2 Corinthians 11

Paul and the False Apostles

1 I wish you would be patient with me even when I am a little foolish, but you are already doing that.2 I am jealous over you with a jealousy that comes from God. I promised to give you to Christ, as your only husband. I want to give you as his pure bride.3 But I am afraid that your minds will be led away from your true and pure following of Christ just as Eve was tricked by the snake with his evil ways.

4 You are very patient with anyone who comes to you and preaches a different Jesus from the one we preached. You are very willing to accept a spirit or gospel that is different from the Spirit and Good News you received from us.
5 I do not think that those “great apostles” are any better than I am.

6 I may not be a trained speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have shown this to you clearly in every way.
7 I preached God’s Good News to you without pay. I made myself unimportant to make you important. Do you think that was wrong?8 I accepted pay from other churches, taking their money so I could serve you.9 If I needed something when I was with you, I did not trouble any of you. The brothers who came from Macedonia gave me all that I needed. I did not allow myself to depend on you in any way, and I will never depend on you.10 No one in Southern Greece will stop me from bragging about that. I say this with the truth of Christ in me.

11 And why do I not depend on you? Do you think it is because I do not love you? God knows that I love you.
12 And I will continue doing what I am doing now, because I want to stop those people from having a reason to brag. They would like to say that the work they brag about is the same as ours.13 Such men are not true apostles but are workers who lie. They change themselves to look like apostles of Christ.14 This does not surprise us. Even Satan changes himself to look like an angel of light. 

15 So it does not surprise us if Satan’s servants also make themselves look like servants who work for what is right. But in the end they will be punished for what they do.

Paul Tells About His Sufferings

16 I tell you again: No one should think I am a fool. But if you think so, accept me as you would accept a fool. Then I can brag a little, too.17 When I brag because I feel sure of myself, I am not talking as the Lord would talk but as a fool.18 Many people are bragging about their lives in the world. So I will brag too.19 You are wise, so you will gladly be patient with fools!20 You are even patient with those who order you around, or use you, or trick you, or think they are better than you, or hit you in the face.

21 It is shameful to me to say this, but we were too “weak” to do those things to you!
But if anyone else is brave enough to brag, then I also will be brave and brag. (I am talking as a fool.)22 Are they Hebrews? 23 Are they serving Christ? I am serving him more. (I am crazy to talk like this.) I have worked much harder than they. I have been in prison more often. I have been hurt more in beatings. I have been near death many times.24 Five times the Jews have given me their punishment of thirty-nine lashes with a whip.25 Three different times I was beaten with rods. One time I was almost stoned to death. Three times I was in ships that wrecked, and one of those times I spent a night and a day in the sea.26 I have gone on many travels and have been in danger from rivers, thieves, my own people, the Jews, and those who are not Jews. I have been in danger in cities, in places where no one lives, and on the sea. And I have been in danger with false Christians.27 I have done hard and tiring work, and many times I did not sleep. I have been hungry and thirsty, and many times I have been without food. I have been cold and without clothes.28 Besides all this, there is on me every day the load of my concern for all the churches.

29 I feel weak every time someone is weak, and I feel upset every time someone is led into sin.
30 If I must brag, I will brag about the things that show I am weak.31 God knows I am not lying. He is the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, and he is to be praised forever.32 When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas wanted to arrest me, so he put guards around the city.33 But my friends lowered me in a basket through a hole in the city wall. So I escaped from the governor.

2 Corinthians 11

1 Would that ye could bear with me in a little foolishness: but indeed ye do bear with me.2 For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy: for I espoused you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ.3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ.4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if ye receive a different spirit, which ye did not receive, or a different gospel, which ye did not accept, ye do well to bear with him.5 For I reckon that I am not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.6 But though I be rude in speech, yet am I not in knowledge; nay, in every way have we made this manifest unto you in all things.7 Or did I commit a sin in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I preached to you the gospel of God for nought?8 I robbed other churches, taking wages of them that I might minister unto you;9 and when I was present with you and was in want, I was not a burden on any man; for the brethren, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my want; and in everything I kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this glorying in the regions of Achaia.11 Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them that desire an occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ.14 And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light.15 It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.16 I say again, let no man think me foolish; but if ye do, yet as foolish receive me, that I also may glory a little.17 That which I speak, I speak not after the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of glorying.18 Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.19 For ye bear with the foolish gladly, being wise yourselves.20 For ye bear with a man, if he bringeth you into bondage, if he devoureth you, if he taketh you captive, if he exalteth himself, if he smiteth you on the face.21 I speak by way of disparagement, as though we had been weak. Yet whereinsoever any is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also.22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself) I more; in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths oft.24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day have I been in the deep;26 in journeyings often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my countrymen, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;27 in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.28 Besides those things that are without, there is that which presseth upon me daily, anxiety for all the churches.29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is caused to stumble, and I burn not?30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things that concern my weakness.31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed for evermore knoweth that I lie not.32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes in order to take me:33 and through a window was I let down in a basket by the wall, and escaped his hands.