2 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER ELEVEN



2 CORINTHIANS chapter eleven

JACK

Summary verses 1,2

1. THE LITTLE BIT OF FOOLISHNESS IS SANCTIFIED BOASTING.

2. The most intensive section is 11:5-12:13.

3. He recognizes the dangers inherent in any kind of boasting.

4. But there comes a time when it is necessary.

5. Under the Holy Spirit, he anticipates that they will bear with him to this point in the epistle.

6. Paul, being their right pastor, also possesses a non-sinful form of jealousy called “godly jealousy”.

7. Godly jealousy is a part of pastoral prerogative.

8. A pastor knows who his right congregation is and is led by the Holy Spirit to be possessive toward them in the face of outside intruders.

9. Paul uses a right man/right woman metaphor to explain pastoral prerogative.

10. In the analogy:

a. Christ = the one and only right man.

b. The believers at Corinth = right woman.

c. Betrothal = the SAJG.

d. Wedding = ultimate sanctification (the rapture and beyond).

e. The time between the betrothal and the wedding = Ph2.

f. The presentation of the pure virgin = the reality of the MAJG.

g. The presentation occurs at the rapture.

h. Paul as their right pastor, is responsible to see that the girl remains a virgin; this is parallel to the father’s responsibility to oversee his daughter.

11. Paul, and every pastor-teacher, is responsible to so conduct himself as to present his congregation as a pure virgin.

12. Woe to the spiritual father (pastor-teacher) who is himself responsible for their spiritual infidelity;

13. By not shepherding and teaching as to result in the MAJG.

14. Paul (“their father”) is responsible to warn and protect against false suitors—the false apostles at Corinth.

15. Each pastor-teacher will present his right congregation to church at the BEMA.

16. Personal sinfulness and/or reversionism doesn’t disqualify one as a pure virgin, only the failure to make the MAJG and/or hold to death.

17. The wedding day is the BEMA and beyond.

18. There are three steps to prepare the bride:

a. Betrothal = the SAJG.

b. Period of waiting = the MAJG.

c. Wedding day = ultimate sanctification.

19. Those who fail in the Bride of Christ to make the MAJG don’t lose out on Ph3 sanctification but enjoy a lesser place in the future Body of Christ.

20. A pure virgin (Ph2) is to so isolate the STA as to make the MAJG and/or hold to death.

21. It is the Word of God faithfully taught that keeps the virgin a virgin (EPHESIANS 5:26).

historical parallel

SUMMARY VERSE 3

1. THE DANGER TO BELIEVERS ARE FALSE SUITORS.

2. Paul uses a historical precedent to show the danger they are in of negating their “virginity” status.

3. They are in the process of being spiritual seduced.

4. Paul goes back to the Satanic seduction in the human race.

5. The Word of God says that the woman was deceived by Satan (compare

1 TIMOTHY 2:14).

6. for this example to have impact there must be a parallel between Eve and “right congregation”.

7. To deceive Eve, Satan had to employ craft.

8. The Satanic attack began with a disguise—a package, if you will (13-15).

9. The serpent was the agent of satanic craft.

10. Of course, the serpent was the most attractive animal in Eden.

11. He has sunk to a repulsive creature to most (especially women).

12. He is a symbol of evil lurking in secret places waiting for the careless, unwary, victim.

13. Believers like women are basically responders and by their very disposition are vulnerable.

14. Sheep are easy prey for predators, especially a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

15. Eve was careless, wanting to hear a different viewpoint than Adam and the Lord.

16. So ready was she, that she refused to listen to the warning bells when the snake spoke!

17. Not to mention his line.

18. He said all the things she wanted to hear; he was careful not to hit her too fast with the bottom line: namely, God is a liar.

19. He even let her contribute her own idea to the Word of God. (Shall not touch.)

20. Finally, she was seduced and she did the one, clear, simple thing she wasn’t supposed to do—eat of the forbidden fruit.

21. Whenever believers allow their emotions to lead them, they move away from the simplicity and purity of Bible doctrine.

22. To permanently embrace the false is to lose one's virginity.

23. Another synonym for reversionism apart from reversion recovery.

24. There are times in your life when you are more vulnerable to the seducer.

25. He (Satan) will come to you in a package that appeals to your genetic grid.

26. In spite of a faithful pastor-teacher, some will permanently fall away.

27. During periods of reactor-factors, Satan will attack.

28. You must separate immediately from those who promote false doctrine (see ROMANS 16:17,18).

Summary verse 4

1. IN VERSE ONE, PAUL ASKS THEM TO BEAR WITH HIM “IN A LITTLE BIT OF FOOLISHNESS” AS HE SPEAKS OF HIMSELF.

2. And he now strikes an ironic note as he reminds them that they bear well enough with someone who comes to them with a message, the content of which is subversive.

