# 2 Corinthians 11 đź“–: False Apostles and Paul's Sufferings
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> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#🧠Chapter Summary]]
> [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#🔎 Key Observations / 🛟 Life Application]]
> [[#đź’¬ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#đź”— Related Passages]]
> [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#đź“‚ Internal Notes]]
## đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
### Paul and His Opponents
**Principle**: Motives eventually show.
[[#Verse 01.]]Â I wish that you would be patient with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you are being patient with me!Â
[[#Verse 02.]] For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.Â
[[#Verse 03.]] But I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by his treachery, your minds may be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.Â
[[#Verse 04.]] For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus different from the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit than the one you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you put up with it well enough!Â
[[#Verse 05.]] For I consider myself not at all inferior to those “super-apostles.”Â
[[#Verse 06.]] And even if I am unskilled in speaking, yet I am certainly not so in knowledge. Indeed, we have made this plain to you in everything in every way.Â
[[#Verse 07.]] Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you could be exalted, because I proclaimed the gospel of God to you free of charge?Â
[[#Verse 08.]] I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so that I could serve you!Â
[[#Verse 09.]] When I was with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia fully supplied my needs. I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so.Â
[[#Verse 10.]] As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia.Â
[[#Verse 11.]]Â Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!Â
[[#Verse 12.]] And what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may eliminate any opportunity for those who want a chance to be regarded as our equals in the things they boast about.Â
[[#Verse 13.]] For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.Â
[[#Verse 14.]] And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.Â
[[#Verse 15.]] Therefore it is not surprising his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will correspond to their actions.
### Paul’s Sufferings for Christ
**Principle**: Don't be ashamed of your story. Point to Jesus.
[[#Verse 16.]] I say again, let no one think that I am a fool. But if you do, then at least accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.Â
[[#Verse 17.]] What I am saying with this boastful confidence I do not say the way the Lord would. Instead it is, as it were, foolishness.Â
[[#Verse 18.]] Since many are boasting according to human standards, I too will boast.Â
[[#Verse 19.]] For since you are so wise, you put up with fools gladly.Â
[[#Verse 20.]] For you put up with it if someone makes slaves of you, if someone exploits you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone behaves arrogantly toward you, if someone strikes you in the face.Â
[[#Verse 21.]] (To my disgrace I must say that we were too weak for that!) But whatever anyone else dares to boast about (I am speaking foolishly), I also dare to boast about the same thing.Â
[[#Verse 22.]]Â Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.Â
[[#Verse 23.]]Â Are they servants of Christ? (I am talking like I am out of my mind!) I am even more so: with much greater labors, with far more imprisonments, with more severe beatings, facing death many times.Â
[[#Verse 24.]]Â Five times I received from the Jews forty lashes less one.Â
[[#Verse 25.]] Three times I was beaten with a rod.Once I received a stoning. Three times I suffered shipwreck. A night and a day I spent adrift in the open sea.Â
[[#Verse 26.]] I have been on journeys many times, in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from my own countrymen, in dangers from Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea, in dangers from false brothers,Â
[[#Verse 27.]] in hard work and toil, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, many times without food, in cold and without enough clothing.
[[#Verse 28.]] Apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxious concern for all the churches.Â
[[#Verse 29.]] Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not burn with indignation?Â
[[#Verse 30.]] If I must boast, I will boast about the things that show my weakness.Â
[[#Verse 31.]]Â The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows I am not lying.Â
[[#Verse 32.]] In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to arrest me,Â
[[#Verse 33.]]Â but I was let down in a rope-basketthrough a window in the city wall, and escaped his hands.
## đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary
###### Overall.
###### Verse 01.
###### Verse 02.
###### Verse 03.
###### Verse 04.
###### Verse 05.
###### Verse 06.
###### Verse 07.
###### Verse 08.
Robbed?
- Paul is using hyperbole. He’s saying he lived off the offerings and gifts from other churches while in Corinth.
