2 Corinthians 11 - Will the Real Apostle Please Stand Up!
Paul and the False Apostles
11 I hope you will put up with me in a little foolishness. Yes, please put up with me! 2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. 3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.
Paul uses the metaphor of marriage to describe the Corinthian church's relationship with Christ. We know from other passages that the "church is the bride of Christ". Revelation 21:2 Like a bride is to be faithful to their husband, Paul's expectation was that the church would be faithful to Christ. But he has already seen evidence of their infidelity.
First, they are putting up with a different Jesus than Paul preached to them.
Who was this “other Jesus?” Because of the way the Corinthian Christians despised Paul’s image of weakness and unimpressive appearance, the “other Jesus” was probably one who knew no weakness, persecution, humiliation, suffering, or death. A “super Jesus” is another Jesus, not the real Jesus, and another Jesus cannot save. - Guzik
They also were in danger of receiving a different "spirit" than the "Spirit" they had received. Note the capital "S" Spirit is the one they have received from God. This is, of course, the Holy Spirit. Other "spirits" are demonic and also seek to take us away from Christ. Finally, they were putting up with a different gospel than the one Paul gave them. This was probably a substitution of works for grace. We already see that they were interested in externals and were also very prideful. The gospel makes us humble because we really are only hope is in Christ and we have no reason to put in faith in our flesh.
5 I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.”[a] 6 I may indeed be untrained as a speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way. 7 Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge? 8 I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you. 9 And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. 10 As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, nobody in the regions of Achaia will stop this boasting of mine. 11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
Paul again compares himself to the other "super apostles" tongue in cheek. Apparently the other preachers charged a fee for their speaking appearances. Since Paul was being funded by the generous giving from other churches, he would in effect be robbing these church by not charging the Corinthians.
Paul wanted to make sure that no one could ever accuse him of preaching the gospel for personal gain. It appears he refused any real tangible help in order to be self-sufficient and be without guile. But rather than being too "cheeky", Paul reaffirms that all of this was motivated by His love for them.
12 And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. 13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
Paul then calls out these other "so-called apostles". He calls them "deceitful workers who are masquerading as true apostles of Christ". Paul recalls that Satan masqueraded as an angel of light. The bottom line is that there are many who will purport to be preaching Jesus, when in reality they are presenting a false gospel and a false Jesus. This is why it is so important to know the distinctives of the true Gospel of Christ. Here are some of those prerequisites of the true gospel.
1. Jesus is the only Son of God. He was truly God and truly man. By being truly God, he could be the sinless sacrifice for us. Being truly man, he ate, drank, suffered, and literally died on the cross.
2. Jesus' death on the cross is the only way we can be reconciled to God. Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but me." Jesus claimed he was the exclusive path to be saved. This is why all roads CAN'T lead to heaven.
3. Faith is in Jesus alone not based on any works we might think we can do. If we could be saved by our works, then Jesus would have had to die.
4. Jesus paid a debt he did not owe for we who owed a debt we could not pay.
There are many false gospels out there today masquerading as the true gospel. I.e. New Age, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witness, and many other works based religions. They all compromise one of these truths above.
Paul Boasts About His Sufferings
16 I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting. 17 In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool. 18 Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast. 19 You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! 20 In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face. 21 To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that!
It is easy to sense both Paul’s sarcasm and his hesitancy to promote himself. He would rather talk about Jesus, but that message is hindered by the Corinthians’ disregard of Paul’s credentials as a true apostle, a true representative of Jesus. - Guzik
Again, Paul uses biting sarcasm. If the Corinthian Christians are wise enough to put up with so many fools, surely they can listen to Paul for a while! - Guzik
The Corinthian Christians were so taken with their “super apostles” they would accept all kind of ill treatment from them. They were so impressed with the image of authority and power of the “super apostles,” they meekly submitted to this kind of treatment.
Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 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. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?
Paul lists his credentials just in case they wondered about his background, but he is not using it to boast.
Knowing the silliness of this, Paul prefaced his remarks here with “I speak foolishly.” Yet, to make a point (to expose the foolishness of the most eminent apostles and to glorify the nature of Jesus), he will continue. - Guzik
Paul then runs through a litany of things that happened to him to show that his apostleship was borne through suffering many and different kinds of trials. You can see the life of an apostle of Jesus was not glamorous. Not only did Paul suffer physically, but he also suffered emotionally, as he worried much about all the churches he planted. Finally, Paul also admitted that he still suffered from his sinful nature. He burned with lust and next chapter will reveal his "thorn in the flesh" that he begged God to take away from him. Paul struggled with his sinful nature. See also Romans 7 "Why do I do what I don't want to do??? Who will save me from this body of death!"
Paul was no stranger to suffering which gave credence to the gospel he preached. His gospel was not about glory but the cross.
30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying. 32 In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. 33 But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.
Paul also recounts a time how by God's grace he was saved when he was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall to except the governor in Damascus.
It illustrates with power the contrast between Saul of Tarsus and Paul the Apostle. Saul of Tarsus traveled to Damascus full of man’s power and authority, directed against God’s people. Paul the Apostle left Damascus humbly in a basket. Is there anything more descriptive of weakness than being let down in a basket over a wall? “Could we think of anything more likely to rob a man of any sense of dignity than that?” (Morgan)
As you think about your own life, how has the suffering you encountered strengthened your testimony as a Christian? How did your suffering show forth the power of God in Christ Jesus? How can we fall into the trap of bragging about our religious achievements, or adapting a worldly lifestyle like these false apostles Paul had to deal with?
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