The Problem of the False Apostles
Arguably the most important problem reported by Titus to Paul after the delivery of the severe letter (7:8-12) relates to the newly arrived false apostles who claimed apostolic authority in Corinth. Closely linked is the question whether or not the false apostles (11:11-13) and the super apostles (11:5 and 12:11) are the same group or not. The view taken for my commentary is that the difference between the two is arbitrary. So, I will be using the term the false apostles throughout this commentary.
Their identity: Who, then, were these false apostles? It is evident that they were a group (many in 2:17, 11:18, 10:12) of men (probably) who had come to Corinth (11:4-5) from outside (letters of commendation in 3:1) and who had infiltrated Paul’s field of ministry (10:5-6), where they and their ministry had been received (11:4 and 20). Like Paul, these men were Hebrews and Israelites, physical descendants of Abraham (11:22-23a). They were Jews. That they had come to Greco-Roman metropolis Corinth makes it almost certain that they were Greek-speaking Jews, very well versed in Greek, with polished rhetorical skills.
But what of their interest in pagan ecstasy, visions, and revelations on which they depended, in part at least, for their acceptance in Corinth? Were those things compatible with Jews from Judea? Judea in the period from 44-66 AD was embroiled in political disintegration, revolutionary activism, and apocalyptic fervor expressed in prophetic inspiration and miraculous signs (see Josephus, Jewish Wars 2.258-59). It is quite possible that Judea at this time represented the kind of religious environment from which these false apostles, with their visions and revelations supposedly from God. Paul himself had pointed out earlier that Jews ask for signs and Greeks try to find wisdom (First Corinthians 1:22). Therefore, we must conclude that these were Greek speaking Judaizers.
Their origin: The false apostles were from Jerusalem and most likely spoke Greek well enough to lead the sophisticated Corinthians to believe in another Gospel (see the commentary on Galatians, to see link click Aj – No Other Gospel). It is now understood that Judea was Hellenized to such a degree that those false apostles may well have been capable of displaying the polished rhetorical skills of boasting and comparison that are mirrored by Paul’s rebuttals in 10:12. Paul would not concede inferiority to those men in the fundamentals of apostleship, but he does so in rhetorical skills (11:5-6).
Their mission: Paul referred to them as false apostles who claimed apostolic authority, telling lies about their work and masquerading as servants of righteousness, ministers of the Adversary, and apostles of the Messiah (11:13-15). As Judaizers, they claimed to follow Messiah, but still teaching that a Gentile had to be circumcised and follow the 613 commandments of the Torah in order to be saved; and that all believers, Jew and Gentile alike, had to continue to follow those 613 commandments in order to maintain their relationship with ADONAI. Their teaching not only corrupted the Gospel, but also the teaching of the Torah, in which a right standing before ADONAI had always been only by obedient faith. At no time in history has anyone been saved by their own merit. Both before and during the Dispensation of Torah, people were saved by faith alone. Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, the godly judges, kings, prophets, and all the righteous of the TaNaKh were saved only on the basis of faith. All of these people, whether man or woman, Jew or Gentile, pleased God because of their faith (see the commentary on Hebrews Cl – The Hall of Faith).
They also proclaimed that circumcision and Torah observance were required for a right standing before God. They perverted the simplicity of the Gospel by adding requirements to it (Revelation 22:18). Judaizers were therefore not teaching godly doctrine, but the lie from the pit of sh’ol, that a people, by their own goodness and works, can gain favor with YHVH. This is why Paul referred to the Judaizers as dogs . . . evil workers . . . the false circumcision (Philippians 3:2 NASB). False circumcision translates the Greek word katatome, which is used there in the B’rit Chadashah and refers to pagan sexual mutilation.
