2 Corinthians 11
Outline:
I. \\#2Corinthians 1:1-5:21\\ Paul’s Explanations
A. \\#2Corinthians 1:1-2\\ Paul’s Introduction
B. \\#2Corinthians 1:3-11\\ Paul’s Suffering
1. \\#1:3-7\\ Truths about All Suffering
2. \\#1:8-11\\ Truths about Paul’s Suffering
C. \\#2Corinthians 1:12-14\\ Paul’s Rejoicing
D. \\#2Corinthians 1:15-2:17\\ Paul’s Itinerary
1. \\#1:15-16\\ Paul’s Purpose
2. \\#2:17\\ The Corinthians’ Charge
3. \\#1:18-2:13\\ Paul’s Answers
4. \\#2:13-17\\ Paul’s Praise
E. \\#2Corinthians 3:1-5:21\\ Paul’s Ministry Facts
1. \\#3:1-5\\ Our Converts Are Our Credentials
2. \\#3:6-18\\ We Are Empowered through the Spirit
3. \\#4:1-18\\ We don’t quit.
4. \\#5:1-11\\ We have heavenly longings.
5. \\#5:12-21\\ We are driven by the love of Christ.
II. \\#2Corinthians 6:1-7:16\\ Paul’s Commands
A. \\#6:1-10\\ Don’t Waste God’s Grace
B. \\#6:11-18\\ Don’t Be Joined to the Lost
C. \\#7:1-16\\ Don’t Reject Us.
1. \\#1-3\\ We Do Right.
2. \\#4-12\\ We Care For You.
3. \\#13-16\\ We Are Blessed.
III. \\#2Corintihains 8:1-9:15\\ The Collection for the Saints
A. \\#8:1-15\\ Fulfill Your Pledge
B. \\#8:16-24\\ Trust the Laborers
C. \\#9:1-15\\ Take the Offering
IV. \\#2Corinthians 10:1-12:13\\ Weak in Presence, Bold in Absence
A. \\#1\\ Another Charge
B. \\#10:2-13:14\\ Paul’s Answers
1. \\#2Cor 10:2\\ They saw the gentleness of Christ.
2. \\#2Cor 10:3-6\\ The weapons of our warfare are
powerful spiritual.
3. \\#2Cor 10:7 - 2Cor 12:13\\ If you are going to judge,
look at my ministry.
(a) \\#2Cor 10:7-18\\ The Corinthians Forced Paul’s
Boasting
(b) \\2Cor 11:1-4\\ Paul’s Reason for Boasting
(c) \\#2Cor 11:5-15\\ Paul Boasted of His Apostleship
(d) \\#2Cor 11:16-21\\ Paul Reiterated His Reason for
Boasting
(e) \\#2Cor 11:22-12:10\\ Paul Boasted of His
Heritage and Sacrifice
(1) \\#2Cor 11:22\\ Paul’s Superior Birthright
(2) \\#2Cor 11:23-29\\ Paul’s Superior Ministry
(3) \\#2Cor 11:29-31\\ Paul’s Weak Frame
(4) \\#2Cor 11:32-12:10\\ Paul’s Weakest
Occasions and God’s Greatest Grace
i. \\#2Cor 11:32-33\\ Paul Was Hunted by
Aretas
ii. \\#2Cor 12:1-6\\ Paul Was Translated
into Heaven
iii. \\#2Cor 12:7-10\\ Paul Was Given A
Thorn in the Flesh
(f) \\#2Cor 12:11-13\\ Paul Reiterated His Reason for
Boasting
C. \\#2Cor 12:14-13:10\\ Bold In Presence
1. \\#2Cor 12:14-21\\ The third time I come, I will not
be a burden.
2. \\#2Cor 13:1-10\\ The third time I come, I will not be
weak.
V. \\#2Cor 13:11-14\\ Closing
I. \\2Cor 11:1-4\\ Paul’s Reason for Boasting
A. \\#1\\ "bear… in my folly"
1. Paul continued to answer the charges made by the
rebellious Corinthians…
a. \\#2Cor 10:1\\ That he talked big but was weak in
person.
b. \\#2Cor 10:2\\ That he was carnal.
2. Answering these charges had forced Paul to declare how God
had called, empowered, and used Paul.
a. Paul called that "boasting."
b. Boasting is a term he used 12 times between 2Cor 7 and
11.
c. Even doing so, Paul was careful not to boast of things
he had not been used of God to accomplish.
2Co 10:13 But we will not boast of things
without our measure….
3. In this verse, Paul called his boasting "folly" or
foolishness and asked the people to be patient, that is
to bear with him, while he did so.
