2 Corinthians 11:16-21
For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face. – 2 Corinthians 11:20
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Paul writes here in a kind of ironic tone. He begins, “Let no one think me foolish; but even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little”. This unexpected opening reveals Paul’s deep frustration. He does not relish boasting or proving himself by foolish means. Yet the Corinthians were so easily led astray that he felt forced into this defensive posture.
Paul understands that the gospel of the cross makes boasting itself inappropriate, because Christ’s salvation leaves no room for self-exaltation. Still, he feels compelled to “boast”, and he carefully adds that he does not speak this by the Lord’s authority (v. 17). His aim is the protection of the vulnerable, and not self-promotion.
The core issue is the Corinthians’ attraction to showy, bold, self-promoting “super-apostles.” These impostors flattered, exploited, and abused the church. They sought gain and glory rather than sacrificial service. Paul lists the abuses the false apostles commit against the church and observes, with sorrow, that the Corinthians tolerate it all (v. 20). The result is a congregation vulnerable to manipulation and unable to distinguish true from false ministry.
This passage warns us today in three ways:
1. Cultivate spiritual discernment. Charisma and spectacle can mask selfish ambition. True spiritual authority is marked by Christlike humility, costly service, and sacrificial love.
2. Measure leaders by the cross. Genuine ministry will point people to Christ’s suffering and service, not to human success or power.
3. Reject domination in the name of spirituality. Any teaching or leadership that brings control, fear, or exploitation should be tested and, if necessary, resisted.
May the Lord give us clean hearts and clear eyes, that we would not be dazzled by counterfeit lights, and that we would remain grounded in the gospel of the cross.
Reflection:
– Why do you think the Corinthians tolerated the false apostles? In your own life, have you ever been swayed by someone’s charisma or success and overlooked the substance of their teaching? – How can you grow in spiritual discernment so you can recognise teaching that draws attention to the messenger rather than to Christ?
Prayer:
Lord, grant me a sensitive heart and discerning eyes. Protect me from being impressed by showiness and from tolerating teachings that drift from the cross. Give me the humility to follow leaders who serve sacrificially and the courage to reject anything that replaces Christ with human praise. Keep my heart fixed on the gospel and my life shaped by the cross. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Click to Read
Paul writes here in a kind of ironic tone. He begins, “Let no one think me foolish; but even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little”. This unexpected opening reveals Paul’s deep frustration. He does not relish boasting or proving himself by foolish means. Yet the Corinthians were so easily led astray that he felt forced into this defensive posture.
Paul understands that the gospel of the cross makes boasting itself inappropriate, because Christ’s salvation leaves no room for self-exaltation. Still, he feels compelled to “boast”, and he carefully adds that he does not speak this by the Lord’s authority (v. 17). His aim is the protection of the vulnerable, and not self-promotion.
The core issue is the Corinthians’ attraction to showy, bold, self-promoting “super-apostles.” These impostors flattered, exploited, and abused the church. They sought gain and glory rather than sacrificial service. Paul lists the abuses the false apostles commit against the church and observes, with sorrow, that the Corinthians tolerate it all (v. 20). The result is a congregation vulnerable to manipulation and unable to distinguish true from false ministry.
This passage warns us today in three ways:
1. Cultivate spiritual discernment. Charisma and spectacle can mask selfish ambition. True spiritual authority is marked by Christlike humility, costly service, and sacrificial love.
2. Measure leaders by the cross. Genuine ministry will point people to Christ’s suffering and service, not to human success or power.
3. Reject domination in the name of spirituality. Any teaching or leadership that brings control, fear, or exploitation should be tested and, if necessary, resisted.
May the Lord give us clean hearts and clear eyes, that we would not be dazzled by counterfeit lights, and that we would remain grounded in the gospel of the cross.
Reflection:
– Why do you think the Corinthians tolerated the false apostles? In your own life, have you ever been swayed by someone’s charisma or success and overlooked the substance of their teaching? – How can you grow in spiritual discernment so you can recognise teaching that draws attention to the messenger rather than to Christ?
Prayer:
Lord, grant me a sensitive heart and discerning eyes. Protect me from being impressed by showiness and from tolerating teachings that drift from the cross. Give me the humility to follow leaders who serve sacrificially and the courage to reject anything that replaces Christ with human praise. Keep my heart fixed on the gospel and my life shaped by the cross. In Jesus’ name, Amen.