3. The phrase “if one comes” is used in a generic sense for the intruders.

4. These men had simply “come” unsent and without Divine authority. (like Ralph Braun).

5. They came preaching “another Jesus” like the Jesus of Catholicism, liberalism, or the fundys.

6. “Another Jesus” does not refer to another person than the Son of Mary (like Buddha).

7. These men operated under the heading of “Christian” (a part of their disguise).

8. The proclamation of a person other than Jesus of Nazareth would have hardly beguiled the Corinthians.

9. The preaching of another Jesus brought with it a different spirit.

10. Namely, the spirit of the world.

11. Bible doctrine was filtered through the STA and so discolored.

12. This spirit was a spirit of bondage (ROMANS 8:15; GALATIANS 2:4; 4:24; COLOSSIANS 2:20ff) a spirit of fear (questioning eternal security;

2 TIMOTHY 1:7; EPHESIANS 3:20; COLOSSIANS 1:11) and a spirit of

error (1 JOHN 4:6).

13. What a contrast with the spirit of truth, power, liberty, etc. associated with Paul's ministry.

14. In short, their gospel was different than Paul's.

15. Undoubtedly, works was injected at some point to the SAJG.

16. A curse is on all who distort the Ph1 message (compare GALATIANS 1:6ff).

17. People, under the STA, tolerate the false.

the boasting section proper (11:5-12:13)

SUMMARY VERSE 5

1. PAUL IS NOT REFERRING TO THE AUTHENTIC APOSTLES, BUT TO IMPOSTERS WHO HAVE INVADED HIS TERRITORY.

2. To have heard their claims one would have concluded that they were even grander than the apostles.

3. Like many who succeeded them, they came off greater than the apostles.

4. Paul's description of them constitutes strong sarcasm.

5. The verse that follows shows how well he comes out with a comparison with them.

6. The use of the adverb u`perlian (huperlian: to an excessive degree) as an adjective (genitive plural) has a satirical ring and supports the notion that Paul is referring to the false apostles.

7. The context also favors this interpretation. (The next verse is against it.)

Summary verse 6

1. PAUL'S LANGUAGE REFLECTS THE ACCUSATIONS BROUGHT AGAINST HIM BY THE RIVAL “APOSTLES”.

2. To the sophisticated Greek mind, skill in rhetoric and philosophy carried with it a commendation superior to all others for a man who wished to gain a following.

3. These false teachers played on this mentally.

4. They commended themselves by a display of rhetorical art and by a presentation of Bible doctrine in philosophical modes.

5. In so doing, they drew attention to the deficiencies of Paul, hoping to discredit him.

6. In 1 Corinthians Paul had exposed the incompatibility of artificial eloquence and human philosophy with the Christian message (compare

1 CORINTHIANS 1:18-2:5).

7. Paul is prepared to concede that he is unversed in the refinements of the rhetorical arts.

8. The word translated “unskilled” (evdiw,thj ediotes) was used in regard to Peter and John by the Sanhedrin as being unprofessional from the rabbinical point of view (ACTS 4:13).

9. That Paul cannot offer the professional polish and verbal virtuosity of those who passed through the schools of rhetoric does not mean that he was a poor or clumsy speaker. (To teach Bible doctrine you must have a command of the language and idiom in which you communicate.)

10. Rhetoric is superficial, artificial, ephemeral (lasting a very short time), attractive to the ears.

11. True doctrinal teaching is preoccupied with the content not the how of presentation.

12. Modern homiletics undermines doctrinal teaching.

13. Paul will not concede inferiority in gnw/sij (gnosis: knowledge).

14. He is so far beyond his critics in this realm he doesn’t even have to recapitulate.

15. A casual comparison of his content versus their will tell who is superior in knowledge.

16. He has proven himself superior in that in all their associations with him the emphasis is on gnosis. (Hence the phrase evn panti [en panti]: in every way.)

