Setting rules for his 'foolish' boasting

This paragraph opens the “boasting” section that runs through the surrounding lines (11:16–12:13), where Paul uses irony to answer rivals who impress the Corinthians with confident self-presentation. Just before this, he has warned about being led away by persuasive alternatives and “another Jesus” (11:1–15), so his shift to “foolish” boasting is presented as a strategic concession to the audience’s tastes. After this setup, he will list hardships and humiliations as the content of his “boast,” turning normal bragging expectations upside down.

The passage fits a tense phase in Paul’s relationship with the Corinthian church, where some teachers or influencers had gained a hearing and were reshaping how the community evaluated leadership. In the wider Greco-Roman setting, public credibility was often tied to status, rhetorical polish, patronage ties, and confident self-assertion—traits that could make an outsider seem “strong” and a suffering messenger seem “weak.” Paul responds within that social world by exposing how easily the Corinthians have accommodated domineering behavior when it comes packaged as impressive authority.

Shared ground

Paul is setting rules for a short stretch of “boasting” that he himself considers abnormal. He asks the Corinthians not to treat him as a fool, but if they insist on that label, he will speak “as a fool” briefly so he can “boast a little” (vv. 16–17). The passage is openly ironic: he adopts a mode of speech he does not approve of, because the community has been impressed by others who boast “according to the flesh” (v. 18).

Paul also exposes a moral mismatch in the Corinthians’ tolerances. They are willing to “put up with” people who act domineering and exploitative—enslaving, devouring resources, taking advantage, self-exalting, and humiliating (vv. 19–20)—while Paul is treated as “weak” (v. 21). The text’s surface point is not to praise boasting, but to unmask the standards by which the Corinthians are judging leaders.

Where interpretation differs

“Not after the Lord” (v. 17). Some read Paul as saying the act of boasting (as a rhetorical method and tone) is not what the Lord normally authorizes for him, even if the facts he will mention are true. Others think he means the content of this “boasting” is not meant as direct instruction from the Lord but as a strategic, self-aware concession to the Corinthians’ expectations.

“According to the flesh” (v. 18). Many take this as boasting by ordinary human standards—status, image, and self-promotion. Others think it may also include boasting in identity-markers like lineage or community standing (themes Paul soon engages in the wider boasting section).

“Strikes you on the face” (v. 20). Some read it as literal physical abuse; others read it as a public insult or shaming gesture. Either way, the point is humiliation and domination.

Why the disagreement exists

Paul’s irony makes his statements multi-layered: he both participates in “boasting” and distances himself from it. Also, several phrases (“after the Lord,” “according to the flesh,” “strike on the face”) are compact and can refer either to concrete actions or to social dynamics in public life.

What this passage clearly contributes

This paragraph frames the next section’s “boasting” as a deliberate, reluctant strategy rather than Paul’s preferred model of Christian leadership. It also identifies exploitative leadership as a real danger the Corinthians have tolerated, especially when packaged as strength and confidence. Paul’s “weakness,” contrasted with their rivals’ domination, sets up the larger argument in 2 Corinthians that visible impressiveness can mask spiritual and relational harm (vv. 19–21; see also 2 Corinthians 11:1 for the immediate lead-in).