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2 Corinthians 11:2-4
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
2 Corinthians 11:2-4
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
2 [a]For I am jealous of you with the jealousy of God, since I betrothed you to one husband to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.(A) 3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve[b] by his cunning, your thoughts may be corrupted from a sincere [and pure] commitment to Christ.(B) 4 For if someone comes and preaches another Jesus[c] than the one we preached,(C) or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it well enough.
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- 11:2 Paul gives us a sudden glimpse of the theological values that are at stake. The jealousy of God: the perspective is that of the covenant, described in imagery of love and marriage, as in the prophets; cf. 1 Cor 10:22. I betrothed you: Paul, like a father (cf. 2 Cor 12:14), betroths the community to Christ as his bride (cf. Eph 5:21–33) and will present her to him at his second coming. Cf. Mt 25:1–13 and the nuptial imagery in Rev 21.
- 11:3 As the serpent deceived Eve: before Christ can return for the community Paul fears a repetition of the primal drama of seduction. Corruption of minds is satanic activity (see 2 Cor 2:11; 4:4). Satanic imagery recurs in 2 Cor 11:13–15, 20; 12:7b, 16–17; see notes on these passages.
- 11:4 Preaches another Jesus: the danger is specified, and Paul’s opponents are identified with the cunning serpent. The battle for minds has to do with the understanding of Jesus, the Spirit, the gospel; the Corinthians have flirted with another understanding than the one that Paul handed on to them as traditional and normative.
2 Corinthians 11:2-4
New International Version
2 Corinthians 11:2-4
New International Version
2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband,(A) to Christ, so that I might present you(B) as a pure virgin to him. 3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning,(C) your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached,(D) or if you receive a different spirit(E) from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel(F) from the one you accepted, you put up with it(G) easily enough.
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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