2 Corinthians 11:16-23

[Christian2]

2 Corinthians 11:16-23

Are they Hebrews? So am I.
Are they Israelites? So am I.
Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I.
23 Are they servants of Christ?

Who are these people?

They are not the original apostles.

The text seems to be addressed to false apostles/teachers.

Who are they? What are they doing? What are they saying that Paul seems to object to?

Thanks.

[PaulSacramento]

Paul was defending is Gospel from those that were preaching different gospel and calling themselves apostles also.
Here is the passage in question:

3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. 4 For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.

Paul's gospel is simply and pure devotion to Christ, while others preached a gospel that was NOT simple and NOT centred on Christ (probably a gospel based on works and following the Jewish laws).

Paul goes on to state that His credentials are just as good, if not better, than these so-called apostles.

[Christian2]

Paul was defending is Gospel from those that were preaching different gospel and calling themselves apostles also.
Here is the passage in question:

3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. 4 For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.

Paul's gospel is simply and pure devotion to Christ, while others preached a gospel that was NOT simple and NOT centred on Christ (probably a gospel based on works and following the Jewish laws).

Paul goes on to state that His credentials are just as good, if not better, than these so-called apostles.

They could have been preaching a works-based gospel, but the text doesn't spell it out. "Another Jesus" is confusing. Does it mean they were preaching Jesus was not the Messiah, or that He didn't die and rise from the dead? The commentaries I have read have not helped.

[EssentialSacrifice]

"Another Jesus" is confusing.

no, not really. what is being said is :

For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached

...the Jesus "another" is just his way of saying "what we have told you, preached to you of Jesus is true" and any other Jesus, "another description" is untrue, and the "spirit" you receive from Christ will be different / Holy than "another's". Paul also praises them for not falling for the other ...

a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.

[Christian2]

Thank you to all.

[Jac3510]

I know this is kind of old, but I'd be curious, C2, in your take on a paper I wrote some time ago, as I think it has some relevance to what you're asking here:

Sanctification and the Law in Galatians and Romans

Yes, I'm dealing with Galatians and Romans and you are asking about Corinthians, but all of those books are part of the so-called Hauptbriefe. Spoiler alert and bottom line: the "Judaizers" Paul was writing about in Corinthians and Galatians (and a similar error in Romans) weren't preaching that good works/keeping the Law were necessary to be justified (contra Luther) or that Jesus wasn't the Messiah and/or didn't rise from the dead (as we see in John's fight with the proto-Gnostics). Paul's attacking the idea of sanctification by works, or the idea that the (Mosaic) Law is necessary to be a "perfect" or "mature" Christian. Paul says, "No, just as you were justified by faith alone in Christ alone, you are sanctified by faith alone in Christ alone."