Suffering For Christ Sake: 2 Corinthians 11

Read 2 Corinthians Chapter 11

Introduction: 2 Corinthians 11: Paul speaks to the church in Corinth with a tone of concern and determination in his voice. He speaks out against false apostles who are leading the believers astray while at the same time, defending his own ministry. His words are meant to draw the Corinthians back to the genuine gospel. This chapter can be divided into several sections where Paul talks about his fears for the Corinthian church, his boasting as a means to reveal truth, and his suffering for Christ as a true testament to his apostleship.

I. Paul’s Jealousy for the Church (2 Corinthians 11:1-4)
In the first verses, Paul starts by asking the Corinthians to bear with his foolishness, as he is jealous for them with a godly jealousy. He expresses his fear that the Corinthians might be led away from their sincere and pure devotion to Christ by those preaching another Jesus, a different spirit, and/or a different gospel. There are other instances in the Bible on this same subject, in Galatians 1:6-7, we can read Paul’s message to the Galatians about turning to a different gospel. Also the Bible speaks of Jesus’ desire for the church to remain pure in Ephesians 5:27, the Bible speaks of Christ’s desire for a spotless church, which is what Paul was trying to accomplish for the Corinthian church here. And in 1 Corinthians 1:12-13, he had already dealt with divisions within the church, which sometimes leads to the opportunity for false teachers to spread their poison doctrine.

II. Paul Confronts the False Apostles (2 Corinthians 11:5-15)
Here in these verses, Paul boldly states that he is not inferior to the “super-apostles” (original 12) and warns that these individuals who are spreading false doctrine are deceitful workers playing the role of apostles of Christ. We read in Acts 20:29-30, where the Bible warns about savage wolves not sparing the flock, which is his concern here. He stresses that their end will be what their actions deserve. In Matthew 7:15-16, Jesus teaches about false prophets being recognized by their fruit,  which makes Paul’s point clear about the false apostles. And in Galatians 2:6, the Bible dismisses the influence of those who seemed important (elevated themselves), pointing to his argument about false leadership.

III. Paul’s Boasting and Sufferings (2 Corinthians 11:16-33)
The chapter ends with Paul speaking about his sufferings for Christ, listing his trials, imprisonments, beatings, and dangers he faced for the sake of the gospel. We read in Acts 9:16, Paul’s sufferings were foretold, showing that his hardships were a part of his calling, and many times even today in year 2024, are still a part of a persons calling. But it is for the good of the gospel message as we can see in Philippians 3:7-8, Paul counts all things as loss for the excellence of knowing Christ, which speaks to his speech here in these verses. He also mentions his suffering in 1 Corinthians 4:9-13, there Paul speaks of his suffering and gives some of the same examples of suffering in this chapter.

Conclusion: In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul passionately defends his apostleship and the purity of the gospel against false teachers. Through a combination of self denial and concern, Paul sheds light on his unwavering dedication to Christ and the church. His jealousy for the church and tribulations call for the Corinthians to recognize true apostolic leadership and remain steadfast in their faith. He puts emphasis on enduring faith, persistence and discernment in the face of deceit, this is a reminder for believers to stand behind the true gospel and honor those who are earnestly and sincerely laboring in it.