Discovery Box2 Corinthians 11:1--12:18
Context11:1 I wish that you would be patient with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you are being patient with me! 11:2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, 1 to present you as a pure 2 virgin to Christ. 11:3 But I am afraid that 3 just as the serpent 4 deceived Eve by his treachery, 5 your minds may be led astray 6 from a sincere and pure 7 devotion to Christ. 11:4 For if someone comes and proclaims 8 another Jesus different from the one we proclaimed, 9 or if you receive a different spirit than the one you received, 10 or a different gospel than the one you accepted, 11 you put up with it well enough! 12 11:5 For I consider myself not at all inferior to those “super-apostles.” 13 11:6 And even if I am unskilled 14 in speaking, yet I am certainly not so in knowledge. Indeed, we have made this plain to you in everything in every way. 11:7 Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself 15 so that you could be exalted, because I proclaimed 16 the gospel of God to you free of charge? 11:8 I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so that I could serve you! 17 11:9 When 18 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. 19 I 20 kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. 11:10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine 21 will not be stopped 22 in the regions of Achaia. 11:11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do! 23 11:12 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 24 in the things they boast about. 11:13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful 25 workers, disguising themselves 26 as apostles of Christ. 11:14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself 27 as an angel of light. 11:15 Therefore it is not surprising his servants also disguise themselves 28 as servants of righteousness, whose end will correspond to their actions. 29
11:16 I say again, let no one think that I am a fool. 30 But if you do, then at least accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. 11:17 What I am saying with this boastful confidence 31 I do not say the way the Lord would. 32 Instead it is, as it were, foolishness. 11:18 Since many 33 are boasting according to human standards, 34 I too will boast. 11:19 For since you are so wise, you put up with 35 fools gladly. 11:20 For you put up with 36 it if someone makes slaves of you, if someone exploits you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone behaves arrogantly 37 toward you, if someone strikes you in the face. 11:21 (To my disgrace 38 I must say that we were too weak for that!) 39 But whatever anyone else dares to boast about 40 (I am speaking foolishly), I also dare to boast about the same thing. 41 11:22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. 11:23 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. 11:24 Five times I received from the Jews forty lashes less one. 42 11:25 Three times I was beaten with a rod. 43 Once I received a stoning. 44 Three times I suffered shipwreck. A night and a day I spent adrift in the open sea. 11:26 I have been on journeys many times, in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, 45 in dangers from my own countrymen, in dangers from Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, 46 in dangers at sea, in dangers from false brothers, 11:27 in hard work and toil, 47 through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, many times without food, in cold and without enough clothing. 48 11:28 Apart from other things, 49 there is the daily pressure on me of my anxious concern 50 for all the churches. 11:29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led into sin, 51 and I do not burn with indignation? 11:30 If I must boast, 52 I will boast about the things that show my weakness. 53 11:31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows I am not lying. 11:32 In Damascus, the governor 54 under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus 55 in order to arrest 56 me, 11:33 but I was let down in a rope-basket 57 through a window in the city wall, and escaped his hands.
12:1 It is necessary to go on boasting. 58 Though it is not profitable, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 12:2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago (whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows) was caught up to the third heaven. 12:3 And I know that this man (whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows) 12:4 was caught up into paradise 59 and heard things too sacred to be put into words, 60 things that a person 61 is not permitted to speak. 12:5 On behalf of such an individual I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except about my weaknesses. 12:6 For even if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I would be telling 62 the truth, but I refrain from this so that no one may regard 63 me beyond what he sees in me or what he hears from me, 12:7 even because of the extraordinary character of the revelations. Therefore, 64 so that I would not become arrogant, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to trouble 65 me – so that I would not become arrogant. 66 12:8 I asked the Lord three times about this, that it would depart from me. 12:9 But 67 he said to me, “My grace is enough 68 for you, for my 69 power is made perfect 70 in weakness.” So then, I will boast most gladly 71 about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may reside in 72 me. 12:10 Therefore I am content with 73 weaknesses, with insults, with troubles, with persecutions and difficulties 74 for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.
12:11 I have become a fool. You yourselves forced me to do it, for I should have been commended by you. For I lack nothing in comparison 75 to those “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing. 12:12 Indeed, the signs of an apostle were performed among you with great perseverance 76 by signs and wonders and powerful deeds. 77 12:13 For how 78 were you treated worse than the other churches, except that I myself was not a burden to you? Forgive me this injustice! 12:14 Look, for the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you, because I do not want your possessions, but you. For children should not have 79 to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 12:15 Now I will most gladly spend and be spent for your lives! 80 If I love you more, am I to be loved less? 12:16 But be that as it may, I have not burdened you. Yet because I was a crafty person, I took you in by deceit! 12:17 I have not taken advantage of you through anyone I have sent to you, have I? 81 12:18 I urged Titus to visit you 82 and I sent our 83 brother along with him. Titus did not take advantage of you, did he? 84 Did we not conduct ourselves in the same spirit? Did we not behave in the same way? 85
[11:2] 1 tn That is, to Christ.
[11:3] 3 tn Grk “I fear lest somehow.”
[11:3] 6 tn Or “corrupted,” “seduced.”
[11:3] 7 tc Although most
[11:4] 9 tn Grk “another Jesus whom we have not proclaimed.”
[11:4] 10 tn Grk “a different spirit which you did not receive.”
[11:4] 11 tn Grk “a different gospel which you did not accept.”
[11:4] 12 tn Or “you endure it very well.”