17. The result is an explosion of gnosis as indicated by the phrase evn pasin [en pasin]: in all things.

18. Paul was a gnosis factory and any association with him resulted in real edification.

19. The perpetual cranking out of gnosis should characterize the local assembly (constantly advancing the things of the Lord).

the question of remuneration for his professionalism

SUMMARY VERSE 7

1. AMONG THE GREEKS, THE ACCREDITED RHETORICIAN OR PHILOSOPHER WAS A “PROFESSIONAL” MAN WHO CHARGED FOR HIS SERVICES.

2. For a speaker to refuse remuneration would cause his listeners to suspect him of being spurious and his teaching as worthless. (Thus Antipho told Socrates, who used to make no charge for his teaching, that if he considered his conversation to be worth anything, he would demand for it no less remuneration that it was worth; and according to that, just though he might be, because he deceived nobody through covetousness, wise he could not be, since he had no knowledge that was of any value.)

3. Professional philosophers who peddled wisdom for money were a familiar feature in Greek society and even more so in the Hellenistic period (Alexander to Cleopatra).

4. Likewise, the false teachers at Corinth peddled the Word of God (see 2:17).

5. Furthermore, they were suggesting that it was Paul whose teaching was not genuine; in fact, it was so worthless that he did not dare charge for it.

6. They said that a man who has so little confidence in his message and who is obviously an amateur speaker, is unworthy the credence of intelligent people.

7. Paul puts the question to them as to whether he sinned by breaking the law that a teacher is to receive remuneration.

8. He had so taught this doctrine in 1 Corinthians 9:3-18 which was in accord with the Law of Moses (DEUTERONOMY 25:4) and the teaching of Jesus (MATTHEW 10:10).

9. Those who teach doctrine have a right to receive support from those they teach.

10. But Paul refrained from this right.

11. To cut off any charges of being a mercenary.

12. And in so doing, he humbled himself.

13. Whenever a communicator acclimates to his niche, the hearers are in a position to be exalted through the three adjustments.

14. A part of the communicators experience is a financial test called humiliation.

15. Some verses on humiliation and exaltation

a. MATTHEW 23:12 compare LUKE 14:11; 18:14.

b. LUKE 1:52 (read Mary’s magnificant, verses 46-55).

c. JAMES 4:10

Summary verses 8,9

1. PAUL EMPLOYS A STRONG MILITARY METAPHOR IN VERSE EIGHT.

2. The pay or ration money which was his due as an apostle, he had obtained by “pillaging” other places.

3. Which in the course of his missionary campaign, he had conquered for the gospel.

4. The purpose of the metaphor is to emphasize what he has been saying that they had received the gospel and Bible doctrine without charge.

5. So Paul's campaign in Achaia was financed by the legitimate “spoils” of his Macedonian campaign.

6. While at Corinth, as was his policy, he worked with his hands.

7. Sometime into his first visit with them he received a gift from the Macedonians (see ACTS 18:1-5).

8. He testifies to the sufficiency of this gift, which was totally unsolicited.

9. Paul accepted unsolicited grace gifts from other churches except the Corinthians.

10. Due to the unique circumstances at Corinth, Paul determined that it was in their interests for him not to accept gifts from them.

11. This decision was in sharp contrast to the pretenders who asked for money from day one.

Summary verse 10

1. BIBLE DOCTRINE IN THE BRAIN/SOUL PRODUCES A FORM OF BOASTING CALLED SANCTIFIED BOASTING.

2. Paul attributes his boasting regarding his financial policy to truth—Bible doctrine.

3. An adjustment pastor-teacher will boast in the grace policies he operates under.

4. Areas of boasting studied in 2 Corinthians:

a. Congregation toward royal priesthood (2 CORINTHIANS 5:12).

b. Right pastor toward right congregation (2 CORINTHIANS 7:4,14; 8:24;

2 CORINTHIANS 9:2-4).

c. Adherence to one's policy in the matter of giving

(1 CORINTHIANS 9:15,16; 2 CORINTHIANS 11:10).

