II Corinthians
Chp. 11
Vs.1 Paul says that he hopes the people will be patient as he continues to tell them why they should accept what he has taught them and to accept his authority.
Vs. 2 Paul says that he is jealous over them. His being jealous over them to protect them. He does not want anyone to confuse them in their faith or lead them wrong.
He said I want to give you to God like a young woman is given “pure” as a bride to her husband. So he wants to give them to God “pure” in faith and believing.
Vs. 3 Paul says I am afraid that you are being deceived like Eve in the Garden of Eden. That Satan is pulling you to think some things to be important, but they are not the true simple things of God.
Vs. 4 If some one comes and preaches to you another truth or gospel that is not what I preached to you they are not speaking the truth.
Paul says I may not be such a wonderful smooth preacher as some of those who have come to you, but I preached to you the truth.
Vs. 7 , 8 Paul asks Did I do wrong to come to you to stay a preach all that time and never ask you to give me anything? All that time, I never asked for money, food, or anything. Other church groups sent me money and offerings. I did not ask you to give me anything.
Vs. 9 When I was with you and if I needed something the believers from Macedonia came and brought what I needed.
Vs. 10 God’s truth is in me and I will speak proudly about these believers from the area of Greece.
Vs. 11 Why have I done this? Because of my love for you. God knows and sees my heart.
Vs. 12 I and those with me will continue to preach to others freely. No one will be
able to say that we were preaching to get money and get rich from people.
Vs. 13 These men who come to preach to you and boast about what great apostles they are and they say bad things about us those men are not true apostles at all.
Vs 14 I am not surprised that they do this. Even Satan disguised (dressed up–appeared) as an angel of light.
Vs. 15 So these men have tried to appear as true minister of Christ. But in the end, what they have done God will see and He will see that will be disciplined by Him.
Vs. 16 I am not a fool, but I could be thought of as foolish to talk about myself in what I am to say. So, just be patient with me, “as you would be with a foolish person”.
Vs. 17 What I am going to say is not something the Lord told me to say but rather I am just speaking for myself.
Vs. 18 Since so many of those men are giving themselves glory I will give myself some glory.
Vs. 19 You have listened to those men and have believed them and you think you are so wise.
Vs. 20 You have been willing to believe those men even though they have made you suffer, they have taken advantage of you, you have been their slaves, they have done you wrong, yet you believe them and follow them.
Vs. 21-28 I am speaking like a fool again, but I want you to see the truth. They boast that they are such good Jewish men. I am a Jewish man, also. They say they have served Christ, I have served Christ more. (It is foolish for a person to brag about that.)
I have worked harder. I have traveled more. I have been beaten with whips and rods.
I have been in prison many times. I have been near death several times. Five times I have been beaten with a whip with 39 strikes.
Three times I was beaten with rods. One time I was stoned (those watching thought he had died). Three times I was in a ship wreck. For a day and a night I was floating in the water.
I have traveled often. In my travels there have been many dangers—-danger by water, danger of being robbed, danger of people hurting me—both from non-believers and from other Jews, dangers of wild lonely places and danger in cities.
I have been cold, hungry, thirsty.
All those things have been hard to bear and also I have the thoughts and concerns of all the believers I have preached to wanting and praying that they continue in faith.
Vs. 29 If any of them feel weak—–I feel their weakness and feel for them. If any of them feel hurt—–I feel hurt for them and feel angry that they got hurt by someone.
Vs. 30 If I have to brag and boast I would rather talk about my weaknesses.
Vs.31 God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who is to be blessed and praised forever knows that I am telling the truth.
Vs. 32 In the city of Damacus, King Aretas, had soldiers there hoping to catch me.
Vs. 33 I was in a building that was on the city wall. My friends let me down by rope and basket, and I was able to escape and get away.