2 Corinthians 11

The chapter belongs to the final section of 2 Corinthians (chapters 10–13). It continues the defense of Paul's apostleship begun in chapter 10, and the boasting that Paul himself calls the speech of a "fool" extends into chapter 12.

Outline

• Verses 1–6 Paul compares the church to a chaste virgin to be presented to Christ and fears that, as the serpent beguiled Eve, the believers may be led astray by "another Jesus," "another spirit," or "another gospel." Though he may be rude in speech, he says, he is not behind "the very chiefest apostles" in knowledge.
• Verses 7–12 He states that he preached the gospel freely and that the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied what he lacked.
• Verses 13–15 He calls his opponents false apostles and says that even Satan is transformed into an angel of light.
• Verses 16–21 He announces that he will boast as a fool and rebukes the believers for tolerating those who bring them into bondage.
• Verses 22–29 After stating his ancestry, he lists his sufferings: five times receiving forty stripes save one, three times beaten with rods, once stoned, three times shipwrecked, and more. He adds that the care of all the churches comes upon him daily.
• Verses 30–33 He declares that he will glory in his infirmities and recounts how he escaped the governor under King Aretas in Damascus by being let down through the wall in a basket.

Key Verses

• 2 Corinthians 11:2 "For I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." – An image of the church as the bride of Christ.
• 2 Corinthians 11:14 "For Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." – Widely cited as a warning to discern false teaching.
• 2 Corinthians 11:30 "I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities." – A theme that leads into chapter 12's "for when I am weak, then am I strong."

People and Places

• Paul: The apostle who wrote the letter.
• Eve: Mentioned as the one whom the serpent beguiled (verse 3).
• Satan: Mentioned as one who disguises himself as an angel of light.
• King Aretas: The king with jurisdiction over Damascus, generally identified as Aretas IV of Nabataea.
• Macedonia and Achaia: The province from which Paul received support and the province in which Corinth was located.

Points for Reflection

• Scholars are divided over whether "the very chiefest apostles" (verse 5) are the same people as the false apostles of verse 13 or refer to the apostles in Jerusalem.
• The "forty stripes save one" is explained as a Jewish custom intended to avoid exceeding the limit of forty lashes set in Deuteronomy 25:3.
• The escape from Damascus also appears in Acts 9, which records that it was the Jews who sought to kill Paul. The stoning is connected with the events at Lystra in Acts 14, and the beating with rods with the events at Philippi in Acts 16. The three shipwrecks are not recorded in Acts; the shipwreck of Acts 27 is regarded as having occurred after this letter was written.