The Judaizers recognized Yeshua as the Messiah intellectually. But they had not crossed over the line from knowledge to faith (see Hebrews Al – How Shall We Escape If We Ignore So Great a Salvation). Therefore, because their view of the Messiah was corrupt, so was their view of Yeshua. They did not look at Messiah as the Lamb of God who would take away their sin, because they didn’t believe they had sin that demanded such a sacrifice in order to be forgiven. As circumcised, ceremonial Jews, they were convinced they already had the full favor of ADONAI and were spiritually and morally acceptable to Him as they were. That common Jewish view is reflected in the argument in the book of Hebrews, in which the writer goes to great lengths to persuade his Jewish readers that the Messiah is superior to the prophets, to the angels, and to Moshe (Hebrews 1:1 to 3:6). Jesus was not simply another great Jewish teacher. He was completely different than any anyone else who had ever lived, the very Son of God and Savior of the world, whose saving sacrifice was necessary for anyone to be right with the Father.5
Being crafty, like their father the serpent (Genesis 3:1), they did not go so far as to deny Paul’s apostleship. Rather, it was that they claimed apostolic authority (11:12); but even more so, that their supposed “apostleship” was superior to that of Paul’s (10:12 to 12:13).
Their attack on Paul: On arrival in Corinth, the false apostles attacked Paul’s teaching to the Corinthians on a number of matters, especially the truth of the Gospel (First Corinthians 15:3-4). The newcomers argued that Moshe’s undiminished glory (Exodus 34:29-35), as it was popularly believed to be among unbelieving Jews, was a sign of the continuation of the 613 commandments of Moses for salvation (for which it was never intended). In their view, Paul’s teaching that the Dispensation of Torah had been fulfilled (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Dg – The Completion of the Torah), was quite unacceptable to them. Moreover, Paul’s focus on Yeshua as a crucified Messiah effectively veiling (see Aw – Veiling and Unveiling) the Gospel from Jewish audiences, was likewise unimaginable to them (see The Life of Christ Er – That Same Day He Spoke to Them In Parables).
Their alliances and method: The false apostles were pleasantly surprised that when they arrived Paul was being much maligned by many of the Corinthians. Since they were Jews (11:22), it is almost certain that they stayed with other Jewish members of the congregation, possibly those who said: I am of Cephas (First Corinthians 1:12). Then the Hellenistic Jews living in Corinth would have been able to brief their guests both about the shortcomings of Paul and gush over the great rhetorical skills of their new found idols. The newcomers exploited to their advantage the low opinion of Paul at that time:
First, as men who accepted financial support (11:20) they appear to have forged an alliance against Paul with those Corinthians who criticized him for not accepting payment. But Paul would continue to reject the Corinthians’ financial assistance because by doing so he would remove the claim of those who then sought to preach in Corinth, that they did so on the same basis as Paul. It appears that the false apostles received support from the Corinthians, thus creating pressure on Paul to do likewise. But Paul’s determination to offer the Gospel “free of charge” was fundamental to his ministry as the apostle to the Gentiles (10:15-16).
Second, the false apostles also presented themselves as superior in public speaking and appearance, capitalizing on Paul’s perceived inferiority in those areas (First Corinthians 2:1-5; Second Corinthians 5:12, 10:10 and 11:5). Again, their mystic/ecstatic visions and revelations (12:1-4) may probably resonate with the ecstatic utterances of most of the Corinthians (see the commentary on First Corinthians Dn – Pagan Gibberish is Unproductive).
One thing was perfectly clear. For their part, the false apostles tried to discredit Paul by boasting of their supposed “achievements,” and by contrasting their “strengths” with his perceived “weaknesses.” They had letters of commendation from Jerusalem; whereas Paul had none. They were self-sufficient and triumphant figures; whereas Paul was an inadequate, sorry figure who limped from place to place in defeat (2:1 to 3:5, 4:1 and 16). They were men of divine power, who were caught up to Paradise, heard inexpressible things, where they saw visions and heard revelations that man is not permitted to tell (12:1-5 and 5:13); whereas he was mundane, an apostle without any power, worldly and weak (10:3-6, 1:12 and 17, 5:12-13). They carried out the marks of an apostle, performing signs, wonders and miracles (12:12): whereas Paul wasn’t even able to heal himself (12:7-9). They were powerful in speech and wisdom (11:5-6); whereas he was “unskilled” in speech and in general, a fool (11:1 to 12:13). In all things they were “supposedly” superior; whereas Paul was “supposedly” inferior.6
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