2 Corinthians 11

Paul and His Opponents

1 I wish that you would be patient with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you are being patient with me!2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband,t to present you as a puret virgin to Christ.3 But I am afraid thatt just as the serpentt deceived Eve by his treachery,t your minds may be led astrayt from a sincere and puresss devotion to Christ.4 For if someone comes and proclaimst another Jesus different from the one we proclaimed,t or if you receive a different spirit than the one you received,t or a different gospel than the one you accepted,t you put up with it well enough!t5 For I consider myself not at all inferior to those “super-apostles.”ts6 And even if I am unskilleds in speaking, yet I am certainly not so in knowledge. Indeed, we have made this plain to you in everything in every way.7 Or did I commit a sin by humbling myselfs so that you could be exalted, because I proclaimedt the gospel of God to you free of charge?8 I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so that I could serve you!s9 Whent I was with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia fully supplied my needs.t It kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so.10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of minet will not be stoppedt in the regions of Achaia.11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!t12 And what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may eliminate any opportunity for those who want a chance to be regarded as our equalst in the things they boast about.13 For such people are false apostles, deceitfult workers, disguising themselvest as apostles of Christ.14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himselft as an angel of light.

15 Therefore it is not surprising his servants also disguise themselvest as servants of righteousness, whose end will correspond to their actions.t

Paul’s Sufferings for Christ

16 I say again, let no one think that I am a fool.t But if you do, then at least accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.17 What I am saying with this boastful confidencet I do not say the way the Lord would.t Instead it is, as it were, foolishness.18 Since manys are boasting according to human standards,t I too will boast.19 For since you are so wise, you put up witht fools gladly.20 For you put up witht it if someone makes slaves of you, if someone exploits you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone behaves arrogantlyt toward you, if someone strikes you in the face.21 (To my disgracet I must say that we were too weak for that!)s But whatever anyone else dares to boast aboutt (I am speaking foolishly), I also dare to boast about the same thing.t22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am talking like I am out of my mind!) I am even more so: with much greater labors, with far more imprisonments, with more severe beatings, facing death many times.24 Five times I received from the Jews forty lashes less one.t25 Three times I was beaten with a rod.s Once I received a stoning.s Three times I suffered shipwreck. A night and a day I spent adrift in the open sea.26 I have been on journeys many times, in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers,t in dangers from my own countrymen, in dangers from Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness,t in dangers at sea, in dangers from false brothers,27 in hard work and toil,t through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, many times without food, in cold and without enough clothing.t28 Apart from other things,s there is the daily pressure on me of my anxious concernt for all the churches.29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led into sin,t and I do not burn with indignation?30 If I must boast,t I will boast about the things that show my weakness.t31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows I am not lying.32 In Damascus, the governorts under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascust in order to arrestt me,

33 but I was let down in a rope-baskett through a window in the city wall, and escaped his hands.

2 Corinthians 11

Paul and the False Apostles

1 I hope you will put up with a little of my foolishness; but you are already doing that.2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.5 But I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super‑apostles.”

6 I may not be a trained speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way.
7 Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge?8 I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you.9 And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so.10 As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, nobody in the regions of Achaia will stop this boasting of mine.11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!12 And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about.13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ.14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.

15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

Paul Boasts About His Sufferings

16 I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then receive me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting.17 In this self‑confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool.18 Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast.19 You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise!20 In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or pushes himself forward or slaps you in the face.

21 To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that!
What anyone else dares to boast about–I am speaking as a fool–I also dare to boast about.22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham's descendants? So am I.23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers.27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

29 Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?
30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying.32 In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me.

33 But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.