2Co 11:1-4 What foolishness had the Corinthians been bearing with? See 2Co 11:4,19,20. What was Paul’s approach in dealing with their defection? See 2Co 11:1,16-18,21,23, 12:11. What was Paul’s attachment to the Corinthians? See 2Co 11:2. What is the significance of “one husband” in 2Co 11:2? See 2Co 11:4. What sort of Bride is fit to be presented to God’s Son? See also Eph 5:27. How does Paul describe this Bride’s devotion to Christ? See 2Co 11:3. What is the significance that the word Paul used for “simplicity” is the same he used in 2Co 8:2 and 9:11,13 for “liberality”? In what way were the Corinthians stumbling into spiritual adultery in their relationship to their one husband Jesus Christ? See 2Co 11:4, James 4:4. Why? See 2Co 11:3. In what way have the minds of Christians today been corrupted to go after another Jesus, receive a different Spirit, and accept a different gospel? See also Exodus 32:1, 2 Thess 2:3-4.
2Co 11:5-9 In what three ways does Paul demonstrate that he was not inferior to the eloquent “super-apostles” who commended themselves as Paul’s superior? See 2Co 11:6, 7-8, & 9. What does his argument reveal about their motivation for ministry? Was it love, or pride and greed? See also 2 Peter 2:2-3, 14-15, 18-19, Prov 5:1-6, 7:1-27.
2Co 11:10-12 Paul was not against receiving support from others to fund his missionary endeavors (see 2Co 11:8); however he never asked for money from the Corinthians. Why not? See also 1 Cor 9:12,18. Are Christian ministers today as willing to forsake their rights to remuneration in order to cut off opportunity from false workers and further the gospel?
2Co 11:13-15 What does a false apostle look like on the outside? What is he (or she!) like on the inside? Does a false apostle know he is a false apostle? If a false apostle (or prophet, or teacher) looks just like a true one on the outside—even believing himself to be true—how can one tell the difference? See Jer 17:7-8, Mat 7:17, 1 Cor 4:12-13. Note: it is an easy thing for a person (including Satan!) to appear righteous (green and verdant) when everything is going his way and his selfish lusts are being satisfied (when there is plenty of rain—and recall that God does cause His rain to fall on the righteous and the unrighteous, Mat 5:45). However, the true test is during the hot winds of trial and temptation: is a person rooted in the living water of Jesus so that he continues to bear the fruit of righteousness, or does his leaf wither and the winds carry him away like chaff (see Psalm 1)? With this in mind, does the nature and character of Satan always, or even generally, manifest itself in an outward appearance of evil? What is the true nature and character of Satan? See 2Co 11:14. To be like Satan, is it necessary for one to engage in the most vile and horrifically evil things imaginable? NO! LET US NOT BE DECEIVED! To be like Satan we have only to put on the appearance that we are righteous when in fact our hearts are unrepentant, self-serving, and still love the vain pleasures of sin! See also Matthew 5:38-48.
Summary: What do these verses teach us about how Satan has counterfeited everything that God has which is true? See Isaiah 14:13-14. As there is the true God, who is the false God? See 2 Cor 4:4. As there is a true Jesus, who is the false Jesus? 1 Jn 2:18, Rev 13:1-4, 2 Thess 2:3-4. As there is a true Spirit, who is the false Spirit? 2 Cor 11:3, 1 Jn 4:3, Rev 13:11-13. As there is a true Church, what is the false Church? See Rev 2:9, 3:9. As there are true apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, who are the false apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers? See 2 Cor 11:13, 2 Pet 2:1. As there are true sons, who are the false sons? Isa 30:9, Heb 12:6-8. As there is a true circumcision, who is the false circumcision? See Phil 3:2-3. As there is a true gospel, what is the false gospel? See 2 Cor 11:4, Gal 1:6-7, Jude 1:4. As there are true signs and wonders and miracles, what are the false signs and wonders and miracles? See Mat 24:24, 2 Thess 2:9. As this delusion is so strong as to mislead even the elect, which God, Jesus, Spirit, etc… are you following?