June 16, 2014 Corinthians II Chapter 11

2nd Corinthians Chapter 11

Monday August 11, 2008

2nd Corinthians Chapter 11:1-15 Paul and the False Apostles

In 10:1-6 we read of opposition to Paul coming from other evangelists (apostles) who claim that he is overstepping his territorial limits by being in Corinth and probably in the rest of the province as well. Their basic claim is that he belongs in Macedonia and Asia (Minor) but no farther West. He uses especially strong militaristic language against them in vss. 3-6, invoking the God-derived power of an array of "weapons." Although the members of the community are not included in his warning, we should not doubt his intent that they not underestimate his implication that his reach can extend beyond the outsiders who are causing this present disturbance.

Paul's fundamental concern is two fold. One involves those who have come to Corinth in opposition to him and the other is the ease with which the Corinthians have received and accepted them as valid teachers of the Gospel. He begins with a bit of sarcasm, asking those members who believe themselves to be so wise (8:7) to bear with his little foolishness. Using typical Jewish marriage tradition he characterizes the Church as the bride and Christ as the groom. Paul serves the role of the father of the bride whose responsibility was to deliver the virgin bride to her prospective groom. The language of delivery is eschatological in its reference to the dawning of the new age when Christ returns to receive the virginally pure church. We might also remember the extensive use of the marriage imagery in the Gospel of John, particularly in the story of the wedding in Cana (Jn. 2:1-12). The wedding feast was a well used metaphor in Jewish messianic thinking and Israel as God's bride was used by the prophets (Hos. 2:19).

As Paul reacts to the "invasion" of teaching not in strict accord with his own, he likens the situation to that of the deceiving serpent who tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden. He fears the Corinthians are easily tempted and will depart from a "pure devotion (as a bride - the new Eve) to Christ (the new Adam-1 Cor. 15:25)." The members seem all too willing to accept "another Jesus" or "a different spirit" or a "different gospel" than the one he proclaimed and they at first accepted. Do they think he is inferior to these "super-apostles?" He assures them he is not. His being untrained in speech is outweighed by his knowledge and they know this to be true. Did he err by being humble, by not burdening them with his financial needs? Indeed, Corinth was the mission field and the churches of Macedonia supported his needs while he preached "God's good news [to them] free of charge." He refuses the imposition of limits to his presence in Corinth demanded by those super-apostles. Far from being silenced he will continue to consider all of Achaia to be part of his God-given field for the harvest and not theirs. He will not give in to those who wish to pass themselves off as his equals in apostleship. In typical Pharisaic diatribe he considers them to be "false apostles, deceitful workers" wearing the disguise of apostles of Christ. In fact Paul has no doubt they are ministers of Satan who have disguised "themselves as ministers of righteousness."

2nd Corinthians 11:16-33 Paul's Sufferings as an Apostle

This entire passage is an artful piece of Paul's best sarcasm playing himself as the fool against the "wise" but ironically beguiled Corinthians. If he is a fool he will boast as a fool. If others boast "according to the flesh," so will he. After all, the ever-so-wise Corinthians have "gladly put up with other fools" who make slaves of them, prey on them, take advantage of them, put on airs or slap them in the face. If he had not been so weak, he writes tongue-in-cheek, he could have done the same!

In Vss.21b-22 we finally receive the important information of the origin of these "false apostles" whom Paul has labeled as ministers of Satan. They are Jewish Christians (Judaizers?) who, as is Paul, Hebrews, Israelites, descendants of Abraham and ministers of Christ. But Paul, of course, is better in all of these categories than they. Especially in his many sufferings and his "anxiety for all the churches" he has outdone them all at the hands of Romans, Greeks, Jews, fellow Christians and nature as well.

In the end Paul will boast of "the things that show [his] weakness." These "things" certainly do not include faith, courage, fortitude and persistence, endurance and just plain grit. To use an analogy, we might say that a person has a weakness for responding to the suffering of others. Paul's weakness was found in his love for and patience with the Corinthians. It was a love that was true enough to be corrective yet did not preclude chastisement. It was a patience that would try again and again to call them beyond their human standards of life to the one offered by Christ. He might not succeed to bring them as a pure bride to Christ in his own lifetime, but it would not be for a lack of love on his part.

Few of us talk of a love for the Church. We tend to view the Church as an institution of which the local church is but a part. This of course is true in general. How does one love an institution? Perhaps the language of "love" is too abstract for us in connection to the Church. Maybe Paul would tell us that we must truly allow ourselves to be weak in order to love the mystery surrounded by the institution, the sacred space carved out of the world by a Spirit God whose presence moves freely in our midst waiting for us to be surprised.