A major question of interpretation in verses 7-11 is whether Paul is referring to a specific person or whether he is speaking hypothetically, that is, speaking as if such a person may exist. The words If any one may refer to a particular person. If they do, then the verb translated as “they say” in verse 10 may refer to this particular individual (the Greek verb is singular). And the words “Let such people” in verse 11 may also be referring to the particular person first mentioned in verse 7 (the Greek is singular, “such a person”). See comments on 11.20 and 21, where the same pronoun is used and refers to Paul’s opponents in Corinth.
Look at what is before your eyes: these words may be translated as a command as in Revised Standard Version (also New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Nouvelle version Segond révisée), as a statement of fact as in Good News Translation (also New American Bible, New International Version, Contemporary English Version and Bible en français courant), or as a question (King James Version). If this expression is taken as a command, the readers are being asked to consider what is self-evident, but if it is a statement, they are apparently considering only outward appearance. Most translations choose one of the first two possibilities, but the context does not decisively favor one interpretation over the others. This being the case, it may be better simply to follow the exegetical choice of the major language translation most likely to be consulted by readers of the receptor language. However, it is very unlikely that this should be translated as a question.
Christ’s: literally “of Christ,” that is, “belongs to Christ.”
Let him remind himself: this rather awkward English command in the third person may be more naturally stated as “that person should remember” or “let him reflect further” (Knox).
As he is Christ’s, so are we: there may be many different ways of wording this statement. The point is that the person Paul has in mind should realize that Paul and his associates are as much Christians as he is. Moffatt, taking the plural as referring to Paul alone, translates “I ‘belong to Christ’ as much as he does.” Or as Knox puts it, “we belong to Christ’s cause no less than himself.”
The pronoun we does not include the readers.
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellingworth, Paul. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .