Why does Paul claim to speak "not with the Lord’s authority" in 2 Corinthians 11:17? Canonical Text “In this confident boasting, I am not speaking as the Lord would, but as a fool.” — 2 Corinthians 11:17 Immediate Literary Setting Paul begins the “fool’s speech” in 11:1–12:13, an extended, ironic self-commendation designed to unmask the “super-apostles” (11:5, 13). He has just urged, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord” (10:17), yet the Corinthians are bewitched by flashy rhetoric and pedigree. To reclaim them he momentarily plays their game, “boasting” in ways the Lord Himself never modeled. Hence the disclaimer. Historical–Cultural Background Greco-Roman sophists impressed audiences through “’περὶ αὑτοῦ λόγος’” (self-laudatory speech). Inscriptions such as that of Polemon of Laodicea (c. AD 150) illustrate how status rhetoric permeated the cities of Achaia. The Corinthian church, situated at a major trade nexus reopened by Julius Caesar in 44 BC, absorbed these cultural expectations. Paul counters with an upside-down boast: weaknesses, hardships, and the “thorn” (12:7). By prefacing it with “not with the Lord’s authority,” he signals irony before he begins. Comparison to 1 Corinthians 7:10–12 There Paul distinguishes between: 1. A direct dominical saying (“not I, but the Lord,” v. 10). 2. Inspired apostolic judgment where no recorded Jesus-saying exists (“I, not the Lord,” v. 12). Likewise, 2 Corinthians 11:17 marks a boundary between: • A direct Christ-like pattern (humble service). • A rhetorical concession made necessary by Corinthian immaturity. No Conflict with Inspiration or Inerrancy “All Scripture is God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16). Inspiration covers the CONTENT; it does not forbid an author from labeling a rhetorical stance “foolish.” Peter groups Paul’s letters with “the rest of the Scriptures” (2 Peter 3:16), an early testimony that the Church never read 2 Corinthians as merely human opinion. Patristic Citation • Clement of Rome (c. AD 95), 1 Clement 37, alludes to Paul’s “boastings” undertaken “not according to the Lord but according to necessity.” • Origen (c. AD 240) in Commentary on John 19.6 explicitly ties 2 Corinthians 11:17 to Paul’s strategic condescension. Rhetorical Purpose: Reductio ad Absurdum 1. Adoption of the adversary’s method (boasting) shows its bankruptcy. 2. Highlights true grounds for boasting: weakness that magnifies Christ’s power (12:9). 3. Reinforces cruciform leadership, in direct contrast to triumphalist false apostles. Ethical Application Believers may contextualize their communication without compromising truth. Yet any method inconsistent with Christ’s character must be sign-posted, just as Paul does, to prevent confusion between strategy and norm. Answer Summarized Paul’s statement “not with the Lord’s authority” does not question inspiration; it alerts readers that the STYLE—ironic boasting—is unlike the meekness Jesus practiced. Forced by Corinthian immaturity, Paul uses a culturally intelligible vehicle to expose pretenders, all the while affirming that genuine boasting belongs only “in the Lord.” |
    |