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2 Corinthians 11
New English Translation

Paul and His Opponents

11 I wish that you would be patient with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you are being patient with me! 2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband,[a] to present you as a pure[b] virgin to Christ. 3 But I am afraid that[c] just as the serpent[d] deceived Eve by his treachery,[e] your minds may be led astray[f] from a sincere and pure[g] devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes and proclaims[h] another Jesus different from the one we proclaimed,[i] or if you receive a different spirit than the one you received,[j] or a different gospel than the one you accepted,[k] you put up with it well enough![l] 5 For I consider myself not at all inferior to those “super-apostles.”[m] 6 And even if I am unskilled[n] in speaking, yet I am certainly not so in knowledge. Indeed, we have made this plain to you in everything in every way. 7 Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself[o] so that you could be exalted, because I proclaimed[p] the gospel of God to you free of charge? 8 I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so that I could serve you![q] 9 When[r] 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.[s] I[t] kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. 10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine[u] will not be stopped[v] in the regions of Achaia. 11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do![w] 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[x] in the things they boast about. 13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful[y] workers, disguising themselves[z] as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself[aa] as an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising his servants also disguise themselves[ab] as servants of righteousness, whose end will correspond to their actions.[ac]

Paul’s Sufferings for Christ

16 I say again, let no one think that I am a fool.[ad] But if you do, then at least accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. 17 What I am saying with this boastful confidence[ae] I do not say the way the Lord would.[af] Instead it is, as it were, foolishness. 18 Since many[ag] are boasting according to human standards,[ah] I too will boast. 19 For since you are so wise, you put up with[ai] fools gladly. 20 For you put up with[aj] it if someone makes slaves of you, if someone exploits you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone behaves arrogantly[ak] toward you, if someone strikes you in the face. 21 (To my disgrace[al] I must say that we were too weak for that!)[am] But whatever anyone else dares to boast about[an] (I am speaking foolishly), I also dare to boast about the same thing.[ao] 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. 23 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. 24 Five times I received from the Jews forty lashes less one.[ap] 25 Three times I was beaten with a rod.[aq] Once I received a stoning.[ar] Three times I suffered shipwreck. A night and a day I spent adrift in the open sea. 26 I have been on journeys many times, in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers,[as] in dangers from my own countrymen, in dangers from Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness,[at] in dangers at sea, in dangers from false brothers, 27 in hard work and toil,[au] through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, many times without food, in cold and without enough clothing.[av] 28 Apart from other things,[aw] there is the daily pressure on me of my anxious concern[ax] for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led into sin,[ay] and I do not burn with indignation? 30 If I must boast,[az] I will boast about the things that show my weakness.[ba] 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows I am not lying. 32 In Damascus, the governor[bb] under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus[bc] in order to arrest[bd] me, 33 but I was let down in a rope-basket[be] through a window in the city wall, and escaped his hands.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 11:2 tn That is, to Christ.
  2. 2 Corinthians 11:2 tn Or “chaste.”
  3. 2 Corinthians 11:3 tn Grk “I fear lest somehow.”
  4. 2 Corinthians 11:3 tn Or “the snake.”
  5. 2 Corinthians 11:3 tn Or “craftiness.”
  6. 2 Corinthians 11:3 tn Or “corrupted,” “seduced.”
  7. 2 Corinthians 11:3 tc Although most mss (א2 H Ψ 0121 0243 1739 1881 M) lack “and pure” (καὶ τῆς ἁγνότητος, kai tēs hagnotētos; Grk “and purity”) several significant and early witnesses (P46 א* B D[2] F G 33 81 104 ar r co) retain these words. Their presence in such mss across such a wide geographical distribution argues for their authenticity. The omission from the majority of mss can be explained by haplography, since the -τητος ending of ἁγνότητος is identical to the ending of ἁπλότητος (haplotētos, “sincerity”) three words back (ἁπλότητος καὶ τῆς ἁγνότητος); further, since the meanings of “sincerity” and “purity” are similar they might seem redundant. A copyist would scarcely notice the omission because Paul’s statement still makes sense without “and from purity.”
  8. 2 Corinthians 11:4 tn Or “preaches.”
  9. 2 Corinthians 11:4 tn Grk “another Jesus whom we have not proclaimed.”
  10. 2 Corinthians 11:4 tn Grk “a different spirit which you did not receive.”
