2 Corinthians 11: Boasting in Weakness
Provoked by false apostles, Paul reluctantly boasts—not of triumphs but of sufferings—to guard the church's devotion to Christ.
2 Corinthians 11 (WEB)
1 I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you do bear with me.
2 For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I married you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
3 But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if you receive a different spirit, which you did not receive, or a different “good news”, which you did not accept, you put up with that well enough.
5 For I reckon that I am not at all behind the very best apostles.
6 But though I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not unskilled in knowledge. No, in every way we have been revealed to you in all things.
7 Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached to you God’s Good News free of charge?
8 I robbed other assemblies, taking wages from them that I might serve you.
9 When I was present with you and was in need, I wasn’t a burden on anyone, for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my need. In everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and I will continue to do so.
10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no one will stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
11 Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows.
12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them that desire an occasion, that in which they boast, they may be found even as we.
13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as Christ’s apostles.
14 And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.
15 It is no great thing therefore if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
16 I say again, let no one think me foolish. But if so, yet receive me as foolish, that I also may boast a little.
17 That which I speak, I don’t speak according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.
18 Seeing that many boast after the flesh, I will also boast.
19 For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise.
20 For you bear with a man, if he brings you into bondage, if he devours you, if he takes you captive, if he exalts himself, if he strikes you on the face.
21 I speak by way of disparagement, as though we had been weak. Yet however any is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also.
22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I.
23 Are they servants of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself) I am more so; in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths often.
24 Five times from the Jews I received forty stripes minus one.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I suffered shipwreck. I have been a night and a day in the deep.
26 I have been in travels often, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from my countrymen, perils from the Gentiles, perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea, perils among false brothers;
27 in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, and in cold and nakedness.
28 Besides those things that are outside, there is that which presses on me daily, anxiety for all the assemblies.
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I don’t burn with indignation?
30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern my weakness.
31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, he who is blessed forever more, knows that I don’t lie.
32 In Damascus the governor under King Aretas guarded the city of the Damascenes desiring to arrest me.
33 Through a window I was let down in a basket by the wall, and escaped his hands.
2 Corinthians 11 (KJV)
1 Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.
2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
5 For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.
6 But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.
7 Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?
8 I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.
9 And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.
10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
11 Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.
12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
16 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.
18 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.
21 I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.
22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
23 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.
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;
26 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.
28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
29 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.
31 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.
2 Corinthians 11 (ASV)
1 Would that ye could bear with me in a little foolishness: but indeed ye do bear with me.
2 For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy: for I espoused you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ.
4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if ye receive a different spirit, which ye did not receive, or a different gospel, which ye did not accept, ye do well to bear with him.
5 For I reckon that I am not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.
6 But though I be rude in speech, yet am I not in knowledge; nay, in every way have we made this manifest unto you in all things.
7 Or did I commit a sin in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I preached to you the gospel of God for nought?
8 I robbed other churches, taking wages of them that I might minister unto you;
9 and when I was present with you and was in want, I was not a burden on any man; for the brethren, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my want; and in everything I kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.
10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this glorying in the regions of Achaia.
11 Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.
12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them that desire an occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ.
14 And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light.
15 It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
16 I say again, Let no man think me foolish; but ifye do, yet as foolish receive me, that I also may glory a little.
17 That which I speak, I speak not after the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of glorying.
18 Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.
19 For ye bear with the foolish gladly, being wise yourselves.
20 For ye bear with a man, if he bringeth you into bondage, if he devoureth you, if he taketh you captive, if he exalteth himself, if he smiteth you on the face.
21 I speak by way of disparagement, as though we had been weak. Yet whereinsoever any is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also.
22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself) I more; in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths oft.
24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day have I been in the deep;
26 in journeyings often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my countrymen, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28 Besides those things that are without, there is that which presseth upon me daily, anxiety for all the churches.
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is caused to stumble, and I burn not?
30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things that concern my weakness.
31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed for evermore knoweth that I lie not.
32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes in order to take me:
33 and through a window was I let down in a basket by the wall, and escaped his hands.
