The Meaning of 2 Corinthians 11:8 Explained

2 Corinthians 11:8

KJV: I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.

YLT: other assemblies I did rob, having taken wages, for your ministration;

Darby: I spoiled other assemblies, receiving hire for ministry towards you.

ASV: I robbed other churches, taking wages of them that I might minister unto you;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I robbed  other  churches,  taking  wages  [of them], to  do  you  service. 

What does 2 Corinthians 11:8 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Corinthians 11:1-9 - "a Godly Jealousy"
As the Bridegroom's friend, Paul was eager to bring the Corinthian church to the Bridegroom of souls. But false teachers disturbed the purity and simplicity of their faith, as in Eden Satan perverted Eve. There would have been excuse if these false teachers had given his converts another and a better Savior or a greater Pentecost; but since these were impossible, he was well able to hold his ground, even though they were pre-eminent apostles in their own estimation. Paul was very conscious of the rudeness of his speech, of which apparently he had many reminders, but he was equally conscious of the direct knowledge that God had imparted to him.
He acknowledges that he had not taken their pecuniary support, which in itself was quite legitimate; but he altogether denies the inference which his enemies drew, that therefore he admitted his inferiority to the other servants of the Cross. He answers that insinuation by saying that he expressly refrained from accepting gifts, because of his desire to rob his critics of their argument that he was evangelizing the world for the purpose of making money. That they should make such wanton suggestions proved that they were Satan's emissaries. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Corinthians 11

1  Out of his jealousy over the Corinthians, he enters into a forced commendation of himself,
5  of his equality with the chief apostles,
7  of his preaching the gospel to them freely, and without any charge to them;
13  showing that he was not inferior to those deceitful workers in any legal prerogative;
23  and in the service of Christ, and in all kinds of sufferings for his ministry, far superior

Greek Commentary for 2 Corinthians 11:8

I robbed [εσυλησα]
Old verb to despoil, strip arms from a slain foe, only here in N.T. He allowed other churches to do more than their share. [source]
Taking wages [λαβων οπσωνιον]
For οπσωνιον — opsōnion see note on 1 Corinthians 9:7; note on Romans 6:23. He got his “rations” from other churches, not from Corinth while there. [source]
I robbed [ἐσύλησα]
Only here in the New Testament, though it appears in the verb ἱεροσυλέω tocommit sacrilege, Romans 2:22, and in ἱεροσύλοι robbersof churches, Acts 19:37. Originally to strip off, as arms from a slain foe, and thence, generally, to rob, plunder, with the accompanying notion of violence. Paul thus strongly expresses the fact that he had accepted from other churches more than their share, that he might not draw on the Corinthians. [source]
Wages [ὀψώνιον]
See on Romans 6:23. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 2 Corinthians 11:8

