December 13 Click on verses for Full Scripture

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Today's Pathway: II Corinthians 11:16-21 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. That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting. Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also. For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise. 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. I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.

Paul opens today's passage by stating that he does not want people to think that he is a fool because he has been "boasting" about his ministry. However, if they do think that he is a fool, then he asks them to put up with his foolishness because there are things that he needs to say in order to defend his apostolic service against the accusations of the false teachers. Remember that this is not something that Paul wants to do, but it is something that he feels must be done in order to keep the Corinthians church from heading in the wrong direction. In verse 17 he makes the comment that he is not saying these things "after the Lord". Some have interpreted this to mean that Paul is no longer writing under the inspiration of God at that point. This is impossible, for "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (II Timothy 3:16). The proper interpretation is that boasting is not what Jesus did while He was on earth. Back in I Corinthians 11:1 Paul said that he was a "mimic" of Christ. However, in this instance he is not imitating Christ's example, but in spite of that he is still doing what is correct. Bruce Barton wrote,

"Defending oneself against false accusations isn't always the Christian response to slander. Jesus himself remained silent in the face of his accusers, and sometimes Christians have to remain silent in the face of outlandish accusations in order to advance the cause of Christ. In this case, Paul thought a hardy defense of his actions would be appropriate."

He goes on to say that he is confident in the validity of his boasting, but at the same time he feels foolish doing it. According to verse 18 he knows that others are boasting about what they are accomplishing "after the flesh". The false teachers were telling everyone about their credentials and all that they had achieved. But their work was done in the flesh with carnal methodology. So, if these heretics were going to use their resumes to lead people in the wrong direction, Paul was going to use his resume to lead people in the correct direction. According to verses 19-20 the Corinthians were listening to these men. The false prophets were the real fools, and yet the Corinthians opened their church and their hearts to them. In verse 19 Paul uses sarcasm once again with his readers. He says that they gladly put up with the fools because they are "so wise". Remember that the Corinthians thought themselves to be very smart when it came to spiritual matters, and Paul had rebuked them for this previously (I Corinthians 4:10). So in verse 20 the self-proclaimed "wise Christians" were allowing the schismatic infidels to destroy them spiritually. Paul lists five issues that were being faced by the Corinthians. The verb tenses are all continuous action. They were constantly being enslaved, taken advantage of, consumed, and slapped in the face (literally or figuratively) by men who constantly exalted themselves and cared nothing for God or the church members. How foolish people can become when they become impressed with the personalities of men and turn their back on the principles of God! How blind they can become to what is really taking place in their lives and in their church!

Paul concludes this section by writing in verse 21 that he had been reproached by the false teachers as if he were weak. He now states that if others were going to be bold in their explanations as to why they should be followed, then he was going to be equally bold, for his service unto the Lord far outstripped anything that those who opposed him could claim. Albert Barnes interprets Paul's words this way,

"Whatever they have, I have. Whatever they can boast of, I can boast of to a more eminent degree. Whatever advantage there is in birth is mine; and I can tell of toils, and trials, and sufferings in the apostolic office which far surpass theirs."

Tomorrow we will look at Paul's claims.