 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

. The Jews had him lashed 39 times on 5 different occasions, 2 Corinthians 11:2424 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

. Three times he was beaten with rods; he was stoned once (resulting in death as this was the method by which lawbreakers were executed); he had been ship wrecked once up to the time this epistle was written and he had hung on for dear life in the cold sea water for a full night and day, 2 Corinthians 11:2525 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

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Paul traveled often (think about the distances he walked, as well as sailing in primitive sail boats back and forth on the Mediterranean); in perils and dangers when at sea or crossing rivers and of robbers and of the Jews who hated him as well as the false Jewish apostles and of hostile pagans, whether in cities or in wilderness areas. He endured all this while he was tired out, in pain, hungry and thirsty, going without meals and often suffering from the cold weather without the proper clothing, 2 Corinthians 11:26 - 2726 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

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

. And besides all his physical depravations and suffering he labored with concern and care for the assemblies of believers he had established, . Paul was constantly concerned for the believers in those assemblies who might be weak in the faith or stumble in their walk as he felt their pain and he burned with pain for them, .

If Paul had to glory (to answer the boasts of the false prophets) he would do so to illustrate the work of Christ in preserving him through all his trials, pains and tribulations, . If any in Corinth were to question the truth of what Paul experienced, he swore to the truth of these things in the name of God the Father of The Lord Jesus Christ that he did not lie, . (By extension, Paul suffered all this not only for the Corinthians of his time but for all true believers ever since, right up to today.)

Paul then harks back to right after he was first saved to his first experience with the Judaizers who sought to kill him. This was after he was saved on the road to Damascus and he stayed in Damascus for a time teaching in the Synagogues that Jesus was Israel’s Messiah, Acts 9:19 - 2219 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.

20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

21 But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?

22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.

. “And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews (who rejected Jesus as their Messiah) took counsel to kill him: But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. Then the disciples (the Jews who believed Jesus was their Messiah) took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.” Acts 9:23 - 2523 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:

24 But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.

25 Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.

. Now, here in the last 2 verses of 2 Corinthians 11, Paul reveals that the Jews who sought to kill him had carried out their desire to do so by influencing the Governor of Damascus to catch him: “In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.” 2 Corinthians 11:32 - 3332 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:

33 And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.

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Jesus Christ ministered for 3 years to the Nation of Israel. He did nothing but good among them, i.e., healing the sick, blind and lame, feeding multitudes, even raising the dead to life and yet Israel’s leaders rejected Him and sought to kill Him. The Lord Jesus Christ saved Saul on the road to Damascus and appointed him the Apostle Paul, sending him to the Jews, to Kings and the Gentiles. Paul’s experience was similar to Jesus Christ’s in that he suffered greatly while never taking advantage of anyone. However, Israel’s leaders hated him because he preached Jesus as their Messiah. And just as Israel’s leaders persuaded the Roman Government to crucify Jesus, at the beginning of Paul’s ministry the Jews turned the Governor of Damascus against him and continued to persecute him throughout his ministry.