2 Corinthians 11:17
That which I speake, I speake it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly in this confidence of boasting. 2 Corinthians 11:17 (KJV)
The book of 2 Corinthians was written by the apostle Paul to the church in Corinth. In this chapter Paul defends his apostolic authority and confronts false apostles who had infiltrated the church, seeking to undermine his credibility and influence over the believers.
In the preceding verses Paul mentions his weaknesses, hardships, and sufferings for the sake of the Gospel. Yet in verse 17 he adopts a rhetorical style, oddly referring to his “boasting” in order to challenge those false teachers who were boasting about themselves and attacking Paul’s authority.
Paul makes a distinction between the things he speaks that are directly from the Lord and the things he speaks “not after the Lord.” By claiming to speak “as it were foolishly,” he uses a deliberate technique to expose the deceitful tactics of the impostors who claim divine authority without it.
The phrase “in this confidence of boasting” points to Paul’s confidence in his apostolic authority, even though he assumes a tone of foolishness for rhetorical effect. He acknowledges that boasting is not a godly characteristic, but he employs it as a means to expose the false apostles and to assert his own credibility before the Corinthians.
Throughout his ministry Paul consistently demonstrated humility, recognizing that his strength came from God. Though he engages in a form of boasting in this passage, his ultimate goal is to protect the Corinthians from false teachings and to lead them closer to Christ. He mentions his weaknesses, hardships, and sufferings for the sake of the Gospel, contrasting them with the boastful self‑promotion of the impostors. Paul’s rhetorical boasting therefore functions to protect the Corinthians from deception and to draw them nearer to Christ. His humility and reliance on God remain the foundation of his ministry, even when he adopts a tone that seems foolish to human eyes.