B. \\#2-4\\ Why are you boasting Paul?
1. \\#2\\ "For I am jealous over you"
a. Paul felt as though he were losing some of the
Corinthians. A great revival has swept among some in
the church \\#2Cor 7:4-11\\, but some were resolved
not resist Paul and God through Paul. These carnal
strongholds \\#2Cor 10:4\\ were those that Paul felt
he was losing.
b. Yet Paul’s jealousy was a "godly jealousy." Paul was
jealous for God’s sake not his own. He was not Paul
alone that these carnal Christians were turning from,
but the Lord God Himself.
c. "I have espoused you to one husband"
(1) But Paul felt like the father of the bride. He
had been God’s tool to introduce the Corinthians
to Christ.
(2) "to one husband" - But like the Jews of the Old
Testament, in turning to the world, these were
turning from Christ.
(3) "I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ"
Paul desired they be pure and chaste, virgins
having no other idols in their lives.
2. \\#3-4\\ "I fear… your minds be corrupted"
a. Paul was fearful that the Corinthians were being
‘beguiled" just as Eve was.
b. The gospel and walk of the Christian is one of
"simplicity that is in Christ." God’s salvation is
so simple a child may partake of it!
c. \\#4\\ Although it had not yet happened, Paul was
concerned that they were so deceived that they might
follow after:
(1) "another Jesus, whom we have not preached"
(2) Or "another spirit, which ye have not received"
(3) Or even "another gospel, which ye have not
accepted."
d. These were all serious concerns which emphasized just
how far the Corinthians had erred from the truth.
II. \\#2Cor 11:5-15\\ Paul Boasted of His Apostleship
A. Paul addressed the doubts some had of his apostleship.
1. In 1Corinthians:
1Co 9:2 If I be not an apostle unto others, yet
doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine
apostleship are ye in the Lord.
1Co 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles,
that am not meet to be called an apostle, because
I persecuted the church of God.
2. In 2Corinthians:
2Co 3:1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves?
or need we, as some others, epistles of
commendation to you, or letters of commendation
from you?
3. Now he will mention in throughout this chapter and the
next.
B. \\#5-6\\ "I lacked nothing as an apostle."
2Cor 11:5 For I suppose I was not a whit behind
the very chiefest apostles.
1. Paul bluntly stated as much.
2. That was a very presumptuous statement to make but it was
the boasting that the Corinthians had forced Paul to do.
2Cor 11:6 But though I be rude in speech, yet
not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made
manifest among you in all things.
3. Paul restated one of the Corinthians charges against him,
namely that he was rude (blunt, unrefined, ignorant) in
the way he spoke.
4. But then he went on to clarify two apostolic marks that he
bore.
(a) He was not lacking in Biblical knowledge.
(b) He had "been throughly made manifest… in all
things"
(1) His life in all areas had proven that the power
and presence of God was upon Paul.
(2) I take it by this that Paul had demonstrated
both boldness and miraculous power in his
declaration of the gospel.
C. \\#7-15\\ "But I did deprive you of one Apostolic privilege."
1. \\#7\\ "Have I committed an offence…" - Paul, still
boasting, declared one area from which he was different
than the other apostles.
2. What offense?
a. "in abasing myself" - Paul had humbled or humiliated
himself in one area of the ministry that the other
apostles had not. What area?
b. "because I have preached to you… freely"
(1) Jesus had commanded the disciples to travel
without gold, silver, and script and to
"enquire" was "worthy," able and willing to
provide for them and "there abide till ye go
thence."
\\#Matt 10:9-11\\.
(2) \\#8\\ But Paul had "robbed other churches… to
do you service."
(a) Paul allowed the churches he had already
been at to provide for him in new fields,
such as Corinth.
(b) Paul metaphorically called this "robbing"
although he had not taken anything from
those churches against their wills. Rather
they had freely given those funds to him.
(3) \\#9\\ "I was chargeable to no man" - These gifts
came from "the brethren… from Macedonia" and
made it possible for Paul to keep "from being
burdensome unto you."
(4) "so will I keep myself" - Indeed, Paul was
determined to continue this practice, which
indicates that this section of thought was still
his sarcastic way to attempting to reason with
them through "boasting."
(a) \\#10\\ "no man shall stop me of this
boasting" - Paul was very determined to keep
his practice.
(b) \\#11-15\\ "Wherefore?" or WHY?
i. Paul first asked a reason that might
have been on the Corinthians mind.
ii. Was it because Paul did not love them?
iii. "God knoweth?" - He did not directly
answer the question, but did stated
that God knew the answer to the
question, implying that the
Corinthians did too.
iv. \\#12\\ "that I may cut off occasion
from them which desire occasion"
aa. Paul’s purpose was to keep those
who were yet looking for another
false charge to lay against Paul
from finding one.
bb. "that… they… may be found even
as we." - There were those who
wanted to say they were the same
as Paul even though they had
never started a church or risked
their lives for Christ. By
taking money from those he
ministered to instead of letting
God’s people from previous works
provide, they would be able to
excuse themselves and accuse
Paul.
cc. \\#13\\ "such are false apostles"
But those are the false apostles
who are "transforming themselves"
to that holy office.
dd. \\#14\\ "And no marvel" - But that
should not surprise us for even
"Satan himself is transformed" to
make himself appear to be "an
angel of light."
ee. \\#15\\ So "it is not great thing
that his ministers" fake
themselves to be "ministers of
righteousness."
