2 Corinthians 11:16-33

Butler's Comments

SECTION 3

Unaccredited, 2 Corinthians 11:16-33

16 I repeat, let no one think me foolish; but even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. 17(What I am saying I say not with the Lord's authority but as a fool, in this boastful confidence; 18since many boast of worldly things, I too will boast.) 19For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves! 20For you bear it if a man makes slaves of you, or preys upon you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face. 21To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! But whatever any one dares to boast ofI am speaking as a foolI also dare to boast of that. 22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. 23Are they servants of Christ? I am a better oneI am talking like a mandmanwith far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24Five times I have received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25Three times I have been beaten with rods; once I was stoned. Three times I have been shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been adrift at sea; 26on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brethren; 27in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches. 29Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed for ever, knows that I do not lie. 32At Damascus, the governor under king Aretas guarded the city of Damascus in order to seize me, 33but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped his hands.

2 Corinthians 11:16-21 a Unauthoritative: The slander-problem Paul faced was fundamentally a challenge to his authority. His enemies charged that, according to their criteria, he had shown no evidence of religious authority. According to his antagonists, he was weak in his message and his methods. Their concept of an authority-figure was one who would move into a congregation and take over. Such an authority would suppress individual freedoms (enslave), exploit (prey upon), take advantage of, be high and mighty with (put on airs), and insult (slap in the face) people. An authority ought to be somewhat tyrannical and ruthless or he will lose his authority, they rationalized. A religious authority would brag and boast and exude self-confidence just like worldly leaders do, according to the Judaizers.

So Paul begins his treatment of this slanderous insinuation. In 2 Corinthians 11:1 he had satirically asked the Corinthians to bear with him in a little foolishness. He meant, of course, that he was not really acting foolishly at all, but that his opponents were and if it took that kind of foolish boasting to rescue them from the false teachers, he might condescend to a little of it. Now he says again, let no one think me foolish. The Greek syntax here is strong: Palin lego me tis me doxe aphrona einai, Again I say, not anyone me judge foolish to be! But Paul was not sure they could see through the foolishness of the false teachers and perceive the wisdom of his behavior. So, again, he condescends to play the foolish game of boasting in worldly accomplishments, just to draw the Corinthians away from the Judaizer's death through legalism, and back to his gospel of life through grace. If they must have a boasting fool as their leader, let them accept Paul as that fool.

The next statement (2 Corinthians 11:17-18) is parenthetical. The Corinthians must be assured that he was not accrediting his authority, in the long list of boasting he was about to do, on some divine standard or command of the Lord. Not that the Lord would disapprove of Paul's method, but there was no divine order from God that he do it this way. To boast of worldly things (Gr. kata ten sarka, according to the flesh) was not the standard that the Lord had set up for his apostles. But since Paul's motive was spiritual and only the cause of Christ was his aim, and since everything he would say would be true (as opposed to the falsehoods of his opponents), he could righteously engage in this contest of boasting about outward appearancesas repugnant as it was to his soul.

Certainly, if the apostle Paul could, in good conscience (distasteful as it was to him personally), defend himself against slander by entering a contest of boasting about his credentials and sacrificial ministry for the Lord, it is a precedent that modern ministers may followwhen needed! Paul's aim was to protect the reputation of the gospel and the church of Christ. When slanderous falsehoods are spread about preachers (or other leaders of the Lord's church) the real target is the name of Christ and the church. It is imperative, therefore, that preachers (and other spiritual leaders) be above reproach in their living (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6; Ephesians 4:1 to Ephesians 5:33; Philippians 1:27-30; 1 Peter 2:11-17, etc.). They must also be able, by knowledge of the scriptures, to stop the mouths of the gainsayers (Titus 1:9-16; 1 Timothy 4:11-16; 2 Timothy 2:14-19; 2 Timothy 2:23-26; 2 Timothy 4:1-5).

Notice again the sarcasm or satire used by the apostle. In 2 Corinthians 11:19-20 he really bears down! J.B. Phillips paraphrases, From your heights of superior wisdom I am sure you can smile tolerantly on a fool. Oh, you-'re tolerant all right! You don-'t mind, do you, if a man takes away your liberty, spends your money, takes advantage of you, puts on airs or even smacks your face? We wonder how this was received by all the members of the church at Corinth! In many modern congregations there would be some so offended by such sarcasm they would withdraw membership! Not only that, they would badmouth a preacher who spoke such satire. But lying slander is such a serious offense to God's spokesmen and has such far reaching evil consequences for the gospel and the church, drastic methods like boasting and sarcasm are necessary to defeat it.

