The Apostle’s Labors, Perils, and Care for the Churches (2 Cor. 11:27–32)

2 Cor. 11:27. In toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and nakedness.

“In toil and hardship,” εν κοπω και μοχθω. — Μοχθος is also toil, but intensified toil, toil to exhaustion. “In the toil of teaching and in the hardship of manual work” (Theodoret). So for the Apostle “after toil came dangers, after dangers came toils, alternating and constantly following one another and giving him not a moment of rest” (Saint Chrysostom). — “Through many sleepless nights”: “for even in refuges I did not surrender to sleep, as witnessed by what happened in Philippi” (Theodoret). Here he spent the night in prayer, and later in Troas in conversation with believers. These are examples of how everywhere and always the Apostle acted. “It was not enough for him to suffer afflictions from without, but he also exhausted himself with toils, with sweats, and with sleepless nights” (Theophylact).

“In hunger and thirst”: “this is one of the involuntary hardships” (Theodoret). For voluntary deprivations of this kind are contained in the following word. He could endure this both when traveling and when imprisoned.

“Often without food”: “this is one of the voluntary ascetic struggles” (Theodoret). Fasting is a helper to prayer, the best preparation for preaching with the power of the word. Such help was needed by Saint Paul almost continuously.

“In cold and nakedness.” That is, he endured coldness on account of poor clothing that did not warm him well. “This was a consequence of poverty and extreme destitution” (Theodoret). “With all the sufferings mentioned, he did not even have necessary food, and had nothing to clothe himself with—the teacher of the universe struggled in nakedness and fought while hungry” (Theophylact).

2 Cor. 11:28. And apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

“And apart from other things,” χωρις των παρεκτος, besides the rest: I pass over the rest. “From much,” he says, “I am forced to relate a little” (Theodoret). He wants to say: “More is omitted than what is set forth. Even of what is enumerated it is impossible to describe fully. For the Apostle did not indicate each trial separately, but recalled only those whose number was not great and could be retained in memory, saying: five times, three times, once; of the other trials he did not even say this, because he endured them many times” (Saint Chrysostom).

“The daily pressure on me.” “Uprisings, riots, oppression from the people and the rushing of whole cities. For the Jews chiefly displayed their enmity toward him in this way, because the Apostle shamed them more than all others, and the greatest rebuke of their madness was his sudden conversion to Christ. A great war was stirred up against him from his own, from strangers, from hypocrites. Everywhere for him were waves and rapids, in inhabited and uninhabited places, on land and on sea, without and within” (Saint Chrysostom).

“Anxiety for all the churches.” “This is the culmination of all: his soul was torn, his heart was rending. Even without external sorrows, the internal struggle would have cost him much, waves of anxieties chasing one another, clouds of cares, conflict of thoughts. For if one caring for a single house, though having servants, stewards, and managers, often knows no peace from care when no one troubles him, imagine what Paul had to endure, who had care not for a single house, but for cities, for peoples, tribes, for the whole world, and in matters so important, with so many enemies striving to harm him everywhere and in everything; he labored alone and was so sensitive, cared for all as a father does not care for his own children” (Saint Chrysostom).

2 Cor. 11:29. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I am not indignant?

“So that you do not say: though Paul was concerned, yet he was concerned lightly, he showed how great was his concern, saying: ‘Who is weak, and I am not weak?’” He did not say: I take part in sorrow, but he says: I am so troubled and grieved as if I myself were in the same affliction, suffered that same illness. “Who is made to stumble, and I am not indignant?” (I burn, as in fire, zealous for their salvation). See again how great is his sorrow, which the word ‘indignant’ shows. I am inflamed, I am consumed, he says; and this sorrow is truly greater than all others. Other sorrows, though heavy, quickly passed and brought imperishable joy, but this sorrow—to endure so many sufferings for each weak one, whoever he might be, oppressed, constrained, wounded his heart. For he was not only concerned for the highest, leaving the lowest in neglect, but rather counted the contemptible among the necessary. Therefore he said: ‘Who is weak’ (‘Who is made to stumble’), showing that he means anyone, whoever he might be. As if in himself encompassing the whole universal Church, Paul grieved for each member of it. (Saint Chrysostom).

2 Cor. 11:30. If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

This is the conclusion of all that precedes. He speaks as if: thus, if I must boast, as you compel me, then I will boast of my weaknesses, meaning all that I have said of myself before, that is, deprivations, sorrows, persecutions. “For all this shows the weakness of human nature. He does not mention miracles, because they are God’s gift, but all this under God’s will and protection shows both His will and his endurance” (Theophylact). “The Apostle gave an indication that he could have pointed also to what was accomplished by him through grace, but he considered it more fitting to point to the labors of endurance” (Theodoret). Why did he judge thus? — Because “such is the distinctive character of apostleship; by this the gospel is established” (Saint Chrysostom). And he had to show the Corinthians more clearly that he is a true Apostle. By enumerating all he endured, he speaks as if to them: do you not recognize in me one of those whom the Lord sent as sheep in the midst of wolves? This impressed itself and consequently proved what Saint Paul intended to prove: the goal was achieved.

