2 Corinthians 11:23Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He knew and was certain that present hardships were for him a pledge of the greatest rewards, and that afflictions brought crowns. If Jacob, because of love for Rachel, counted seven years as a few days (cf. Gen 29:20), then this blessed one counted everything still more as nothing. Once enflamed with longing for God, he endured everything for beloved Christ. Let us also, I beg you, strive to love Christ. Christ Himself, according to His own saying, requires nothing else from you than love for Him with all your heart and the keeping of His commandments (cf. Mt 22:37-39). See here, beloved, how virtuous the soul of this blessed man is. He had already called what he did boldness and madness. Though necessity compelled him, he was not content with what he had said. But when he resolved to declare that he surpassed them in very many things, he again called his words madness. He did this so that no one would think he spoke from self-love. It is as though he said: Do I not know that I am doing something displeasing to many and unworthy of me? But pressing necessity compels me. Therefore forgive me for speaking mad words. Let us, burdened with such a weight of sins, imitate even his shadow. If we ever do anything good, we cannot keep even this in the treasuries of the heart. We proclaim and reveal it out of love for human glory, and by such untimely talkativeness deprive ourselves of God’s reward. Nothing of this sort was in blessed Paul. What then? “Are they ministers of Christ?” he says. “I speak as a fool: I am more.” Then he reveals those struggles of his which the false apostles did not perform. How could people perform them who were hostile to the truth? They strove in every way to hinder the preaching of piety and disturbed the minds of simple people. Therefore, having said, “I am more,” he lists the struggles of his courage and says, “in labors more abundantly, in stripes beyond measure, and in deaths often.” What are you saying? Your words are strange and extraordinary. Is it possible to die several times? Yes, he says, it is possible, if not in actual fact, then in intention. By this he teaches us that, for the sake of preaching, he was constantly exposed to dangers that threatened him with death. Yet the grace of God preserved the contestant amid the dangers themselves, so that the disciples might receive great benefit from him. “In deaths,” he says, “often.”

“In labors more abundantly, in stripes beyond measure, in prisons more frequently.” He enumerates the distinguishing marks of apostles, and, leaving aside signs, begins with temptations. I undertake many labors, he says, passing from place to place, teaching day and night, and at the same time working with my hands. More importantly, I endure blows, and excessive ones. Still higher than this, together with the blows I undergo imprisonment. The words “more abundantly” stand in the comparative degree and express comparison with the false apostles. He speaks as though hypothetically: suppose that they labor, yet I labor far more. Some, however, say that these words do not express comparison, but only a great quantity and the highest degree. “In deaths often.” Not merely seeming to die, but being exposed to dangers that truly threatened death.

David’s enemies were strengthened and multiplied in this age. Yet there is no firmer foundation than that of the man established in Christ. Those who unjustly hated the righteous man were strengthened in this age. Their hatred is unlawful and unjust, for they hated unjustly. Look at the difference. In another psalm he says, “Those who hate me without cause” (Ps 68:5), but here we find, “those who hate me unjustly” (Ps 37:20). There the psalmist speaks in the person of Christ, but here in his own person. When he speaks in the person of Christ, he says that He is hated without cause. When he speaks in his own person, he says “unjustly.” It can happen that a man resists one particular wound, such as injustice, license, or debauchery, but yields to others. But in Christ there could be no cause for Him to receive the wound of any sin. He has no share in sin, is free from transgression, and is unstained by vice. Some think that both Psalm 37 and Psalm 68 were spoken in the person of Christ, Who asked forgiveness of the Father for our sins. Here it is said that He was attacked unjustly, and there, without cause.

Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I suffered shipwreck; a night and a day I spent in the deep.” That is, when the boat was broken apart, I was then carried back and forth by the waves for a whole night and a whole day. It was customary among the Jews to inflict forty stripes less one.