5. Paul's life was in conformity with the truth as he taught it.

6. Boasting was therefore a legitimate function.

7. In the face of the slander, he will not permit his boasting to be stifled.

8. When under economic testing, he won't give in and accept a gift from them.

9. He won't allow their insinuations to intimidate him.

10. Paul's critics in Achaia criticized his policy because it put them at a disadvantage.

11. Their “gospel” provided them with an income, which was in contrast to Paul's which didn’t, and so cast suspicion on their motives.

the reason for his policy

SUMMARY VERSE 12

1. THE FALSE SUITORS DESIRE TO BE REGARDED AS PAUL—TRUE APOSTLES.

2. Yet they are unwilling to conform to the Word of God.

3. Their merchandising of Bible doctrine being a prime example.

4. They follow after their lusts but cover their tracks with a form of righteousness.

5. There is an obvious difference between them and him and that is his financial policy.

6. So they attack him, hoping to induce him to change.

7. They would love to say, “See, we are just like Paul on this issue.”

8. And so one of the more obvious disadvantages under which they labor would be removed.

9. Paul is not deceived by their devices and is more determined than ever to stay his course.

10. So the occasion to be viewed as equal with him is denied.

11. They would never have considered changing their standard operating procedure.

12. They continue to boast in their apostleship.

13. The maladjusted ministry seeks to be regarded as we are.

14. But they refuse to go by the rules.

Summary verse 13

1. THE MOMENT HAS COME FOR PAUL TO DROP THE VEIL OF IRONY.

2. He speaks in the plainest possible terms in denunciation of these who would be “super apostles”.

3. They are usurpers who have invaded his territory.

4. They are false suitors seducing his congregation.

5. They perform their destructive work with deceit.

6. Deceiving and being deceived.

7. They used a disguise, using letters of commendation, and employing rhetorical skills.

8. They were:

a. Intruders from without (3:1—letters; 10:12—self-commendation;

10:13—violation of pastoral jurisdiction.

b. Special claims to superior apostolic authority (11:5—“super apostles”

11:5—to have known Christ in the flesh guaranteed nothing).

c. Judaizers (11:22—claimed succession from Abraham; 11:4—they taught a different message; 3:6ff—they sought to bring believers under the old dispensation.

d. They were mercenary minded (2:17).

9. They were Jews with Hellenistic tendencies (emphasis on rhetoric and wisdom).

Summary verses 14,15

1. THIS SECTION OF THE WORD OF GOD IS ALERTING US TO THE STRATAGEM OF THE DEVIL KNOWN AS DISGUISE OR COUNTERFEIT.

2. Once we are awakened to this truth we must learn how to recognize a disguise from the real thing.

3. When it comes to ministers, we must know what to look for and that comes from the Word of God.

4. As with bogus currency, there are certain tell-tale signs that the average person can quickly pick up on.

5. Of course, if you ignore these indicators, you will be deceived.

6. The spiritual counterfeiter knows that he has to achieve a certain level of authenticity.

7. These men operating out of their lust pattern, sought to sell themselves as “super apostles”.

8. They built their disguise around the fact that they were believers.

9. Now to sell themselves as apostles, they had to incorporate into the disguise the fact that they were Jews (as were the twelve) and that they had known Jesus in the flesh (true, but so had a lot of idiots; 11:22 compare 5:16).

10. The next step was to espouse a gospel which departed from the grace of God preached by Paul.

11. So they taught salvation by faith plus works, following the Judaizing evangelism of those who tripped up the Galatians (see ACTS 15:5 compare 11:11 and chapter three of 2 Corinthians).

12. They charged Paul with what they were guilty of—departing from the true gospel.

13. This naturally led to legalism in Ph2 doctrine.

14. Next, they had to establish credentials—their credentials consisted of letters of commendation from churches they had already seduced.

15. Still the disguise was not completely in order to take in the Corinthians.

16. Over this Judeo-Christian stew was a thin crust of classical Greek sophistication.

17. The crust consisted of the polish and airs of the Greek rhetorician and philosopher.

18. So they satisfied the educated Greek penchant for these attributes in a communicator.

19. Remember that they infiltrated the church when they (the church) were operating under their STA. (Hence, they were judging things from norms and standards of the flesh.)

20. PRINCIPLE: THE FALSE TEACHER MUST, IF HE/SHE IS TO BE SUCCESSFUL, APPEAL TO THE FLESHLY STANDARDS OF THE AUDIENCE.

21. Therefore, the inner man of the believer must be nourished on sound doctrine so that the tell-tale signs of the pseudo won't get by him/her.

22. When you are confronted with the specifics of the disguise, you will have a read-out which says loudly, “Not and issue!” or “False!”

23. In fact, you will be turned off by those who emphasize credentials and rely on rhetorical fashion, etc.

24. Today, we witness a whole plethora of claimants to ministerial authority, who rely on credentials (they love titles as Jesus said), artificial modes of speaking, visions they have never seen (COLOSSIANS 2:16-23).

