2 Corinthians 11:15

2 Corinthians 11:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
• New International Version (NIV)It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

Context of 2 Corinthians 11:15

13For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions. 16I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then receive me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. 17In this confident boasting of mine, I am not speaking as the Lord would, but as a fool.

2 Corinthians 11:15 word by word

οὐ μέγα οὖν εἰ καὶ οἱ διάκονοι αὐτοῦ μετασχηματίζονται ὡς διάκονοι δικαιοσύνης ὧν τὸ τέλος ἔσται κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν.¶Read the interlinear

• notοὐou · noG3756
• surprisingμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
• thenοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• ifεἰei · if: even thoughG1487
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• servantsδιάκονοςdiakonos · servantG1249
• ·καίkai · andG2532
• masqueradeμετασχηματίζωmetaschēmatizō · to transformG3345
• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• of righteousnessδικαιοσύνηdikaiosunē · righteousnessG1343
• ·ὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• endτέλοςtelos · goal/taxG5056
• will correspond toεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• will correspond toκατάkata · according toG2596
• actionsἔργονergon · workG2041

Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 11:15

• 2 Kings 5:13Naaman’s servants, however, approached him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’?”
• 1 Corinthians 9:11If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much for us to reap a material harvest from you?
• 2 Corinthians 11:13For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.
• Acts 13:10and said, “O child of the devil and enemy of all righteousness, you are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery! Will you never stop perverting the straight ways of the Lord?
• Ephesians 6:12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
• Revelation 9:11They were ruled by a king, the angel of the Abyss. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek it is Apollyon.
• Revelation 13:2The beast I saw was like a leopard, with the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.
• Revelation 19:19Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies assembled to wage war against the One seated on the horse, and against His army.
• Revelation 20:2He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
• 2 Corinthians 11:23Are they servants of Christ? (I am speaking as if I were out of my mind.) I am so much more: in harder labor, in more imprisonments, in worse beatings, in frequent danger of death.
• 2 Corinthians 3:9For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry of righteousness!
• Isaiah 9:14So the LORD will cut off Israel’s head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single day.
• Jeremiah 5:31The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end?
• Jeremiah 23:14And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: They commit adultery and walk in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns his back on wickedness. They are all like Sodom to Me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.”
• Jeremiah 28:15Then the prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The LORD did not send you, but you have persuaded this people to trust in a lie.
• Jeremiah 29:32this is what the LORD says: ‘I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good that I will bring to My people, declares the LORD, for he has preached rebellion against the LORD.’”

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 11:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Whose end shall be according to their works - A bad way leads to a bad end. The way of sin is the way to hell.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15Therefore it is no great thing … - It is not to be deemed surprising. You are not to wonder if people of the basest, blackest character put on the appearance of the greatest sanctity, and even become eminent as professed preachers of righteousness. Whose end shall be … - Whose final destiny. Their doom in eternity shall not be according to their fair professions and plausible pretences, for they cannot deceive God; but shall be according to their real…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-15Verses 5-15 It is far better to be plain in speech, yet walking openly and consistently with the gospel, than to be admired by thousands, and be lifted up in pride, so as to disgrace the gospel by evil tempers and unholy lives. The apostle would not give room for any to accuse him of worldly designs in preaching the gospel, that others who opposed him at Corinth, might not in this respect gain advantage against him. Hypocrisy may be looked for, especially…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-15Paul strongly criticizes the false teachers in Corinth (compare Galatians 1:6–9). Although these teachers wanted to claim their work was like Paul's (2 Corinthians 11:12), they were actually false apostles and deceitful workers (compare Philippians 3:2). Just as Satan transformed himself into an angel of light to deceive Eve (as described in the Jewish apocryphal book The Life of Adam and Eve), his servants also pretend to be servants of righteousness…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. no great thing--no difficult matter. if his ministers also--as well as himself. righteousness--answering to "light" (2Co 11:14); the manifestation wherewith God reveals Himself in Christ (Mt 6:33; Ro 1:17). end--The test of things is the end which strips off every specious form into which Satan's agents may now "transform" themselves (compare Php 3:19, 21). according to their works--not according to their pretensions.Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Corinthians 11:15

• Judgment
• Minister, Christian
• Satan
• Temptation

In the dictionaries

• Abase
• Above
• Corrupt
• Fear
• Jealous
• Peril
• Receive
• Save
• Corinthians, Second Epistle to the
• Galatians, Epistle to the

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings