2 Corinthians 11 Commentary

In 2 Corinthians 11:7-15, Paul refutes the false apostles who have slandered him as unimpressive and not worth listening to. Paul challenges the Corinthians on what exactly disqualifies him. Is it that he preached to them without asking for money? That was for their benefit. He took financial aid from churches elsewhere so that the Corinthians would not have to support him. Paul speaks the truth to his readers because he loves them. The false apostles boast about themselves and denigrate Paul to appear righteous, to deceive the Corinthians and take advantage of them. Paul doubles down on how dedicated he is to removing the wool from the Corinthians’ eyes.

In 2 Corinthians 11:16-21, Paul returns to the topic of what he calls “foolishness,” where he will compare himself to the so-called apostles who are preaching lies in Corinth. These apostles have persuaded the Corinthians to listen to them through boasting about themselves. They have likewise ridiculed Paul to make him disreputable in the Corinthians’ eyes. So, Paul opts to “boast” about himself, though he thinks it is a distraction from the point. Yet the Corinthians apparently need to be reminded of why Paul’s apostleship is authentic and dedicated to the truth of Christ

Paul finally, begrudgingly, compares his résumé against that of the false apostles here in 2 Corinthians 11:22-33. If he must boast about his qualifications to persuade the Corinthians, then he must. Paul unpacks a lengthy list that illustrates how he is a superior servant to Christ than these self-promoting false apostles: Paul has worked more, been arrested more times, been physically abused with rods and whips more times than he can remember, has been shipwrecked, has starved, has been in danger from Jews, Gentiles, criminals, and nature. Nevermind these physical sufferings; Paul’s greatest daily difficulty is the weight on his shoulders in caring for all the churches he’s planted.