Paul uses biting words to describe the stupidity of the Corinthians. They might as well bear with his foolish boasting about his work and his apostleship because they bear with the fools who are disguising themselves as apostles but are really Satan's servants. The Corinthians were fools themselves (Gr. aphrona, out of their minds) for they were willing to bear with men who enslaved them, preyed upon them (Gr. katesthiei, devour swallow up), took advantage of (Gr. lambanei, lit. takes them), put on airs (Gr. epairetai, exalt themselves), or struck them in the face (Gr. prosopon humas derei, face of you, beats). What fool but a religious fool would allow himself to be dominated, devoured, taken, humiliated and psychologically slapped around? What fool but a religious fool would think that the true spiritual leader sent from God is supposed to tyrannize people, use people and abuse them? Perhaps this is why many people reject all forms of Christianitythey have grown up under a religious system ruled over by disguised pseudo-apostles who have dominated them, taken them, and slapped them around. They realized they were made fools of and think all Christianity is represented by these pseudo messengers of light. Paul minced no words in denouncing the pseudo-messengers and pulled no punches in calling those fools who followed them.

Sarcastically, Paul concludes, To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! or as J.B. Phillips translates, I am almost ashamed to say that I never did brave strong things like that to you. That is sarcasm! Paul's record with the Corinthian church (even his epistles) stood in sharp contrast to that of the pseudo-apostles. He did everything he could to free them from sin and judgment; he never preyed upon them or took them; he was before them in all humility; and even when he had to be severe with words, he did so to protect them from those who would enslave them.

2 Corinthians 11:21 b - 2 Corinthians 11:30 Unqualified: The Judaizers boasted about their qualifications and at the same time disparaged Paul'S. So Paul enters the contest of listing qualifications repeating his disgust (I am speaking as a fool) that such methods have to be used. How could a man who taught so much about humility be so boastful about his being a better servant than others?

Paul was humble. He taught others that humility is what Christ exemplified and what God desires in all men. He wrote, Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. (Philippians 2:3 ff). But here, Paul is counting himself better than the pseudo-apostles who were trying to seduce the Corinthian church! He considered such boasting the last resort he had to rescue the Corinthians. For the sake of the gospel and the Corinthians, not for his own sake, it has to be done. His credentials as the true apostle and authorized spokesman for God must be established. His true love for the church and the gospel must be vindicated. He spoke in plain, factual, historical terminology because he loved the Corinthians. He took no money from them and appeared to be unsophisticated because he loved them. He is even doing what grinds against his spirit (boasting) because he loves them. There are occasions, hopefully few, when true, humble, serving, working preachers have to show they are as knowledgeable, as caring, as able, as committedand even more so-as the hundreds of pseudo-messengers of God. Too many people follow messengers rather than the message. Occasionally, the messenger with the true message has to boast of his messengership to turn the fool away from disguised, deceitful pseudo-messengers.

Are they Hebrews, Israelites, descendants of Abraham? So is Paul. His lineage was unquestionable! (see Philippians 3:4-7; Acts 22:3; Acts 26:5; Romans 11:1). His attachment to his Jewish heritage was unassailable. His love for Jewish people was close to divine (Romans 9:1-5)! How many of the Judaizers would be willing to go to hell for their Jewish brethren?

Are they saying they are servants (Gr. diakonoi, ministers) of Messiah (Gr. Christou, anointed one, Christ)? It is so repugnant to Paul to brag or compare himself with-others he thinks of himself as a madman (Gr. paraphronon, mentally beside myself, or out of my mind) for having to do so. But he will condescend to madness so Corinth may see who really is the servant of Christ and who are pretenders! Paul gives an incredible list of personal sacrifices he had made already for the gospel. This does not take into account what he will go through in the remaining years of his life, some of which is documented in Acts, Chapter s 19 through 28. All the following took place before he wrote II Corinthians in 57 A.D.

1.

far greater labors (Gr. kopois, toil, hard word). We know Paul toiled at tent-making (Acts 18:1-3) at Corinth and other places. Making tents from animal hair, wool, or skins would be arduous labor. What other labor Paul did we are not told. We do believe him when he says he toiled in far greater ways than his opponents. Paul appears to have been skilled in seamanship (Acts 27:1-44). Being a world-traveler he probably worked with his hands at many different tasks.

2.

far more imprisonments (Gr. phulakais, caged, locked-up). We know Paul was imprisoned at Philippi, at Jerusalem, at Rome (twice). How many other times he was made a prisoner we are not told. It appears he fought with beasts at Ephesusperhaps he was imprisoned there and made to fight in a Roman arena.

