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 |
|---|---|---|
| Empathy & Shared Burden | ||
| Rom 12:15 | Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. | Call to mutual sympathy. |
| Gal 6:2 | Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. | Encouragement to mutual support. |
| Heb 13:3 | Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them... | Call to identify with the suffering. |
| Phil 2:4 | Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. | Mind of Christ – concern for others. |
| 1 Cor 12:26 | If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. | Organic unity of the body of Christ. |
| 2 Cor 7:5-6 | For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest... but God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us... | Paul's distress and God's comfort. |
| Phil 2:17-18 | But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice... I rejoice... | Paul's joy in suffering for their faith. |
| 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... | Paul's participation in suffering for the church. |
| Concern for the Weak/Vulnerable | ||
| Rom 14:1 | As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. | Paul's instruction to accept weaker believers. |
| 1 Cor 8:9 | But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. | Warning against causing others to stumble. |
| 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. | Paul's humility and adaptation for salvation. |
| Matt 18:6 | "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck..." | Warning against causing spiritual harm. |
| Indignation/Distress over Sin & Stumbling | ||
| Psa 119:136 | My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law. | Psalmist's sorrow over sin. |
| Jer 13:17 | But if you will not listen, my soul will weep in secret for your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly... | Prophet's grief over disobedience. |
| Ezek 9:4 | "Go through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations..." | God's mark on those grieving over sin. |
| Rom 9:2 | I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. | Paul's grief for Israel's unbelief. |
| Phil 3:18 | For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. | Paul's weeping over ungodly conduct. |
| Luke 19:41-42 | And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, "Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace!" | Jesus weeping over Jerusalem's spiritual blindness. |
| Mark of True Shepherd/Apostle | ||
| Ezek 34:2-4 | "Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves!... You have not strengthened the weak... or sought the lost." | Condemnation of negligent shepherds. |
| John 10:11-13 | "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep... He cares nothing for the sheep." | Jesus as the good shepherd, caring for the flock. |
| 1 Pet 5:2-3 | Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight... not as domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. | Charge to spiritual leaders for true care. |
| Christ's Example | ||
| Heb 4:15 | For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. | Jesus's empathetic High Priesthood. |
| Isa 63:9 | In all their affliction he was afflicted... | God's shared suffering with His people. |
2 Corinthians 11 verses
2 Corinthians 11 29 Meaning
2 Corinthians 11:29 encapsulates Paul's profound pastoral empathy and intense spiritual sensitivity toward the Corinthian believers. He asserts that any weakness, suffering, or temptation experienced by a member of the flock directly impacts him, causing him to share their burden and feel a righteous indignation or burning distress when someone stumbles. This declaration serves as evidence of his genuine apostolic care, contrasting sharply with the self-serving attitudes of the false apostles he confronts.
2 Corinthians 11 29 Context
This verse is situated within Paul's "fool's speech" (2 Cor 11:16–12:10), a sarcastic and necessary defense of his genuine apostleship against the accusations and boasts of "super-apostles" or false teachers in Corinth. These false apostles prided themselves on external appearances, rhetorical skill, and perhaps financial independence or perceived power. Paul, conversely, lists his hardships, sufferings, and humiliations as the true marks of his ministry (2 Cor 11:23-28). Immediately preceding this verse, he enumerates physical abuses, dangers, and constant anxieties. 2 Cor 11:29 then transitions from external physical suffering to an internal, spiritual burden for the church. It highlights his deep empathy and passionate concern for the spiritual well-being of the Corinthians, distinguishing his true leadership from those who sought only personal gain or recognition.
2 Corinthians 11 29 Word analysis
- Who is weak (Τίς ἀσθενεῖ - Tis asthenei):
- Tis: "Who" – A rhetorical question, inviting the Corinthians to acknowledge their experiences and Paul's shared involvement.
- asthenei: From astheneō (ἀσθενέω), meaning to be weak, sick, feeble, or lacking strength (physically, morally, spiritually). Paul uses it for various forms of affliction or disadvantage.
- Significance: Paul views weakness not as a flaw but as a condition that elicits his immediate, personal identification. This counters the Greco-Roman ideal of strength, aligning with Christ's identification with the suffering.