Luke 3:14 Be content with your wages [αρκειστε τοις οπσωνιοις υμων]
Discontent with wages was a complaint of mercenary soldiers. This word for wages was originally anything cooked Hence, “rations,” “pay,” wages. Οπσαριον — Opsarion diminutive of οπσον — opson was anything eaten with bread like broiled fish. So οπσωνιον — opsōnion comes to mean whatever is bought to be eaten with bread and then a soldier‘s pay or allowance (Polybius, and other late Greek writers) as in 1 Corinthians 9:7. Paul uses the singular of a preacher‘s pay (2 Corinthians 11:8) and the plural of the wages of sin (Romans 6:23) = death (death is the diet of sin). [source]
Luke 3:14 Do violence to no man [μηδενα διασεισητε]
Here only in the N.T., but in the lxx and common in ancient Greek. It means to shake (seismic disturbance, earthquake) thoroughly The Latin employs concutere, so. It was a process of blackmail to which Socrates refers (Xenophon, Memorabilia, ii. 9, 1). This was a constant temptation to soldiers. Might does not make right with Jesus.Neither exact anything wrongfully (μηδε συκοπαντησητε — mēde sukophantēsēte). In Athens those whose business it was to inform against any one whom they might find exporting figs out of Attica were called fig-showers or sycophants (συκοπανται — sukophantai). From συκον — sukon fig, and παινω — phainō show. Some modern scholars reject this explanation since no actual examples of the word meaning merely a fig-shower have been found. But without this view it is all conjectural. From the time of Aristophanes on it was used for any malignant informer or calumniator. These soldiers were tempted to obtain money by informing against the rich, blackmail again. So the word comes to mean to accuse falsely. The sycophants came to be a regular class of informers or slanderers in Athens. Socrates is quoted by Xenophon as actually advising Crito to employ one in self-defence, like the modern way of using one gunman against another. Demosthenes pictures a sycophant as one who “glides about the market like a scorpion, with his venomous sting all ready, spying out whom he may surprise with misfortune and ruin and from whom he can most easily extort money, by threatening him with an action dangerous in its consequences” (quoted by Vincent). The word occurs only in Luke in the N.T., here and in Luke 19:8 in the confession of Zaccheus. It occurs in the lxx and often in the old Greek.Be content with your wages Discontent with wages was a complaint of mercenary soldiers. This word for wages was originally anything cooked Hence, “rations,” “pay,” wages. Οπσαριον — Opsarion diminutive of οπσον — opson was anything eaten with bread like broiled fish. So οπσωνιον — opsōnion comes to mean whatever is bought to be eaten with bread and then a soldier‘s pay or allowance (Polybius, and other late Greek writers) as in 1 Corinthians 9:7. Paul uses the singular of a preacher‘s pay (2 Corinthians 11:8) and the plural of the wages of sin (Romans 6:23) = death (death is the diet of sin). [source]
Acts 17:16 Now while Paul waited for them in Athens [Εν δε ταις Ατηναις εκδεχομενου αυτους του Παυλου]
Genitive absolute with present middle participle of εκδεχομαι — ekdechomai old verb to receive, but only with the sense of looking out for, expecting found here and elsewhere in N.T We know that Timothy did come to Paul in Athens (1 Thessalonians 3:1, 1 Thessalonians 3:6) from Thessalonica and was sent back to them from Athens. If Silas also came to Athens, he was also sent away, possibly to Philippi, for that church was deeply interested in Paul. At any rate both Timothy and Silas came from Macedonia to Corinth with messages and relief for Paul (Acts 18:5; 2 Corinthians 11:8.). Before they came and after they left, Paul felt lonely in Athens (1 Thessalonians 3:1), the first time on this tour or the first that he has been completely without fellow workers. Athens had been captured by Sulla b.c. 86. After various changes Achaia, of which Corinth is the capital, is a separate province from Macedonia and a.d. 44 was restored by Claudius to the Senate with the Proconsul at Corinth. Paul is probably here about a.d. 50. Politically Athens is no longer of importance when Paul comes though it is still the university seat of the world with all its rich environment and traditions. Rackham grows eloquent over Paul the Jew of Tarsus being in the city of Pericles and Demosthenes, Socrates and Plato and Aristotle, Sophocles and Euripides. In its Agora Socrates had taught, here was the Academy of Plato, the Lyceum of Aristotle, the Porch of Zeno, the Garden of Epicurus. Here men still talked about philosophy, poetry, politics, religion, anything and everything. It was the art centre of the world. The Parthenon, the most beautiful of temples, crowned the Acropolis. Was Paul insensible to all this cultural environment? It is hard to think so for he was a university man of Tarsus and he makes a number of allusions to Greek writers. Probably it had not been in Paul‘s original plan to evangelize Athens, difficult as all university seats are, but he cannot be idle though here apparently by chance because driven out of Macedonia. [source]
Romans 6:23 Wages [οπσωνια]
Late Greek for wages of soldier, here of sin. See note on Luke 3:14; note on 1 Corinthians 9:7 and note on 2 Corinthians 11:8. Sin pays its wages in full with no cut. But eternal life is God‘s gift (χαρισμα — charisma), not wages. Both τανατος — thanatos and ζωην — zōēn are eternal (αιωνιον — aiōnion). [source]
1 Corinthians 9:7 Charges [ὀψωνίοις]
