THE APOSTLE OF THE RECONCILIATION

`Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? ... If I be not an apostle unto

others, yet doubtless I am to you, for the SEAL OF MINE APOSTLESHIP are ye in the Lord. Mine answer to them

that do examine me is this; Have we not a right to eat and to drink? Have we not a right to lead about a sister, a

wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? Or I only and Barnabas, have not

we the right to forbear working? ... If others are partakers of this right over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless,

we have not used this right, but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ ... when I preach the

gospel I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I do not use to the full my right in the gospel. For

though I be free from all, yet have I made myself enslaved to all, that I might gain the more. And to the Jews I

became as a Jew that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law ... to them that are

without law, as without law ... To the weak became I as weak ... I am made all things to all men, that I might by

all means save some' (1 Cor. 9:1-22 Author's translation).

This utter abandonment of self for the good of others was used against the apostle by the Judaizing party. In

2 Corinthians 12:12 he tells them that all the signs of an apostle were wrought among them, except this one thing,

that the apostle abstained from his right of being supported by them. `Forgive me this wrong', he says, `I will very

gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved'. There a heavy heart

is manifested, for all the brave exterior. Quoting from the slanders in circulation about him, he repeats, `But be it so,

I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile' (verse 16). Hardly are the words penned

than the apostle's whole being revolts against the charge. Away with the thought! `Did I make a gain of you by any

of them whom I sent unto you? I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you?'

(verses 17 and 18).

2 Corinthians 11 and 12 are occupied much in the same way as Galatians 1 and 2. The apostle, with much

diffidence, calling his defence `folly' and `foolish boasting', is again plunged into the defence of his ministry, and the

unchivalrous contention with Peter and others.

The literary structure will again simplify the subject and keep us to the chief point:

A 11:1-4.  The real deceiver. The serpent; `subtilty' (panourgia).

B 11:5,6.  KNOWLEDGE. `Not one whit behind the chiefest (extra super) apostles'.

C 11:7-21. SELF-ABASEMENT. Ministers of Satan.

EQUALITY.  As to advantages of birth and religion.

D 11:23-33. SUPERIORITY. As to labours and sufferings.

C 12:1-10. VISIONS AND REVELATIONS. A messenger of Satan.

B 12:11,12. SIGNS.

`Not one whit behind the chiefest (extra super) apostles'.

A 12:13-18. The false charge. `Being crafty' (panourgos).

While, therefore, the false teachers were saying of Paul that being crafty he caught them with guile, Paul exposes

the real deceiver in the Serpent. And his servants - ministers of Satan, false apostles - on the one hand, and a stake

in the flesh - a messenger of Satan - on the other hand, intensified the sufferings both mental and physical of the

apostle to the Gentiles. The necessity of saving the Corinthians from the bondage of the Judaizers was urgent. Once

more the apostle lays bare that which modesty would for ever have covered.

`Are they Hebrews?............................................... So am I.

Are they Israelites? .............................................. So am I.