Paul was called by Jesus Christ to an exceptional ministry as revealed to Ananias in Acts 9:15–16 (LEB) ‘But the Lord said to him, “Go, because this man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” ‘ and because of this call, Paul received “the extraordinary degree of the revelations” in 2 Corinthians 12:7 and also because of these revelations, Paul also received, in that same verse, “a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan, in order that it would torment me so that I would not exalt myself”. It is this that established Paul as an apostle and also gave him the wisdom to deal with others that only claimed themselves to be apostles. It is because of these false apostles that Paul speaks to the Christians in Corinth and says to them in 2 Corinthians 11:2 (LEB) “For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ”. Paul has the charge for their souls’ and passionately speaks out to protect them because in 2 Corinthians 11:3 (LEB) “But I am afraid lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds may be led astray from the sincerity and the purity of devotion to Christ”. It was Paul’s sincere desire that the Christians entrusted to his care would know the voice of the Lord and not follow any other.
The Sincerity and the Purity of Devotion to Christ
2 Corinthians 11:1–15
Paul makes an unusual statement here because he knows these people and has been a part of their life for a while so he asks them to “put up with me, in something a little foolish” in 2 Corinthians 11:1. As we read this it is like a conversation between long-time friends where they know the best and the worst in each other and are still fully committed to each other so Paul says this in
2 Corinthians 11:2 (LEB) “For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ”
We have lost the solemnity of this statement in our culture where people come and go in relationships at a whim if they ever considered marriage at all. This statement, “I promised you in marriage to one husband” in Paul’s day, involved a complete and total, lifelong commitment and lasting relationship based on honor and loyalty and trust and love. Paul raises this conversation because as he goes on to say in
2 Corinthians 11:3 (LEB) “But I am afraid lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds may be led astray from the sincerity and the purity of devotion to Christ”
Then Paul asks if he has made a mistake and sinned against them even though he knows he has not in
2 Corinthians 11:7–8 (LEB) “Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself in order that you may be exalted, because I proclaimed the gospel of God to you without payment? 8 I robbed other churches by accepting support from them for the ministry to you”
but he wants them to understand his great love for them and the close relationship he feels with them in
2 Corinthians 11:11 (LEB) Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
This is the reason for his strong warning and caution to them that they should not be led astray or deceived by these others that have come along declaring themselves as apostles in
2 Corinthians 11:13–14 (LEB) “For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light”
if It Is Necessary to Boast
2 Corinthians 11:16–33
How can you prove to someone that you love them or even that you truly care about them? Jesus said “beware” and then gave us the answer in
Matthew 7:15–16 (LEB) “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inside are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits: they do not gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles, do they?
This still may be difficult for us to put into practical application unless we think about the fruit, it is the luscious part of the plant that is good for us to eat, we enjoy it and it is satisfying to our taste and filling for our hunger. There are also plants that produce thistles and these are painful to tough and have no nutritional value but only good to be gathered and burned which represents wasted effort and trouble. It is easy for us to recognize this difference between good and bad fruit so Paul makes this somewhat sarcastic statement to expose the bad behavior of these false apostles in
2 Corinthians 11:19–20 (LEB) “For because you are wise, you put up with foolish people gladly! 20 For you put up with it if someone enslaves you, if someone devours you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone is presumptuous toward you, if someone strikes you in the face”
No, a true apostle is not one taking advantage, a true apostle is one that lays down his life for you and endures even extreme opposition to deliver the gospel as “servants of Christ” in 2 Corinthians 11:23.
The Extraordinary Degree of the Revelations
2 Corinthians 12:1–10
There is a reason that Paul is as successful as he is in ministry and it is because the Lord called him to this position and with that calling came revelation. We who are Christians have heard the gospel and believed and have a revelation of the work that Jesus Christ did for us. Paul has this and other specific encounters with the Lord that have given him insight and direction, that has given him a surety about the things he is doing even in the face of abusive treatment and responses. Paul describes these in
2 Corinthians 12:2–4 (LEB) “I know a man in Christ fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or outside the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven, 3 and I know this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows—4 that he was caught up to paradise and heard words not to be spoken, which it is not permitted for a person to speak”
Paul has revelation that others did not have that he calls “the extraordinary degree of the revelations” in 2 Corinthians 12:7 and also because of this, he has in that same verse, “a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan, in order that it would torment me so that I would not exalt myself” and the Lord also gave Paul the grace he needed, the poser of God to overcome in
2 Corinthians 12:9 (LEB) And he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, because the power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore rather I will boast most gladly in my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may reside in me.
Study Verses
- 2 Corinthians 11:1–15 The Sincerity and the Purity of Devotion to Christ
- 2 Corinthians 11:16–33 If It Is Necessary to Boast
- 2 Corinthians 12:1–10 The Extraordinary Degree of the Revelations
Today’s Reading
- 2 Corinthians 11:1-33
- 2 Corinthians 12:1-10