What is the context?
Paul again asks the Corinthians to bear with him as he speaks about himself. He labels the boasting foolish and says he is not speaking as the Lord would in this manner of boasting. He is taking up the kind of comparison others have brought into the dispute.
His words about the Corinthians being wise carry a pointed irony. They readily tolerate people who enslave, exploit, take advantage, exalt themselves and even strike them in the face. His list exposes what they are accepting from those who claim to lead them.
When he calls himself too weak for that, he is turning the charge of weakness back on the situation. The contrast helps them see how badly their standards for judging ministry have gone wrong.
He then prepares to answer the others’ claims. The account that follows will focus increasingly on labor, suffering and weakness in his service to Christ.
How is this passage commonly understood?
Christians commonly read this as a deliberately ironic introduction to Paul’s defense. Wesley’s notes on verses 16–21 and the USCCB notes on verses 16–21 both highlight the Corinthians’ tolerance of abusive treatment and Paul’s pointed use of the charge of weakness.
Where does this fit in God's plan?
Mark 10:42–45 records Jesus contrasting rulers who exercise domination with the service He calls His followers to practice. He grounds that calling in His own coming to serve and give His life as a ransom for many.
That explicit pattern of service supplies a wider measure for the behavior Paul describes. Christ’s saving self-giving shapes the life of His people, including how they lead and how they recognize faithful service.
What is our position?
We don't have a position on this passage yet. When our study reaches a conclusion the text supports, it will appear here.