25. Satan, who opposes all that is truth and that is from God, pushes his doctrines through disguises.

26. To neutralize God's plan in the lives of people, he must come to them in the form of a pleasing agent.

27. From the beginning, he appeared to angels as the true source of light.

28. To win them, he had to make God appear to be the culprit.

29. He could not come out and say, “I’m evil; follow me,” or they would have balked.

30. So he got them to accept his righteousness over God's.

31. Satan hates mankind and desires their destruction and alignment with his viewpoint.

32. But again, to push evil, he must appear, through his agents (men under their STA), to be righteous.

33. All forms of evil have a righteous façade (communism, hedonism, etc.).

34. Behind it all is Satan seeking the nullification of the Angelic Conflict through universal enslavement.

Summary verse 16

1. PAUL NOW RESUMES THE THEME WITH WHICH HE OPENED THE CHAPTER.

2. Namely of his indulgence in boasting.

3. But he requests that no one conclude that he is in fact foolish.

4. Self-commendation is usually folly.

5. However, there are special instances when it is not.

6. If, however, some insist on receiving him as foolish, the least they can do is to accord him the same attention they gave the intruders.

7. Who have been boasting since day one.

8. He will boast only for a short while.

9. As he has explained, any boasting in which he indulges is for their sake, not his.

10. Paul finds such activity necessary, but distasteful.

Summary verses 17,18

1. THE REASON FOR PAUL'S EMBARRASSMENT AT THIS JUNCTURE IS NOW GIVEN.

2. Self-commendation is “according to the flesh” and not “after the Lord.”

3. It is most unlike the Lord who set the example of humility.

4. To boast is folly for the believer has nothing he has not received

(1 CORINTHIANS 4:7).

5. We should have no confidence in the flesh but glory in Christ Jesus (PHILIPPIANS 3:3).

6. Boasting should be external; that is, in the cross and what it means in terms of Ph1, Ph2, and Ph3 (GALATIANS 6:14).

7. Paul is no praiser of himself and if he now boasts about himself it is in the interests of those who are being influenced by the false.

8. A pastor is to engage in this activity only when his sheep are being influenced by the boasting of false shepherds.

9. When Paul says, “I am not speaking as the Lord would,” the issue of inspiration is not in view.

10. The reference is to the folly of self-laudation as being incompatible with the Lord's example of humility (compare 10:1).

11. Again, he is not engaged in an STA activity; hence the phrase “as in foolishness.”

12. Paul tells them he is not doing anything that many others are doing from the flesh; in fact, he is doing it far less.

13. The “little bit of boasting” he will engage in is what the Holy Spirit prescribes for this situation.

Summary verses 19,20

1. THE SITUATION AT CORINTH IS FULL OF IRONY.

2. Paul has already asked them to bear with him in a little foolishness.

3. He has reminded them of the humiliation he has experienced as a result of the decision not to accept any payment for his labors, in contrast to the predatory “super-apostles” (verses 5ff).

4. Now he points out how they have shown themselves remarkably tolerant to the foolish (i.e. the boasting false apostles) in the way they have not only submitted to their boasting but even to the depredations of these parasitical intruders.

5. “You, being men of good sense, bear quite happily with senseless persons,” he says, intending sanctified sarcasm to goad them to shake themselves free from the tyranny of these imposters. (An onlooker might have thought that the Corinthians were displaying, by their tolerance, something of the impassive sagacity advocated by their own Stoic philosophers. Zeno, the founder of the Stoic school, regarded fronhsij (phronesis), practical wisdom, as the source and sum of all the virtues.)

6. Paul gives five examples, in their case, of what it means to tolerate indignities:

a. They were being brought into a state of utter bondage to the Mosaic Law (compare GALATIANS 2:4).

b. They were taking financial advantage of them (compare

MATTHEW 12:40 and LUKE 20:47 where Christ used katesqiw

(katesthio, to eat up, to destroy) to denounce the scribes as those who

“devour widow’s houses”.

c. They had become their dupes; that is, they fell into the trap laid for them via the disguise (compare 12:16 where Paul uses lambanw [lambano, to take or receive] in a sarcasm vein.

d. They had stood by and watched these imposters exalt themselves to positions of authority that they had no title to, and so lord it over the flock (compare MARK 10:42ff; 1 PETER 5:3; clerical titles and garb).

e. They had even tolerated instances of physical abuse and assault. (It was not uncommon for those who held positions of ecclesiastical authority to strike, or to cause to be struck, on the face, any whom they considered to be uttering blasphemy. Thus the high priest Ananias had commanded Paul to be struck (ACTS 23:2 compare 1 CORINTHIANS 4:11); and Paul had felt it necessary that a man exercising the office of bishop not be a striker (1 TIMOTHY 3:3; TITUS 1:7). The Lord taught “…do not resist him who is evil; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.” (MATTHEW 5:39 compare 1 PETER 2:19ff).

