2 Corinthians 11:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

What are you saying? Are those who preach Christ, take no money, and introduce no other gospel false apostles? Yes, says Paul. They are false apostles above all for this reason: they do everything hypocritically, in order to deceive. They are deceitful workers. They labor, but they tear up what has been planted. Since they know that otherwise they would not be received, they put on the mask of truth and hide beneath it the work of deception. The Apostle says that they do not take money in order to receive something greater: to destroy the soul. More precisely, even this is false. They took money, but only secretly, as the Apostle shows later.

What are you saying? Those who preach Christ and do not introduce another Gospel, as he said above, have now become false apostles? Yes, he says, precisely for this reason. By acting hypocritically in this matter, they secretly introduce impious doctrines.

They are deceitful workers because they only seem to build up, but in reality they tear out what was planted. Having only the appearance of apostles, they are in truth wolves in sheep's clothing.

Therefore do not be deceived by them because of the modesty with which they hypocritically clothe themselves. Such men are false apostles and deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.

It is the devil's custom to imitate what is divine. As he arrays hosts of false prophets against the prophets, so he imitates the outward appearance of Angels and deceives men. Therefore it is not surprising if they assume the persona of those called apostles and use deceit, which helps lead men astray. But they will not long delay in reaping the fruits of their undertakings.

What does it mean that they "take the form of Apostles of Christ"? It means this: the Apostles brought testimonies from the divine Scripture, and so did they. The Apostles brought proofs from the Psalms, and so did they. The Apostles brought sayings from the prophets, and they did the same.

But when they began to interpret unlike the Apostles what they had cited like the Apostles, then the difference was revealed. The true Apostles were distinguished from the supposed, the genuine from the counterfeit, the upright from the perverse, and finally the true from the false.

"They may be found even as we." One simple comparison of the Apostle with the false apostles should have convinced the Corinthians of the superiority of the one and the emptiness of the others. While the false apostles devoured and plundered the Corinthians, the Apostle did not take, and did not wish henceforth to take, anything necessary for himself from them. He did this so that, as he says, the false apostles would not be found to be like us. According to the course of the speech, one might have expected the Apostle to say, "that we may not be found like them, the false apostles." But the Apostle forestalls the Corinthians' mistaken opinion about him.

St. Paul is authorized to speak with severity by his apostolic rank (2 Cor 10:12-12:18). The Apostle defends and proves the certainty of this high rank by pointing to his preaching without payment (2 Cor 11:1-21). "I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ." "I think that I am not in the least inferior to the chief Apostles." "Did I sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted. Because I preached the Gospel of God to you without charge?" "In everything I have kept myself, and will keep myself, from being burdensome to you. This boast shall not be taken from me in the regions of Achaia." I do this not from lack of love for you, that is, not from proud independence of you.

In exposing the hypocrisy of the false teachers, the Apostle points to its foundation in Satan. His ministers can act in no other way, and for this reason he threatens them with destruction. "It is the devil's custom to imitate the divine. As he sets troops of false prophets against the prophets, so he imitates the outward appearance of angels and deceives men. Therefore it is no wonder that they, his servants, assume the person of those called Apostles and use deceit that furthers the deception of men" (Theodoret). "Who, then, are ministers of righteousness?" Chrysostom asks, and answers in the Apostle's name: "We, who preach to you the Gospel that contains all righteousness. Either he means this, or he means that the false apostles arrogate to themselves the glory of righteous men.

Do not wonder, the Apostle seems to say, that I resolved to act so before seeing how the enemies of the truth would act. I knew beforehand that they were ready to assume every mask. Such is the nature of falsehood. So it is with these lying apostles. As flattering workers, who prevail not by truth but by the semblance of truth, they disguise themselves as Apostles of Christ and deceive the simple. "They do everything hypocritically, for deception. Since they know that otherwise they would find no entrance, they assume the mask of truth and hide beneath it the deceit of seduction. The Apostle says that they do not take money in order to gain something greater: the destruction of the soul. Yet even in this there was greater deceit. They took money, but secretly. He exposes them in this when he says, 'disguising themselves.' The sheepskin serves them only as a mask," says Chrysostom.