3.

countless beatings (Gr. plegais, wound, blowEnglish plague). Paul had so many beatings he was plagued with them. He used the Greek word huperballontos (countless) which literally means, thrown upon, or piled high. This would include the Jewish forty, less one and the Roman rods, plus countless others. so many beatings he had stopped counting.

4.

often near death (Gr. en thanatois, lit. in death). Often in his ministry (at the writing of II Corinthians, approximately 15 years) Paul had been so near death he felt he was in it. It began at Damascus (Acts 9:1-43), continued at Iconium (Acts 14:5), Lystra (Acts 14:19), Phillipi (Acts 16:22), in Ephesus (Acts 19:30-31), at Jerusalem (Acts 21:31; Acts 23:14), many times at sea (Acts 27:1-44; 2 Corinthians 11:25-26), in times of hunger (2 Corinthians 11:27), in Asia Minor (2 Corinthians 1:8-9), in Roman arenas (1 Corinthians 15:32), during travel (2 Corinthians 11:26-27). He bore in his body, the marks of the Lord Jesus (Galatians 6:17); he shared in the sufferings of Christ (Philippians 3:10); in his flesh he completed what was lacking in Christ's afflictions. (Colossians 1:24). He was so often near death in the Lord's work he considered himself (and other apostles) as men sentenced to death (see 1 Corinthians 4:8-13).

5.

five times. forty lashes less one (Gr. tesserakonta para mian, the phrase is simply, forty less one which was commonly understood to be the 39 stripes of Mishnaic punishment. The law of Moses laid down this punishment (Deuteronomy 25:1-3) and decreed a maxim of forty stripes. There was dire warning against exceeding the maxim. It, therefore, became a practice to stop at 39 stripes. The Mishnah says: They bind his two hands to a pillar on either side, and the minister of the synagogue lays hold on his garments. so that he bares his chest. A stone is set behind him on which the minister of the synagogue stands with a strap of calf-hide in his hand, doubled and re-doubled, and two other straps that rise and fall thereto. The handpiece of the strap is one handbreadth long and one handbreath wide, and its end must reach to his navel (when the victim is struck on the shoulder the end of the strap must reach the navel). He gives him one third of the stripes on front and two thirds behind, and he may not strike him when he is standing or when he is sitting but only when he is bending down. and he that smites smites with one hand and with all his might. If he dies under his hand, the scourger is not culpable. But if he gives him one stripe too many, and he dies, he must escape into exile because of him. Five times Paul suffered punishment at the hands of his Jewish countrymen which could easily have killed him.

6.

three times beaten with rods (Gr. tris errabdisthen, beatings with the lictors or serjeants [rhabdouchoi, lit., rod bearers])rods of Roman soldiers. These were rods of birch wood. There was no limitation on the number of blows that might be administered. Victims often died. Some were beaten until internal organs were visible through the torn flesh. The Romans often used this as a trial by the rod to determine innocence or guilt before further sentencing to death by crucifixion. Three times Paul was forced to submit to this torture. Had any of the pseudo-apostles experienced this in the name of Jesus?

7.

once I was stoned (Gr. elithasthen, large rocks, not pebbles English prefix lith [stone] comes from this Greek word). Paul was struck with stones by his persecutors so severely in Lystra, he was pronounced dead and dragged out of the city where his friends gathered around him and saw him rise up and go immediately about his work of evangelism (Acts 14:19 ff).

8.

three times. shipwrecked (Gr. enauagesa, from naus a ship and agnumi to break). Three times Paul went through the terrifying experience of a ship breaking up beneath his feet on the high seas. It would be three of those countless times he had been in death. Being shipwrecked is being as near death as you can be. There are manifold dangers in such an experience: drowning, predators in the seas, exposure to the elements, dying of hunger and thirst.

9.

a night and a day. adrift at sea (Gr. nuchthemeron en to butho, the phrase is concise, nuch night, hemera day in the deep (butho from the Greek bathos). Paul's shipwreck experiences and twenty-four hours adrift at sea occurred before he wrote this letter and he was yet to experience the shipwreck recorded in Acts 27:1-44.

10.

on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers (Gr. kindunois potamon, lit. in peril from riverspotamon signifies fresh water or natural water and is translated flood in Matthew 7:25; Matthew 7:27; Revelation 12:15-16). Rivers in Asia Minor and Greece were often in flood-stage and there were few bridges. Paul would have to cross these raging torrents at the peril of drowning or being swept downstream and dashed against rocks.

