2 Corinthians 11
New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel
2 Corinthians chapter 11 is given here in full, verse by verse, in the English Majority Text Version (EMTV), with the Byzantine Majority Text set beneath each verse. The text follows the Byzantine textual tradition used in the Orthodox Church.
3 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from Saint John Chrysostom.
2 Corinthians 11
1Oh, that you would bear with me a little in my foolishness; but indeed you do bear with me.Ὄφελον ἀνείχεσθέ μου μικρὸν τῇ ἀφροσύνῃ· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνέχεσθέ μου.
2For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy, for I have betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.Ζηλῶ γὰρ ὑμᾶς Θεοῦ ζήλῳ· ἡρμοσάμην γὰρ ὑμᾶς ἑνὶ ἀνδρὶ παρθένον ἁγνὴν παραστῆσαι τῷ Χριστῷ.
3But I fear, lest perhaps as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.Φοβοῦμαι δὲ μήπως ὡς ὁ ὄφις Εὔαν ἐξηπάτησεν ἐν τῇ πανουργίᾳ αὐτοῦ, οὕτω φθαρῇ τὰ νοήματα ὑμῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ἁπλότητος τῆς εἰς τὸν Χριστόν.
4For if he who comes to you preaches another Jesus whom we did not preach, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you did not accept, you may well put up with him!Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἄλλον Ἰησοῦν κηρύσσει ὃν οὐκ ἐκηρύξαμεν, ἢ πνεῦμα ἕτερον λαμβάνετε ὃ οὐκ ἐλάβετε, ἢ εὐαγγέλιον ἕτερον ὃ οὐκ ἐδέξασθε, καλῶς ἠνείχεσθε.
5For I consider myself in nothing to have been inferior to the most super apostles.Λογίζομαι γὰρ μηδὲν ὑστερηκέναι τῶν ὑπὲρ λίαν ἀποστόλων.
6But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not inferior in knowledge, but in every way I was made known to you in all things.Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἰδιώτης τῷ λόγῳ, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ τῇ γνώσει· ἀλλ᾽ ἐν παντὶ φανερωθέντες ἐν πᾶσιν εἰς ὑμᾶς.
7Or did I commit sin in humbling myself in order that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you freely?Ἢ ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησα ἐμαυτὸν ταπεινῶν ἵνα ὑμεῖς ὑψωθῆτε, ὅτι δωρεὰν τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ εὐαγγέλιον εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν;
8I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you,Ἄλλας ἐκκλησίας ἐσύλησα, λαβὼν ὀψώνιον πρὸς τὴν ὑμῶν διακονίαν·
9and when I was present with you, and in need, I did not burden anyone; for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. And in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and so I will keep myself.καὶ παρὼν πρὸς ὑμᾶς καὶ ὑστερηθείς, οὐ κατενάρκησα οὐδενός· τὸ γὰρ ὑστέρημά μου προσανεπλήρωσαν οἱ ἀδελφοί, ἐλθόντες ἀπὸ Μακεδονίας· καὶ ἐν παντὶ ἀβαρῆ ὑμῖν ἐμαυτὸν ἐτήρησα καὶ τηρήσω.
10As the truth of Christ is in me, that this boasting will not be silenced in me in the regions of Achaia.Ἔστιν ἀλήθεια Χριστοῦ ἐν ἐμοί, ὅτι ἡ καύχησις αὕτη οὐ φραγήσεται εἰς ἐμὲ ἐν τοῖς κλίμασι τῆς Ἀχαΐας.
11Why? Because I do not love you? God knows!Διὰ τί; Ὅτι οὐκ ἀγαπῶ ὑμᾶς; Ὁ Θεὸς οἶδεν.
12But what I am doing, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity of those who desire an opportunity, that in what they boast they may be found just as we are.Ὃ δὲ ποιῶ, καὶ ποιήσω, ἵνα ἐκκόψω τὴν ἀφορμὴν τῶν θελόντων ἀφορμήν, ἵνα ἐν ᾧ καυχῶνται, εὑρεθῶσι καθὼς καὶ ἡμεῖς.
13For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.Οἱ γὰρ τοιοῦτοι ψευδαπόστολοι, ἐργάται δόλιοι, μετασχηματιζόμενοι εἰς ἀποστόλους Χριστοῦ.
14And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.Καὶ οὐ θαυμαστόν· αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ Σατανᾶς μετασχηματίζεται εἰς ἄγγελον φωτός.
15Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.Οὐ μέγα οὖν εἰ καὶ οἱ διάκονοι αὐτοῦ μετασχηματίζονται ὡς διάκονοι δικαιοσύνης, ὧν τὸ τέλος ἔσται κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν.
16Again I say, let no one think me a fool. Otherwise, at least receive me as a fool, that I also may boast a little.Πάλιν λέγω, μή τίς με δόξῃ ἄφρονα εἶναι· εἰ δὲ μή γε, κἂν ὡς ἄφρονα δέξασθέ με, ἵνα κἀγὼ μικρόν τι καυχήσωμαι.
