2 Corinthians, Chapter 11

2 Corinthians 11 Why was Paul jealous for the Corinthians? vs.1,2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband,  Paul puts the matter in the framework of betrothal and marriage. He sees himself as the father of the congregation (1 Cor 4:15), and as their father he has betrothed them to Christ—to one man. He feels a divine jealousy, as any father would, to preserve the purity of the bride for her husband. Garland, D. E. (2001, c1999). Vol. 29: 2 Corinthians (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (460). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers. How does Paul describe our relationship with Christ? vs. 2 for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. What is Paul's fear concerning the Corinthians? vs. 3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. Read Genesis 3:1-7. How did the serpent (Satan) deceive Eve? With lies and deceitful arguments. How does the enemy deceive our minds concerning our devotion to Christ? vs. 3 Your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. The very first human betrothal that between Adam and Eve was vulnerable to the seduction of the serpent, and resulted in disloyalty of thoughts and intentions. Paul is afraid a similar corruption of the mind is in the church, causing disloyalty to Christ. Garland, D. E. (2001, c1999). Vol. 29: 2 Corinthians (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (462). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers. Has your mind ever been led astray from these things? Share if you like. What 3 things did Paul state that the Corinthians were being led astray in? vs. 4 preached another Jesus, received a different spirit, accepted a different gospel. Although Paul was not skilled in speech, he was equipped in true knowledge of the Lord and His teachings. He made this evident to them in all things. He had made sure that he took up offerings from other churches to support himself so that he would not have to ask this church for any money to support himself. (vs.5-8 ) Even when he was with them and in need, he did not ask them for help. Who came to meet his needs at that time? vs.9 When I was present with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for when the brethren came from Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will continue to do so. Paul will continue in the regions of Achaia to boast in this way to show himself a true apostle because there are others who are not true apostles trying to deceive these believers in Corinth. What does he say about these false teachers? - vs. 13 - Name 3 things. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. These men disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. Who are they led by? What does he disguise himself as? vs. 14 Satan; disguises himself as an angel of light. What do Satan's servants disguise themselves as? vs. 15 His servants disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. “Ministers of righteousness” are those who live righteously, not those who purport to be righteous or to preach a righteous message. “Ministers of righteousness” remove the veil of hardheartedness and by the Spirit lead God’s new covenant people to be transformed into the image of Christ—to be Christlike (3:12–17). They renounce shameful things and deceitful practices (4:2). They also repudiate all fleshly boasting and boast only in the Lord. Garland, D. E. (2001, c1999). Vol. 29: 2 Corinthians (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (486). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers. Jesus also warned us of the false teachers. What did He say about them in Matthew 7:15-23? “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.  Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness." Mere appearance and listening to the words preached will not be enough for us to discern the true from the false. We need to know them well enough to know the fruit that is produced by their life. Have you ever been under a false teacher? What was the experience like and how did you come to recognize the truth? Paul knows this church is tolerating these false men. What does he say these men actually do to them and they tolerate? vs.20 - Name 5 things enslaves you, devours you, takes advantage of you, exalts himself, hits you in the face Paul says that he must seem 'weak' in comparison to them, and yet, he knows he has been a bold servant of the Lord. Because they are looking at the appearance of the others and have disdain for him, he decides to boast of himself to show them what he has gone through as a true apostle of the Lord. Give the list that he shares with them from vs.22-27 - (it will be a long list!) Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.  Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.  Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.  I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from these external things, what is a daily pressure on him as well? vs. 28 Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. How does Paul relate to those who are weak? vs. 29 Who is weak without my being weak? How does Paul relate to those who are led into sin? vs. 29 Who is led into sin without my intense concern? Paul concludes his list with two examples of his anxieties for his churches: concern for the weak and for those who stumble. In 1 Cor 8:1–13 the “weak” are those who do not have knowledge (8:7), have been “accustomed to idols” (8:7), and have weak consciences (8:7, 12) that might lead them to emulate those with knowledge and eat food sacrificed to an idol not as something indifferent but as food offered to an idol. The so-called knowledge of the “knowers” (1 Cor 8:1) could lead the weak back into idolatry and cause the eternal ruin of one for whom Christ died (1 Cor 8:11). Paul will never do anything that might cause the weak to stumble (1 Cor 8:13), and he also will not sit idly by and watch those with knowledge steam roll over the consciences of the weak. In his effort to share the blessings of the gospel with all people, he says, “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak” (1 Cor 9:22). “Though he himself is strong, he is willing to identify with the weak so that their weakness becomes his own.” Garland, D. E. (2001, c1999). Vol. 29: 2 Corinthians (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (502). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers. If Paul is going to boast, what will he boast about? vs. 30 If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness. What event does he also want them to know about? vs.31-33 In Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, and I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands. Paul relates it as an example of his weakness. He places the emphasis on the manner of his escape rather than on the seriousness of the threat.  Hiding in a basket is not something that someone with power would do, and the incident occurs at the very beginning of his ministry. It serves as a paradigm, as it were, for what was to come. Bruce interprets this event to be “a humiliating and undignified experience, in which he cut such a ridiculous figure that the mere thought of it killed any tendency to pride.” Garland, D. E. (2001, c1999). Vol. 29: 2 Corinthians (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (505). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers. Think through this lesson. Summarize it. Say a prayer..

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