“Again I say, don’t think that I am a fool to talk like this. But even if you do, listen to me, as you would to a foolish person, while I also boast a little. Such boasting is not from the Lord, but I am acting like a fool. And since others boast about their human achievements, I will, too. After all, you think you are so wise, but you enjoy putting up with fools! You put up with it when someone enslaves you, takes everything you have, takes advantage of you, takes control of everything, and slaps you in the face. I’m ashamed to say that we’ve been too “weak” to do that! But whatever they dare to boast about—I’m talking like a fool again—I dare to boast about it, too.”
2 Corinthians 11:16-21 NLT
There is something deeply unsettling about listening to someone who is clearly confident—but quietly wrong. Confidence has a way of persuading us. It carries weight, presence, and often admiration. Yet in 2 Corinthians 11:16–21, the Apostle Paul exposes a sobering truth: not everything that appears wise truly is. In this passage, Paul does something unusual. He begins to “boast”, but he does so reluctantly, even apologetically. He calls it what it is: foolishness. “Again I say, don’t think that I am a fool to talk like this. But even if you do, listen to me, as you would to a foolish person, while I also boast a little” (2 Corinthians 11:16). It’s clear that Paul is not comfortable with this approach. Boasting, in his mind, is not the way of Christ. And yet, he adopts this tone for a reason.
The church in Corinth had become enamoured with a different kind of leadership. Certain individuals, whom Paul later describes as “super-apostles”, had arrived with impressive credentials, persuasive speech, and a commanding presence. They measured success by outward standards. They spoke with confidence. They looked the part. And the Corinthians were captivated. Paul’s irony exposes the flaws in the Corinthian mindsets: “After all, you think you are so wise, but you enjoy putting up with fools!” (2 Corinthians 11:19). In other words, he wrote, you think you are being discerning, but you are tolerating what is actually foolish. In accepting their new leaders, they were taken in by their polished, persuasive words and outward appearances. The problem was that the Corinthians were taken in by these men, lacking discernment, and resulting in them ending up in a dangerous situation
The problem in Corinth is not confined to the first century. If anything, it has intensified in our own time. We live in an age saturated with voices in sermons, podcasts, videos, and books, with each one competing for attention. And often, the voices that rise to the top are not necessarily the most faithful, but the most compelling. We are drawn to confidence and apparent clarity, with the speaker or writer being a charismatic person who seems to say all the right things and who even comes across as a source of truth. But Paul reminds us that confidence is not the same as truth. It is entirely possible for someone to speak boldly, persuasively, and even attractively, and yet be fundamentally misaligned with the Gospel. The Corinthians fell into this trap. They confused charisma with authority, eloquence with truth, and self-promotion with spiritual maturity. And before we get on our high horses and claim that would never happen to us, we are no less vulnerable.
One of the striking elements of our verses today is how willingly the Corinthians accepted these “foolish” voices. Paul says they “enjoy putting up with fools”. We almost get the impression that they were very comfortable and accepting of what the “super-apostles” had to offer. There is almost a sense of eagerness and an appetite for what these teachers had to say, and that raises an uncomfortable question for us, because what do we, as Christians, tend to celebrate and promote? I know someone who spends a lot of time watching Christian speakers on TV, big names who tick all the charisma and charm boxes and confidently speak about Bible verses, even relating them to world events and what they believe is coming. They may even include appeals for donations, thereby manipulating their viewers’ emotions. It is easy for such people to present themselves with confidence and polish, but these are not the marks Paul points to as evidence of true ministry. In 1 Corinthians 2:2-5, Paul wrote, “For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.”
At the heart of Paul’s irony in our verses today is a call to discernment. The Corinthians believed themselves to be wise, yet their discernment was compromised. They were not testing what they heard carefully enough. They were not looking beneath the surface. And so Paul, almost reluctantly, met them on their own terms. If they valued boasting, then he would “boast” as well, but in doing so, he exposed how empty that standard really was.
What do we pilgrims make of all this? I think that Paul has put his finger on something we all need to consider – how discerning are we? When a speaker preaches a sermon, or engages with us in a Bible Study or prayer meeting, do we accept at face value what is said, or do we critically test and examine his or her words? Do we ask ourselves questions such as, “Is this teaching faithful to Scripture?” Or “Does this reflect the character of Christ?” And does the presenter provide the message with a spirit of humility, or is there a brashness or overconfidence present? In James 1:5-6, we read, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind”. We need wisdom whenever we hear messages or read books that contain confident, and even dogmatic, statements, and we should discard anything that has a whiff of falseness or overemphasis.
Paul ironically wrote, “After all, you think you are so wise, but you enjoy putting up with fools!” (2 Corinthians 11:19). This verse is a warning as much as it is a rebuke. In a world full of confident voices, the greatest danger is not always obvious error; it is persuasive foolishness. Beware the kind of message that sounds right, feels compelling, and gains traction, yet subtly leads us away from the simplicity and humility of Christ.
Dear Heavenly Father, we pray for wisdom in our world, where strident and competing voices clamour for our attention with messages of falseness and error. Guide us into all truth we pray, and we do so by looking to Jesus, who is the Author of truth. Amen
Being a Pilgrim 