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 emissaries, deceitful workers masquerading as Messiah’s emissaries. 14And no wonder, for even satan masquerades as an angel of light. It is no great thing therefore if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be according to their deeds. 16I say again, let no one consider me to be a fool. But if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I also may boast a little. 17What I am saying, I am saying not according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this self-confident boasting.

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• noοὐou · noG3756
• great thingμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
• ifεἰei · if: even thoughG1487
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• ministersὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• ministersδιάκονοςdiakonos · servantG1249
• alsoκαίkai · andG2532
• be transformedμετασχηματίζωmetaschēmatizō · to transformG3345
• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• of righteousnessδικαιοσύνηdikaiosunē · righteousnessG1343
• whoseὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• endτέλοςtelos · goal/taxG5056
• shall beεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• according toκατάkata · according toG2596
• worksἔργονergon · workG2041

Cross-references for 2 Corinthians 11:15

• 2 Kings 5:13But his servants approached him and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he told you only to ‘Wash and be clean’?”
• 1 Corinthians 9:11If we sowed spiritual things into you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?
• 2 Corinthians 11:13For such men are false emissaries, deceitful workers masquerading as Messiah’s emissaries.
• Acts 13:10and said, “O you, full of all deceit and trickery, son of the devil, enemy of all righteousness—will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?
• Ephesians 6:12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the worldly forces of this darkness, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
• Revelation 9:11They have as king over them the angel of the abyss. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he has the name Apollyon.
• Revelation 13:2Now the beast that I saw was like a leopard, his feet like a bear’s, and his mouth like a lion’s. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.
• Revelation 19:19Also I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the One who sat on the horse and against His army.
• Revelation 20:2He seized the dragon—the ancient serpent, who is the devil and satan—and bound him for a thousand years.
• 2 Corinthians 11:23Are they servants of Messiah? I am more so—I speak like I’m out of my mind—in labors much more, in prisons much more, in beatings more brutal, near death often.
• 2 Corinthians 3:9For if there is glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness overflows even more in glory.
• Isaiah 9:14The elder and the man of rank— he is the head. The prophet who teaches falsehood— he is the tail.
• Jeremiah 5:31The prophets prophesy falsely, the kohanim rule by their own authority, and My people love it this way! But what will you do in the end?”
• Jeremiah 23:14But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: committing adultery and walking in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers. No one turns back from his evil. They are all like Sodom to Me and her inhabitants like Gomorrah.”
• Jeremiah 28:15Then said the prophet Jeremiah to the prophet Hananiah: “Hear now, Hananiah! Adonai has not sent you, yet you have caused this people to trust in a lie.
• Jeremiah 29:32therefore thus says Adonai, “I will indeed punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his offspring. There will be none living among this people, and he will not see the good that I will do to My people,” declares Adonai, “because he has spoken rebellion against Adonai.”

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