Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Corinthians 11:13

"For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ." — 2 Corinthians 11:13 (ASV)

For such are false apostles . . .—Saint Paul’s estimate of the character of his rivals is now given in unsparing language as the reason why he desires to deprive them of any claim that might give them an unearned superiority to him.

In the term “false apostles” we have the explanation of the “apostles extraordinary” of 2 Corinthians 11:5. These “crafty workers” were carrying on a system of imposture, trying to assume the character of being, in a higher sense than he was, “Apostles of Christ.” This again throws light both on the words if any man trusts that he is Christ’s (2 Corinthians 10:7), and on I am of Christ (1 Corinthians 1:12).