2 Corinthians 11:3

3 and I fear, lest, as the serpent did beguile Eve in his subtilty, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that [is] in the Christ;

2 Corinthians 11:3 Meaning and Commentary

2 Corinthians 11:3

But I fear lest by any means
Jealousy is always attended with fear, care, and solicitude, whether in things natural or spiritual. The apostle, as things were in this church, could not but express his fears, lest

as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety;
that is, the old serpent the devil, who made use of a serpent, the most subtle creature of all the beasts of the field, and seduced Eve from her obedience to God, to transgress his command, by eating the forbidden fruit. The apostle here speaks the language and sense of the Jews, who say ^F16, that, (Mhl dxa Mv vxnw Njv) "Satan and the serpent have one name", i.e. are the same; and that it was the old serpent (the devil), (hwxl ytpd) , "that beguiled Eve" ^F17, and who is said to be corrupted by him;

``the serpent (they say ^F18) was corrupted first, after that, (hwx hlqlqtn) , "Eve was corrupted", and after that Adam was corrupted.''

So the apostle was jealous and fearful, knowing that the false apostles were ministers of Satan, artful and cunning men, lest, through their craftiness and sophistry,

your minds,
says he,

should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ;
that is, lest their judgments should be misled, their minds be vitiated with corrupt principles, and be carried away in any degree with the error of the wicked, from off the pure and simple doctrine of the Gospel, which respects the person and grace of Christ; and chiefly lies in this one plain, easy, and important truth, salvation alone by him. The Vulgate Latin version reads, "your minds should be corrupted, and should fall from the simplicity that is in Christ".

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 Caphtor, fol. 93. 1.
F17 Raya Mehimna in Zohar in Exod. fol. 50. 1.
F18 T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 15. 2.

2 Corinthians 11:3 In-Context

1 O that ye were bearing with me a little of the folly, but ye also do bear with me:

2 for I am zealous for you with zeal of God, for I did betroth you to one husband, a pure virgin, to present to Christ,

3 and I fear, lest, as the serpent did beguile Eve in his subtilty, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that [is] in the Christ;

4 for if, indeed, he who is coming doth preach another Jesus whom we did not preach, or another Spirit ye receive which ye did not receive, or other good news which ye did not accept -- well were ye bearing [it],

5 for I reckon that I have been nothing behind the very chiefest apostles,