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!
I wish you would bear with me a little in my foolishness: yes, 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 of you with a godly jealousy; because I have espoused you to one husband, that I might present you 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 am afraid that, by some means, as the serpent beguiled Eve by his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity due to 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, indeed, he who has come preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached; or, if you receive another Spirit which you have not received; or another gospel which you have not embraced; you might justly bear with him.
5 I don't believe I'm inferior to these “super-apostles.”
For I reckon myself to have come nothing short of the very chief 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.
And even though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge. But upon the whole, we have been made manifest to 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 offense in humbling myself that 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 congregations, 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.
for being present with you, and in want, we were burdensome to no one; but what I wanted, the brethren from Macedonia supplied: and in everything I have kept, and will keep myself from being burdensome to you.
10 This is as certain as the truth of Christ that is in me: nobody in all Achaia will stop me boasting about this!
Is the truth in me? then this my boasting shall not be prevented in the regions of Achaia.
11 And why? Because I don't love you? God knows that I do!
For what reason? because I do not love you? 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 opportunity from them who desire opportunity; that in what they boast, 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 workmen, transforming themselves into Apostles of Christ.
14 Don't be surprised at this for even Satan himself pretends to be an angel of light.
And no wonder; for Satan himself transforms himself 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 wonder if his ministers also transform themselves as 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.
Moreover, I say, let no one think me a fool; but, if otherwise, at least, as a fool, bear with me, that I also may boast a little.
17 What I'm saying is not as the Lord would say it—all this foolish boasting.
What I speak in this confident boasting, I do not speak according to the Lord; but as in foolishness.
18 But since many others are boasting in the way the world does, let me boast too.
Seeing many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast.
19 (You're happy to put up with fools, since you are so wise!)
For, being wise, you bear with fools cheerfully.
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 if one enslave you, you bear it; if one devour you, if one take your goods, if one exalt himself, if one 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 of reproach, as, that we are weak. But, in whatever any one 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 above them: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often;
24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes less one.
of the Jews, five times I received 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.
thrice I was beaten with rods, once I was stone, thrice I was ship-wrecked: I have spent a night and a day 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 dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from my countrymen, in dangers from the heathens, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea, in dangers 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 labor and toil; in watching 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.
Besides these troubles from without, that which is my daily pressure, the anxious care of all the congregations.
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 made to stumble, and I do not burn?
30 If I have to boast, I will boast about how weak I am.
If I must boast, I will boast of the things which relate to my weakness.
The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for ever, knows that I do not lie. (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 King Aretas, intending to apprehend me, guarded the city of the Damascenes;
33 But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the city wall, and so I escaped from him.
but I was let down in a basket, through a window in the wall, and escaped his hands.