- and I am not weak? (καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ ἀσθενῶ - kai ouk egō asthenō):
- kai: "And" – Connects the shared experience.
- ouk egō asthenō: "Am not I weak?" – A strong negation, indicating Paul's unequivocal identification with the weak. He is not just sympathetic but feels the weakness himself, entering into their state. His own sufferings enabled this deep empathy.
- Who is made to stumble (Τίς σκανδαλίζεται - Tis skandalizetai):
- Tis: "Who" – Again, a rhetorical question inviting acknowledgment.
- skandalizetai: From skandalizō (σκανδαλίζω), meaning to put a stumbling block, cause to fall, offend, tempt to sin, or lead astray. In the passive voice, it implies being drawn into sin or having one's faith undermined.
- Significance: This extends beyond physical weakness to moral and spiritual danger. Paul’s concern is for anything that would lead a believer away from Christ or into spiritual harm, highlighting his deep pastoral responsibility for their faith's integrity.
- and I am not intensely incensed? (καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ πυροῦμαι - kai ouk egō pyroumai):
- kai: "And" – Connects Paul's response to the stumbling.
- ouk egō pyroumai: "Am not I intensely incensed/burn with indignation?" – pyroumai (πυροῦμαι) from pyroō (πυρόω), meaning to set on fire, to burn, to inflame. In the passive, it conveys intense heat, burning with indignation, anger, or zeal, a strong and passionate emotional response.
- Significance: Paul experiences a fervent, almost fiery emotional response. It's not a personal affront but a burning sorrow and zeal for God's glory and the purity of His people. This passionate distress underscores his authentic apostolic care, demonstrating that spiritual harm to the Corinthians profoundly grieves him.
- Words-group analysis:
- "Who is weak, and I am not weak?": This phrase emphasizes Paul's complete identification with the vulnerable. He does not just sympathize from afar but genuinely partakes in their distress. It’s an assertion of profound empathy, rooted in his own experiences of human weakness and suffering, showcasing identification over mere intellectual understanding.
- "Who is made to stumble, and I am not intensely incensed?": This second rhetorical question reveals Paul's protective zeal and righteous indignation. His passion ignites when believers are led into spiritual danger or fall. This intense emotion isn't self-serving anger but a profound distress and fervent desire to see them restored and protected, signifying the depth of a true spiritual guardian's heart.
2 Corinthians 11 29 Bonus section
The phrase "pyroumai" (intensely incensed) can also convey being "burnt up" with worry or fervent concern, akin to spiritual anguish. This isn't just anger but a profoundly unsettling spiritual pain at seeing God's people harmed or dishonored. It serves as an antithesis to the superficial calm or indifferent pride of the "super-apostles" who sought personal glorification rather than the edification and protection of the church. This intense emotional transparency in Paul is remarkable, highlighting how much his identity and well-being were intrinsically linked to the spiritual health of those he ministered to. Furthermore, his identification with the "weak" (asthenei) aligns with Paul's broader theological theme in 2 Corinthians, where he frequently illustrates that his own physical and social "weakness" is precisely the vessel through which God's power is most effectively demonstrated (e.g., 2 Cor 12:9-10). His solidarity with the weak is thus rooted in his own profound experience of being weak in a worldly sense, yet paradoxically, strong in Christ.
2 Corinthians 11 29 Commentary
2 Corinthians 11:29 powerfully demonstrates the empathetic and passionately protective heart of a true spiritual shepherd. Paul proves that authentic leadership is not marked by power or personal accolades but by unwavering identification with the vulnerabilities and spiritual dangers faced by the flock. His "weakness" signifies a shared burden, a deep feeling of personal involvement in the struggles of believers. His "burning indignation" over spiritual stumbling is a powerful expression of righteous zeal and grief, underscoring that a true minister feels the pain of their congregants’ sins and spiritual harm as if it were their own. This verse contrasts divine, self-sacrificial love and empathetic concern with the self-promoting, detached leadership Paul exposed in false teachers. It calls all believers and leaders to an intense, self-emptying care for one another, especially the most vulnerable, reflecting the heart of Christ.
- Examples for practical usage: A spiritual leader actively listening to a struggling congregant and sharing in their burden. A Christian youth minister feeling personal grief and acting to restore a teenager who has fallen into destructive behavior.