Note: Paul was referring to those who continued to lead the rebellion
against his calling. While Paul had spoken of the one who seemed to
have been the primary cause of the church’s rebellion \\#2Cor 7:12\\,
it would appear that there were others who had worked together to
feed and to keep the people stirred to rebel. This is a warning that
sin once introduced to the body, is very difficult to contain and
remove. If it happened in Paul’s churches, it can certainly happen
in ours.
III. \\#2Cor 11:16-21\\ Paul Reiterated His Reason for Boasting
A. \\#16\\ "I say again" - Paul was repeating what he had already
stated.
1. "Let no man think me a fool" - Do not think that what he
is boasting is the real him. This is what he has been
forced to do to reason with the carnal Corinthians.
2. "yet as a fool receive me" - Paul wanted them to accept
this foolish version of himself as they had received the
many others fools they had received!
2Cor 11:19 For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye
yourselves are wise.
3. "that I may boast myself a little" - But Paul was
declaring how God had called, empowered, and used Paul
like a fool to help the Corinthians who liked to look on
outward appearances \\#2Cor 10:7\\ to see that he was an
apostle.
B. \\#17-21\\ "I speak not after the Lord, but as it were
foolishness"
1. Paul was acknowledging that boasting this way was not the
way the Lord teaches His people to carry themselves.
Rather, it is the way of fools.
2. So should Paul have been boasting? The fact that he was
bothered is seen by his repeated explanations concerning
his behavior. It also shows how desperate he was to
awaken the rebellious Corinthians before he arrived and
had to deal with them.
2Cor 11:18 Seeing that many glory after the
flesh, I will glory also.
3. \\#18\\ Paul was doing what many in the church of Corinth
had been doing in an attempt to get the attention of
those they had gotten the attention of!
a. \\#20\\ The fools they had received had brought them
into "bondage." That is one of Paul’s code words for
sin.
b. But they were "suffering" the foolish to do this to
them.
(1) "Suffering" means allowing.
(2) In fact, they were "gladly" allowing it
\\#2Cor 11:19\\.
(3) They were allowing some worse than "if a man
devour you… take you… exalt himself… smite
you on the face."
(4) To be abused spiritually is the worst of all
abuses for it threatens your eternal soul.
c. \\#21\\ While writing how the Corinthians had allowed
themselves to be abused, Paul appears to have had the
thought that some of the Corinthians might want to do
these things to him!
(1) "I speak… as though we had been weak" - Paul
changed from talking about their weak condition
to the notion that some might think he was weak.
(2) "I speak foolishly" - Paul emphasizes again that
he was speaking as a foolish person would speak.
(3) If "any is bold, I am bold also" - Paul would
stand against others just as forcefully as
others stood against him.
(a) Paul DID NOT MEAN that he would physically
fight others or that he would sink to their
sinful level of insults and lies.
(b) He would fight with the authority and power
God had given to him \\#2Cor 10:3-7\\.
IV. \\#2Cor 11:22-12:10\\ Paul Boasted of His Heritage and Sacrifice
Here Paul compared himself to his detractors, those rebellious
Corinthians who thought themselves as much if not more of an
apostle than Paul.
A. \\#22\\ Paul’s Superior Birthright - Paul picked three
ancestors to which he was related to emphasize his
bloodline as being superior to any Gentile at Corinth who
might be calling himself an apostle,
1. "Hebrews"
a. A term first used in the English Bible in
\\#Ge 14:13\\ as a reference to Abram’s ancestry
line; but the Hebrew word was used several times
before to refer to Abraham’s great, great, great
grandfather, Eber or Heber.
\\#Ge 10:21-25, 11:14-17\\
b. Heber was the 14th descendent of Adam and by using
the term, Paul may have indicated that he knew his
ancestry line not only to Abraham but beyond.
2. "Israelites" - Israel is the name given to Abraham’s
grandson, Jacob \\#Ge 32:28\\.
3. "Abraham" - Abraham lived between the two other
ancestors.
B. \\#23-29\\ Paul’s Superior Ministry
1. \\#23\\ "Are they ministers of Christ?" - It is
interesting that has Paul spoke of his service to the
Lord he did not mention the number of nations he had
preached in, the number of churches he had established,
the number of people to whom he had preached, or the
number of soul he had won. Instead, Paul mentioned the
suffering he had endured. Perhaps we have the wrong
measuring tape for being a minister of Christ.
