2 Corinthians 11:1-12

I hope you will put up with a little of my foolishness; but you are already doing that.

(v1, NIV)

This is in light of boasting that he will do soon. This seems contrary to his previous statements about boasting in God.

Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

(1 Corinthians 1:31, NIV)

But, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

(2 Corinthians 10:17, NIV)

However, when encouraging others to boast in the Lord, he is often contrasting those who boast in themselves for selfish reasons. Those people may wish to take pride in themselves as the end result. They may take pleasure in belittling of others. However, Paul's purpose is ultimately for God as we'll probably see when we get to those verses.

I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.

(v2, NIV)

The picture presented is of those at the Corinthian church as the bride and Jesus is the groom. This picture is used in other places in the bible as well.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

(Ephesians 5:25-32, NIV)

This picture of Christ and the church is a similar picture. The picture painted in verse 2 is similar to the way the husband instructed in Ephesians is to cleanse his wife.

But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.

(v3-4, NIV)

Unfortunately, they are falling away. Paul is worried about this and does not want that to happen. For some reason, they are buying into these false gospels.

But I do not think I am in the least inferior to those "super-apostles." I may not be a trained speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way.

(v5-6, NIV)

This somewhat leads into Paul's boasting. Some of them may have thought that Paul was inferior to these other people. Because he seemed inferior, that may be why they were so easily swayed by their smooth talking. Paul does not have the gift of gab, but he has the knowledge given to him by God. We know from the beginning of 1 Corinthians that God's wisdom trump's man's wisdom in everything.

Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge? I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you. And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so.

(v7-9, NIV)

Clearly, when Paul offered the gospel free of charge, he was not doing something wrong. This leads me to think that the false prophets preaching a false gospel may have charged them for the what they were preaching. Some of them may have been deceived into thinking that since it costed more than the free gospel Paul preached, it must have been superior. He doesn't want to hinder those he is preaching the gospel to. He doesn't want that to come in the way of the work of the gospel. In addition, it is his joy and desire to do so.

What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make use of my rights in preaching it.

(1 Corinthians 9:18, NIV)

As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, nobody in the regions of Achaia will stop this boasting of mine. Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do! And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about.

(v10-12, NIV)

Paul's actions may have come into question. It may seem weird that they could perceive Paul as being unloving. I guess they were just really deceived. Paul is continuing in his fight to keep those deceivers from deceiving those at the Corinthian church. He wants them to realize, but it's hard to realize you're being deceived when you're being deceived. Even when you're being deceived you can still fall into the trap.