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.
5 I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.”[Or to the most eminent apostles] 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!
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. [Servants of Righteousness those who today who teach Justification by faith alone]
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!
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?
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.
NOTES:
11:1–15 Although these verses continue to reveal information
about Paul’s opponents and the differences he perceives between them and
himself, 2 Cor 11:1 signals a turn in Paul’s thought. This section constitutes
a prologue to the boasting that he will undertake in 2 Cor 11:16–12:10, and it
bears remarkable similarities to the section that follows the central boast, 2
Cor 12:11–18.
11:1 Put up with a little foolishness from me: this verse
indicates more clearly than the general statement of intent in 2 Cor 10:13 the
nature of the project Paul is about to undertake. He alludes ironically to the
Corinthians’ toleration for others. Foolishness: Paul qualifies his project as
folly from beginning to end; see note on 2 Cor 11:16–12:10.
11:2 Paul gives us a sudden glimpse of the theological
values that are at stake. The jealousy of God: the perspective is that of the
covenant, described in imagery of love and marriage, as in the prophets; cf. 1
Cor 10:22. I betrothed you: Paul, like a father (cf. 2 Cor 12:14), betroths the
community to Christ as his bride (cf. Eph 5:21–33) and will present her to him
at his second coming. Cf. Mt 25:1–13 and the nuptial imagery in Rev 21.
11:3 As the serpent deceived Eve: before Christ can return
for the community, Paul fears a repetition of the primal drama of seduction.
Corruption of minds is satanic activity (see 2 Cor 2:11; 4:4). Satanic imagery
recurs in 2 Cor 11:13–15, 20; 12:7b, 16–17; see notes on these passages.
11:4 Preaches another Jesus: the danger is specified, and
Paul’s opponents are identified with the cunning serpent. The battle for minds
has to do with the understanding of Jesus, the Spirit, the gospel; the
Corinthians have flirted with another understanding than the one that Paul
handed on to them as traditional and normative.
11:5 These “superapostles”: this term, employed again in 2
Cor 12:11b, designates the opponents of whom Paul has spoken in 2 Cor 10 and
again in 2 Cor 11:4. They appear to be intruders at Corinth. Their preaching is
marked at least by a different emphasis and style, and they do not hesitate to
accept support from the community. Perhaps these itinerants appeal to the
authority of church leaders in Jerusalem and even carry letters of
recommendation from them. But it is not those distant leaders whom Paul is
attacking here. The intruders are “superapostles” not in the sense of the
“pillars” at Jerusalem (Gal 2), but in their own estimation. They consider
themselves superior to Paul as apostles and ministers of Christ, and they are
obviously enjoying some success among the Corinthians. Paul rejects their claim
to be apostles in any superlative sense (hyperlian), judging them bluntly as
“false apostles,” ministers of Satan masquerading as apostles of Christ (2 Cor
11:13–15). On the contrary, he himself will claim to be a superminister of
Christ (hyper egō, 2 Cor 11:23).
11:6 Apparently found deficient in both rhetorical ability
(cf. 2 Cor 10:10) and knowledge (cf. 2 Cor 10:5), Paul concedes the former
charge but not the latter. In every way: in all their contacts with him
revelation has been taking place. Paul, through whom God reveals the knowledge
of himself (2 Cor 2:14), and in whom the death and life of Jesus are revealed
(2 Cor 4:10–11; cf. 2 Cor 6:4), also demonstrates his own role as the bearer of
true knowledge. Cf. 1 Cor 1:18–2:16.
11:7–10 Abruptly Paul passes to another reason for
complaints: his practice of preaching without remuneration (cf. 1 Cor 9:3–18).
He deftly defends his practice by situating it from the start within the
pattern of Christ’s own self-humiliation (cf. 2 Cor 10:1) and reduces objections
to absurdity by rhetorical questions (cf. 2 Cor 12:13).
11:11–12 Paul rejects lack of affection as his motive
(possibly imputed to him by his opponents) and states his real motive, a desire
to emphasize the disparity between himself and the others (cf. 2 Cor 11:19–21).
