5 For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles. 6 Even though I am untrained in speech, yet I am not in knowledge. But we have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things. 7 Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge? 8 I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you. 9 And when I was present with you, and in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself. 10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia. 11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows! 12 But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. 13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
Commentary
Vs. 5 "For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles."
The Apostle Paul's reference here to the so called "eminent" apostles is a sarcasm, and thus is not referring to the 12 twelve Apostles, or the other genuine Apostles, who like himself were also later eye witnesses to Christ's Resurrection and were chosen and Spirit gifted by Christ to serve Him in that capacity. No the reference here is to the false apostles who had infiltrated the Corinthian assembly, and had presented themselves as being superior to even the genuine Apostles! Therefore if the Corinthians could bear with them and their folly in doing so, surely they could be patient with the Apostle Paul as he begins to expound why the Corinthians should not be listening to any of them.
Vs. 6 "Even though I am untrained in speech, yet I am not in knowledge. But we have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things."
Apparently some of the false Apostles were great orators. The Apostle Paul (like the twelve) on the other hand was not trained in speech, he had no formal training in regards to this. And so this became a point that the false apostles seized upon, and again used to discredit Paul in the Corinthians sight. That said, the Apostle Paul was not without knowledge. Indeed some of the greatest revelations and truths found in, and born out of the Gospel, God by His Holy Spirit has brought to light through the Apostle Paul's preaching and writing ministry (consider 2 Peter 3:15-16 and the Apostle Peter's assessment of Paul's Spirit given understanding). And so though Paul was not a trained or eloquent speaker, Paul was most definitely Spirit endowed with some great knowledge and deep understanding in regards to the Gospel. Knowledge which had been thoroughly manifested towards, and shared freely with all the Corinthians. This alone then should have made them reconsider any false assessments of Paul and his qualifications and or abilities. For it was through Paul, and not through them, that the Corinthians came into a saving knowledge of God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Vs. 7-9 7 Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge? 8 I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you. 9 And when I was present with you, and in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself.
The Apostle Paul now wittingly asks them if his presenting the Gospel to them free of charge was sin in their sight. Now Paul does this because it was the false apostles, prophets, and teachers amongst them (consider 2 Peter 2:1-3) who were peddling the Word of God to them (2 Cor 2:11-12), and who had even gone so far as to call into question the validity of the Apostle's Paul's ministry because Paul preached the Gospel free of charge to them all. Imagine it then being criticized and spoken against for not exploiting the Holy Word of God for ones own gain, or not being a financial burden on those one is seeking to share the love the Christ freely with! And so the Apostle Paul instead of making demands as a Apostle of Christ, (see 1 Cor. 9:1-18; 1 Tim 5:17-18), humbled himself amongst the Corinthians, taking nothing from them so as not to hinder the Gospel of Christ. Indeed Paul says' that he "robbed" other churches taking wages from them, so that he could minister to them. Here Paul means that other Christian assemblies that he established, or helped establish, who knowing his proven character and Godly work willingly provided for him so that he could continue ministering to them. Something that missionaries have done down through the ages, when they enter a new region or realm to bring the Gospel there, they generally don't burden those they are trying to reach by first seeking financial support from them. Instead they are supported by us on the "home front" so that they may go out and do God's work unencumbered. And so Paul goes on to say that even when he was present amongst them and in need "I was a burden to no one." For as Paul says what he lack the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And so in stark contrast to the false apostles, prophets, teachers and endless "speakers" who when they were not making demands as such, were only seeking more for themselves from them. The Apostle Paul says, "And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself." For that was the Apostle Paul's desire not to needlessly burden those whom he loves, because the heart and love of Christ is always manifested in giving, not taking. And so the Apostle Paul wanted no one to make his boasting void in regards to this, that he conducted himself in godly simplicity and sincerity, with charity towards all.
Vs. 10 10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
Seeing all that the Apostle Paul had done to conduct himself honorably amongst them all, and thus had done to distinguish himself as a true Apostle of Christ, Paul was not going to let his "boasting" in the regions of Achaia (i.e. the Roman territory where the Corinthians dwelt) be nullified by his detractors endless slandering and assailing his person. For as the Apostle Paul says, "As the truth of Christ is in me," so was his conduct, which was bringing the truth of Christ's resurrected life and power to light by it being clearly manifested through the person and life of this most noble apostle.
Vs. 11-12 11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows! 12 But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast.
If the Corinthians thought (or more than likely had taken to heart what Paul's detractors were saying about him), that Paul's refusing to make demands on them as an Apostle of Christ was showing a lack of commitment or love by him towards them. Then they all should really consider that Paul's reason for not doing so was because of his great love and concern for them all. And so the Apostle Paul says that he will continue to conduct himself in such a manner, not only because he was fully committed to them and their well being, but also so as to keep the false apostles from being able to draw any sort of parallels between themselves, and Paul and his ministry to them, so as to try to validate themselves.
Vs. 13-15 13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
The Apostle Paul now declares just what these people are who had creep into the Corinthians assembly while he was away from them, calling them false apostles, deceitful workers, who transform themselves into apostles of Christ (consider Acts 20:28-31). For they are masters of guise and disguise who only "talk the talk" and "walk the walk" when they need to make a good showing, but in reality such individuals have nothing from Christ, nor have they been sent by Him, but they have only been sent by Satan. Make no mistake about it, this is the reality of the visible church then and now. Therefore I want you to be aware of them because as the Apostle says, Satan himself always appears an angel of light to deceive and mislead people. Therefore this is very important for us all to understand because Satan has and continues to manifest himself as an angel of light. Therefore be extremely leery of anyone who claims to have seen a vision of Jesus, because the Lord Jesus Christ has already appeared to all of the Apostles He has commissioned for His service, indeed to the Apostle Paul the Lord Jesus Christ appeared last to commission him as the last of the Biblical Apostles (1 Cor. 15:3-8). Therefore Jesus will not appear again until He comes in His glory with all His Holy angels to redeem the elect, and then make war on the unbelieving world who receives the mark of the beast. Therefore no one who now has a vision of Jesus is having a visitation from the Lord Jesus Christ, but is only being deceived by the devil appearing to them to deceive them, or others through them. Therefore if you want to know who they are, or where they are from, then as Jesus said look at their works and the kind of fruit that their persons, ministries, and lives bear (see Matt. 7:15-20). Because the fragrance of Christ inside us all who believe is self evident to all, and is also being manifested through the fruits of the Holy Spirit when we are led by the Spirit and not by flesh or the devil, and thus always reveals what is of Christ and what is not (2 Cor. 2:15-17).
Scripture Quotation
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
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