2Cor.11:[1] Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.
[2] For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

Our obligation is to Jesus. Though there exists a semi-obligation to our brothers in Christ, to the lost, and to our families. As a church ultimately and most importantly our obligation is to the Lord.
As being engaged to Jesus, as in Jewish culture the bride to be was watched by others as to her chaste conducting of her every day life. Also, to her preparation for her impending nuptials.

[3] But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Like the sneaky suitor attempting to woo a woman from her beloved. The chaste virgin being compared to the mother of all living Eve.
The area of attack being the mind. Corrupting them through what they “think”. Using their human reason to convince them away from the truth of Christ. The result being you have those who teach:
You have to be baptized to be saved.
You have to do works to be saved.
You have to be a member of their church to be saved.
You were either predetermined to be saved or not.
Notice these are compared to the devil himself.
Nothing can be simpler than the death, burial and resurrection nothing added nothing subtracted. The cross being fully effective for the saving of the soul, the burial showing our death to our old life and the cares of the world and the resurrection giving us the hope of the life beyond.

[4] For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

Three areas of satanic attack on our doctrine; Jesus, Holy Spirit and the gospel all three of these vital to our salvation.
Another Jesus- those that teach Jesus was a mere man not God incarnate; those that teach Jesus hated sinners;

Another spirit which you haven’t received. The second blessing. You received the Holy Spirit the moment you are born again in Christ. There are those who teach you must receive a “second” blessing of the Holy Spirit which you did not receive at the moment of being saved.

Another gospel- those that teach salvation by works; salvation through endurance; predestined salvation

(look at Galatians 1:6-9)

[5] For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.
[6] But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.
[7] Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?
[8] I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.

The “chiefest” of apostles being Peter, James and John. The last mention of Peter in the Acts of the Apostles is in chapter 15 where we are told the door of belief through simple (simplicity) of faith is open to the Gentiles without the need of following the Mosaic law and this blessing of the open door is to the Apostle Paul.
The Apostle Peter is mentioned 58 times in Acts 1 through 15 and NONE after that. The only other mention in the epistles is when Paul says he had to confront Peter’s hypocritical actions.
The majority of the New testament given to the Apostle Paul. The gospel of God’s grace being given to the Apostle Paul. The order of conducting of the church given to the Apostle Paul.
When the Apostle Paul came to Corinth he did not demand their money but rather other churches having supported his travels giving him the ability to preach the gospel to those of Corinth. Missionaries today are still supported in this manner. They do not go to a foreign land and receive offerings of the people to which they are sent but rather from those who have sent them to preach the gospel.

[9] And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.
[10] As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
[11] Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.
[12] But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.

The Apostle Paul indeed suffered financial hardships and had NEEDS but the Lord provided through the churches of Macedonia. Corinth was a major city of Achaia. Paul went throughout the region boasting of the support of the churches of Macedonia and the Lord supplying his need through them. Paul is not attempting to magnify himself but cause the people to realize he is truly concerned with them and not like the false apostles that attempt to deceive them away from the truth of the gospel. If the false apostles are true apostles let them not take any wages of the Corinthians and show the proof of their “love” for the body of believers at Corinth.

[13] For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
[14] And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
[15] Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

These ministers having preached a different Jesus, different spirit and a different gospel. Now claiming to be an apostle of Christ. Satan as he deceived Eve appearing to be an angel of light and not of darkness. Remember the promise he made to Eve was to bring her the light of knowledge and instead plunged the human race into spiritual darkness. God will deal with these false apostles and ministers in the end.
There indeed is a day of reckoning coming.

[16] I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.
[17] That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.
[18] Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.
[19] For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.
[20] For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.

Paul is about to give the proof of his ministry and the falseness of the false ministers and false apostles.
(Let us keep in mind the 3 areas of attack; Jesus, Spirit and gospel)
The false ministers:
Bring you into bondage- are there not those who teach salvation combined with the works of the law? This is indeed bringing someone under bondage.
Devour you- Are not the followers of false doctrine those who lose themselves in the identity of the one they follow? Campbellites or Calvinists.
Take of you; Are not the false ministers made multi-millionaires on the back of the people?
Exalt himself-Those whose ministry is about themselves and not the Lord
Smite you- whether this is a sarcastic reference to the degree to which they would allow false ministers to abuse them or a reference to those who would preach the gospel of the kingdom (smite you in the face …turn the other cheek). I believe the latter.

[21] I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.
[22] Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
[23] Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

The proof of Paul’s ministry is not in the great works he built, nor the number of converts, nor the number of miracles, nor the changed lives through his ministry. The proof of Paul’s ministry was the amount and greatness of the trials he endured for the cause of the gospel of the Lord.

[24] Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
[25] Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
[26] In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
[27] In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
[28] Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
[29] Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
[30] If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
[31] The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
[32] In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:
[33] And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.

Let us be like the Apostle Paul and count our successes by the number of hardships God has seen us through and not the greatness of the blessings in our lives.