2Cor 11:16-33 | KingComments | STEP | . The apostle had to say that he was constrained to talk about himself again and again. His heart was full of Christ and he only wanted to talk about Him. But since his apostleship has come under attack now and thus indirectly his Patron and the gospel which he preached to the Corinthians and by which they came to the faith, he now had to defend his apostleship. He loved Christ and the believers in Corinth so much that he could not bear to see the servants of satan do their pernicious work among them. They should not think that he was a fool. But if they thought so, let them take him for granted. He wanted to boast a little and list off just a few things which showed them the kind of servant that he was. Again: he did it reluctantly. . He knew full well that the Lord would not like such kind of boasting. But he also knew that the Lord considered that he did it for their sake. It is like an unwilling child who needs a spanking. It is not a pleasure to do it but it is necessary. The Corinthians bore well with every kind of foolish people like the false apostles who boasted about anything and everything. They considered themselves wise and thought that they could judge what these people brought. Well, if they were really wise they would also be able to judge what he as the true apostle had to say. . Paul lists off all that they tolerated from the false apostles. They allowed them to “enslave” them. They had let themselves be taken captive by these fraudsters in their thoughts, probably because they again preached the law as a rule of life. This was in contrast to the liberty in Christ that Paul had preached to them and by which he had bound them to Christ and not to himself. They would even tolerate anyone who ‘devoured’ them and ‘took advantage’ of them. The false apostles had demanded that the Corinthians must contribute toward their livelihood. They had gained entry into the houses and once they gained the acceptance of the inmates they took money from them. This is in contrast to the attitude of Paul who never wanted to accept any money from them. Those people placed themselves above the Corinthians and assumed a glamorous status. The Corinthians had to listen to what they had to say. This is in contrast to the humble attitude that characterized Paul when he was with them. Probably those people did not spare them even from physical violence. It seems the term “hits you in the face” at least means that. It can also mean that they used a hurting and mocking language to humiliate the Corinthians. This is in contrast to the loving attitude of Paul who spoke of himself as a father and so dealt with them ( ). . ‘I know well’, says the apostle, ‘that my behavior brings “shame” on me and that I’ve been too “weak” in the way I handled.’ But he considered it a privilege, for that was the way he wanted to serve them. It is strange that believers can accept a lot from false teachers and how little they can accept from the real servants of God. It seems that believers quickly want to hold fast to things which are wrong. If this is pointed out to them, they will not accept it with gratitude . There are still others who let your conscience remain undisturbed. They ask a lot and persuade you to consider it as payment for their services. The believers in turn persuade themselves to believe that they have fulfilled their obligations and therefore they are free to live their life according as they like to. Please note that he is talking about believers and not about unbelievers. This must speak to you and me. The characteristics of the false apostles Paul presents here to the Corinthians are found in the many sect leaders who are found in the Christian field today. Sect leaders are often leaders with charisma who have the answers for all things from the Bible. They are present in any community of believers regardless of denomination. From the Bible they take up any particular truth and mix it up with error so cleverly that error is made attractive and therefore the more deadly. The reason why they get easy access to many believers is that the believers do not study the Bible themselves. Countless Christians have left the job to their leaders. This happens nearly in every faith community. This is a grievous evil through which the false servants can easily do their deadly work and lead many ignorant believers astray from the truth. Therefore the exhortation: Listen to what Paul says, for he tells the truth. To underscore this Paul now tells his experiences in the service of his Lord. Against this the false apostles would have no answer. Before he begins he again expresses his aversion about telling these experiences. He uses the words “foolish” and “foolishness” to let the Corinthians feel how far they had gone away from the truth that he had to do that. The other side of the coin is that God uses the Corinthian situation to give you a glimpse of what this man went through during the course of his service for the Lord. Did the false teachers venture to talk about themselves? Well, he also had the courage to do so although it is foolish and unwise to talk about oneself. He could compete with them! . Did they brag about their Jewish ancestry? He could also. By the way, you can derive from this that these false apostles probably had a Jewish background. Note my comment on the expression “if anyone enslaves you” in . With the term “Hebrews” he refers to a nation that remains separated from other peoples while going through this world. “Israelites” denotes a people belonging to God. “Descendants of Abraham” denotes a people to whom God has given the promises. These descriptions are used to identify his lineage and his background. In all these he did not lag behind others in anyway. . What follows now is an impressive example of his dedication in the service of Christ. It is no longer about the nice talks, but about what we are willing to do for the Lord. Did they dare to call themselves “servants of Christ”? He will report about his service for Christ. Then they must come to the conviction that in this service he was head and shoulders above those other ones. He felt like “insane”, he felt a great reluctance to speak like this, but he had no alternative. The Corinthians had to be convinced that the people who had infiltrated them were not the true ministers of Christ. Their relationship with Paul was at stake and thereby their relationship with Christ. When they said ‘good bye’ to Paul and swapped him with the false apostles they also did the same with Christ Whom he preached to them. He had to speak this way for the sake of Christ’s honor and for the sake of the certainty of the faith of the Corinthians. Paul sets off. He presents an impressive list. Without any exaggeration he lists off all that he did, faced, and felt. It is not a success story or boasting. They are just sober facts about the life of a servant who put his heart and soul into the task that the Lord Jesus had given him. If you thought that serving the Lord is a cake walk, then you will be disappointed. You can see here that it is associated with anxiety and resistance. This is not mentioned in this section of the Bible to discourage you but to show you how much a man who loves his Lord must endure. Several of the different experiences Paul mentions can be found in the book of Acts. The Lord is still the same and He wants to help you through all your sufferings for Him, although in most cases it will not be as hard as what Paul delineates here. In some cases, however, it will be so. Let us take the first point: “In far more labors.” You can imitate this. Paul had a special service. What he experienced, nobody else has experienced. But still it remains true that you can also dedicate yourself fully to what the Lord wants you to do. Then he talks about his circumstances. He often was in jail. That was not a luxury apartment that people call, at least in the Western world, prison today. They were often dark dungeons, underground passages, swarming with vermin, damp and musty smelling. The treatment one received there was not polite. He had never landed there because he committed a crime; it was always as a result of the hatred of the Jews, because he had preached about Jesus in that particular place. He was not spared from physical violence. He received a lot of punches. This was quite an experience beyond description. But he could not be crushed. He continued the work with renewed zeal and enthusiasm. It is remarkable that he never used the special power of the Spirit that was in him to save himself from any difficult situation; in this he faithfully imitated the Lord Jesus. “In danger of death” means that the dangers of death were nothing unusual for him. This might sound simple but think how he might have felt when his life was at stake. It was not disease that was going to kill him but hostile people who were thirsting for his blood. Now read 2 Corinthians 11:16-23 again. Reflection: When should you speak for yourself and when should you not?

