2 Corinthians 11:1 (KJV)

What does 2 Corinthians 11:1 mean?

In 2 Corinthians 11:1, Paul asks the people in Corinth to be patient with him as he begins to speak in a way he calls “folly.” He prepares them for words that may sound foolish, but that he considers necessary in the situation he is addressing.

“Would to God” expresses a strong wish. Paul’s request comes after he has said that a person should boast in the Lord rather than in himself (2 Corinthians 10:17–18). That makes his introduction striking: he is about to speak about himself while calling that kind of speech “folly.”

The Greek behind 2 Corinthians 11:1

• “bear” — ἀνέχομαι (anechomai): The Greek often carries the sense of putting up with someone or something. Here, Paul asks his listeners to give him room to speak even if his approach tries their patience.
• “folly” — ἀφροσύνη (aphrosynē): The word means foolishness or a lack of good sense. Paul uses it to label the kind of talk he is introducing, letting the Corinthians know that he recognizes how it may sound.

Why 2 Corinthians 11:1 matters

• Paul is aware that his way of speaking could seem out of place. He calls it “my folly” before he begins the extended boasting that follows later in the passage.
• His concern is not simply to talk about himself. In verse 3, Paul expresses fear that the Corinthians might be led away from their devotion to Christ, which helps explain the urgency behind his request.
• Paul’s repeated “bear with me” places the Corinthians in the role of listeners. He asks them to stay with his argument as he responds to people he later calls “false apostles” (verse 13).