Second Corinthians 11 Part 3 Suffering For The Sake Of Jesus Christ
Paul boasted about what God truly did through his ministry.
2 Corinthians 11:16-17 I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little. 17) That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.
Paul was obligated by the attacks from false teachers to vindicate his own character against their slander.
He defended his apostleship for the sake of the Gospel and for the spiritual welfare of the Corinthians.
Paul desired for the Corinthians to be well grounded in the gospel so that they would not be swayed by heresy.
Therefore, Paul acknowledged that only a fool brags about his accomplishments, but this was necessary to refute those who personally attacked him.
False teachers boasted about things that they did not do and places they did not visit.
Paul would counter this by boasting about what God did through his ministry in all the places he visited.
Proof of his ministry was evident in the souls converted to Christ.
Proof of his ministry was evident in the physical suffering he endured for the sake of the gospel of Christ.
He gave a caution when introducing this section in order to prevent the abuse of what he should say.
Paul emphasized that what he speaks of in this text he did not speak by commandment from the Lord.
He did not want any Christian to think that boasting of ourselves or about what we have is something Christ would condone.
Some Corinthians tolerated Judaizers and their foolish claims.
2 Corinthians 11:18-20 Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also. 19) For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise. 20) For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.
The false teachers at Corinth boasted about worldly things like their ancestry or about being circumcised because they were Jews.
Like the Greek philosophers, false teachers foolishly boasted about being learned men and their lofty education credentials.
Before Jesus saved Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus, the apostle used to boast in his Jewish heritage.
After his conversion, Paul counted all his earthly accolades and achievements as dung.
Some Corinthians gladly embraced the man centered, carnal mindedness of those who promoted false teaching.
False teachers continually showed that they were fools by constantly boasting of themselves.
Some Corinthians indulged these fools because their false teaching appealed to the carnal, sensual sin nature.
Some Corinthians not only tolerated the foolish boasting of these men with pleasure, but stupidly put up with hearing their oppressions and insults.
These Corinthians were puffed up in their minds and were fools because a normal person would never be subject to such lying.
Verse 20 clearly implies that the false teachers were Judaizers, those who tried to make Gentiles circumcised and subject to their man made religious system.
The Jews who troubled churches in Galatia tried to bring Christians under obligation of doing Jewish rituals and ceremonies.
Jesus rebuked the Judaizers for doing the same things they did at Corinth.
Matthew 23:14-15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. 15) Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
Jesus confronted Jews who ignored God's provision for widows by devouring (illegally taking) their homes.
Jesus also confronted Jews who made long public prayers so that other men would observe how "religious" they were.
Jesus confronted the self righteous Jews because they tried to convert Gentiles to Judaism, which also happened in Corinth.
Judaizers believed that they were morally superior to all Gentiles and the false teachers exalted themselves.
Note this: Those who are not grounded and anchored to the truth of the scriptures are those who can become fools.
Guided by the Spirit of God to rebuke the Judaizers and to show true reality.
2 Corinthians 11:21 I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.
Paul directly and boldly confronted the claims made by Judaizers at Corinth.
They dishonored Paul and portrayed him as weak and foolish. Paul vindicated his ministry using the same tactics false teachers used.
If they made bold and unverifiable claims, then Paul could make bold claims that are factual and verifiable.
2 Corinthians 11:22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
Judaizers bragged about being Hebrew, being Israelites and descendants of Abraham.
Paul was also a Hebrew and an Israelite. Paul was also a descendent of the patriarch Abraham.
Paul also received a full secular education in the Greco-Roman tradition.
In addition, he received the most prestigious religious education that Jews coveted.
Philippians 3:2-7 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. 3) For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. 4) Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: 5) Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 6) Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 7) But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
What Paul said to the Corinthians is like what he said to the church at Philippi.
He first warned them to beware of and avoid Judaizers by calling them "dogs" which is a huge insult.
Because the Gentiles were not included in the covenant, Jews called them dogs and saw themselves as children of God.
Now, the Jews are temporarily cast out of the covenant and the Gentiles are taken in.
Therefore the Judaizers are the dogs, and the Gentiles the children of God by faith in Christ.
Paul stated that if Judaism was the way to God then he had great confidence in his fleshly standing.