The topic of his gratuitous service will be taken up once more in 2 Cor
12:13–18. 1 Cor 9:15–18 gives a different but complementary explanation of his
motivation.
11:13–15 Paul picks up again the imagery of 2 Cor 11:3 and
applies it to the opponents: they are false apostles of Christ, really serving
another master. Deceitful…masquerade: deception and simulation, like cunning (2
Cor 11:3), are marks of the satanic. Angel of light: recalls the contrast
between light and darkness, Christ and Beliar at 2 Cor 6:14–15. Ministers of
righteousness: recalls the earlier contrast between the ministry of
condemnation and that of righteousness (2 Cor 3:9). Their end: the section
closes with another allusion to the judgment when all participants in the
final conflict will be revealed or unmasked and dealt with as they deserve.
11:16–12:10 Paul now accepts the challenge of his opponents
and indulges in boasting similar to theirs, but with differences that he has
already signaled in 2 Cor 10:12–18 and that become clearer as he proceeds. He
defines the nature of his project and unmistakably labels it as folly at the
beginning and the end (2 Cor 11:16–23; 12:11). Yet his boast does not spring
from ignorance (2 Cor 11:21; 12:6) nor is it concerned merely with human
distinctions (2 Cor 11:18). Paul boasts “in moderation” (2 Cor 10:13, 15) and
“in the Lord” (2 Cor 10:17).
11:16–29 The first part of Paul’s boast focuses on labors
and afflictions, in which authentic service of Christ consists.
11:16–21 These verses recapitulate remarks already made
about the foolishness of boasting and the excessive toleration of the
Corinthians. They form a prelude to the boast proper.
11:20 Paul describes the activities of the “others” in terms
that fill out the picture drawn in vv 3–4, 13–15. Much of the vocabulary
suggests fleshly or even satanic activity. Enslaves: cf. Gal 2:4. Devours: cf.
1 Pt 5:8. Gets the better: the verb lambanō means “to take,” but is used in a
variety of senses; here it may imply financial advantage, as in the English
colloquialism “to take someone.” It is similarly used at 2 Cor 12:16 and is
there connected with cunning and deceit. Puts on airs: the same verb is
rendered “raise oneself” (2 Cor 10:5) and “be too elated” (2 Cor 12:7).
11:21 Paul ironically concedes the charge of personal
weakness from 2 Cor 10:1–18 but will refute the other charge there mentioned,
that of lack of boldness, accepting the challenge to demonstrate it by his
boast.
11:22 The opponents apparently pride themselves on their “Jewishness.”
Paul, too, can claim to be a Jew by race, religion, and promise. Descendants of
Abraham: elsewhere Paul distinguishes authentic from inauthentic heirs of
Abraham and the promise (Rom 4:13–18; 9:7–13; 11:1; Gal 3:9, 27–29; cf. Jn
8:33–47). Here he grants his opponents this title in order to concentrate on
the principal claim that follows.
11:23a Ministers of Christ…I am still more: the central
point of the boast (cf. note on 2 Cor 11:5). Like an insane person: the climax
of his folly.
11:23b–29 Service of the humiliated and crucified Christ is
demonstrated by trials endured for him. This rhetorically impressive catalogue
enumerates many of the labors and perils Paul encountered on his missionary
journeys.
11:30–12:10 The second part of Paul’s boast, marked by a
change of style and a shift in focus. After recalling the project in which he
is engaged, he states a new topic: his weaknesses as matter for boasting.
Everything in this section, even the discussion of privileges and distinctions,
will be integrated into this perspective.
11:31–32 The episode at Damascus is symbolic. It aptly
illustrates Paul’s weakness but ends in deliverance (cf. 2 Cor 4:7–11).
BACK TO:
Copyright © 2020 by Ekklesia Katholes (Acts 9:31)
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this publication may be produced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission from the publisher.
No comments:
Post a Comment