11:1-2 God is proud to claim His children; He loves us. He feels your presence as wells your absence acutely. More than even life God has given us freedom. With our freedom, many have chosen differently than to return to Him and His claim on us as His children. Although He allows us to choose, He it does hurt Him when He is not our choice.
We can relate to God through the emotions of our soul. Despite divinity's immensity, we relate to God in all the ways that matter: every shade and color of emotion that passes through us is known also by Him. We know what it is like when someone or something we love very much chooses not to accept or even sometimes acknowledge all of the love and hope we have for them.
11:3 There is abundant option in the world and therefore there are many choices here for us to make. This philosophy of life taught by Jesus and then the apostles, originating from creation, encourages us to live and interact with simplicity: embodying compassion in all contexts and relationships.
In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, Eve serves as a metaphor. With the capacity and capability of knowledge comes responsibility. We now have the capacity and capability for knowledge and therefore we also have great responsibility to wield it well. Yet knowledge uncovers the complexities of the world, the entanglements of our ability to lie to and manipulate, control and influence situations and people. Suddenly the path of simplicity becomes less clear and every thought, word and move we make must consider alternative motions and motives. Compassion thereby becomes rather than our default setting, a choice we must consistently make.
11:4 Paul directs us toward caution because unless we know ourselves very well, having established our values, our intention and our purpose, we might easily be swayed by manipulative people and doctrines. We must be observant and perceptive, focused in faith and in everything we do because (and as history has reminded us) people can be derailed by a multitude of various factors.
Listen to what people say. Observe what people do. Listen to what you say and ensure that it is corroborated by what you do. In every moment be aware of the motives of the people around you, they might not always be as focused or altruistic as they seem or pretend to be. Sometimes even people with the best intentions are confused or misguided. We do not have to be leaders of others but we do have to be the leader of ourselves; entrusting anyone else but yourself to determine the purpose and value of yourself and humanity is irresponsible as well as dangerous.
11:5-6 Remember in Matthew 7:15 and Matthew 12:38 we were warned of false prophets. Remember that sometimes the most celebrated and polished people are the most corrupt. Paul was a direct disciple of Jesus, sent out as a disciple after His death. Paul's devotion to the faith was incomparable, undeterred. And yet Paul had no formal training, at least by the standards of the people around him. Paul was poor and often weakened after tribulations. Despite his humble possessions and appearance, Paul was the most prominent of apostles, accomplishing for God a seemingly insurmountable task: establishing Christianity among humanity.
11:7 Paul preached without requiring salary or payment. Paul's mission was to teach and exemplify to people that God's love was free, courageous and independent. Therefore the proponents of the faith needed also to be working free, courageously and independently. Yet for this reason, Paul was not taken seriously by many who instead preferred the fancifully adorned and supposedly educated preachers (who brought falsity and corruption through manipulation and superiority). This is only one reason why we must be able to discern truth from lie. We must be able to detect sincerity because outward appearances can be, and often are deceiving.
11:8 Although people could not tell from looking at him, Paul had given and scarified a lot in order to be a constantly devoted and available teacher of this philosophy. He gave all of his time and efforts for the benefit of others, often dividing his time between many groups in order that they all received a chance to listen to him. Sometimes leaving where he was, even though it was too early, in order to squeeze in time to visit another region.
11:9 Moreover Paul, who already worked for free, never asked for anything... not food or shelter. He kept to himself so that people understood the only sustenance he needed was from God. God teaches his children to be self-sufficient with Him. To work hard and enthusiastically. That God provides. Paul was taught to give and to create, so when he entered a region, he created and he gave, never took.
10:10-11 Paul wanted them to understand that although it would have been fair and just for him to receive payment for his work, he decided that to present the clearest message, he would not. And often people wanted to support Paul for what he brought to them and even though he was appreciative, his students needed hear the message freely to understand the difference between him and the teachers who charged money and were corrupting them.
10:12-13 Paul's free teaching thwarted the corrupt business the false apostles were peddling. Paul gathered many people away from them with his truth and sincerity. People were able to easily distinguish between true children of God and false, greedy people.
10:14-15 We should suspect that our adversaries will be crafty in obtaining what they want. Criminals are not necessarily unintelligent. Greed breeds the ability to deceive in people. Just as we cannot assume that a fancy or clean speech, person or establishment is true and trustworthy... neither can we assume that evil and adversity will appear to as the monster that it is. Be perceptive!
11:16-18 Paul does not want us to confuse this message. Paul wants us to know that he is humble and that in these verses although it might appear that he is boating of himself, he is actually defending himself against the false apostles. Paul wants us to know that he is sincere, not better.
11:19-21 Paul believes they can accept this moment of his defense against himself as the Corinthians had recently accepted many and actual wrongdoings by the false apostles.
11:22-27 Paul lists his qualifications for himself as an apostle: to put mildly, he has endured many tribulations. He has suffered in order to bring this message to the regions of the earth. He has confronted adversity and adversaries in order to defend, inspire, and create justice and truth. He has never lost faith or hope or courage despite a tumultuous journey. He has remained devoted and trusting in the philosophy which he preaches and therefore even though he may not have the proper and official documents validating him as an apostle, he has more than earned the title with his humble work.
11:28 In addition to all that he has endured, Paul's compassion thrives. His entirely selfless perspective and purpose in among humanity qualified him as a trustworthy and productive child of God. As an accomplished and official apostle of this philosophy.
11:29 Deeper even than compassion Paul has empathy. He shares in the joy and tribulation of his fellow humans. He fights for their rights as or even more mightily than he would even fight for himself. What further qualification need a child of God?
11:30-33 Paul is comforted and continually motivated knowing that God knows of his sincerity, of the truth and detail of the long-suffering he has endured to promote this philosophy. We can find similar comfort knowing that God has been with us every moment of our lives, analyzing and enduring with us everything we have been through. Always be sincere and truthful, because God will ensure that the sincere and the truthful edified and established on the course of achievement and joy.
