2Cor 11:16-29 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for 2Cor 11:16-29: 11:16-29 Paul plays the part of a boastful fool (see also 12:11-13 ) so that he may present his true credentials as a suffering apostle. The intruders’ arrogant spirit impels Paul to adopt a style of writing that matches their behavior, all in irony.

Summary for 2Cor 11:16-29: 11:16-29 ^a Paul plays the part of a boastful fool (see also 12:11-13 ^b) so that he may present his true credentials as a suffering apostle. The intruders’ arrogant spirit impels Paul to adopt a style of writing that matches their behavior, all in irony.
11:19 ^c The Corinthians were proud of their capacity to understand deep religious issues, and they valued teachers who made a pretense of learning. Paul came with a different agenda (1 Cor 2:1-16 ^d).
Summary for 2Cor 11:20-21: 11:20-21a ^e The Corinthian church had welcomed the intruders even when they exploited and insulted them. They even saw Paul’s refusal to exploit them as too “weak.”
Summary for 2Cor 11:21-29: 11:21b-29 ^f Rather than boasting about his strengths and successes like the false teachers did, Paul boasts in weakness and defeat, pointing away from himself and toward God.
11:22 ^g Are they Hebrews? So am I: A Jewish heritage was seen by Paul’s opponents as a qualification for ministry (see Phil 3:5 ^h).

• Are they Israelites? So am I: An Israelite was a member of the covenant community by circumcision (cp. John 1:47 ⁱ; Rom 9:4 ^j). Paul had this badge also and was in fact a Pharisee, a most devoted follower of Torah (Acts 26:4-5 ^k; Rom 11:1 ^l; Phil 3:5-6 ^m).

• Are they descendants of Abraham? This is yet another of Paul’s opponents’ claims to God’s favor based on ethnic identity. Elsewhere, Paul clarifies who can truly be called Israelites and descendants of Abraham (see Rom 2:28-29 ⁿ; Gal 3:16 ^o, 26-29 ^p). Here, he ironically adopts the erroneous perspective of his opponents to beat them at their own game.
Summary for 2Cor 11:23-27: 11:23-27 ^q I have served him far more! Paul’s service to Christ had entailed Christlike sufferings and toils. Some of the difficulties in this litany are recorded in Acts.
Summary for 2Cor 11:23-24: 11:23-24 ^r in prison more often: E.g., see Acts 16:22-23 ^s. Clement of Rome says that Paul was imprisoned a total of seven times.

• thirty-nine lashes: This punishment was prescribed in Deut 25:1-3 ^t. The Jewish leaders punished Paul as a renegade Jew, and he faced death again and again.
11:25 ^u Three times I was beaten with rods: Paul suffered this Roman punishment at Philippi, though as a Roman citizen he should have been exempted (Acts 16:22-24 ^v, 37 ^w).

• Once I was stoned: At Lystra (Acts 14:19 ^x).

• Three times I was shipwrecked: These events are otherwise unknown; Paul’s shipwreck on the voyage to Rome would come later (Acts 27:1-44 ^y).
Summary for 2Cor 11:26-27: 11:26-27 ^z Paul’s many long journeys are recorded in Acts 13–28 ^aa. These trips involved facing danger and enduring hardship.
11:28 ^ab In addition to physical difficulties, Paul felt the burden of concern (or anxiety) for all the churches. No church gave Paul more cause for concern than Corinth.