The Truth comes to Corinth Part 2 Volume 38

Paul defends his Apostleship by how he humbled himself before them

2 Corinthians 11:5-9 For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles. But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things. Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely? I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service. And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself. KJV

Paul starts out this discourse defending his Apostleship by using some sarcasm here in verse 5 to those in the Corinthian Church who continued to doubt his authenticity because of what the false apostles had said of him, so he scornfully insults the false apostles by using the English phrase “I was not a whit behind” which is translated from the Greek word hustereo meaning not lacking in anything or deficient or inferior to. In other words, Paul wanted to know what demonstration of God the Holy Spirit’s Power these men manifested in their presence because he sure had done so as he reminded them in his first letter to them with these words, “I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:3-5).

Paul continues to show his concern for them being lured away into error by these false apostles whose measuring rod is themselves and not our Lord Jesus Christ, for they did not preach the gospel to the unsaved Corinthian people, nor did they spend a year and a half teaching them after their conversion to Christ the deep truths and mysteries of the Word of God as Paul had done. What real knowledge of God’s Word had these men shown them? However, Paul’s knowledge of God’s Word of Truth was made very evident in their presence and he declared to the Galatian believers where it came from with these words, “For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:11-12). Paul did not want these false apostles to lure their affections away from him onto themselves and replace the deep truths and revelations from the Word made flesh our Lord Jesus Christ that he had taught them with their false teachings.

Also these false apostles had declared to the Corinthian believers that Paul could not be a true Apostle if he did not take money or other goods from them on every occasion he was with them. This notion that had crept into a faction of the Churches belief about Paul seemed to sadden him and at the same time infuriates him as well. Paul asked them a question that he wanted to open their eyes to the absurdity of the false apostle’s claims about him. Paul did not take any money from them during the entire 18 months he stayed in the city preaching and teaching them the Word of God, instead he teamed up with Priscila and Aquila in their occupation of tent making and earned his living from that, as well as being supplied sustenance from the Churches he had already planted in Macedonia (specifically the Philippian Church) (Philippians 4:15-16).

Paul’s question to them was in essence, “Did I commit sin when I preached the gospel to you free of charge? Obviously the answer to this question is no. Paul had already written to them in his first letter, clearly detailing his right as a commissioned minister of our Lord Jesus Christ to live from the proclamation of the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:1-18), and specifically in verses 11-12 of 1 Corinthians 9 Paul says this, “If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ.” Paul did not want anything (even himself) to be a stumbling block for these Gentiles in Corinth to receiving Jesus Christ as their personal Lord, Master, and Savior. Perhaps Paul felt because of their culture and the pagan worship there that glorified money and riches that his relinquishing his right to receive material support from them would shine forth God’s Love for them despite their sin and ignorance of the true God and bring many more souls there to Jesus Christ.

My own Personal Note: Paul, when he came to Corinth wanted nothing to stand in the way of the elect in that city receiving Christ through his preaching, so he supported himself by his occupation of tent making. Paul did not want these people to think he was there seeking to profit off of them financially. Part of Paul’s extreme disappointment was that these Corinthian believers had allowed these false apostles to come in and take from them financially and they had not provided them any true spiritual nourishment because they declared a false gospel that was works based. Paul was never one to use high and lofty speech or eloquent words but instead, as God the Holy Spirit inspired him, he would only speak the truth “in love” (Ephesians 4:15) and let the Spirit of God do His work of convincing, convicting, and converting the souls of men and women to Jesus Christ.

“I was burdensome to no one; or more literally, ‘I did not lie as a dead weight upon you.’ The word used here, which occurs nowhere else in the New Testament (katenarkēsa), means, literally, to become torpid against, that is, to the detriment of anyone; and hence, to be burdensome. According to Jerome, its use here is a Cilicism of Paul. The idea is that he did not lead a torpid, inactive life at the expense of others. He did not expect a support from them when he was doing nothing; nor did he demand support which would in any sense be a burden to them. By his own hands Acts 18:3, and by the aid which he received from abroad, he was supported without deriving aid from the people of Corinth.” Albert Barnes

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…