7. The fault of the Corinthians was that they had accepted this indignity, as though coming from men of apostolic authority, without discerning how incongruous it was with the true spirit of Christ and His apostles.

8. As we look back over 1,900 years of the Church Age we see how so many have tolerated ecclesiastical bullying, exhortation, and arrogance. (The STA tolerates evil.)

Summary verse 21a

1. HIS RIVALS AT CORINTH HAVE BEEN SAYING THAT PAUL'S PRESENCE AT CORINTH WAS MARKED BY WEAKNESS (10:10).

2. Wishing to discredit him and justify the harshness of their tyranny.

3. To this Paul offers the rejoinder that if tyranny, greed, falsity, arrogance, and violence are the marks of true Christian oversight, then he must admit shame that, as an apostle, he has been a failure and a weakling (compare 1:24).

4. The irony is that this brief statement can hardly have failed to produce a profound effect in the emotions of the Corinthians as they remembered the time of his ministry with them and contrasted his spirit with that of the false teachers.

5. In light of their tolerance of these imposters, it had become necessary for their true apostle to authenticate himself with obvious embarrassment.

Summary verse 21b

1. THE MOMENT HAS COME FOR PAUL TO SPEAK OUT BOLDLY IN DEFENSE OF HIS APOSTLESHIP.

2. Though still he is careful to remind them that his approach is “in foolishness” not his normal standard operating procedure.

3. This has been forced on him by the tactics of the imposters and the toleration by the Corinthians.

4. Paul has a record second to none in the service of Christ; and having a clear conscience, he fears no comparisons.

5. It is for their sake that he now matches boldness with boldness.

6. So that finally they can renounce the false apostles for what they are.

7. So that he may have the joy of presenting them as a pure virgin to Christ.

Summary verse 22

1. IT IS APPARENT FROM THESE THREE RHETORICAL QUESTIONS THAT THE FALSE APOSTLES WERE NOT GENTILES BUT JEWS.

2. Who prided themselves on their pure Hebrew stock.

3. They intended to reflect on Paul's origins.

4. After all, wasn’t he born outside the land? (Tarsus in territory of Cilica)

5. Was it likely that pure Hebrew blood did not run from in veins?

6. Was it not likely that he was an imposter?

7. It is of interest to note that the first century sect of the Ebonite’s asserted categorically that Paul was not a Jew.

8. The truth is that he was a Jew of unmixed ancestry, brought up in Jerusalem as a Pharisee under Gamaliel, the most famous rabbi of the time.

9. His pedigree was unimpeachable (PHILIPPIANS 3:5ff).

10. The fleshly boasting of his enemies, he could more than match when it came to racial, national, and ancestral associations.

11. But to rely on these things as he had once done was to shut the door to grace.

12. The Pharisees held this same boast when they claimed that descent from Abraham meant that ipso facto God was their Father, in order to mock the Lord because of the unusual circumstances of His birth. (They made suggestions of fornication.)

13. Such a boast implied that he was beyond Divine favor.

14. In rejecting Jesus, who is uniquely the seed of Abraham, in whom all the promises of God receive their clinching affirmation (1:200 and through union with whom the blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant may be appropriated (GALATIANS 3:7ff, 265ff. Jesus said that their addiction to falsehood showed that Satan was their father: JOHN 8:39ff).

15. APPLICATION: DON’T BE INTIMIDATED BY THIS APPROACH SINCE MEMBERSHIP IN THE ROYAL FAMILY IS THE ISSUE, NOT RACE.

Summary verse 23

1. THEY CLAIMED TO BE TRUE SERVANTS OF CHRIST.

2. He has already pointed out that they were servants of Satan and so says that he must be out of his mind to so classify them.

3. They know nothing of the real fellowship of Christ's sufferings.

4. They, whose skin is so precious.

5. What experience have they had of apostolic labors, imprisonments, beatings, and the rest (compare 1 CORINTHIANS 4:9-13).