‏ 2 Corinthians 11:16-33

Paul, a Fool and Speaking Foolishly

2Cor 11:16. The apostle had to say that he was constrained to talk about himself again and again. His heart was full of Christ and he only wanted to talk about Him. But since his apostleship has come under attack now and thus indirectly his Patron and the gospel which he preached to the Corinthians and by which they came to the faith, he now had to defend his apostleship. He loved Christ and the believers in Corinth so much that he could not bear to see the servants of satan do their pernicious work among them.

They should not think that he was a fool. But if they thought so, let them take him for granted. He wanted to boast a little and list off just a few things which showed them the kind of servant that he was. Again: he did it reluctantly.

2Cor 11:17-19. He knew full well that the Lord would not like such kind of boasting. But he also knew that the Lord considered that he did it for their sake. It is like an unwilling child who needs a spanking. It is not a pleasure to do it but it is necessary.

The Corinthians bore well with every kind of foolish people like the false apostles who boasted about anything and everything. They considered themselves wise and thought that they could judge what these people brought. Well, if they were really wise they would also be able to judge what he as the true apostle had to say.

2Cor 11:20. Paul lists off all that they tolerated from the false apostles. They allowed them to “enslave” them. They had let themselves be taken captive by these fraudsters in their thoughts, probably because they again preached the law as a rule of life. This was in contrast to the liberty in Christ that Paul had preached to them and by which he had bound them to Christ and not to himself.

They would even tolerate anyone who ‘devoured’ them and ‘took advantage’ of them. The false apostles had demanded that the Corinthians must contribute toward their livelihood. They had gained entry into the houses and once they gained the acceptance of the inmates they took money from them. This is in contrast to the attitude of Paul who never wanted to accept any money from them.

Those people placed themselves above the Corinthians and assumed a glamorous status. The Corinthians had to listen to what they had to say. This is in contrast to the humble attitude that characterized Paul when he was with them. Probably those people did not spare them even from physical violence. It seems the term “hits you in the face” at least means that. It can also mean that they used a hurting and mocking language to humiliate the Corinthians. This is in contrast to the loving attitude of Paul who spoke of himself as a father and so dealt with them (1Cor 4:15).

