Who was constantly accusing Paul and calling him a false teacher?
Paul was constantly accused by Judaizers from Israel, the pagan world, and even believing Jews associated with the twelve in Jerusalem, who charged that he was an imposter and a false teacher. They claimed he lacked credentials, having no letters of commendation from Peter.
Les explains that Paul was constantly being submarined by Judaizers from Israel, by the pagan world, and even by believing Jews from the element of the twelve in Jerusalem, who said he was an imposter and a false teacher. They reasoned that he didn't have the credentials; if he could have had letters of commendation from Peter, he would not have had so many problems. But he didn't have that. All he had for proof of his ministry were pagans who had been saved and set on the rock Christ Jesus. Les also notes that 2 Corinthians comes within about a year after 1 Corinthians. The first letter corrected horrible problems among the Corinthians, chiefly gross immorality, so gross that even pagan Gentiles did not do it, and yet a member of the Corinthian church was guilty. In verse 4, Paul will not do anything that could blame the ministry, but approves himself as a minister—not of Jerusalem, not of Judaism, not of Peter and the eleven.