###### Verse 09.
###### Verse 10.
###### Verse 11.
###### Verse 12.
###### Verse 13.
###### Verse 14.
###### Verse 15.
###### Verse 16.
###### Verse 17.
###### Verse 18.
###### Verse 19.
###### Verse 20.
###### Verse 21.
###### Verse 22.
###### Verse 23.
###### Verse 24.
###### Verse 25.
###### Verse 26.
###### Verse 27.
###### Verse 28.
###### Verse 29.
###### Verse 30.
###### Verse 31.
###### Verse 32.
###### Verse 33.
## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. In Jewish custom a betrothal was a binding commitment, and a father was responsible for presenting his daughter as a pure bride (11:2).
2. Paul calls his rivals "super-apostles" (11:5), most likely with irony.
3. Paul supported himself in Corinth and accepted help from the Macedonian churches (11:8-9; Philippians 4:15-16).
4. "Forty lashes less one" (11:24) followed Deuteronomy 25:3, which limited a beating to forty lashes. Stopping at thirty-nine guarded against going over.
5. Paul was beaten with rods three times (11:25), a Roman punishment. Acts 16:22-23 records one at Philippi.
6. Paul was stoned once (11:25), at Lystra (Acts 14:19).
7. Paul had already been shipwrecked three times (11:25) before the shipwreck of Acts 27, which happened later.
8. King Aretas IV (11:32) ruled the Nabataean kingdom from about 9 BC to AD 40.
9. Paul escaped Damascus by being lowered in a basket through a window in the wall (11:33; Acts 9:23-25).
10. Paul calls his boasting foolishness (11:16-21), and scholars often call this section the "fool's speech."
## 🧠Chapter Summary
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the one husband to whom Paul promised the church as a pure bride (11:2). Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (11:14), but our sincere devotion belongs to Christ alone (Ephesians 5:25-27).
## 🔎 Key Observations / 🛟 Life Application
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## đź’¬ Discussion Questions
1. Paul fears the church will be led away from sincere and pure devotion to Christ (11:3). What distracts believers from simple devotion today?
2. Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (11:14). How can we recognize deception that looks good?
3. Paul's list of sufferings is long (11:23-29). Why does Paul boast about these instead of his successes (11:30)?
## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember
- đź“– verse 2: Paul promised the church to Christ as a pure virgin.
- đź“– verse 3: Paul fears minds will be led away from sincere devotion to Christ.
- đź“– verse 14: Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
- đź“– verse 30: If I must boast, I will boast about my weaknesses.
## đź”— Related Passages
- đź”— [[Hosea 02#Verse 19.|Hosea 2:19-20]] - God's people betrothed to Him; Christ's pure bride (11:2).
- đź”— [[Ephesians 05#Verse 25.|Ephesians 5:25-27]] - God's people betrothed to Him; Christ's pure bride (11:2).
- đź”— [[Genesis 03#Verse 01.|Genesis 3:1-6, 13]] - The serpent deceives Eve (11:3).
- đź”— [[Galatians 01#Verse 06.|Galatians 1:6-9]] - A different gospel (11:4).
- đź”— [[1 Corinthians 09#Verse 12.|1 Corinthians 9:12-18]] - Paul preached free of charge (11:7-9).
- đź”— [[Philippians 04#Verse 15.|Philippians 4:15-16]] - Paul preached free of charge (11:7-9).
- đź”— [[Matthew 07#Verse 15.|Matthew 7:15]] - False teachers in disguise (11:13-15).
- đź”— [[2 Peter 02#Verse 01.|2 Peter 2:1]] - False teachers in disguise (11:13-15).
- đź”— [[Philippians 03#Verse 04.|Philippians 3:4-6]] - Paul's Jewish credentials (11:22).
- đź”— [[Acts 14#Verse 19.|Acts 14:19, 16:22-23, and 27:41-44]] - Stoned, beaten, and shipwrecked (11:23-25).
- đź”— [[Deuteronomy 25#Verse 02.|Deuteronomy 25:2-3]] - The limit of forty lashes (11:24).
- đź”— [[Acts 09#Verse 23.|Acts 9:23-25]] - Lowered in a basket from the Damascus wall (11:32-33).
## 🙏 Devotional Reflection
đź“ť SOAP: [[2 Corinthians 11 - SOAP|People Connect Over Shared Struggles]]
## đź“‚ Internal Notes