What I do I will continue to do, that is, he will continue to refuse to accept financial help from the Corinthian Christians. Note that Good News Translation has reversed the order of the two parts of this statement to make it more natural in English.

In order to undermine the claim: literally, “that I may cut off the basis….” This expresses the purpose of Paul’s continuing refusal to accept help from the Corinthian Christians. The word translated claim is the same as used in 5.12 for the “cause” or basis of the Corinthians pride in Paul. Here Paul wants to remove any ground or basis that might be used to compare his mission with that of the so-called “superapostles.” Some possible models to translate this clause may be “I want to stop those people from having a reason [to brag]” (Contemporary English Version) or “take away their opportunity…” (God’s New Covenant).

Those who would like to claim: those refers to the superapostles of verse 5.

Who would like to claim: the Revised Standard Version translation perhaps suggests that Paul’s opponents were not actually making the claim to work on the same terms, but only that they would like to. Paul’s opponents have in fact already made the claim which he is seeking to show to be false. This may be better translated “who want to have a basis….”

In their boasted mission: New Revised Standard Version is more like the original when it says “in what they boast about.” There is no word corresponding to mission in the Greek.

The superapostles, however, really have no basis for claiming to work on the same terms as Paul does, since they have accepted support and continue to accept support from the Corinthians (see 11.20).

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 .