  11. 2 Corinthians 11:4 tn Grk “a different gospel which you did not accept.”
  12. 2 Corinthians 11:4 tn Or “you endure it very well.”
  13. 2 Corinthians 11:5 tn The implicit irony in Paul’s remark is brought out well by the TEV “I do not think that I am the least bit inferior to those very special so-called ‘apostles’ of yours!”sn The ‘super-apostles’ refers either (1) to the original apostles (the older interpretation) or (2) more probably, to Paul’s opponents in Corinth, in which case the designation is ironic.
  14. 2 Corinthians 11:6 sn Unskilled in speaking means not professionally trained as a rhetorician.
  15. 2 Corinthians 11:7 sn Paul is referring to humbling himself to the point of doing manual labor to support himself.
  16. 2 Corinthians 11:7 tn Or “preached.”
  17. 2 Corinthians 11:8 sn That is, serve them free of charge (cf. the end of v. 7).
  18. 2 Corinthians 11:9 tn Grk “you, and when.” A new sentence was started here in the translation.
  19. 2 Corinthians 11:9 tn If the participle ἐλθόντες (elthontes) is taken as temporal rather than adjectival, the translation would be, “for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, fully supplied my needs” (similar to NASB).
  20. 2 Corinthians 11:9 tn Grk “needs, and I kept.” A new sentence was started here in the translation.
  21. 2 Corinthians 11:10 tn That is, that Paul offers the gospel free of charge to the Corinthians (see 2 Cor 11:7).
  22. 2 Corinthians 11:10 tn Or “silenced.”
  23. 2 Corinthians 11:11 tn Grk “God knows!” The words “I do” are supplied for clarity. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
  24. 2 Corinthians 11:12 tn Grk “an opportunity, so that they may be found just like us.”
  25. 2 Corinthians 11:13 tn Or “dishonest.”
  26. 2 Corinthians 11:13 tn Or “workers, masquerading.”
  27. 2 Corinthians 11:14 tn Or “Satan himself masquerades.”
  28. 2 Corinthians 11:15 tn Or “also masquerade.”
  29. 2 Corinthians 11:15 tn Or “their works.”
  30. 2 Corinthians 11:16 tn Or “am foolish.”
  31. 2 Corinthians 11:17 tn Grk “with this confidence of boasting.” The genitive καυχήσεως (kauchēseōs) has been translated as an attributive genitive (the noun in the genitive functions as an adjective of the noun modified).
  32. 2 Corinthians 11:17 tn Or “say with the Lord’s authority.”
  33. 2 Corinthians 11:18 sn Many is a reference to Paul’s opponents.
  34. 2 Corinthians 11:18 tn Grk “according to the flesh.”
  35. 2 Corinthians 11:19 tn Or “you tolerate.”
  36. 2 Corinthians 11:20 tn Or “you tolerate.”
  37. 2 Corinthians 11:20 tn See L&N 88.212.
  38. 2 Corinthians 11:21 tn Or “my shame.”
  39. 2 Corinthians 11:21 sn It seems best, in context, to see the statement we were too weak for that as a parenthetical and ironic comment by Paul on his physical condition (weakness or sickness) while he was with the Corinthians (cf. 2 Cor 12:7-10; Gal 4:15).
  40. 2 Corinthians 11:21 tn The words “to boast about” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, and this phrase serves as the direct object of the preceding verb.
  41. 2 Corinthians 11:21 tn Grk “I also dare”; the words “to boast about the same thing” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, and this phrase serves as the direct object of the preceding verb.
  42. 2 Corinthians 11:24 tn Grk “forty less one”; this was a standard sentence. “Lashes” is supplied to clarify for the modern reader what is meant.
  43. 2 Corinthians 11:25 sn Beaten with a rod refers to the Roman punishment of admonitio according to BDAG 902 s.v. ῥαβδίζω. Acts 16:22 describes one of these occasions in Philippi; in this case it was administered by the city magistrates, who had wide powers in a military colony.
  44. 2 Corinthians 11:25 sn Received a stoning. See Acts 14:19, where this incident is described.
  45. 2 Corinthians 11:26 tn Or “bandits.” The word normally refers more to highwaymen (“robbers”) but can also refer to insurrectionists or revolutionaries (“bandits”).
  46. 2 Corinthians 11:26 tn Or “desert.”
  47. 2 Corinthians 11:27 tn The two different words for labor are translated “in hard work and toil” by L&N 42.48.
  48. 2 Corinthians 11:27 tn Grk “in cold and nakedness.” Paul does not mean complete nakedness, however, which would have been repugnant to a Jew; he refers instead to the lack of sufficient clothing, especially in cold weather. A related word is used to 1 Cor 4:11, also in combination with experiencing hunger and thirst.
  49. 2 Corinthians 11:28 sn Apart from other things. Paul refers here either (1) to the external sufferings just mentioned, or (2) he refers to other things he has left unmentioned.
  50. 2 Corinthians 11:28 tn “Anxious concern,” so translated in L&N 25.224.
  51. 2 Corinthians 11:29 tn Or “who is caused to stumble.”
  52. 2 Corinthians 11:30 tn Grk “If boasting is necessary.”
  53. 2 Corinthians 11:30 tn Or “about the things related to my weakness.”
  54. 2 Corinthians 11:32 tn Grk “ethnarch.”sn The governor was an official called an “ethnarch” who was appointed to rule on behalf of a king over a certain region.
  55. 2 Corinthians 11:32 tn Grk “the city of the Damascenes.”
  56. 2 Corinthians 11:32 tn Or “to seize,” “to catch.”
  57. 2 Corinthians 11:33 tn In Acts 9:25 the same basket used in Paul’s escape is called a σπυρίς (spuris), a basket larger than a κόφινος (kophinos). It was very likely made out of rope, so the translation “rope-basket” is used.
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2 Corinthians 11
The Message

