2 Corinthians 11:21-33

Applebury's Comments

Paul's Labors and Sufferings
Scripture

2 Corinthians 11:21-33. Yet whereinsoever any is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also. 22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. 23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself) I more; in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths oft. 24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day have I been in the deep; 26 in journeyings often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my countrymen, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 28 Besides those things that are without, there is that which presseth upon me daily, anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is caused to stumble, and I burn not? 30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things that concern my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus he who is blessed for evermore knoweth that I lie not. 32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes in order to take me: 33 and through a window was I let down in a basket by the wall, and escaped his hands.

Comments

Yet whereinsoever any is bold.It was foolish to be forced to compare his sufferings for Christ with anything the false teachers had suffered, for they were preying on the church at Corinth and endeavoring to lead the people away from Christ. In relation to God's ancient people, Paul was their equal; but certainly in relation to Christ he excelled them. In relation to the things he suffered for Christ, he was too far beyond them for comparison.

Are they Hebrews?Although Paul was born in Tarsus of Cilicia, his parents were Hebrews and on that score he was easily equal to any of the false teachers who were claiming to be true teachers since, in all probability, they had come from Jerusalem.

Are they Israelites?The ancient chosen people of God bore the name which was given to Jacob after he had wrestled with the Angel of the Lord and had been blessed by him. The name symbolized the transformation that had taken place in his life. It appropriately applied to the nation that had been chosen from among all the nations of the world as a royal nation, a holy priesthood, a people that belonged to God. Were these teachers at Corinth Israelites? So was Paul.

Are they seed of Abraham?The Jews proudly looked to Abraham as their father. They argued with Jesus despite their intention to put the Son of God to death that they were the seed of Abraham. Literally, of course, they were; but their hatred for Jesus proved that they were the offspring of Satan. See John 8:31-44. The Jewish teachers who troubled the church at Corinth claimed to be Abraham's offspring. Paul could substantiate his right to be called a child of Abraham for he was of the stock of Israel and of the tribe of Benjamin. More than that, He had surrendered his life to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Are they ministers of Christ?While one would have to be out of his mind to admit their claim to be ministers of Christ was true, Paul was prepared to compare his ministry with theirs and to demonstrate that he far excelled them in relation to Christ. He had labored more abundantly than they. He had been imprisoned as a result of his service to Christ more than they. He had undergone countless beatings and had constantly faced death for Christ. What had they done for Him?

Of the Jews five times received forty stripes save one.This list of the things that Paul had suffered in his ministry for Christ is a challenge to the false teachers at Corinth to compare the things that they had done with the things Paul had endured. The Corinthians who certainly must have known much of what Paul had undergone were well aware of the fact that the super-apostles were in no way a match for him.

He mentioned the beatings which he had received, the time when he was stoned, and the times that he had suffered shipwreck. Although he was a Roman citizen, he had been beaten and imprisoned at Philippi. He was stoned and abandoned for dead at Lystra. He suffered shipwreck three times. At one time, probably because his ship went down far from shore, he spent a full twenty-four period in the deep.

in journeyings often.Paul listed the perils which he had faced on his many travels. He had risked his life in crossing rivers, in traveling through bandit infested areas, in the things he had suffered from the hands of his own countrymen as well as Gentiles. He had faced perils in the cities, in the wilderness and at sea. He knew what it meant to be among false brethren. His experience with them was enough to justify his warning the church against them.

in labor and travail.Paul did not have an easy life; it was one filled with labor, hardship, and suffering. It meant standing guard during periods of distress; it meant being without food and drink; it meant fasting often in order that he might give all his time to the task before him; it meant enduring cold and nakedness.

Besides those things that are without.Paul gave the list of the things he had suffered for the cause of Christ. It was adequate to establish his claim to have undergone suffering for beyond anything the false teachers at Corinth had ever done. Aside form all this, there was one thing that had not been mentioned: the thing that brought daily pressure upon him, anxiety for all the churches. If there had been any question in the mind of anyone regarding all that he had said in refutation of the claims of the false teachers, there could be no doubt whatever about this climactic issue, for Corinthians knew very well about Paul's anxiety for them. But he was just as concerned for the Philippians and the brethren at Thessalonica. They all knew of his deep concern for the saints in Judea.