2. "I speak as a fool" - Paul reiterated yet again that he
was speaking as a foolish person would.
3. In this verse, Paul started with some very general
examples of his service to Jesus.
a. He had "labored" more than any at Corinth.
b. He had more "stripes" than he could count.
c. He had been in "prison" more frequently than any of
them.
d. He had been threatened with "death" more often than
they.
4. \\#24-25\\ Then on to the more specific.
a. \\#24\\ Paul had been given 39 stripes from the Jews
on FIVE different occasions.
b. \\#25\\ He had been beaten with "rods" or canes three
different times. This was probably the Gentile
equivalent to the 39 stripes and at least one of
these is likely recorded in \\#Acts 16:1-40\\.
c. He had been stoned once \\#Acts 14:19\\.
d. Three times Paul suffered shipwreck and during one of
those, Paul floated a full day and night on the
ocean before either being rescued or reaching shore.
(1) \\#Acts 27:27-28:5\\ records a shipwreck but it
occurred on the way to Rome which was AFTER this
letter was written.
(2) Hence, none of the three are recorded in
Scripture.
(3) That though begs the question, "How many other
things happened which we have absolutely no
record?
5. \\#26-28\\ Then back to more general examples.
a. \\#26\\ Traveling often.
b. In danger from:
(1) waters
(2) robbers
(3) angry Jews
(4) angry heathen
(5) city hazards
(6) country hazards
(7) hazards of the sea
(8) hazards of fake Christians
c. \\#27\\
(1) often tired
(2) often in pain
(3) often having to be awake to guard against
dangers
(4) often hungry
(5) often thirsty
(6) often fasting
(7) often cold
(8) often unclothed
d. \\#28\\ But those are just the outward and physical.
There are still the inward and mental.
(1) For example, "the care of all the churches"
(2) That is a task that Paul bore "daily."
C. \\#29-31\\ Paul’s Weak Frame - Paul briefly changed from
listing the areas in which he was different from the
rebellious Corinthians to listing some areas in which they
were alike.
1. \\#29\\ And "Who is… and I" am not?
a. "weak"
(1) The word means physically limited in strength, in
health, and in ability.
(2) With all of the suffering Paul had endured, he
wanted the people to know that he had no
superior strength. He had endured all with no
more physical ability than anyone else.
b. "offended" - And neither did Paul have any more
ability against being insulted or hurt at what others
did against him.
c. "burn" - The word means to be fiery or set on fire.
In the context, I would suppose it means to be fired
up in anger. Paul felt anger at what was done to
him as any other would.
2. \\#30\\ "I will glory of… mine infirmities" - Paul could
have bragged of his accomplishments but he deliberately
chose to boast of his problems, his weaknesses, his
sufferings. While there may have been others among the
Corinthians that had a few accomplishments in which they
could boast, none had endured so much for Jesus and
continued to serve. Yet this was not the reason Paul
chose to brag of his problems. It was because he had
learned that God’s presence and power was upon him in
them.
3. \\#31\\ "I lie not" - Paul emphasized that he was not
exaggerating concerning these things.
D. \\#1Cor 11:32-12:10\\ Paul’s Weakest Occasions and God’s
Greatest Grace - Paul just mentioned that he would brag of
the times of his infirmities \\#1Cor 11:30\\ or problems. The
three that Paul gave may be times when he felt the weakest
but God’s grace was the strongest.
1. \\#1Cor 11:32-33\\ Paul Was Hunted by Aretas
a. This event happened within the first three years of
Paul’s salvation \\#Gal 1:18\\.
(1) Paul would have been "young in the Lord."
(2) This event set the tone for what the remainder of
his life and ministry would be.
b. \\#32\\ "Aretas" - The Roman governor over the city of
Damascus must have been persuaded by the Jews to
arrest Paul for Acts tell us that it was the Jews
that desired to kill Paul.
Acts 9:23 And after that many days were
fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:
c. \\#33\\ "through a window in a basket… by the wall"
(1) Yet another detail of Paul’s escape was given
here; namely, Paul was not let down OVER the
wall but through a window IN the wall.
(2) "escaped his hands" - Because of this, Paul
escaped.
d. We do not know that these were times when Paul felt
the weakest, but it is easy to see why it could have
been.
(1) Paul had gone from being the persecutor to being
the persecuted.
(2) This was the first time the Bible records that
his life was threatened.
(3) The plan to capture and kill him was good. If
Paul had thought he could stay safe inside the
city, no doubt he would have; but he felt he
must attempt to flee even though all the gates
were being watched. Had it not been for the
help of other Christians, things might have been
different.
(4) It must have been a very frightening time for
Paul, humanly speaking, BUT God in His grace
delivered him.
e. This was a problem in which God showed Himself strong!
<Outline
Index> <Close Window>
