What does 2 Corinthians 11:21 mean?

Previous verses described what the Corinthians had been putting up with from Paul's opponents in Corinth. The false apostles, pretending to represent Christ, had been demonstrating their strength by treating the Corinthians with great disrespect. They had been ordering the Corinthians around, consuming their supplies, taking advantage of them in every way, acting superior, and even striking those who got out of line. Apparently, the Corinthians had received all of this as evidence that the false teachers were strong, superior, and wise.

Paul continues to be sarcastic in this verse, saying that he and his associates were too weak to treat the Corinthians in this way. He mockingly says he is ashamed of this. In truth, Paul had lived among the Corinthians in a Christlike way. He had refused to take any money from them, working to support himself and living off the donations of churches in other towns. He had suffered and sacrificed for their good and lived with them in humility and servanthood. Since Paul represented Christ, he could not live in any other way.

It seems the Corinthians did not respect Paul's humility and servant leadership, however, preferring instead the strong, abusive leadership more common in their culture.

Paul now implies that he has had enough. He is going to satirize the sinfully boastful attitudes of the false apostles in Corinth to show that he is as good as they are. He can't quite do it with a straight face, however. He feels the need to keep clarifying that he is speaking as a fool would speak and not as a representative of Christ.