2 Corinthians 11:5-6--Superfine Apostles and Unskilled in Speech?

Greek (THGNT): Λογίζομαι γὰρ μηδὲν ὑστερηκέναι τῶν ὑπὲρ λίαν ἀποστόλων. εἰ δὲ καὶ ἰδιώτης τῷ λόγῳ, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ τῇ γνώσει, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν παντὶ φανερώσαντες ἐν πᾶσιν εἰς ὑμᾶς.

WH: λογίζομαι γὰρ μηδὲν ὑστερηκέναι τῶν ὑπερλίαν ἀποστόλων· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἰδιώτης τῷ λόγῳ, ἀλλ' οὐ τῇ γνώσει, ἀλλ' ἐν παντὶ φανερώσαντες ἐν πᾶσιν εἰς ὑμᾶς.

CSB:  "Now I consider myself in no way inferior to those 'super-apostles.' Even if I am untrained in public speaking, I am certainly not untrained in knowledge. Indeed, we have in every way made that clear to you in everything."

NWT 2013:  "For I consider that I have not proved inferior to your superfine apostles in a single thing. But even if I am unskilled in speech, I certainly am not in knowledge; indeed we made it clear to you in every way and in everything."

Discussion: 2 Corinthians is a letter that shows marks of Paul defending his office as an apostle due to some individuals whom he sarcastically calls τῶν ὑπὲρ λίαν ἀποστόλων or τῶν ὑπερλίαν ἀποστόλων. It is not clear just who these opponents are: some have suggested that the Twelve are being referenced but a more likely referent is persons associated with the Corinthian congregation, who challenged Paul's apostolic office. George H. Guthrie links the "super-apostles/superfine apostles" (superlative ones) with the false apostles of 2 Corinthians 11:13, and he reckons that the ironic employment of ὑπὲρ λίαν/ὑπερλίαν upholds this point since the word is dripping with "harsh irony" (Guthrie, 2 Corinthians) which likely would not be used toward the Twelve . Notice Paul's use of similar irony (sarcasm) at 2 Corinthians 12:11-13. Paul himself refers to some who criticize his "contemptible speech" and appearance although his letters are "weighty and forceful" (2 Corinthians 10:10). These opponents apparently consider Paul to be inferior in speech, and some false brothers evidently accused Paul of exploiting the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 12:14-18).

The opposition from enemies of the good news led the apostle to be sarcastic. Moreover, he supplied evidence that Jesus Christ appointed him as an apostle. It is within this context that Paul writes εἰ δὲ καὶ ἰδιώτης τῷ λόγῳ, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ τῇ γνώσει, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν παντὶ φανερώσαντες ἐν πᾶσιν εἰς ὑμᾶς.

δὲ is a "post-positive conjunctive particle" (Abbott-Smith) that may function copulatively or adversatively: it is often left untranslated. εἰ is a conjunctive particle too; here it is combined with δὲ such that we have εἰ δὲ καὶ, which Charles Hodge and Guthrie take to be concessive ("Although I am" or "But though I be"). So Paul is acknowledging his weakness in speech but just what does ἰδιώτης τῷ λόγῳ mean? "But though I be rude in speech" (ASV)

To be "unskilled in speech," in this context, probably means that Paul was not a trained public speaker or rhetor (see the NIV). ἰδιώτης sometimes denotes a person having no "professional knowledge"--a layperson or amateur (see LSJ). Examples include untrained "prose-writers," unversed speakers, professed philosophers, and untrained soldiers. Compare Isocrates 4.11; Acts 4:13.

According to the Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament:

In Acts 4:13 the apostles are called ἄνθρωποι ἀγράμματοι καὶ ἰδιῶται (Hippolytus Philos. ix.11.1 uses the same phrase): they are uneducated and are not scribes. Similarly, Paul calls himself ἰδιώτης τῷ λόγῳ in 2 Cor 11:6. His intent is not to describe himself as generally uneducated, but rather to emphasize οὐ τῇ γνώσει. Thus the phrase is to be translated “unversed in speaking” (cf. Hippolytus Philos. viii.18: ἰδιῶται τὴν γνῶσιν; similarly Justin Apol. i.39.3; in 60.11 parallel to βάρβαροι).

Guthrie translates, "Even if I am an 'amateur' in public speaking"; for more concerning this verse, Schellenberg has a thorough treatment of the issue: so does Paul and Ancient Rhetoric: Theory and Practice in the Hellenistic Context (edited by Stanley E. Porter and Bryan R. Dyer).

Even if the apostle was "unskilled in speech," he did not consider himself to be inferior in knowledge (ἀλλ᾽ οὐ τῇ γνώσει). I find that most commentators think Paul means knowledge respecting the good news which he proclaimed.

Sources:

Ryan S. Schellenberg. Rethinking Paul’s Rhetorical Education: Comparative Rhetoric and 2 Corinthians 10–13. Early Christianity and Its Literature 10. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2013.

Gorge H. Guthrie, 2 Corinthians, BECNT.

Charles Hodge. An Exposition of the Second epistle to the Corinthians, Volume 2.