NOTES for 2 Кор 11:16-33
The Apostle Paul had already written to the Corinthians that the flesh cannot boast before God, and that whoever wants to boast should boast in the Lord (1 Cor 1:29–31). In this passage he again uses the expression “boast according to the flesh.” Having become familiar with the Apostle’s terminology in his two letters to the Corinthians, try to explain what he means by this expression.
The false teachers who appeared in Corinth and turned the Christians there against Paul offer an example of such “boasting in the flesh.” They took credit for belonging to the chosen Jewish people (22) and for their title as ministers of Christ (23), but clearly used these things in an unchristian way (20).
What can the Apostle set against this boasting? Will he, like a fool, boast in something other than the Lord? Well, he too can boast of certain things. Sarcastically underlining the absurdity of “boasting in the flesh,” Paul adds the qualifications that his boasting will be “not according to the Lord” (17), “foolishly” (21), and “as a fool” (23).
So what does he boast about? Besides also belonging to the people of God, Paul boasts of the sufferings he endured for Christ, of persecutions, and of complete self-giving in the service of God. Consider what the Apostle wants to show the Corinthians through his “foolish boasting.” How does his boasting “according to the flesh” differ from that of his opponents? What is the mark of true apostleship revealed in Paul’s life and ministry? How can we apply these words to our own service to God and the Church?