X-Dreamers
Bible chapter guide
2 Corinthians 11
Driven to boast by false apostles, Paul boasts of his weakness: beaten, stoned, shipwrecked three times, a night and a day in the open sea, in danger from rivers, robbers and his own people, and let down in a basket through a window in the wall of Damascus.
Summary written for the Labs; read the chapter itself for the full text.
See it in the Labs
- Paul's RoadsDamascus: over the wall (Early years) · Paul's RoadsOpen
- The Bible Time MapDamascus · The Bible Time MapOpen
- Paul's RoadsThe Damascus road (Early years) · Paul's RoadsOpen
- Paul's RoadsDamascus · Paul's RoadsOpen
- Paul's RoadsLystra (1st journey) · Paul's RoadsOpen
Places
Also in this chapter
The letter: who wrote it, where and when
These questions are debated; the views are shown side by side with how sure each is, as in Paul's Roads.
- Strongly supported
2 Corinthians written from Macedonia
Paul has come into Macedonia and met Titus there (2:13; 7:5–7) and boasts to the Macedonians about Achaia's readiness (9:2–4). Philippi is shown as a likely Macedonian city; the letter names none.
- Plausible
2 Corinthians may combine more than one letter.
The sharp change of tone at chapter 10 and the letter written with many tears (2:4) have led many to think chapters 10–13 (or other parts) were once separate. Others read it as one letter written over time.
How sure can we be?
- Plausible
The escape happened before AD 40.
Aretas IV of Nabataea died about AD 40, so his governor's watch on Damascus must be earlier. How the Nabataeans came to control the city is not known.
- Plausible
Paul's conversion was about AD 33/34.
Counting back from the Jerusalem council (c. AD 48/49) using 'after three years' (Galatians 1:18) and 'fourteen years after' (2:1), and allowing that ancient counting included part-years, gives a date in the early 30s. The death of Aretas IV (c. AD 40) sets a…
- Plausible
Philippians written from Ephesus
Paul speaks of many imprisonments and of deadly peril in Asia (2 Corinthians 1:8; 11:23), and Ephesus lies close to Colossae and Philippi for the many journeys the letters assume; but Acts records no imprisonment at Ephesus.
- Plausible
Colossians written from Ephesus
Paul speaks of many imprisonments and of deadly peril in Asia (2 Corinthians 1:8; 11:23), and Ephesus lies close to Colossae and Philippi for the many journeys the letters assume; but Acts records no imprisonment at Ephesus.
- Plausible
Philemon written from Ephesus
Paul speaks of many imprisonments and of deadly peril in Asia (2 Corinthians 1:8; 11:23), and Ephesus lies close to Colossae and Philippi for the many journeys the letters assume; but Acts records no imprisonment at Ephesus.
- Speculative
Ephesians written from Ephesus
Paul speaks of many imprisonments and of deadly peril in Asia (2 Corinthians 1:8; 11:23), and Ephesus lies close to Colossae and Philippi for the many journeys the letters assume; but Acts records no imprisonment at Ephesus.