11.

danger from robbers (Gr. kindunois leston, the word leston is related to the word leia, booty, and signifies those who plunder openly and violently in contrast to kleptes, a thief). When Paul traveled the countryside was open to highway robbers (the road to Jericho afforded a place for men to rob a man violently and leave him to die, see Luke 10:29-37). While the empire of Rome had made significant improvements toward safety for travelers, the army could not patrol all the thousands of miles of roadway or the uncharted foot-trails traveled by Paul.

12.

danger from my own people (Gr. kindunois ek genous, in peril from his own kind or genre). Jews were scattered over all the Roman empire, from Italy on the west to Persia on the East. They lived in their own little communities in every city and village. But Paul was not only unwelcome among the majority of his own race, he was in peril from them! It was not only a physical problem but undoubtedly a psychological problem for Paul as well.

13.

danger from Gentiles (Gr. kindunois ex ethnon, in peril from ethnics or nations). Anyone who was not a Jew was an ethnic or Gentile. Jews considered all non-Jews to be aliens no matter where the Jew lived. The Jews kept the Gentiles stirred up against Paul and his Christianity, claiming it was anti-Jewish and anti-Roman (see Acts 14:19; Acts 16:19 ff; Acts 17:13; Acts 18:12; Acts 24:1 ff; Acts 25:7; 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16, etc.). And, of course, there was a long standing attitude of contempt and malice from the Gentiles toward the Jews (and Paul was a Jew).

14.

danger in the city (Gr. kindunois en polei, peril in a city). Huge metropolises like Corinth, Ephesus, Rome, Damascus, Jerusalem were over populated, festered with slums, disease, crime, prostitution, political corruption, conflagrations, and the ever present gladiatorial games which consumed thousands and thousands of slaves, Christians and others in their deadly struggles.

15.

danger in the wilderness (Gr. kindunois en eremia, peril in the deserted places). Areas between the cities and villages were called deserts because they were deserteduninhabited. These deserts were often expansive and required many nights camping out in them where there was no civilization. They were populated by wild beasts and robbers. There were no shelters, no stores, no human help available. Paul was often in peril traveling through such wilderness. Modern missionaries find such situations even today in many backward countries.

16.

danger at sea (Gr. kindunois en thalasse). This was discussed in the statements on shipwreck No. 8 and night-day adrift No. 9.

17.

danger from false brethren (Gr. kindunois en pseudadelphois, peril in pseudo-brethren). Paul specifically mentions false brethren in his epistle to the Galatians (Galatians 2:4) who secretly. slip in to spy out our freedom. that they might bring us into bondage.. He warned the elders from Ephesus that there would be men from among your ownselves. arise. speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. (Acts 20:29-30). A true brother would not imperilonly a false brother would pose danger to a Christian minister. Evidently there would be false brethren in many places to make Paul list them as perils. Jesus warned his apostles brother would deliver up brother among them (Matthew 10:16-25). People posing as followers of Christ were slipping into the congregations in order to bring them under Judaism, perhaps to betray them to civil authorities after Christianity began to be persecuted by the Romans.

18.

in toil and hardship through many a sleepless night (Gr. kopo. mochtho. agrupniais pollakis, in tiredness and painfulness and sleeplessness many times). The Greek word agrupniais is from agreuo, to chase, and hupnos, sleep. Paul lost many nights of sleep due to being so tired and pain-wracked in body he could not sleep. He was often what we call bone-weary. When one considers all he has said to this point, one wonders how he could possibly get his body to go on taking the punishment it did after he wrote this letter. There must have been many days when he wondered if he could physically continue to climb mountains, ford flooded rivers, sleep out in the cold nights, go without food, take beatings, shipwrecks, imprisonments, and stay alive! AND WITH ALL THIS HE WAS WELL PLEASED (see comments on 2 Corinthians 12:10).

19.

in hunger and thirst, often without food (Gr. en limo kai dipsei en nesteiais pollakis, the Greek word limo means famine or hunger not self-imposed; nesteiais is translated fastings and could mean self-imposed abstinence from food for some spiritual reason. Paul did fast (Acts 9:9; probably in Acts 21:26; probably in Galatians 1:17). The word nesteiais could also mean hunger from famine or lack of food available. The word dipsei (see the English word dipsomania) always means thirst. And Paul says he was often in such straits.

20.

in cold and exposure (Gr. en psuchei kai gumnoteti, cold and naked). The word gumnoteti is stronger than the English word exposure. While Paul was undoubtedly often exposed to the elements of nature out in the wilderness areas, this word indicates he may have often been stripped of all clothing in certain circumstances. Shipwrecked, he might lose his clothing, imprisoned it might have been taken away from him, when he was being beaten he would be stripped. And taken in conjunction with the word psuchei, cold, it probably means there were many times when his clothing was not sufficient to keep him from being very cold.