[11:5] 13 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!”
[11:6] 14 sn Unskilled in speaking means not professionally trained as a rhetorician.
[11:7] 15 sn Paul is referring to humbling himself to the point of doing manual labor to support himself.
[11:8] 17 sn That is, serve them free of charge (cf. the end of v. 7).
[11:9] 18 tn Grk “you, and when.” A new sentence was started here in the translation.
[11:9] 19 tn If the participle ἐλθόντες (elqonte") 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).
[11:9] 20 tn Grk “needs, and I kept.” A new sentence was started here in the translation.
[11:10] 21 tn That is, that Paul offers the gospel free of charge to the Corinthians (see 2 Cor 11:7).
[11:11] 23 tn Grk “God knows!” The words “I do” are supplied for clarity. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[11:12] 24 tn Grk “an opportunity, so that they may be found just like us.”
[11:13] 26 tn Or “workers, masquerading.”
[11:14] 27 tn Or “Satan himself masquerades.”
[11:15] 28 tn Or “also masquerade.”
[11:15] 29 tn Or “their works.”
[11:16] 30 tn Or “am foolish.”
[11:17] 31 tn Grk “with this confidence of boasting.” The genitive καυχήσεως (kauchsew") has been translated as an attributed genitive (the noun in the genitive gives an attribute of the noun modified).
[11:17] 32 tn Or “say with the Lord’s authority.”
[11:18] 33 sn Many is a reference to Paul’s opponents.
[11:18] 34 tn Grk “according to the flesh.”
[11:19] 35 tn Or “you tolerate.”
[11:20] 36 tn Or “you tolerate.”
[11:21] 39 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).
[11:21] 40 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.
[11:21] 41 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.
[11:24] 42 tn Grk “forty less one”; this was a standard sentence. “Lashes” is supplied to clarify for the modern reader what is meant.
[11:25] 43 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.
[11:25] 44 sn Received a stoning. See Acts 14:19, where this incident is described.
[11:26] 45 tn Or “bandits.” The word normally refers more to highwaymen (“robbers”) but can also refer to insurrectionists or revolutionaries (“bandits”).
[11:27] 47 tn The two different words for labor are translated “in hard work and toil” by L&N 42.48.
[11:27] 48 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.
[11:28] 49 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.
[11:28] 50 tn “Anxious concern,” so translated in L&N 25.224.
[11:29] 51 tn Or “who is caused to stumble.”
[11:30] 52 tn Grk “If boasting is necessary.”
[11:30] 53 tn Or “about the things related to my weakness.”
[11:32] 55 tn Grk “the city of the Damascenes.”
[11:32] 56 tn Or “to seize,” “to catch.”
[11:33] 57 tn In Acts 9:25 the same basket used in Paul’s escape is called a σπυρίς (spuri"), a basket larger than a κόφινος (kofinos). It was very likely made out of rope, so the translation “rope-basket” is used.
[12:1] 58 tn Grk “Boasting is necessary.”
[12:4] 59 sn In the NT, paradise is mentioned three times. In Luke 23:43 it refers to the abode of the righteous dead. In Rev 2:7 it refers to the restoration of Edenic paradise predicted in Isa 51:3 and Ezek 36:35. The reference here in 2 Cor 12:4 is probably to be translated as parallel to the mention of the “third heaven” in v. 2. Assuming that the “first heaven” would be atmospheric heaven (the sky) and “second heaven” the more distant stars and planets, “third heaven” would refer to the place where God dwells. This is much more likely than some variation on the seven heavens mentioned in the pseudepigraphic book 2 Enoch and in other nonbiblical and rabbinic works.
[12:4] 60 tn Or “things that cannot be put into words.”
[12:6] 63 tn Or “may think of.”
[12:7] 64 tc Most
[12:7] 66 tn The phrase “so that I might not become arrogant” is repeated here because it occurs in the Greek text two times in the verse. Although redundant, it is repeated because of the emphatic nature of its affirmation.
[12:9] 67 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” because of the contrast implicit in the context.
[12:9] 68 tn Or “is sufficient.”
[12:9] 69 tc The majority of later
[12:9] 70 tn Or “my power comes to full strength.”
[12:9] 71 tn “Most gladly,” a comparative form used with superlative meaning and translated as such.
[12:9] 72 tn Or “may rest on.”
[12:10] 73 tn Or “I take delight in.”
[12:10] 74 tn Or “calamities.”
[12:11] 75 tn Or “I am in no way inferior.”
[12:12] 76 tn Or “patience,” “endurance.”
[12:12] 77 tn Or “and miracles.”
[12:13] 78 tn Grk “For in what respect.”
[12:14] 79 tn Grk “children ought not,” but this might give the impression that children are not supposed to support sick or aging parents in need of help. That is not what Paul is saying. His point is that children should not have to pay their parent’s way.
[12:17] 81 tn The Greek construction anticipates a negative answer, indicated by the ‘tag’ question “have I?” at the end of the clause. The question is rhetorical.
[12:18] 82 tn The words “to visit you” are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, and must be supplied for the modern reader.
[12:18] 84 tn The Greek construction anticipates a negative answer, indicated by the ‘tag’ question “did he?” at the end of the clause.
[12:18] 85 tn Grk “[Did we not walk] in the same tracks?” This is an idiom that means to imitate someone else or to behave as they do. Paul’s point is that he and Titus have conducted themselves in the same way toward the Corinthians. If Titus did not take advantage of the Corinthians, then neither did Paul.