2Cor 11:21. ‘I know well’, says the apostle, ‘that my behavior brings “shame” on me and that I’ve been too “weak” in the way I handled.’ But he considered it a privilege, for that was the way he wanted to serve them.

It is strange that believers can accept a lot from false teachers and how little they can accept from the real servants of God. It seems that believers quickly want to hold fast to things which are wrong. If this is pointed out to them, they will not accept it with gratitude . There are still others who let your conscience remain undisturbed. They ask a lot and persuade you to consider it as payment for their services. The believers in turn persuade themselves to believe that they have fulfilled their obligations and therefore they are free to live their life according as they like to. Please note that he is talking about believers and not about unbelievers. This must speak to you and me.

The characteristics of the false apostles Paul presents here to the Corinthians are found in the many sect leaders who are found in the Christian field today. Sect leaders are often leaders with charisma who have the answers for all things from the Bible. They are present in any community of believers regardless of denomination. From the Bible they take up any particular truth and mix it up with error so cleverly that error is made attractive and therefore the more deadly.

The reason why they get easy access to many believers is that the believers do not study the Bible themselves. Countless Christians have left the job to their leaders. This happens nearly in every faith community. This is a grievous evil through which the false servants can easily do their deadly work and lead many ignorant believers astray from the truth. Therefore the exhortation: Listen to what Paul says, for he tells the truth.

To underscore this Paul now tells his experiences in the service of his Lord. Against this the false apostles would have no answer. Before he begins he again expresses his aversion about telling these experiences. He uses the words “foolish” and “foolishness” to let the Corinthians feel how far they had gone away from the truth that he had to do that. The other side of the coin is that God uses the Corinthian situation to give you a glimpse of what this man went through during the course of his service for the Lord.

Did the false teachers venture to talk about themselves? Well, he also had the courage to do so although it is foolish and unwise to talk about oneself. He could compete with them!

2Cor 11:22. Did they brag about their Jewish ancestry? He could also. By the way, you can derive from this that these false apostles probably had a Jewish background. Note my comment on the expression “if anyone enslaves you” in 2Cor 11:20. With the term “Hebrews” he refers to a nation that remains separated from other peoples while going through this world. “Israelites” denotes a people belonging to God. “Descendants of Abraham” denotes a people to whom God has given the promises. These descriptions are used to identify his lineage and his background. In all these he did not lag behind others in anyway.

2Cor 11:23. What follows now is an impressive example of his dedication in the service of Christ. It is no longer about the nice talks, but about what we are willing to do for the Lord. Did they dare to call themselves “servants of Christ”? He will report about his service for Christ. Then they must come to the conviction that in this service he was head and shoulders above those other ones.

He felt like “insane”, he felt a great reluctance to speak like this, but he had no alternative. The Corinthians had to be convinced that the people who had infiltrated them were not the true ministers of Christ.

Their relationship with Paul was at stake and thereby their relationship with Christ. When they said ‘good bye’ to Paul and swapped him with the false apostles they also did the same with Christ Whom he preached to them. He had to speak this way for the sake of Christ’s honor and for the sake of the certainty of the faith of the Corinthians.

Paul sets off. He presents an impressive list. Without any exaggeration he lists off all that he did, faced, and felt. It is not a success story or boasting. They are just sober facts about the life of a servant who put his heart and soul into the task that the Lord Jesus had given him.

If you thought that serving the Lord is a cake walk, then you will be disappointed. You can see here that it is associated with anxiety and resistance. This is not mentioned in this section of the Bible to discourage you but to show you how much a man who loves his Lord must endure. Several of the different experiences Paul mentions can be found in the book of Acts. The Lord is still the same and He wants to help you through all your sufferings for Him, although in most cases it will not be as hard as what Paul delineates here. In some cases, however, it will be so.

Let us take the first point: “In far more labors.” You can imitate this. Paul had a special service. What he experienced, nobody else has experienced. But still it remains true that you can also dedicate yourself fully to what the Lord wants you to do.

Then he talks about his circumstances. He often was in jail. That was not a luxury apartment that people call, at least in the Western world, prison today. They were often dark dungeons, underground passages, swarming with vermin, damp and musty smelling. The treatment one received there was not polite. He had never landed there because he committed a crime; it was always as a result of the hatred of the Jews, because he had preached about Jesus in that particular place.

He was not spared from physical violence. He received a lot of punches. This was quite an experience beyond description. But he could not be crushed. He continued the work with renewed zeal and enthusiasm. It is remarkable that he never used the special power of the Spirit that was in him to save himself from any difficult situation; in this he faithfully imitated the Lord Jesus.