Paul was circumcised according to the law and his ancestry proved him to be an Israelite of the tribe of Benjamin, a model Hebrew.
Paul's religious credentials were that he was a strict Pharisee or the most conservative of the Jews.
Concerning the holy law of God, Paul was blameless, a most religious man.
Yet Paul cheerfully gave all that up because of knowing and loving the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thus, Paul established his ethnic and religious credentials just like the Judaizers did.
However, his life as a servant of God stands out in stark contrast to the false teachers conduct.
2 Corinthians 11:23-24 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. 24) Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
Judaizers and false teachers claimed to be ministers of the gospel but Paul could prove his claim as Christ's apostle.
1 Corinthians 15:9-10 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10) But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me
He poured his life energy into working to advance the kingdom of God. He previously told the Corinthians about his conversion to Christ.
Paul saw himself as unworthy of his calling as an apostle, but God's grace enabled him for the ministry.
Therefore, Paul worked harder than any other apostle, to preach the gospel and plant churches throughout the Roman empire.
Historians estimate that Paul traveled at least 10,000 miles on foot during his missionary trips.
He often sailed but there is no estimate of how many nautical miles he traveled.
Paul reminded the Corinthians that his physical appearance was marred by the physical abuse and deprivations that he suffered.
Five times he was lashed by the Jews with 39 lashes from a whip.
2 Corinthians 11:25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
Inflicting a beating using wooden rods was by the Roman government, as their lictors beat criminals in this way.
We read of one example where Paul was beaten at Philippi (See Acts 16:22) and it happened at least two other times.
Paul was cast out of Lystra and stoned, and left for dead (See Acts 14:19).
Paul endured three shipwrecks and once survived by clinging to debris for a day and night.
2 Corinthians 11:26-27 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27) In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
Paul made frequent journeys in fulfilling the commission Jesus gave him. He faced constant danger from sailing, from robbers and from other Jews.
He faced danger in the city and in the wilderness. He faced danger from encountering many false teachers.
He suffered pain, sleepless nights, hunger, thirst, and often went without food, clothing or shelter.
All of Paul's suffering stands in opposition to false teachers who enjoyed a life of luxury by sponging off Christians at Corinth.
They enjoyed the pleasures of life while Paul suffered greatly for the sake of the gospel.
Paul's body bore the marks of great suffering. This made it easy for false teachers to mock appearance and ridicule his manner of speaking.
2 Corinthians 11:28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
In addition, Paul carried a heavy burden for all the churches that he planted in all of the Roman provinces he visited.
He did not have a cell phone or the internet where he could quickly find out how Christians were doing.
Thus, he wrote letters (epistles) to the churches and sent trustworthy men to deliver them, and to bring him a report on their spiritual condition.
We really cannot imagine the emotional, mental and spiritual burden that Paul carried each day.
2 Corinthians 11:29,30 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? 30) If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
The Puritan pastor and scholar, Matthew Henry, offers very good insight into Paul's ministry.
"There was not a weak Christian with whom he did not sympathize, nor any one scandalized, but he was affected therewith."
"See what little reason we have to be in love with the pomp and plenty of this world, when this blessed apostle, one of the best of men that ever lived, excepting Jesus Christ, felt so much hardship in it."
"Nor was he ashamed of all this, but, on the contrary, it was what he accounted his honour."
"Therefore, much against the grain as it was with him to glory, yet, says he, if I must needs glory, if my adversaries will oblige me to it in my own necessary vindication, I will glory in these my infirmities."
2 Corinthians 11:31-33 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not. 32) In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: 33) And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.
Paul made it clear that his testimony of suffering for the sake of the gospel was true in the sight of God. He could appeal to no higher court than heaven.
In the last two verses, Paul mentions one part of his sufferings seemingly out of place. Yet, he has come full circle by leading us back to where it all started on the road to Damascus.
Paul quickly faced danger from the Jews at Damascus soon after he was converted and not settled in Christianity, at least in the ministry and apostleship See Acts 9:24-25).
This was his first great difficult danger and this was what the rest of his life was like.
It was a great comfort to Paul that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ knew the truth of all that the apostle said.
We learn that suffering is normal for Christianity. A Christianity devoid of suffering is an imposter.
Philippians 1:29-30 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; 30) Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.
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