The false teachers grandly called themselves "super apostles". I must admit I am a little wary of the way the term apostle is sometimes bandied about these days, especially when it is used in an agrandising way. For Paul being an apostle meant doing the work of God and suffering with Christ.
The super-apostles boasted about themselves and denigrated Paul. Paul is responding to these accusations. The super-apostles made money out of the Corinthians, whereas Paul refused to do so. Indeed Paul's mission in Corinth was supported by other churches, and by his own work, and Paul was criticised for this!
The super-apostles were false apostles. We need to be aware that Satan will masquerade as an angle of light. There are two key tests to the authenticity of anyone claiming to be a man or woman of God. Do they faithfully preach Jesus Christ as Lord in accordance with the Bible, and how does their lifestyle measure up. If the focus is on themselves rather than Jesus then we need to be very much on our guard.
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