6. What it really means to be a minister is beyond their frame of reference.

7. Paul leaves the matter of nationality and lineage to go into a different category—sufferings.

8. In this regard, he is in a different realm.

9. The catalogue which follows contains the mention of many experiences not recorded in Acts—serving to show how little we know of his ministry.

10. This catalogue is not exhaustive. (This is a little bit of boasting.)

11. From the very outset, Paul was told that suffering was an integral and authenticating aspect of his apostolic ministry (ACTS 9:16).

12. And in the year following the writing of 2 Corinthians Paul told the pastor-teachers at Ephesus, “The Holy Spirit testified to me in every city that bonds and afflictions await me.” (ACTS 20:23).

13. This section provides a close link with 4:7-12 and 6:4-10.

14. Of Paul's labors as a minister, he had a greater degree than any other due to his niche.

15. Included both his secular work as well as his rigorous itinerary.

16. Of his imprisonments, five are recorded in Acts: Philippi (ACTS 16:23); Jerusalem (ACTS 22:29ff; 23:10ff), Caesarea (ACTS 23:35; 24:23; 25:4; 26:32; and twice at Rome (ACTS 28:16ff; 2 TIMOTHY 1:8).

17. Of these, only Philippi was in the past, indicating many imprisonments not recorded.

18. Acts specifies only one recorded instance of public beating (ACTS 16:22).

19. Paul faced the death test many times.

20. The most remarkable instance was when he was actually stoned to death by Jews at Lystra (ACTS 14:19ff).

21. Other recorded instances of a brush with death (ACTS 9:23; 14:5; 16:22;

ACTS 17:5,13; 19:29ff).

22. See 2 CORINTHIANS 1:8-11.

Summary verses 24,25

1. THESE TWO VERSES FORM A PARENTHESIS OF PARTICULARITY IN THE MIDDLE OF A CONTENT OF TRIBULATIONS WHICH ARE DESCRIBED IN GENERAL TERMS.

2. None of the five scourgings by the Jews are mentioned in Acts. (The scrupulosity of the Jews in following the letter of the Law is reflected in the number 39—to miscalculate and go over would be to break the Law of DEUTERONOMY 25:1-30.

3. Christ had warned the disciples that they would be scourged in the synagogues (MATTHEW 10:17; MARK 13:9; LUKE 12:11; 21:12 compare

MATTHEW 23:34).

4. Paul as a persecutor had overseen such activity (ACTS 22:20; 26:11).

5. Of the three occasions in which he was beaten by Gentile officials only one is recorded in Acts (ACTS 16:22ff).

6. These beatings were in violation of his rights as a Roman citizen and explains his statement in 1 Thessalonians 2:2.

7. The one time he was stoned was at Lystra and resulted in death.

8. That Paul did not rashly court persecution is shown by the fact that he had previously fled Iconium when he caught wind of a plot to have him stoned (ACTS 14:5).

9. Stephen was stoned on the pretext of blasphemy and the Jews threatened Jesus with it (ACTS 6:11; 7:57ff; JOHN 10:30ff).

10. Paul was probably stoned for blasphemy as per Leviticus 24:16.

11. The only shipwreck recorded in Acts was at Malta, some three years after the writing of this epistle, when Paul was on his way to stand trial at Rome.

12. Nine voyages are mentioned prior to 2 Corinthians in Acts:

a. The journey from Caesarea to Tarsus (9:30).

b. The journey from Tarsus to Antioch (11:25).

c. The journey from Selucia to Salamis in Cyprus (13:4).

d. The journey from Paphos to Perga (13:13).

e. The journey from Attalia to Antioch (14:25ff).

f. The journey from Troas to Neapolis (16:11).

g. The journey from Berea to Athens (17:14ff).

h. The journey from Corinth to Ephesus (18:18ff).

i. The journey from Ephesus to Caesarea (18:21ff).

There are at least another nine voyages from place to place subsequent to the writing of 2 Corinthians.

13. Paul was no stranger to the sea and its perils.

14. One of these three occasions he spent one day and night clinging to a piece of wreckage.

15. Scripture (GALATIANS 6:17).

Summary verses 26,27

1. PAUL SHIFTS BACK TO GENERALITIES.

2. His entire ministry was filled with these events.

3. No one could rival Paul for an eventful life.

4. His life was filled with perils.

5. Traveling then carried with it its own hazards whether:

a. Unbridged torrents that had to be crossed.

b. The threat of brigands in untamed regions.

c. In the city or the country, he faced perils.

d. He was persecuted by fellow Jews.

e. He faced fanatical Gentile mobs.

f. There was danger on land or sea.

g. And the worst was false brethren.

