Paul Offers His Services Freely
PAUL OFFERS HIS SERVICES FREELY
2 CORINTHIANS 11:7-11
Paul writes that he preached the gospel without charging a payment.
The “little foolishness” of 11:1 is now explained. What agitates Paul’s mind and caused him a certain reluctance was his self-justification of his policy. He had refused to accept financial maintenance from the churches (11:7)
The implication of this is that he had been taken to task on this score, with the innuendo that he did not claim his (rightful) due because he knew in his heart that he had no apostolic standing and so no entitlement to it.
But Paul takes pains to go into the matter in some detail, although he has already made his position clear in 1 Corinthians 9. In effect, he repeats his same impartial concern to offer his services freely (11:7: “without cost to you”). He does this, not because of any inferiority complex or unwillingness to receive financial help. Indeed, he had already received and gratefully acknowledged help from the Macedonian churches (11:9), notably the Philippians who had sent regularly a gift (Philippians 4:15-19) to relieve his need.
The issue at Corinth—as at Thessalonica—turned on the interpretation which his enemies placed on his receiving money. Both at Corinth and in other places (1 Thessalonians 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:8-9) Paul intentionally did not exercise his prerogative, and not always for the same reason. Can you see the difference in this chapter from what he says to the Thessalonians?
A further point emerges in 11:11. Paul’s refusal to accept sustenance at Corinth was being used in another way. His enemies were accusing him of being false and so honestly refusing the support; his friends were professing to be grieved that he took this line of action, which they interpreted as a sign that he had no regard for them and that they had fallen into disfavor. This is the reason for the heart cry, “God knows I do (love you)!”