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!
Would to God all of you could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear 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 am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin 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 fear, lest by any means, as the serpent misled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in 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 he that comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if all of you receive another spirit, (pneuma) which all of you have not received, or another gospel, which all of you have not accepted, all of you might well bear with him.
5 I don't believe I'm inferior to these “super-apostles.”
For I suppose I was not a thing behind the very chiefest 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 be rude in speech, (logos) yet not in knowledge; but we have been thoroughly made manifest among you in all things.
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?
Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that all of you might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?
8 I robbed as it were other churches, taking pay from them so I could work for you.
I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.
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 wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.
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 truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
11 And why? Because I don't love you? God knows that I do!
Wherefore? because I love you not? God knows.
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 do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
13 These people are false apostles, dishonest workers, who pretend to be apostles of Christ.
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 Don't be surprised at this for even Satan himself pretends to be an angel of light.
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into 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.
Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to 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 no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.
17 What I'm saying is not as the Lord would say it—all this foolish boasting.
That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.
18 But since many others are boasting in the way the world does, let me boast too.
Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.
19 (You're happy to put up with fools, since you are so wise!)
For all of you suffer fools gladly, seeing all of you yourselves are wise.
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.
For all of you suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man strike you 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 speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Nevertheless whatever that anyone is bold, (I speak foolishly, ) I am bold also.
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 Israelites? 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 ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths often.
24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes less one.
Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save 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 was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, three times I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
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 journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
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 weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28 Besides all this, I face the daily concerns of dealing with all the churches.
Beside those things that are without, that which comes upon me daily, 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 weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
30 If I have to boast, I will boast about how weak I am.
If I must essentially glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knows that I lie not. (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 governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:
33 But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the city wall, and so I escaped from him.
And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.
