2 Corinthians 11:13
in 2 Corinthians 11For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ.
KJV
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
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This verse in 2 Corinthians 11
Commentary
13 notes on this versewhen he designates "false apostles, deceitful workers transforming themselves" into likenesses of himself, of course by their hypocrisy, he charges them with the guilt of disorderly conversation, rather than of false doctrine. The contrariety, therefore, was one of conduct, not of gods. If "Satan himself, too, is transformed into an angel of light," such an assertion must not be used to the prejudice of the Creator. The Creator is not an angel, but God.
This site's exposition
deceitful workers
on 2 Corinthians 11:13-15
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ: Paul drops the irony entirely and names the rivals plainly, pseudapostoloi, a term used only here in the New Testament, workers whose deception is deliberate and whose disguise is the very apostleship of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light: the site's teaching on the unseen spiritual world receives the statement at face value, an actual spiritual reality behind the human deception rather than a mere figure of speech, and the bench reads the logic as escalating, if the source of the deception can appear as light, his human agents appearing as righteous ministers is no surprise at all. 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: judgment is promised on the deed rather than the disguise, and the commentators note the sober warning this leaves standing over any ministry that trades in a borrowed appearance of holiness.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
I have quoted these remarks to prove in error those Basilidians who do not live purely, supposing either that they have the power even to commit sin because of their perfection, or indeed that they will be saved by nature even if they sin in this life because they possess an innate election. For the original teachers of their doctrines do not allow one to do the same as they are now doing. They ought not, therefore, to take as a covering cloak the name of Christ and, by living lewder lives than the most uncontrolled heathen, bring blasphemy upon his name. "For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers" as far as the words "whose end shall be like their works."
A commentator
Apostolic ConstitutionsConstitutions of the Holy Apostles Book 6 · Written before 380.
proposed
But when we went forth among the Gentiles to preach the word of life, then the devil wrought in the people to send after us false apostles to the corrupting of the word; and they sent forth one Cleobius, and joined him with Simon, and these became disciples to one Dositheus, whom they despising, put him down from the principality. Afterwards also others were the authors of absurd doctrines: Cerinthus, and Marcus, and Menander, and Basilides, and Saturnilus. Of these some own the doctrine of many gods, some only of three, but contrary to each other, without beginning, and ever with one another, and some of an infinite number of them, and those unknown ones also. And some reject marriage; and their doctrine is, that it is not the appointment of God; and others abhor some kinds of food: some are impudent in uncleanness, such as those who are falsely called Nicolaitans...
Beloved brethren! That a man should build up and establish the brethren on the faith in one God, this also is manifest and well-known. This too, again, is comely, that a man should not be envious of his neighbour. And moreover, again, it is suitable …
What sayest thou? they that preach Christ, they that take not money, they that bring not in a different gospel, "false apostles?" 'Yes,' he saith, and for this very reason most of all, because they make pretense of all these things for the purpose of deceiving. "Deceitful workers," for they do work indeed, but pull up what has been planted. For being well aware that otherwise they would not be well received, they take the mask of truth and so enact the drama of error. 'And yet,' saith one, 'they take no money.' That they may take greater things; that they may destroy the soul. Yea rather, even that was a falsehood; and they took money but did it secretly: and he shows this in what follows. And indeed he already hinted this where he said, "that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we:" in what follows, however, he hinted it more plainly, saying, "If a man devour you, if a man take you captive, if a man exalt himself, ye bear with him." But at present he accuses them on another account, saying, "fashioning themselves." They had only a "fashion;" the skin of the sheep was but outside clothing.
The Medieval Church1 voice
What are you saying? Those who preach Christ, who do not introduce a different Gospel, as he said above, have now become false apostles? Yes, he says, for this very reason; for, being hypocritical in this, they secretly introduce impious dogmas. And "evil workers," because …
6 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen. This can be connected with what went before in three ways; in the first way thus: they do not glory and strive in the way we do, for such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen. In the …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), and that upon this account, because they would transform themselves into the likeness of the apostles of Christ, and, though they were the ministers of Satan, would seem to be the ministers of righteousness.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
For such are false apostles,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
For--reason why he is unwilling they should be thought like him [BENGEL]. such--they and those like them. false apostles--those "overmuch apostles" (see on 2Co 11:5) are no apostles at all. deceitful workers--pretending to be "workmen" for the Lord, and really seeking their own gain.
For such are false apostles - Persons who pretend to be apostles, but have no mission from Christ. Deceitful workers - They do preach and labor, but they have nothing but their own emolument in view. Transforming themselves - Assuming as far as they possibly can, consistently with their sinister views, the habit, manner, and doctrine of the apostles of Christ.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
For such are false apostles - They have no claim to the apostolic office. They are deceivers. They pretend to be apostles; but they have no divine commission from the Redeemer. Paul had thus far argued the case without giving them an explicit designation as deceivers. But here he says that people who had conducted thus; who attempted to impose on the people; who had brought another gospel, whatever pretences they might have - and he was not disposed to deny that there was much that was plausible - were really impostors and the enemies of Christ.
The words behind it
10 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| οἱ | hoi | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γὰρ | gar | For | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| τοιοῦτοι | toioutoi | such [are] | G5108 → | 56 times |
| ψευδαπόστολοι, | pseudapostoloi | false apostles, | G5570 → | |
| ἐργάται | ergatai | workers | G2040 → | |
| δόλιοι, | dolioi | deceitful, | G1386 → | |
| μετασχηματιζόμενοι | metaschematizomenoi | disguising themselves | G3345 → | 5 times |
| εἰς | eis | as | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| ἀποστόλους | apostolous | apostles | G652 → | 79 times |
| Χριστοῦ· | christou | of Christ; | G5547 → | 523 times |
οἱ<the>
hoiG3588 →19766 times
γὰρFor
garG1063 →1039 times
τοιοῦτοιsuch [are]
toioutoiG5108 →56 times
ψευδαπόστολοι,false apostles,
pseudapostoloiG5570 →
ἐργάταιworkers
ergataiG2040 →
δόλιοι,deceitful,
dolioiG1386 →
μετασχηματιζόμενοιdisguising themselves
metaschematizomenoiG3345 →5 times
εἰςas
eisG1519 →1755 times
ἀποστόλουςapostles
apostolousG652 →79 times
Χριστοῦ·of Christ;
christouG5547 →523 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 John 4:1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 5:21
but test all things. Hold fast to what is good.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Peter 2:1
Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on…
- 1 Timothy 4:1
Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,
- 2 John 1:7
For many deceivers have gone out into the world, refusing to confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.
- Proverbs 14:15
The simple man believes every word, but the prudent man watches his steps.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:21
Through
Revelation 2:2I know your deeds, your labor, and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate those who are evil, and you have tested and exposed as liars those who falsely claim to be apostles.
it leads to
- 1 John 4:1
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Peter 2:1–3
Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on…
- 2 Corinthians 11:13–15
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.
- 1 John 4:1
Where this verse is studied
About 2 Corinthians
This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Apostolic Constitutions, Constitutions of the Holy Apostles Book 6; Charles Hodge, An Exposition of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians; Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata Book 3; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homilies on Second Corinthians; John Chrysostom, Homily 24 on 2 Corinthians; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Pseudo-Clement, Two Epistles on Virginity; Tertullian, Against Marcion Book V; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 2 Corinthians.