2 Corinthians 11:12

2 Corinthians 11:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
• New International Version (NIV)And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast.

Context of 2 Corinthians 11:12

10The message that I speak about Christ is true. So I will continue to be proud of how I lived among you. Nobody in the whole region of Achaia can stop me doing that. 11You must not think that I say this because I do not love you. God himself knows that I love you. Yes, I will continue to work among you in the way that I am already doing. I will not take any pay from you. Then there will be no chance for those other teachers to be proud about themselves. They will not be able to say that they work in the same way that we do. 13Those people are false apostles. They do not work in an honest way. They try to make people think that Christ has sent them as his apostles. 14That should not surprise you! Even Satan can change himself to look like an angel who belongs to the light.

2 Corinthians 11:12 word by word

ὃ δὲ ποιῶ, καὶ ποιήσω, ἵνα ἐκκόψω τὴν ἀφορμὴν τῶν θελόντων ἀφορμήν, ἵνα ἐν ᾧ καυχῶνται, εὑρεθῶσιν καθὼς καὶ ἡμεῖς.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• whatὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• I doποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• ·καίkai · andG2532
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• I may cut offἐκκόπτωekkoptō · to preventG1581
• occasionὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• occasionἀφορμήaphormē · opportunityG874
• which desireθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
• ·ἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• they gloryκαυχάομαιkauchaomai · to boastG2744
• they may be foundεὑρίσκωheuriskō · to find/meetG2147
• asκαθώςkathōs · as/just asG2531
• weἐγώegō · I/weG1473

Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 11:12

• 2 Corinthians 11:9When I was there with you, I never made you help me. Even when I needed something, I did not cause trouble to anyone. Instead, the believers who came from Macedonia gave me everything that I needed. I was very careful never to cause you to have trouble. And I will continue to be careful like that.
• 2 Corinthians 1:17I did not decide this in a careless way. I really wanted to do it. I do not decide to do things only to please myself, like someone who does not know God. I do not say ‘Yes,’ and then I immediately say ‘No’.
• Job 23:13But he is always true to himself. Nobody can change him. Whatever he wants to do, he does.
• 1 Corinthians 9:12You agree to help other people who teach God's message to you. So surely we should receive even more help from you! But Barnabas and I have not used our authority to make you help us like that. Instead, we accept all these difficult things patiently. We want the good news about Christ to go everywhere. We do not want to do anything that might stop it.
• 1 Timothy 5:14So I think that widows who are still young women should marry again. Then they can have children and they can take care of their own homes. If they live well like that, the enemy of God's people will not have a chance to say bad things against us.
• Galatians 1:7But really, there is no other message from God which is good news. Some people are confusing you. They are trying to change the good news about Christ and make it something different.
• Philippians 1:15It is true that some of these Christians are jealous of me. They want to show that they are better than me. That is why they tell people the message about Christ. But other Christians speak about Christ because they want to help me.
• 2 Corinthians 11:18But many other people are using human ideas to praise themselves. So I will also do that.
• 2 Corinthians 5:12We are not trying again to make you think that our work is good. But we do want to give you the chance to be proud of us. Then you will be able to show the false teachers that they are wrong. They are proud about what they look like on the outside. They do not think about what they are really like inside themselves.
• 2 Corinthians 10:17The Bible says this: ‘If you want to be proud about something, be proud of what the Lord has done.’
• 1 Corinthians 5:6You should not be so proud of yourselves. Think about what yeast does in bread. A very small amount of yeast changes the whole loaf of bread.
• Galatians 6:13Even those men that someone has circumcised do not obey all the Jewish rules. They want to circumcise you only to make themselves seem important. They want to show that they have authority over your bodies.

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 11:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12But what I do, etc. - I act thus that I may cut off occasion of glorying, boasting, or calumniating from them - the false prophets and his partisans, who seek occasion - who would be glad that I should become chargeable to you, that it might in some sort vindicate them who exact much from you; for they bring you into bondage, and devour you, 2 Corinthians 11:20. Nothing could mortify these persons more than to find that the apostle did take nothing, and…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12But what I do - The course of life which I have been pursuing I will continue to pursue. That is, I will continue to preach as I have done without demanding a support. I will labor with my own hands if necessary; I will preach without demanding rigidly what I might be entitled to. That I may cut off occasion - That I might give them no opportunity of accusing me of desiring to grow rich, and of calumniating me. Paul meant that they should have no…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. 12Paul refused support from the Corinthians (11:7–11) to demonstrate true Christian service. He wanted to contrast this with those who served to boast.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. I will do--I will continue to decline help. occasion--Greek, "the occasion," namely, of misrepresenting my motives, which would be afforded to my detractors, if I accepted help. that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we--Bengel joins this clause with "the occasion," namely, of glorying or boasting; the occasion "that they may be found (a point wherein they glory) even as we," that is, quite as disinterested, or virtually, quite as…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Corinthians 11:12

• Minister, Christian
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

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