For this it was enough to show by deed that they protect themselves and try to extract their own gain from everything, while wearing the mask of ministers of Christ. But suffering for Christ, which is essentially necessary for true ministers of Christ, they never suffered, and they do not know how to set foot on this path.” “In labors, in prisons, in deaths often.” The labors and sufferings of Paul’s apostleship are beyond description. According to Clement, bishop of Rome, he was imprisoned seven times. He was exposed to mortal danger many times. Five times he was beaten with thirty-nine blows, so that no extra blow should be given beyond what the law allowed (Deut 25:3). Of the three beatings with rods, only one is mentioned in Acts. That case, it seems, was a special one (Acts 16:22). He was stoned almost to death in Lystra (Acts 14:19). The Apostle often traveled by sea. During one of three shipwrecks, he was carried by the waves in the deep for a night and a day, probably after grasping some fragment of the ship. The false teachers did not wish to suffer for Christ. Therefore they boasted of certain external distinctions, knowing how to present them as exalted before the inexperienced Corinthians. For example, they said they were the seed of Abraham, heirs of the great promises given to Abraham. But the Apostle had already said that this boasting was fleshly (verse 18). Now he shows that he too possesses all these supposed fleshly advantages. “Having shown his equality with them in this, he shows his superiority in voluntary achievements” (Theodoret).

These are the true false apostles, and it is of them that the Apostle speaks.

He puts their service to Christ the Lord in question. Therefore he does not affirm that they truly serve Christ, but speaks as though saying: if they say that they are ministers of Christ, then I am more so than they. The meaning is that, although they say this about themselves, they are not such. I am the true minister of Christ. Chrysostom says: "If they are false apostles, then he ought not to compare his superiority with theirs, but to refute the claim that they are ministers of Christ. He has already refuted this by saying, 'false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into Apostles of Christ' (v. 13). Here too he does the same thing, only in another way. First he presents the opinion of his opponents, as they think of themselves, saying, 'Are they ministers of Christ?' Then he says, 'I am more,' showing that he alone preserves the true character of apostleship."

"I speak not in wisdom," παραφρονων, as one raving. In the preceding text he also said, "I speak foolishly," εν αφροσυνη, in folly. "That former excuse was not enough for him, so here again he excuses himself. Although he had clear proof of his superiority, still he calls speaking of it folly. He calls it boldness and folly to say anything great and important about oneself, even when necessity requires it. By this he teaches us to flee this with all our strength. For if, when we have done all, we must call ourselves unprofitable servants (Lk 17:10), then what excuse can the man deserve who exalts and praises himself without any compelling reason? For this the Pharisee too was condemned and suffered shipwreck in the very harbor, striking against the rock of self-praise. For this reason Saint Paul, seeing thousands of necessities to speak about himself, makes reservations and continually repeats that this is a foolish deed. He does not dare do so until he has presented extreme necessity in his defense" (Chrysostom).

Having said that he alone preserves the true character of apostleship, the Apostle "proves this by deeds themselves and, passing over miracles, begins with temptations" (Chrysostom). He "sets forth not miracles, not dead men raised, not lame men walking, not the flight of demons, not the salvation of the world, but his sufferings for the Gospel" (Theodoret). Why so? Because it would in some way have been offensive to the extraordinary gifts themselves to prove the false apostleship of the false apostles, and his true apostleship, by their absence among them. For this it was enough to show by deed that they guarded only themselves and tried to draw their own advantage from everything, while wearing the mask of ministers of Christ. But they had never suffered for Christ, which is essentially necessary for true ministers of Christ, and they did not know how to set foot on that path.

"In labors more abundant, in wounds more exceedingly, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often." "In labors." "I undertake very great labors," he says, "going from place to place, teaching day and night, and working with my own hands. But what is still greater, I also endure wounds" (Theophylact). "For I endure blows and scourgings beyond the first thing, that is, beyond the bearing of labors" (Chrysostom). "Nor is this all: with wounds, how many times I was also shut up in prison" (Theophylact). Clement of Rome says that Saint Paul was imprisoned seven times.

"In deaths often." "'I die daily,' he said (1 Cor 15:31), but here he means death in actual fact. For his life was often exposed to dangers" (Chrysostom). "He did not die by intention only, but in deed gave himself over to death-bearing dangers" (Theophylact). "More abundant," "more exceedingly," "more frequently," and "often" are not spoken by comparison with the false apostles, according to Oecumenius. But Theophylact says: "It seems to be said in comparison with the false apostles, but hypothetically, as though he said: let them also labor, but I labor more abundantly and more exceedingly." Others suppose that this is said not by comparison, but simply to indicate the multitude and degrees of the sufferings. The last view is nearer the matter.