2 Corinthians 11:16-12:10

2 Corinthians   •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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I remind you of where we are in this letter to the church at Corinth. at the beginning of this chapter Paul says
2 Corinthians 11:1 HCSB
1 I wish you would put up with a little foolishness from me. Yes, do put up with me.
He says I am going use your standards to show that I am an apostle.
Some are denying that he is an apostle and that his message of the Gospel is not legitimate because he does not have their standards of credentials.
What were they wanting from Paul?
They were wanting letters of recommendation, great public speeches, and for Paul to accept payment from those who he is teaching.
I was thinking this week about the last time Paul had letters. This was before his conversion
Acts 9:1–2 HCSB
1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. He went to the high priest 2 and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
He had letters but they were not for the Glory of God or the building up of the church.
So Paul says I want you to put up with a little foolishness from me. So that, I will prove in their methods that I am an apostle.
He repeats this in 16-19
2 Corinthians 11:16–19 HCSB
16 I repeat: No one should consider me a fool. But if you do, at least accept me as a fool, so I too may boast a little. 17 What I say in this matter of boasting, I don’t speak as the Lord would, but foolishly. 18 Since many boast in an unspiritual way, I will also boast. 19 For you, being so wise, gladly put up with fools!
Like they are boasting so too may I boast a little. He says this boasting is not as the Lord would speak but foolishly.
Reminder that the Corinthians has put up with the foolishness of these false apostles. In other words, they had given up a whole lot more for a whole lot less. They were willing to listen to the false prophets and follow them.
He says this is not my choice to boast but because they had welcomed it from the false apostles, then I must boast.
The Corinthians received false teachers because of their external qualifications and their own glory of themselves.
I like what the Bible Knowledge commentary says:

This is like valuing a gem on the basis of its size rather than its quality

Paul says he does not speak as the Lord would but foolishly.
The word foolish means “Ignorant”
This boasting is not as the Lord, the Lord never defended himself in this way, Paul chose to, but was reluctant to do so.
2 Corinthians 11:19–20 HCSB
19 For you, being so wise, gladly put up with fools! 20 In fact, you put up with it if someone enslaves you, if someone devours you, if someone captures you, if someone dominates you, or if someone hits you in the face.
You can hear the sarcasm here. They loved knowledge and wisdom and prided themselves on this. He says you being so wise, gladly put up with fools or ignorance.
He goes on.
He then here in verse 20 list ways these Judaizers or false apostles have taken advantage of the church.
Enslaves you:
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Ten: Father Knows Best (2 Corinthians 11)

Bondage:

They taught a doctrine of legalism that was contrary to the Gospel of grace

devours you:
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Ten: Father Knows Best (2 Corinthians 11)

Devour:

They “ate up” all they could get in the church; they took advantage of their privilege of receiving financial support.

Captures you:
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Ten: Father Knows Best (2 Corinthians 11)

Take of you:

“Take you in,” fool you. The image is that of a bird caught in a snare or a fish caught on a hook. “They baited you and caught you!”

Dominates you:
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Ten: Father Knows Best (2 Corinthians 11)

Exalt:

They exalted themselves, not the Lord Jesus Christ; they loved to be honored and treated as great leaders.

Hits you in the face:
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Ten: Father Knows Best (2 Corinthians 11)

Smite you:

This probably refers to verbal attacks rather than physical violence; the Judaizers did not hesitate to “slap them in the face” and embarrass them in public

