2 Corinthians 11 is the eleventh chapter of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is authored by Paul the Apostle and Timothy in Macedonia in 55–56 CE. According to theologian Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer, chapters 10–13 "contain the third chief section of the Epistle, the apostle's polemic vindication of his apostolic dignity and efficiency, and then the conclusion".[1]
The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 33 verses.
Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:
In verse 13, Paul writes of "false apostles" (ψευδαποστολοι,). In verse 5 he has compared himself with the "super-apostles" [2] or the "apostles-extraordinary" [3] (των υπερλιαν αποστολων,). Meyer asks "Whom does he mean by τῶν ὑπερλίαν ἀποστόλων?". He notes that "according to Chrysostom, Theodoret, Grotius, Bengel, and most of the older commentators, also Emmerling, Flatt, Schrader, Baur, Hilgenfeld, Holsten, Holtzmann [among nineteenth century commentators], [he means] the actual summos apostolos, namely Peter, James, and John" but Meyer argues that "Paul is not contending against these, but against the false apostles" and recommends the translation "the over-great apostles". Meyer lists biblical commentators Richard Simon, Alethius, Heumann, Semler, Michaelis, Schulz, Stolz, Rosenmüller, Fritzsche, Billroth, Rückert, Olshausen, de Wette, Ewald, Osiander, Neander, Hofmann, Weiss, Beyschlag and others as having followed Beza's suggestion, according to which the pseudo-apostles were understood to be Judaistic anti-Pauline teachers.[4]
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.[5] New King James Version
And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.[6]
See main article: Suffer fools gladly. New King James Version
For you put up with fools gladly, since you yourselves are wise![7] King James Version
For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.[8]
From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.[9]
but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.[16]