Pseudo-Servants of God

11 1-3 Will you put up with a little foolish aside from me? Please, just for a moment. The thing that has me so upset is that I care about you so much—this is the passion of God burning inside me! I promised your hand in marriage to Christ, presented you as a pure virgin to her husband. And now I’m afraid that exactly as the Snake seduced Eve with his smooth tongue, you are being lured away from the simple purity of your love for Christ.

4-6 It seems that if someone shows up preaching quite another Jesus than we preached—different spirit, different message—you put up with him quite nicely. But if you put up with these big-shot “apostles,” why can’t you put up with simple me? I’m as good as they are. It’s true that I don’t have their voice, haven’t mastered that smooth eloquence that impresses you so much. But when I do open my mouth, I at least know what I’m talking about. We haven’t kept anything back. We let you in on everything.

7-12 I wonder, did I make a bad mistake in proclaiming God’s Message to you without asking for something in return, serving you free of charge so that you wouldn’t be inconvenienced by me? It turns out that the other churches paid my way so that you could have a free ride. Not once during the time I lived among you did anyone have to lift a finger to help me out. My needs were always supplied by the believers from Macedonia province. I was careful never to be a burden to you, and I never will be, you can count on it. With Christ as my witness, it’s a point of honor with me, and I’m not going to keep it quiet just to protect you from what the neighbors will think. It’s not that I don’t love you; God knows I do. I’m just trying to keep things open and honest between us.

12-15 And I’m not changing my position on this. I’d die before taking your money. I’m giving nobody grounds for lumping me in with those money-grubbing “preachers,” vaunting themselves as something special. They’re a sorry bunch—pseudo-apostles, lying preachers, crooked workers—posing as Christ’s agents but sham to the core. And no wonder! Satan does it all the time, dressing up as a beautiful angel of light. So it shouldn’t surprise us when his servants masquerade as servants of God. But they’re not getting by with anything. They’ll pay for it in the end.

Many a Long and Lonely Night

16-21 Let me come back to where I started—and don’t hold it against me if I continue to sound a little foolish. Or if you’d rather, just accept that I am a fool and let me rant on a little. I didn’t learn this kind of talk from Christ. Oh, no, it’s a bad habit I picked up from the three-ring preachers that are so popular these days. Since you sit there in the judgment seat observing all these shenanigans, you can afford to humor an occasional fool who happens along. You have such admirable tolerance for impostors who rob your freedom, rip you off, steal you blind, put you down—even slap your face! I shouldn’t admit it to you, but our stomachs aren’t strong enough to tolerate that kind of stuff.

21-23 Since you admire the egomaniacs of the pulpit so much (remember, this is your old friend, the fool, talking), let me try my hand at it. Do they brag of being Hebrews, Israelites, the pure race of Abraham? I’m their match. Are they servants of Christ? I can go them one better. (I can’t believe I’m saying these things. It’s crazy to talk this way! But I started, and I’m going to finish.)

23-27 I’ve worked much harder, been jailed more often, beaten up more times than I can count, and at death’s door time after time. I’ve been flogged five times with the Jews’ thirty-nine lashes, beaten by Roman rods three times, pummeled with rocks once. I’ve been shipwrecked three times, and immersed in the open sea for a night and a day. In hard traveling year in and year out, I’ve had to ford rivers, fend off robbers, struggle with friends, struggle with foes. I’ve been at risk in the city, at risk in the country, endangered by desert sun and sea storm, and betrayed by those I thought were my brothers. I’ve known drudgery and hard labor, many a long and lonely night without sleep, many a missed meal, blasted by the cold, naked to the weather.

28-29 And that’s not the half of it, when you throw in the daily pressures and anxieties of all the churches. When someone gets to the end of his rope, I feel the desperation in my bones. When someone is duped into sin, an angry fire burns in my gut.

30-33 If I have to “brag” about myself, I’ll brag about the humiliations that make me like Jesus. The eternal and blessed God and Father of our Master Jesus knows I’m not lying. Remember the time I was in Damascus and the governor of King Aretas posted guards at the city gates to arrest me? I crawled through a window in the wall, was let down in a basket, and had to run for my life.

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