2 Cor. 11:31. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.

To what purpose such an assurance of truth? I testify before God, I speak before God, that I do not lie. What does this confirm: the truth of what has been said, or what is still to be said? But much of what has been said the Corinthians knew personally and saw with their own eyes; and judging by this, they had no reason to doubt what they did not see. Consequently, this must refer to what follows. To what then? — Not to what happened in Damascus, for this event is not so important and incredible that it would require testimony before God to assure of its truth. Rather, it should refer to the account of the rapture to the third heaven, as a phenomenon outside the ordinary. Perhaps the account of Saint Paul’s persecution in Damascus is inserted here because this event stood in some connection with the rapture of Saint Paul to heaven—and for this reason stands here as an introduction.

“The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Both God and Father of the Lord. But the Lord is also a divine name, therefore by this is said the same thing as: Father of God; and consequently, the Lord Jesus Christ is God of God. — “Who is blessed forever.” A heart that loves and reverences God, and always contemplates Him as a gracious Father, cannot help but, in its ascents to God, express such dispositions in some reverent and loving word. So does Saint Paul both here and in many other places. — “Knows that I am not lying.” He walked before God and led all his thoughts, feelings, dispositions, and deeds as before the face of God. His conscience showed him no crookedness in himself before God in any respect. He testifies boldly before God, both that what he says is true, and that it was approved, arranged, and helped by God Himself.

2 Cor. 11:32. In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, and I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.

Apostle Paul, upon returning from Arabia to Damascus, preached the Gospel here with such zeal that he angered both Jews and Gentiles. Both together stirred up against him the pagan governor (εθναρχης, a people-ruler or city-ruler, or perhaps a provincial governor); and he ordered that all entrances and exits of Damascus be guarded to capture Saint Paul. The city was surrounded by a wall, but the city houses, as even now, were built close to this wall and adjoined it, sometimes rising even above the wall. With such an arrangement, a window looking out over the city was possible. Through it Saint Paul was lowered in a basket, and he escaped from the hands of the people-ruler and his enemies. After this he went to Jerusalem to see Peter (Acts 9:23–26; Gal. 1:17, 18).

Saint Chrysostom says: “See what a war it was, if a governor guarded the city because of him. When I speak of war, I mean Paul’s zeal. If Paul had not breathed with such fire of zeal, he would not have inflamed such fury in the provincial governor. Such is the nature of an apostolic soul—to endure so much and never waver, but to bear manfully all that comes; yet not to fall recklessly into dangers or run to meet them. See by what means he consented to escape the siege. ‘Through a window in the wall I was let down in a basket.’ Though he desired to depart this life, he at the same time sought human salvation. Therefore and often he devised such means to preserve himself for preaching. And he did not refuse to use human measures when circumstances required it. Thus was he cautious and vigilant. Where evil was unavoidable, he resorted to grace alone; but where temptation did not exceed human powers, he devised much from himself. But here again he attributes all to God. And as a spark of inextinguishable fire, fallen into the sea, though swallowed by many waves, yet afterwards comes forth to the surface as bright: so blessed Paul, now as if plunged into the abyss, beset by afflictions, then was freed and appeared most brilliant, remaining victor in his evil sufferings. Here is glorious victory, here are victorious standards of the Church! The devil brought many scourges upon Saint Paul, but he remained victor in all. Like a warrior who alone fights against the whole world, surrounded by ranks of enemies and suffering no harm, so Paul, appearing alone among Greeks, barbarians, everywhere—on land and sea, remained unconquerable. And as a spark fallen into straw or hay transforms all it consumes into one nature with itself, so he, to whomever he came, brought all to the truth, and passed everywhere like a stream destroying barriers. Like some wrestler, who alone wrestles, pursues, and strikes; or like a warrior who both sieges walls and fights on sea and land, so Paul engaged in every kind of warfare, breathed fire, for all was unapproachable, with one body encompassed the whole world, with one tongue scattered all. Constantly appearing everywhere, coming to some, hurrying to others, appearing with those, being transferred to these, rushing faster than wind. And governing the world as one house or one ship, he would draw up the drowning, strengthen the weakening; give orders to sailors, sit at the stern; inspect the rudder, draw the ropes, steer the oar, furl the sails, look to heaven: he alone was all—both sailor and helmsman, and sail and ship; endured all that he might free others from evil. And note, he suffered shipwreck that he might stop the shipwreck of the world; spent a night and day in the deep of the sea that he might draw men from the depth of deception; was in toils that he might give rest to the toiling; endured wounds that he might heal those wounded by the devil; sat in prisons that he might bring those bound in fetters and darkness into light; was many times at death’s door that he might save others from cruel death. Five times he received forty lashes minus one that he might save from the devil’s scourges those who scourged him; was beaten with rods that he might bring others under the rod and club of Christ; was stoned that he might free from hardened insensibility; was in the wilderness that he might draw from the desolation of sin; was in journeys that he might turn back the wandering and open the way to heaven; underwent dangers in cities that he might point to the heavenly city; endured hunger and thirst that he might save from spiritual famine; was naked that he might clothe the shameless in the garment of Christ; endured attacks from the people that he might avert attack from demons; was inflamed that he might quench the fiery arrows of the evil one; was let down in a basket through a window in the wall that he might raise up those cast down. Shall we still speak when we do not know all that Paul endured?!”