11:22
Paul now lists various qualities. He was a Hebrew, he was an Israelite, he was descended from Abraham. On anything based on ancestry he could easily out do them. One wonders what the ethnic background of the super apostles was. Were they Jewish? If so their “line of attack” was unusual. In most places where attacks came from Jews it was a matter of them wanting to get the people to keep the Law (eg Galatians), but that does not seem to be the case here. If they were Gentiles they could not claim to be Hebrews etc.
11:23
“Are they servants of Christ?” One type of false teacher will always claim to be be servants of Christ and will often use the right words, but their actions will belie the truth. Paul states the true marks of an apostle, and it isn’t pretty! They are not something one would go after unless one is truly dedicated to Christ and the power of the gospel. Paul worked harder than anyone, he was often in prison, he was flogged and beaten, close to death. This is not an attractive job description guaranteed to get the best candidates applying.
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