21.

... daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches. (Gr. he epistasis moi he kath hemeran he merimna pason ton ekklesion) Epistasis literally means, standing upon, or burdened upon me. Merimna means divided mind or anxiousnessit is the same word Jesus warned against in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:22-34). Jesus told us we should not be anxiousbut about what? He meant not to be anxious about matters of the flesh! Paul had learned to be content in whatever state of the flesh he found himself (Philippians 1:20-23; Acts 25:11; 2 Timothy 4:6-8). But he was pressured or burdened and mentally distracted about the churches! Paul's care for the churches was a daily affair (hemeran), not monthly or annually. It was a burden he carried each day (and sleepless night). It kept his mind occupied. His thoughts were constantly distracted to the trouble of the churches. He cared about their persecutions. He cared about their divisiveness. He cared about the false teachers seducing them. He cared about their need for spiritual growth. He cared about their need to give. It is not wrong to occupy our minds with cares and pressures of the church and spiritual things. Jesus wants us to be distracted from the things of the world and attracted to the things of the Spirit! If we worried and fretted and cared half as much about spiritual things as we do about physical things, thousands more people would hear the gospel and thousands more parents would direct their children to be preachers and missionaries. Concern for the church is not a lack of faith!

Concluding this long list of weaknesses and perils, Paul declares his credentials as a true apostle are found in his scars. He asks the rhetorical question, Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? In other words, he would have the Corinthians (and his opponents there) understand that the sign of true allegiance to Christ inevitably produces weaknesses and perils. He is a full participant in these marks of the true servant of Christ. Paul always taught that weakness (as the world thinks of weakness) is the way of the Christian (see 1 Corinthians 8:11-12; 1 Corinthians 9:22; Romans 14:1-2). His second question has two interesting Greek wordsskandalizetai (fall or stumble) and pyroumai (indignant or burn). He is thinking of the Judaizing slanderers who have been trying to seduce the Corinthians by their false teaching. They would be causing the Corinthians to fall from grace by going back to the law of Moses and they would be boasting in the strength of fleshly self-righteousness. This would make Paul, whose gospel was that of the weakness of the flesh and the power of grace, burn with indignation.

2 Corinthians 11:30-33 Unassuming: Paul's approach to the ministry, especially the apostolic ministry, is incredible in the light of the world's view of religion. He summarizes in these verses his whole philosophy of evaluating a person's service to the Lord! And he says, If I must boast (compare my ministry to others) I will boast of things that showed my weaknesses.

The Lord gave a signal about weakness in ministry at the very beginning of Paul's service. Paul refers to the time he was let down over the wall in a basket. After his conversion he was obsessed with showing the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah promised in the Old Testament and of converting the Jewish nation! He was eminently qualified for this ministry to the Jews. That was his burning desire (Romans 9:2-3). So he started out to do it (Acts 9:1-31) but things kept falling apart until they reached such a terrible state that his friends, fearing for his life, took him out to the Damascus wall and let him down from the city in a basket. The night I had to sneak out of Damascus. that is the event I boast about, he says.

Isn-'t that interesting? Looking back, with all his own plans and dreams of conquest and glory for Christ collapsed around his feet, that was the night he began to learn a great truth: self-made men and self-made plans are not what qualify a person as a servant of Christ.

Today's world is being swamped with the philosophy that such things are what make us usable as Christians (a strong personality, an outgoing, optimistic outlook, gifts of leadership, handsome frame and body, musical ability, speaking ability). All these are the things that some people believe are prime prerequisites for ministry. But Paul says that is a mistake. God uses weakness! All the physical, outward attributes Paul once counted gain he decided were nothing but a pile of manure in contrast to what he learned in weaknesses.

There is no truth the Lord wants us to learn which is greater than this! The opponent of Paul at Corinth slandered him as weak. Paul replies, I gladly boast of my weaknesses. I am content with them (ch. 12). Strengths without Christ's sovereignty over us are garbageweaknesses with Christ are priceless jewels!
Slander. Untrue aspersions. Censorious criticisms about lack of ego, personality-power, and sophistication. How should a preacher deal with it? By accepting in faith that the Lord will one day vindicate his faithfulness. And, when necessary for the preservation of Christ's honor and the church's stability, by boasting of his weaknesses as they have been of service to the Lord in toil, peril, and hardship.