See on Luke 3:14, and compare Romans 6:23; 2 Corinthians 11:8. [source]
1 Corinthians 9:7 At his own charges [ιδιοις οπσωνιοις]
This late word οπσωνιον — opsōnion (from οπσον — opson cooked meat or relish with bread, and ωνεομαι — ōneomai to buy) found in Menander, Polybius, and very common in papyri and inscriptions in the sense of rations or food, then for the soldiers‘ wages (often provisions) or the pay of any workman. So of the wages of sin (Romans 6:23). Paul uses λαβων οπσωνιον — labōn opsōnion (receiving wages, the regular idiom) in 2 Corinthians 11:8. See Moulton and Milligan, Vocabulary; Deissmann, Bible Studies, pp. 148, 266; Light from the Ancient East, p. 168. To give proof of his right to receive pay for preaching Paul uses the illustrations of the soldier (1 Corinthians 9:7), the husbandman (1 Corinthians 9:7), the shepherd (1 Corinthians 9:7), the ox treading out the grain (1 Corinthians 9:8), the ploughman (1 Corinthians 9:10), the priests in the temple (1 Corinthians 9:13), proof enough in all conscience, and yet not enough for some churches who even today starve their pastors in the name of piety. Who planteth a vineyard? (τις πυτευει αμπελωνα — tis phuteuei ampelōna̱). Αμπελων — Ampelōn no earlier than Diodorus, but in lxx and in papyri. Place of vines (αμπελος — ampelos), meaning of ending ων — ̇ōn Who feedeth a flock? Cognate accusative, both old words. Paul likens the pastor to a soldier, vinedresser, shepherd. He contends with the world, he plants churches, he exercises a shepherd‘s care over them (Vincent). [source]
Galatians 4:14 Ye despised not nor rejected [οὐκ ἐξουθενήσατε οὐδὲ ἐξεπτύσατε]
Commonly explained by making both verbs govern your temptation. Thus the meaning would be: “You were tempted to treat my preaching contemptuously because of my bodily infirmity; but you did not despise nor reject that which was a temptation to you.” This is extremely far fetched, awkward, and quite without parallel in Paul's writings or elsewhere. It does not suit the following but received me, etc. It lays the stress on the Galatians' resistance of a temptation to despise Paul; whereas the idea of a temptation is incidental. On this construction we should rather expect Paul to say: “Ye did despise and repudiate this temptation.” Better, make your temptation, etc., dependent on ye know (Galatians 4:13); place a colon after flesh, and make both verbs govern me in the following clause. Rend. “Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel to you the first time, and (ye know) your temptation which was in my flesh: ye did not despise nor reject me, but received me.” The last clause thus forms one of a series of short and detached clauses beginning with Galatians 4:10. Ὁυκ ἐξουθενήσατε yedid not set at nought, from οὐδέν nothingThe form οὐθέν occurs Luke 22:35; Luke 23:14; Acts 19:27; Acts 26:26; 1 Corinthians 13:2; 2 Corinthians 11:8. For the compound here, comp. Luke 18:9; Luke 23:11; Acts 4:11; 2 Corinthians 10:10. oClass. Ἑξεπτύσατε spurnedN.T.oLit. spat out. A strong metaphor, adding the idea of contempt to that of setting at nought. Comp. Hom. Od. v. 322; Aristoph. Wasps, 792. The two verbs express contemptuous indifference. Ἑμέσαι tovomit, as a figure of contemptuous rejection, is found in Revelation 3:16. The simple πτύειν tospit only in the literal sense in N.T. Mark 7:33; Mark 8:23; John 9:6, and no other compound occurs. [source]
Philippians 4:15 Had fellowship [εκοινωνησεν]
“Had partnership” (first aorist active indicative). In the matter (εις λογον — eis logon). “As to an account.” No other church opened an account with Paul. Of giving and receiving Credit and debit. A mercantile metaphor repeated in Phlippians 4:17 by εις λογον υμων — eis logon humōn (to your account). Paul had to keep books then with no other church, though later Thessalonica and Beroea joined Philippi in support of Paul‘s work in Corinth (2 Corinthians 11:8.). But ye only (ει μη υμεις μονοι — ei mē humeis monoi). Not even Antioch contributed anything but good wishes and prayers for Paul‘s work (Acts 13:1-3). [source]
Philippians 4:15 Of giving and receiving [δοσεως και λημπσεως]
Credit and debit. A mercantile metaphor repeated in Phlippians 4:17 by εις λογον υμων — eis logon humōn (to your account). Paul had to keep books then with no other church, though later Thessalonica and Beroea joined Philippi in support of Paul‘s work in Corinth (2 Corinthians 11:8.). But ye only (ει μη υμεις μονοι — ei mē humeis monoi). Not even Antioch contributed anything but good wishes and prayers for Paul‘s work (Acts 13:1-3). [source]

What do the individual words in 2 Corinthians 11:8 mean?

Other churches I robbed having received support for the toward you service
ἄλλας ἐκκλησίας ἐσύλησα λαβὼν ὀψώνιον πρὸς τὴν ὑμῶν διακονίαν

ἄλλας  Other 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: ἄλλος  
Sense: another, other.
ἐκκλησίας  churches 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: ἐκκλησία  
Sense: a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly.
ἐσύλησα  I  robbed 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: συλάω  
Sense: to rob, despoil.
λαβὼν  having  received 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: λαμβάνω  
Sense: to take.
ὀψώνιον  support 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: ὀψώνιον  
Sense: a soldier’s pay, allowance.
ὑμῶν  toward  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
διακονίαν  service 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: διακονία 
Sense: service, ministering, esp.

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