What does 2 Corinthians 11:29 mean?

In the previous verse, Paul added to the list of ways he has suffered: he also experienced great inner turmoil in his concern for all the Christian churches. Some were facing great persecution for their faith in Christ. Others were facing great pressure to compromise their convictions in order to better fit into the culture of the day. Paul feels these pains and pressures with them.

He seems to be referring to these churches he has planted—these souls he has led to faith in Christ—in this verse. He says, in question form, that he is weak when they are weak. This likely means that he experiences their weakness of faith along with them. Then he asks who is made to fall—or who is led into sin—without him burning with emotion for them. The idea seems to be that when believers Paul has led to Christ fall into sinful choices, he feels a potent desire for them to turn back around and go in the right direction.

In other words, Paul's work does not stop when someone comes to faith in Christ. His involvement only begins there and continues as those believers grow in Christ, suffer for Christ, or stumble in their walk with Christ. Paul continues to feel emotionally burdened for all the churches, another example of the ways in which he suffers as Christ's servant.