2 Corinthians 11:21 HCSB
21 I say this to our shame: We have been weak. But in whatever anyone dares to boast—I am talking foolishly—I also dare:
Remember what they said of Paul that his letters were heavy but his physical presence was weak.
The Judaizers confused his meekness with weakness.
So Paul starts to boast a little.
His boasting is different then what you might think.
An example of what we are about to see.
Ozarksportszone.com had a preview of the 2020 Forsyth panther volleyball.
Forsyth volleyball won 20 matches for the first time since 2012 last year going 20-12-2 overall. The Panthers accomplished the feat with only one senior on the roster.
“Although young, this group has played together for a while. For many of them, last year was their second year to participate in varsity matches,” Forsyth head coach Mallory Richardson said. “This group really knows how to work hard, and as a coach I am lucky that they buy into what is being taught and work at things until they get it right. They also get along well with each other, and I think their chemistry on the court has come a long way. Many of these players are multi-sport athletes, and they also saw success in basketball and softball last year.”
Junior Emmalea Cook returns at libero after earning honorable mention all-conference honors last season. She led Forsyth in both digs (446) and serve-receives (555) as a sophomore.
“She (Cook) is an absolute beast on defense, and I cannot count the number of hustle plays she has made to keep the ball in play. She is fun to watch,” Richardson said.
Ashley Matthews (senior outside hitter), Oletha Rich (junior defensive specialist/setter/right side) and Kloe Hendrickson (sophomore defensive specialist are players that will move up from junior varsity this year.
can you imagine...
They only list the failures and not all the great accomplishments.
2 Corinthians 11:22–23 HCSB
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’m talking like a madman—I’m a better one: with far more labors, many more imprisonments, far worse beatings, near death many times.
Suddenly, being an “Israelite of Israelites” doesn’t matter all that much. Or
being the best public speaker, etc... didn’t matter compared to knowing
Christ (Philippians 3:8).
2 Corinthians 11:24–27 HCSB
24 Five times I received 39 lashes from Jews. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods by the Romans. Once I was stoned by my enemies. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the open sea. 26 On frequent journeys, I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the open country, dangers on the sea, and dangers among false brothers; 27 labor and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and lacking clothing.
39 lashes (5x)
Jewish punishment for false teaching, blasphemy and serious lawbreaking. The most severe beating allowed under the Law
Deuteronomy 25:1–3 HCSB
1 “If there is a dispute between men, they are to go to court, and the judges will hear their case. They will clear the innocent and condemn the guilty. 2 If the guilty party deserves to be flogged, the judge will make him lie down and be flogged in his presence with the number of lashes appropriate for his crime. 3 He may be flogged with 40 lashes, but no more. Otherwise, if he is flogged with more lashes than these, your brother will be degraded in your sight.
Beaten with rods (3x)
Gentile punishment for disturbing the peace (acts 16:22-23, 35-38; 22:25-29; 1 Thess. 2:2
Acts 16:22–23 HCSB
22 Then the mob joined in the attack against them, and the chief magistrates stripped off their clothes and ordered them to be beaten with rods. 23 After they had inflicted many blows on them, they threw them in jail, ordering the jailer to keep them securely guarded.
Stoned
The most common form of execution (but miraculously he didn’t die from it) (Acts 14:5-19)
Acts 14:19–20 HCSB
19 Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and when they had won over the crowds and stoned Paul, they dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead. 20 After the disciples surrounded him, he got up and went into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.
Shipwrecked 3x
Adrift at sea for 24 hours
Common danger from: rivers, robbers, Jewish enemies, Gentile enemies, in the city, in the wilderness, at sea, from false brothers
Nights without sleep due to toil and hardship
Poor Health: Hungry and thirsty, in cold and exposure
I have to soak in what Paul went through for the sake of the Gospel and we are reading God’s word today because of his faithfulness to the Gospel. Paul was unwilling to quit. We are reaping the seed that he sowed.
2 Corinthians 11:28 HCSB
28 Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my care for all the churches.
Anxiety for all the churches
He was worried about them, nervous about them. And anxiety isn’t merely thinking about someone or something a lot. Anxiety is strong enough to interfere with one’s daily activities.
2 Corinthians 11:29–33 HCSB
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation? 30 If boasting is necessary, I will boast about my weaknesses. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is praised forever, knows I am not lying. 32 In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas guarded the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me, 33 so I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.
How many Judaizers would boast of their weaknesses and tell of being let down in a basket through a window in the wall?
Paul’s boasting follows what we know about our Savior
Philippians 2:5–11 HCSB
5 Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. 7 Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, 8 He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross. 9 For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow — of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth — 11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
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