17What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were, foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.Ὃ λαλῶ, οὐ λαλῶ κατὰ Κύριον, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ, ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ ὑποστάσει τῆς καυχήσεως.
18Since many are boasting according to the flesh, I also will boast.Ἐπεὶ πολλοὶ καυχῶνται κατὰ τὴν σάρκα, κἀγὼ καυχήσομαι.
19For you bear with fools gladly, seeing you yourselves are so wise!Ἡδέως γὰρ ἀνέχεσθε τῶν ἀφρόνων, φρόνιμοι ὄντες.
20For you put up with it if someone enslaves you, if someone devours you, if someone takes from you, if someone exalts himself, if someone strikes you in the face.Ἀνέχεσθε γάρ, εἴ τις ὑμᾶς καταδουλοῖ, εἴ τις κατεσθίει, εἴ τις λαμβάνει, εἴ τις ἐπαίρεται, εἴ τις ὑμᾶς εἰς πρόσωπον δέρει.
21To our shame, I say that we were too weak for that! But in whatever anyone is bold (I speak foolishly) I am bold also.Κατὰ ἀτιμίαν λέγω, ὡς ὅτι ἡμεῖς ἠσθενήσαμεν· ἐν ᾧ δ᾽ ἄν τις τολμᾷ—ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ λέγω—τολμῶ κἀγώ.
22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I.Ἑβραῖοί εἰσι; Κἀγώ. Ἰσραηλῖταί εἰσι; Κἀγώ. Σπέρμα Ἁβραάμ εἰσι; Κἀγώ.
23Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am even more: in labors far more, in beatings immeasurably, in imprisonments far more, in deaths often.Διάκονοι Χριστοῦ εἰσι;—παραφρονῶν λαλῶ—Ὑπὲρ ἐγώ. Ἐν κόποις περισσοτέρως, ἐν πληγαῖς ὑπερβαλλόντως, ἐν φυλακαῖς περισσοτέρως, ἐν θανάτοις πολλάκις,
24By the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.ὑπὸ Ἰουδαίων πεντάκις τεσσαράκοντα παρὰ μίαν ἔλαβον.
25Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have spent in the depth of the sea.Τρὶς ἐραβδίσθην, ἅπαξ ἐλιθάσθην, τρὶς ἐναυάγησα, νυχθήμερον ἐν τῷ βυθῷ πεποίηκα·
26In journeys often, in dangers of rivers, in dangers of robbers, in dangers from my own race, in dangers from the Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers in the sea, in dangers among false brothers;ὁδοιπορίαις πολλάκις, κινδύνοις ποταμῶν, κινδύνοις λῃστῶν, κινδύνοις ἐκ γένους, κινδύνοις ἐξ ἐθνῶν, κινδύνοις ἐν πόλει, κινδύνοις ἐν ἐρημίᾳ, κινδύνοις ἐν θαλάσσῃ, κινδύνοις ἐν ψευδαδέλφοις·
27in labor and hardship, in sleepless nights often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—ἐν κόπῳ καὶ μόχθῳ, ἐν ἀγρυπνίαις πολλάκις, ἐν λιμῷ καὶ δίψει, ἐν νηστείαις πολλάκις, ἐν ψύχει καὶ γυμνότητι.
28apart from what I leave unmentioned, what comes against me daily: the anxiety for all the churches.Χωρὶς τῶν παρεκτός, ἡ ἐπισύστασίς μου ἡ καθ᾽ ἡμέραν, ἡ μέριμνα πασῶν τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν.
29Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?Τίς ἀσθενεῖ, καὶ οὐκ ἀσθενῶ; Τίς σκανδαλίζεται, καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ πυροῦμαι;
30If I must boast, I will boast about the things concerning my weakness.Εἰ καυχᾶσθαι δεῖ, τὰ τῆς ἀσθενείας μου καυχήσομαι.
31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.Ὁ Θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ οἶδεν, ὁ ὢν εὐλογητὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, ὅτι οὐ ψεύδομαι.
32In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me;Ἐν Δαμασκῷ ὁ ἐθνάρχης Ἀρέτα τοῦ βασιλέως ἐφρούρει τὴν Δαμασκηνῶν πόλιν, πιάσαι με θέλων·
33but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.καὶ διὰ θυρίδος ἐν σαργάνῃ ἐχαλάσθην διὰ τοῦ τείχους καὶ ἐξέφυγον τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ.
The Fathers on 2 Corinthians 11
Saint John Chrysostom comments on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On 2 Corinthians 11:1Saint John ChrysostomWould that ye could bear with me in a little foolishness and, indeed ye do bear with me.[909]
Read Homilies on the Second Epistle to the Corinthians →
On 2 Corinthians 11:13Saint John ChrysostomFor such are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into Apostles of Christ.
Read Homilies on the Second Epistle to the Corinthians →
On 2 Corinthians 11:21Open 2 Corinthians 11 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Saint John ChrysostomYet whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak in foolishness,) I am bold also.
Read Homilies on the Second Epistle to the Corinthians →