2 Corinthians 11:23

2 Corinthians 11:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
• New International Version (NIV)Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.

Context of 2 Corinthians 11:23

21But we were not brave enough to do things like that to you. Should I be ashamed of that? But other people are brave enough to praise themselves. So I will also be proud of the same things. (Now I am talking like a fool!) 22Are they proud that they are Hebrew people? So am I. Do they belong to Israel's people? So do I. Are they descendants of Abraham's family? So am I. Are they Christ's servants? I serve him even better than they do! (Now I am speaking like a crazy person.) I work much more than they have worked. I have been in prison more often than they have. People have hit me with whips very many times. I have nearly died many times. 24At five different times, the Jewish leaders punished me with whips. Each time they hit me 39 times. 25Three times the Romans punished me with sticks. People threw stones at me to kill me once. Three times I have been on ships that broke in the sea. Once I was in the sea for a night and a day.

2 Corinthians 11:23 word by word

διάκονοι Χριστοῦ εἰσιν; παραφρονῶν λαλῶ· ὑπὲρ ἐγώ. ἐν κόποις περισσοτέρως, ἐν φυλακαῖς περισσοτέρως, ἐν πληγαῖς ὑπερβαλλόντως, ἐν θανάτοις πολλάκις.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Are theyεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• ministersδιάκονοςdiakonos · servantG1249
• of ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
• Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• speakλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
• as a foolπαραφρονέωparaphroneō · be insaneG3912
• Iὑπέρhuper · above/forG5228
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• laboursκόποςkopos · laborG2873
• more abundantπερισσῶςperissōs · excessivelyG4057
• stripesπληγήplēgē · plague/blow/woundG4127
• above measureὑπερβαλλόντωςhuperballontōs · severelyG5234
• prisonsφυλακήphulakē · prison/watch: prisonG5438
• deathsθάνατοςthanatos · deathG2288
• oftπολλάκιςpollakis · oftenG4178

Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 11:23

• 2 Corinthians 3:6God has made us his servants. So we are able to tell people the message of his new agreement. This new agreement is not about rules. Rules tell people what they must do and they bring death. But God's new agreement comes from his Spirit. And the Spirit brings new life to us, not death.
• 2 Corinthians 6:4Instead, in everything that we do, we want to show that we are God's servants. When people want to hurt us, we are patient and brave. We have many troubles. We become sad and upset.
• 1 Corinthians 3:5Is Apollos important? Is Paul important? No! We are God's servants. We told you God's good news and you believed it. Each of us is doing the job which the Lord has given to us.
• 1 Corinthians 4:1This is how you should think about us, who are leaders in the church. We are Christ's servants. God has also given a special job to us. We must explain his message to people so that they understand it.
• 1 Timothy 4:6You must explain these things to the believers and teach them God's true message. If you do that, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus. Continue to study the message about Jesus that you have already learned. That will help you to be strong.
• 2 Corinthians 11:5Those teachers call themselves very special apostles. But I think that I am as special as they are!
• 2 Corinthians 12:11I am speaking like a proud fool, but you have made me do it. You yourselves should be saying good things about me. I may not be important. But I am as good as those very special apostles.
• 1 Corinthians 15:10But God was very kind to me. He helped me to become a different person. And because God has been so kind to me, the result has been great. I have worked more than all the other apostles. But it was not really I myself who could do that work. No, I could do it because God was so kind to me.
• Colossians 1:29That is why I work very hard. Christ works powerfully in me to make me strong for this difficult work.
• 2 Corinthians 11:24At five different times, the Jewish leaders punished me with whips. Each time they hit me 39 times.
• Acts 9:16I myself will tell him about the many troubles that he will have. He will have much pain on my behalf.’
• Acts 16:24The prison guard did what he had been told to do. He put Paul and Silas in a room in the middle of the prison. He put their feet between big heavy pieces of wood so that they could not move their legs.
• Acts 20:23But I do know that much trouble will come to me. The Holy Spirit has told me about that. He said to me, “People will put you in prison and they will hurt you.”
• Acts 21:11Agabus came to where we were. He took Paul's belt and he tied it around his own feet and hands. He said, ‘Listen to this message from the Holy Spirit. “The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will take hold of the man who has this belt. They will tie his hands and his feet. Then they will give him to the Gentiles to be their prisoner.” ’
• Acts 24:26But Felix also hoped that Paul would give him some money. For that reason he often met with Paul and they talked together.

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 11:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23Are they ministers of Christ - So we find that these were professors of Christianity; and that they were genuine Jews, and such as endeavored to incorporate both systems, and, no doubt, to oblige those who had believed to be circumcised; and this appears to have been the bondage into which they had brought many of the believing Corinthians. I am more - More of a minister of Christ than they are, and have given fuller proofs of it. I have suffered…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23Are they ministers of Christ? - Though Jews by birth yet they claimed to be the ministers of the Messiah. I speak as a fool - As if he had said, “Bear in mind, in what I am now about to say, that he who speaks is accused of being a fool in boasting. Let it not be deemed improper that I should act in this character, and since you regard me as such, let me speak like a fool.” His frequent reminding them of this charge was eminently suited to humble them…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-33Verses 22-33 The apostle gives an account of his labours and sufferings; not out of pride or vain-glory, but to the honour of God, who enabled him to do and suffer so much for the cause of Christ; and shows wherein he excelled the false apostles, who tried to lessen his character and usefulness. It astonishes us to reflect on this account of his dangers, hardships, and sufferings, and to observe his patience, perseverance, diligence, cheerfulness, and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23-24in more imprisonments: Paul was imprisoned many times. For example, see Acts 16:22–23. Clement of Rome states that Paul was imprisoned seven times. the forty lashes minus one: This punishment is described in Deuteronomy 25:1–3. The Jewish leaders punished Paul as a renegade Jew, and he repeatedly faced death.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2323. I speak as a fool--rather, as Greek, "I speak as if beside myself"; stronger than "as a fool." I am more--namely, in respect to the credentials and manifestations of my ministry, more faithful and self-denying; and richer in tokens of God's recognition of my ministry. Old authorities read the order thus, "In prisons above measures, in stripes more abundantly" (English Version, less accurately, "more frequent"). Ac 16:23-40 records one case of his…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Corinthians 11:23

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Minister, Christian
• Paul
• Persecution
• Prisoners
• Stripes
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• Christ, Messiah
• Abase
• Above
• Corrupt
• Fear
• Jealous
• Peril
• Receive
• Save

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