Who is weak?The meaning of anxiety is indicated in Paul's attitude toward the weak. He understood and desired to help as if he were that weak person himself. It is doubtful if any more Christ-like attitude toward the weak can be found. As he thought of the brother in Christ who for some cause had stumbled, he so identified with that one that he burned with the shame that should have been felt by the erring one. The Corinthians knew about his concern for the weak and erring. Did they see anything like it in the teachers who were attempting to discredit Paul by saying that he was weak in their presence even if he was bold in his writings?

If I must needs glory.Since the situation at Corinth had forced Paul into this line of defense, he insisted in boasting not about his power but about his weakness. The secret of this weakness is revealed in 2 Corinthians 12:9. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ knew that Paul was not lying when he related the incident by which he was to prove his weakness and humility and through which he had been forced to put is trust in God alone. The incident had taken place in Damascus. A guard had been thrown around the city to prevent his escape, but his friends had let him down through an opening in the wall, and he had escaped the hands of those who were bent on killing him. See Luke's description of the incident in Acts 9:23-25. The providence of God had watched over him; the faithful messenger of the gospel went on his way preaching Christ.

Summary

As Paul continued the defense of his apostleship, he began a long, ironical appeal for them to bear with him in a little foolishness. Irony is seen in the fact that he appeared to boast, but in reality he wasn-'t. His sincere purpose in coming to Corinth was to preach the gospel that he might espouse them to Christ as a pure virgin. He was afraid lest false teachers should lead them away from the simplicity and purity that ought to mark their relation to Christ. Eve had been completely deceived by the serpent. They were in danger of having the same thing happen to them through the work of the ministers of Satan in their midst.
In each of the examples given to support the charge, Paul assumes that the thing was being done. Someone had come to them and had preached another Jesus. Paul had preached Jesus Christ and Him crucified. He had preached the resurrection of Christ as the foundation of hope of resurrection from the dead. But some in Corinth had denied that there is a resurrection, despite the evidence Paul had given to prove it. Just what the super-apostles were saying about another Jesus is not stated, but no other Jesus could have them from their sins.
The second example had to do with the spirit they had received. What was the different kind of spirit which they had not received through his ministry? It may have been the spirit of slavery as opposed to the spirit of freedom found in the spirit covenant.

His third example had to do with the gospel. They were accepting a different kind of gospel. It may have been some such perversion of the gospel as mentioned in Galatians 1:6-8. Paul said, You bear beautifully with this kind of thing. The irony lies in the fact that they could not put up with his gospel as he preached the truth about Christ.

In defense of his ministry as an apostle of Christ Paul said, I consider that I do not fall short of the chiefest apostles. Who were they? Not Peter nor John, for there was no such distinction among the apostles of Christ. Paul had in mind those who were preaching another Jesus, those whom he labeled false apostles. Paul freely admitted that he did not belong to the class of professional orators, but this implied no inferiority in his message. Our word rude denoting a lack of artistic or refined expression misses the point, for no uncultured crudeness or unpolished, inelegant speech can be attributed to Paul.
Paul continued to speak in irony as he asked, Did I commit a sin by preaching to you without pay, robbing other churches that I might be able to do so? Macedonia had supported him in Corinth. He had been a burden to no one. He was determined to maintain this policy in order to prevent false apostles having an excuse to receive support from the church. They had boasted of the right to support and apparently would have been glad for Paul to receive it in order to justify their doing so. Paul was determined to give them no grounds for such a thing.
In irony he said, Let no one think that this attitude of mine is foolish. But even if they did, he was going to boast a little about it. This was not through the gentleness and meekness of the Lord, that is, the Lord had not used this approach in dealing with false teachers in His day. Paul was not saying, however, that he was substituting his opinion for the inspired message of the Lord.
He intended to boast in the fleshas a human beingsince others were doing so and the Corinthians were gladly listening to them. They thought this was permissible since they were wiseirony again!
Paul compared his racial and religious background with that of the false apostles. He compared his service for Christ with that of the false apostles, even if it was foolish to think of them as ministers of righteousness.
After telling of his labors, his sufferings, and his trials, there was one more thing to mention: his anxiety for all the churches. Even the foolish ones at Corinth would know better than to attempt to compare the super-apostles with Paul on this point.
His experience in Damascus was another example of his weakness in which he boasted, since boasting seemingly had to be done.