“In danger of death” means that the dangers of death were nothing unusual for him. This might sound simple but think how he might have felt when his life was at stake. It was not disease that was going to kill him but hostile people who were thirsting for his blood.

Now read 2 Corinthians 11:16-23 again.

Reflection: When should you speak for yourself and when should you not?

Paul’s Sufferings

2Cor 11:24. The Jews had given him no less than five times “thirty nine [lashes]” (literally “forty [stripes] minus one”). The law actually sanctioned forty stripes (Deu 25:3). To be careful not to exceed the sanctioned number by a counting error they stopped with thirty-nine stripes. Imagine the kind of experience this might have been. It was not a pleasant experience when it happened for the first time. But at each subsequent time he knew what awaited him.

2Cor 11:25. By being beaten with rods his back was torn open three times. ‘Only’ “once” he “was stoned”. Normally this happens only once; that is the reason why his enemies drew him out of the city supposing him to be dead (Acts 14:19).

Three times he was passenger on a ship that suffered shipwreck. He drifted on the sea for twenty-four hours before he was rescued.

2Cor 11:26. He was constantly travelling to places to preach the gospel. Travelling those days was a dangerous thing. There were no modern road networks with bridges and tunnels as we see today. It was a real risk to cross fast flowing “rivers”.

Added to these were dangers from the side of men: of “robbers”, “countrymen” (Jews) and “the Gentiles” (heathens). The “city” offered no protection, nor did “the wilderness” and nor did “the sea”. Nowhere was he safe, nowhere did he have a resting place.

2Cor 11:27. And if he thought he could take some free breathing space in the church, then there were the false brethren, pretending to be members of the church, but who in reality twisted the truth of God.

The great apostle was not called to a life of ease. His calling meant

1. working very hard – “in labor and hardship”,

2. always watching out – “through many sleeplessness nights”,

3. very little to eat and to drink – “in hunger and thirst”,

4. many times to abstain voluntarily from food – “often without food” or “in fastings often”,

5. suffering freezing temperatures and having little clothing to become warm – “in cold and exposure”.

That Paul did not act as a stoic in these hardships is evident from 2 Timothy 4 where he asks Timothy to bring him his cloak (2Tim 4:13). In my opinion he would not have requested for the cloak if he could warm himself up comfortably under the sun.

2Cor 11:28. What probably pained him the most was his “daily pressure … [of] concern for all the churches”. You read that it was “on” him. Wherever he preached the gospel churches were established. That was a joyful matter, but it did not stop with that. It is important that the believers in these new churches grew in the grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and that they were not slack in knowing the mind of God for their life. The enemy, the devil, did (and does) everything, as is his wont, to bring things into believers’ life to make them backslide into acts which bring dishonor to the Lord’s Name. Paul was very concerned about this.

2Cor 11:29. This list shows that when we deal with Paul we do not deal with him as with a ‘muscleman’ but as with someone very weak. No one can survive such hardships with one’s own strength. Is there anyone who underwent more hardships to prove that he supersedes Paul in his weakness? There is only One Who surpasses Paul in weakness and that is the Lord Jesus. “He was crucified because of weakness” (2Cor 13:4).

The awful experiences of Paul would have served other people to stumble and they would have given up following the Lord Jesus Christ. But Paul’s burning love for Christ kept him going [“led into sin without my intense concern” is literally “made to stumble and I do not burn”].

2Cor 11:30. Does this magnify Paul? No, he rejects all honor for himself. If he boasts at all he boasts in his weakness. Through all his experiences he felt the weakness deeper and deeper.

2Cor 11:31. He repelled all accusation of ambition or self-exaltation or selfishness with a powerful appeal to “the God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever”. God knows that Paul is not lying and right through all the sufferings that came upon him Paul praises Him.

2Cor 11:32-33. Oh yes, there is something else which comes to his mind, and this makes him still weaker and smaller than what he was hitherto. Once he escaped from his enemies in a very humiliating and awkward way. How nice if it were such a miracle that his enemies were struck with blindness or got paralyzed or deceived or cleverly hoodwinked. No such thing.

Once when he was in a city under siege by his enemies who desired to arrest him, he was let down in a basket through a window in the wall. Can you imagine the great apostle hanging in a basket? That was not a great escape which impressed people nor did it create a sensation, was it? Yes, such is this apostle.

Now read 2 Corinthians 11:24-33 again.

Reflection: What are your weaknesses in the light of what Paul portrays here (it need not be the same as his).