Summary
Paul asks the Corinthians to bear with a little foolishness, for he is jealous over them with a godly jealousy, having betrothed them to one husband, Christ, to present them as a pure bride. He fears that just as the serpent deceived Eve, their minds may be led astray from sincere devotion to Christ, for they readily put up with anyone who preaches another Jesus, a different spirit, or a different gospel. He insists he is in no way inferior to the so-called super-apostles; though untrained in speech, he is not lacking in knowledge. He defends his refusal to accept support from the Corinthians, having preached the gospel to them free of charge and taken support from other churches instead, so as not to be a burden, and he vows to keep doing so to cut the ground from under the rivals who want to boast as his equals. These men, he says plainly, are false apostles, deceitful workers masquerading as apostles of Christ, just as Satan masquerades as an angel of light, so it is no surprise that his servants disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will match their deeds. Driven to boast since the rivals boast in worldly terms, Paul reluctantly plays the fool. Whatever they claim, he can match: Hebrew, Israelite, offspring of Abraham, and far more a servant of Christ. But his boast turns to suffering: far greater labors, more imprisonments, countless beatings, and frequent brushes with death. He recounts five floggings, three beatings with rods, a stoning, three shipwrecks, a night and day adrift at sea, and constant perils on the road, from rivers, robbers, his own people, Gentiles, in city and wilderness and sea, and from false brothers. He has known toil, sleeplessness, hunger, thirst, cold, and exposure, and beyond all this the daily pressure of his anxiety for all the churches, feeling the weakness and stumbling of others as his own. If he must boast, he will boast of what shows his weakness, calling God to witness that he does not lie, and he closes by recalling his humiliating escape from Damascus, lowered in a basket through a window in the wall.
Main Characters
- Paul — The apostle, jealous for the church's purity, who reluctantly boasts not in strength but in his sufferings to expose the false apostles and guard the gospel.
- The false apostles — Deceitful workers masquerading as apostles of Christ, preaching another Jesus and a different gospel, servants of Satan disguised as servants of righteousness.
- The Corinthian believers — The church betrothed to Christ as a pure bride, in danger of being deceived as Eve was and led away from sincere devotion to him.
- Satan — The deceiver who masquerades as an angel of light and whose servants disguise themselves as servants of righteousness to mislead the church.
Key Verse
2 Corinthians 11:30 (WEB)
If I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern my weakness.
Lessons Learned
- Genuine love for a church is jealous to keep it devoted purely to Christ.
- False teachers can look impressive and righteous while leading people astray.
- The marks of a true servant of Christ are suffering and faithfulness, not show.
- Boasting in weakness, rather than strength, befits those who follow a crucified Lord.
- Guard sincere devotion to Christ. Paul fears their minds being “corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3, WEB). The gospel can be lost by subtle drift, not only open denial.
- Deceivers wear a disguise. “Satan masquerades as an angel of light” and his servants as “servants of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15, WEB). Error often comes dressed attractively.
- True ministry is cross-shaped. Paul boasts in “labors… prisons… stripes… deaths often” (2 Corinthians 11:23, WEB). The genuine servant is marked by suffering, not status.
- Boast in weakness, not strength. “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern my weakness” (2 Corinthians 11:30, WEB). The way of Christ inverts the world's measure.
- Why is Paul so “jealous” for the Corinthians, and what does he fear for them (11:2-3)?
- How does Paul describe the false apostles, and what makes them so dangerous (11:13-15)?
- Why does Paul list his sufferings rather than his successes when forced to boast (11:23-28)?
- What does Paul's anxiety “for all the assemblies” (11:28) reveal about his heart as a shepherd?
- How does Paul's example challenge the way we are tempted to measure success or impressiveness?
- Paul has “a godly jealousy” because he betrothed the church to Christ “as a pure virgin” (11:2). He fears that, like Eve deceived by the serpent, their minds may be led “from the simplicity that is in Christ” (11:3). His jealousy is not possessive but protective, longing to keep them wholly devoted to their true husband rather than seduced by a counterfeit gospel.
- Paul calls them “false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as Christ’s apostles” (11:13). They are dangerous precisely because they look legitimate—just as “Satan masquerades as an angel of light,” his servants pose as “servants of righteousness” (11:14-15). Their appeal lies in their impressive appearance, which hides that they preach “another Jesus” and lead souls astray.
- Forced into “foolish” boasting, Paul refuses to play the rivals' game of worldly credentials and instead lists imprisonments, floggings, shipwrecks, and perils (11:23-27). His sufferings, not his successes, prove he is a genuine servant of the crucified Christ. He boasts in weakness because the cross, not impressive strength, is the true mark of authentic ministry.
- Beyond all his physical sufferings, Paul carries “anxiety for all the assemblies” and feels others' weakness and stumbling as his own (11:28-29). This reveals a shepherd's heart that bears the burdens of the people he serves. His deepest hardship is not personal danger but loving, daily concern for the spiritual welfare of the churches.
- This is a personal-application question. The world prizes eloquence, strength, and visible success, but Paul boasts in weakness and suffering (11:30). Invite members to examine where they measure themselves or others by impressiveness rather than faithfulness. As leader, gently redirect toward the cross-shaped values of Christ, where weakness and service, not show, mark the true servant.