2 Corinthians 11:29 kjv
Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
2 Corinthians 11:29 nkjv
Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?
2 Corinthians 11:29 niv
Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?
2 Corinthians 11:29 esv
Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?
2 Corinthians 11:29 nlt
Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?
2 Corinthians 11 29 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Cor 11:30 | If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. | Paul's own statement of context |
| Gal 4:19 | My little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth. | Paul's fatherly concern |
| Phil 2:26 | For he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. | Similar care for fellow believers |
| Phil 1:8 | For God is my witness, how I yearn for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. | Paul's deep affection |
| 1 Thess 2:7 | But we were gentles among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. | Gentle, nurturing care |
| 1 Thess 2:8 | So, being affectionate toward you, we were willing to have shared with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. | Willingness to share life and gospel |
| Col 1:24 | Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. | Suffering for the sake of the church |
| Rom 9:2 | that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. | Deep sorrow for his people |
| Acts 20:31 | therefore be watchful—remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish each with tears. | Constant, tearful admonishment |
| 1 Cor 12:26 | If one member suffers, all members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all members rejoice with it. | Body of Christ experiencing together |
| Eph 5:28 | In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. | Love mirroring Christ's love for the church |
| John 15:13 | Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. | Ultimate expression of love |
| Matt 25:40 | Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. | Identification with believers |
| 2 Cor 1:3-4 | Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may also comfort those who are in any affliction. | God of all comfort for affliction |
| Rom 12:15 | Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. | Empathy and shared emotion |
| Gal 6:2 | Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. | Bearing one another's burdens |
| Phil 1:15 | Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. | Context of rivalry in Corinth |
| 1 Cor 9:22 | to the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. | Becoming all things to win others |
| 1 John 4:20 | If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. | Love for fellow believers is key |
| Acts 18:5-11 | Paul's ministry in Corinth and reassurance regarding speaking | Historical context of Corinth |
2 Corinthians 11 verses
2 Corinthians 11 29 Meaning
This verse articulates the deep-seated concern and suffering of the Apostle Paul for the spiritual well-being of the Corinthian believers. He feels their infirmities as if they were his own, demonstrating an intense empathy and protective instinct born from his apostolic care for them.
2 Corinthians 11 29 Context
In 2 Corinthians chapter 11, Paul is addressing the legitimacy of his apostleship and countering the influence of false apostles who were undermining his authority among the Corinthians. He has been detailing his hardships and sufferings for the sake of the gospel (vv. 23-28). This verse immediately follows his list of extreme persecutions and struggles. It serves as a personal declaration of his deep emotional and spiritual connection to the believers he ministered to, highlighting the immense burden of their spiritual welfare on his heart. The context is defensive but also deeply pastoral.
2 Corinthians 11 29 Word Analysis
- Tis (τις): "Who," "someone." In this context, it's an indefinite pronoun, referring to any believer.
- Astheneis (ἀσθενεῖ): From astheneō (ἀσθενέω), meaning "to be weak," "to be infirm," "to be sick." It can refer to physical weakness or a more general spiritual feebleness.
- Kai (καὶ): "And." A common conjunction linking clauses or ideas.
- Ego (ἐγὼ): "I." Emphasizing the speaker, Paul.
- Synergō (συναποθνήσκω): From syanpoapothnesko (συναποθνήσκω), meaning "to die with." In this context, it's used metaphorically to mean suffering alongside, feeling the same pain or weakness. Paul experiences a sympathetic suffering for the Corinthians.
- Hestinai (ἥτις): Relative pronoun, "who," "which." Referring back to the weakness of the individual believer.
- Logos (λόγος): "Word," "reason," "matter." Here, "who is weak."
- Agathapiston (ἀγαπητός): From agapētos (ἀγαπητός), meaning "beloved," "dear." This is a strong term of endearment and reflects Paul's profound love for the believers. It underscores the basis of his pain: his deep affection for them.
Word Group Analysis
- "Who is weak, and I am not weak?": This is a rhetorical question designed to elicit a shared experience of vulnerability. Paul isn't saying he literally shares their every physical ailment, but rather that their spiritual struggles and weaknesses cause him deep personal distress and sympathetic suffering. He takes on their burdens emotionally.
- "Who is offended [made to stumble, fall, sin], and I am not indignant [burning with anger/grief]?": The Greek word apothneskō here implies a deep, perhaps sorrowful or even burning reaction to their stumbling. Paul grieves profoundly when they are led into sin or error. The sense is not mere anger, but a painful reaction to seeing God's people falter. Some interpretations suggest apagothnesko carries the sense of experiencing the consequences alongside them, a shared pain that goes beyond simple sympathy.
2 Corinthians 11 29 Bonus Section
The word synergō (συναποθνήσκω) is particularly strong. It suggests a deep unity of experience. While "suffering with" is a common translation, its root implies a shared process of "dying." This doesn't mean Paul is dying for them in a salvific sense (that work is Christ's alone), but that he shares in the agony of spiritual decline, facing opposition, and experiencing the painful consequences of sin or apostasy within the community. It's a profound identification with their spiritual state, a vicarious experience of their weakness and falling. This is the opposite of a detached or purely intellectual approach to ministry.
2 Corinthians 11 29 Commentary
Paul expresses an intense pastoral care for the Corinthian church. His response to any member's weakness or spiritual stumble is immediate and profound, almost a shared experience of suffering. This "dying with" them (synergō) demonstrates that he sees their struggles as his own, reflecting Christ's compassion. This empathetic suffering is the evidence of his genuine apostleship, a stark contrast to the shallow teachings of the false apostles. It highlights that true ministry involves not just imparting truth, but sharing in the very life and struggles of those ministered to.
Practical Usage Examples
- A pastor feeling deeply the spiritual struggles and sins of his congregation, affecting his own peace and well-being.
- A mentor deeply saddened by a mentee's ethical lapse, feeling a personal responsibility and pain over their compromised integrity.
- Members of a church grieving collectively when one of their own falls into serious sin, demonstrating unity in both joy and sorrow.