2 Corinthians 11
1 I hope you can put up with a little more foolishness from me—well you already do put up with me!
Put up with me if I am a little foolish: but, truly, you do put up with me.
2 I agonize over you with a divine kind of jealousy, for I promised you to a single husband—Christ—so that I could present you as a pure virgin to him.
For I have a very great care for you: because you have been married by me to one husband, and it is my desire to give you completely holy to Christ.
3 I worry that in some way, just as the serpent deceived Eve with his devious cunning, that you might be led astray in your thinking from your sincere and pure commitment to Christ.
But I have a fear, that in some way, as Eve was tricked by the deceit of the snake, your minds may be turned away from their simple and holy love for Christ.
4 If anyone comes and tells you about a different Jesus to the one we shared with you, you easily go along with them, accepting a different spirit to the one you received, and a different kind of good news to the one you believed.
For if anyone comes preaching another Jesus from the one whose preachers we are, or if you have got a different spirit, or a different sort of good news from those which came to you, how well you put up with these things.
5 I don't believe I'm inferior to these “super-apostles.”
For in my opinion, I am in no way less than the most important of the Apostles.
6 Even though I may not be skilled in giving speeches, I do know what I'm talking about. We have made this absolutely clear to you in every way.
But though I am rough in my way of talking, I am not so in knowledge, as we have made clear to all by our acts among you.
7 Was it wrong of me to humble myself so you could be elevated, since I shared the good news with you at no charge?
Or did I do wrong in making myself low so that you might be lifted up, because I gave you the good news of God without reward?
8 I robbed as it were other churches, taking pay from them so I could work for you.
I took money from other churches as payment for my work, so that I might be your servant;
9 When I was there with you and needed something, I wasn't a burden to anyone because the believers who came from Macedonia took care of my needs. I was determined never to be a burden to you and I never shall.
And when I was present with you, and was in need, I let no man be responsible for me; for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, gave me whatever was needed; and in everything I kept myself from being a trouble to you, and I will go on doing so.
10 This is as certain as the truth of Christ that is in me: nobody in all Achaia will stop me boasting about this!
As the true word of Christ is in me, I will let no man take from me this my cause of pride in the country of Achaia.
11 And why? Because I don't love you? God knows that I do!
Why? because I have no love for you? let God be judge.
12 I'll continue to do what I've always done, so as to remove any opportunity for those who want to boast that their work is the same as ours.
But what I do, that I will go on doing, so that I may give no chance to those who are looking for one; so that, in the cause of their pride, they may be seen to be the same as we are.
13 These people are false apostles, dishonest workers, who pretend to be apostles of Christ.
For such men are false Apostles, workers of deceit, making themselves seem like Apostles of Christ.
14 Don't be surprised at this for even Satan himself pretends to be an angel of light.
And it is no wonder; for even Satan himself is able to take the form of an angel of light.
15 So it's no wonder then if those who serve him pretend to be agents of good. But their final end will be in accordance with what they've done.
So it is no great thing if his servants make themselves seem to be servants of righteousness; whose end will be the reward of their works.
16 Let me say it again: please don't think I'm being foolish. However, even if you do, accept me as someone who is foolish, and let me also boast a little.
I say again, Let me not seem foolish to anyone; but if I do, put up with me as such, so that I may take a little glory to myself.
17 What I'm saying is not as the Lord would say it—all this foolish boasting.
What I am now saying is not by the order of the Lord, but as a foolish person, taking credit to myself, as it seems.
18 But since many others are boasting in the way the world does, let me boast too.
Seeing that there are those who take credit to themselves after the flesh, I will do the same.
19 (You're happy to put up with fools, since you are so wise!)
For you put up with the foolish gladly, being wise yourselves.
20 You put up with people who make you slaves, who take what you have, who exploit you, who arrogantly put you down, who hit you in the face.
You put up with a man if he makes servants of you, if he makes profit out of you, if he makes you prisoners, if he puts himself in a high place, if he gives you blows on the face.
21 I'm so sorry that we were too weak to do anything like that! But whatever people dare to boast about, I dare to do too. (Here I'm talking like a fool again.)
I say this by way of shaming ourselves, as if we had been feeble. But if anyone puts himself forward (I am talking like a foolish person), I will do the same.
22 Are they Hebrews? Me too. Are they Israelites? Me too. Are they descendants of Abraham? Me too.
Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they of Israel? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
23 Are they servants of Christ? (I know I'll sound like I'm crazy, talking like this.) But I have done so much more. I've worked harder, been imprisoned more often, whipped more times than I can count, faced death time and again.
Are they servants of Christ? (I am talking foolishly) I am more so; I have had more experience of hard work, of prisons, of blows more than measure, of death.
24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes less one.
Five times the Jews gave me forty blows but one.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent twenty-four hours adrift on the ocean.
Three times I was whipped with rods, once I was stoned, three times the ship I was in came to destruction at sea, a night and a day I have been in the water;
26 During my many journeys I have faced the dangers of crossing rivers, robber gangs, attacks from my own countrymen, as well as from foreigners. I have faced danger in cities, in the deserts, and on the sea. I have faced the danger of people who pretend to be Christians.
In frequent travels, in dangers on rivers, in dangers from outlaws, in dangers from my countrymen, in dangers from the Gentiles, in dangers in the town, in dangers in the waste land, in dangers at sea, in dangers among false brothers;
27 I have faced hard labor and struggles, many sleepless nights, hungry and thirsty, often going without food, cold, without enough clothing to keep warm.
In hard work and weariness, in frequent watchings, going without food and drink, cold and in need of clothing.
28 Besides all this, I face the daily concerns of dealing with all the churches.
In addition to all the other things, there is that which comes on me every day, the care of all the churches.
29 Who is weak, and I don't feel weak too? Who is led into sin, and I don't burn up?
Who is feeble and I am not feeble? who is in danger of falling, and I am not angry?
30 If I have to boast, I will boast about how weak I am.
If I have to take credit to myself, I will do so in the things in which I am feeble.
The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be praise for ever, is witness that the things which I say are true. (aiōn g165)
32 While I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas had the city guarded in order to capture me.
In Damascus, the ruler under Aretas the king kept watch over the town of the people of Damascus, in order to take me:
33 But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the city wall, and so I escaped from him.
And being let down in a basket from the wall through a window, I got free from his hands.