6. Labor and hardship mentioned in verse twenty-seven would seem to refer to his toiling with his hands at a craft so as not to be a financial burden on his new converts and to not appear as the many.

7. This self-same expression is found in 1 Thessalonians 2:9 and

2 Thessalonians 3:8 (compare 11:9; 12:16).

8. “Watchings” (agrupnia agrupnia; sleeplessness) refers to staying up late while other sleep so as to make a living, and then teaching during the day.

9. “Hunger and thirst” was a regular experience due to the very life style.

10. Paul often went without food; not as a self-imposed religious duty, but due to MPR.

11. The teaching and hearing of Bible doctrine is more important than food and drink (see HEBREWS 13:9; 1 CORINTHIANS 8:8).

12. The climax of his human destitution is “cold and nakedness” (compare

1 CORINTHIANS 4:11ff; 2 TIMOTHY 4:13).

13. In the eyes of the cosmos, Paul's sufferings were a waste; but Paul saw beyond to the Ph3 glory (see ROMANS 8:18).

14. Paul had an STA (ROMANS 7) and had to fight it so as not to give up “the good fight.”

15. Paul is the greatest example of keeping your eyes on the goal (SG3 via the MAJG) in the face of the present suffering.

16. In fact, he is God's example to the ministry and royal family to acclimate to one's niche and the sufferings within it.

17. By positive volition (intake and application), we experience the common human problems of our niche and so emulate Paul (housewife, student, businessman, laborer, soldier, pastor).

18. We don’t actively seek suffering or fail to care for ourselves.

19. We follow MPR with greater essentials, lesser essentials, and non-essentials in their place.

Summary verse 28

1. THERE IS SOMETHING MORE, SOMETHING ETERNAL, WHICH PAUL IS CALLED UPON TO ENDURE AS A MINISTER.

2. Paul is daily pressed with anxiety for all the churches.

3. The basis for this concern is seen in his epistles.

4. This anxiety was based on reports that came to his ears of:

a. False teachers.

b. Defections of believers.

c. The tests of believers.

5. This concern was not “panic palace”.

6. Faith/rest and concern are not mutually exclusive.

7. Paul was under constant mental stress.

8. All of us face it who are doing the job (defections and individual tests).

Paul's pastoral sensitivity

SUMMARY VERSE 29

1. THIS DOCUMENTS PAUL'S SENSITIVITY AS A PASTOR TOWARDS THOSE IN HIS CANON.

2. The anxiety (sanctified concern) which the apostle experiences is not engendered by a lack of faith/rest.

3. But by his strong desire to see them maintain spiritual momentum and be blessed under grace.

4. His concern for them as he hears of their “fortunes” is the measure of his love.

5. He cites two areas which elicit his pastoral concern.

6. When he hears of testing and when he hears of reversionism.

7. By their “weakness” he is referring to financial, health, marital, and social type testings.

8. When he hears of those under his “canon” being tested, he automatically applies 1 Corinthians 12:26 and Galatians 6:2.

9. When you are under a particular form of “weakness” (synonym for peirasmoj peirasmos, a test or trial), then right pastor is immediately under “weakness.”

10. What this means is that he enters into the mental psychology of the test without experiencing the overt (financial, health, etc.).

11. The synonym for “weakness” (for a test) draws our attention to the fact that we are dependent on One greater than ourselves to deliver us.

12. The pastor shares your burden (weakness) and recognizes that he is powerless to deliver you.

13. Both you and he must acclimate to the Deliverer.

14. His desire is to see you pass the test.

15. In the second category of “pastoral concern” Paul deals with reversionism and uses the term “stumbling-block”.

16. When a person places a stumbling-block in another’s way, both are culpable.

17. The stumbling-block is false doctrine.

18. The false teachers at Corinth caused the Corinthians to stumble.

19. The stumbling-block was camouflaged by the disguise.

20. It consisted of a different gospel.

21. When you add to the gospel, you lay a stumbling-block.

22. When you misrepresent the Word of God, you lay a stumbling-block (can't know, eradication of the STA, etc.).

23. The individual who stumbles is also in the wrong since he allowed himself to lead with his STA.

24. In addition to sorrow when this occurs in one's canon, the pastor experiences “sanctified anger”.

Doctrine of the Stumbling Block

Chapter twelve should begin here

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