2 Corinthians 11
Paul Defends His Apostleship
1 I wish that you would abear with me in a little bfoolishness; but ▼▼Or do indeed bear with me
indeed you are bearing with me. 2For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I dbetrothed you to one husband, to epresent you as a pure virgin to Christ. 3But I am afraid that, as the fserpent deceived Eve by his trickery, your minds will be led astray from sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4For if ▼▼Lit the one who comes preaches
one comes and preaches hanother Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a idifferent spirit which you have not received, or a jdifferent gospel which you have not accepted, this you ktolerate lvery well! 5For I consider myself mnot in the least inferior to the ▼▼Or super-apostles
most eminent apostles. 6But even if I am ounskilled in speech, yet I am not so in pknowledge; in fact, in every way we have qmade this evident to you in all things. 7 Or rdid I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the sgospel of God to you twithout charge? 8I robbed other churches by utaking wages from them to serve you; 9and when I was present with you and was in need, I was vnot a burden to anyone; for when wthe brothers came from xMacedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from ybeing a burden to you, ▼▼Lit and I will keep
and will continue to do so. 10 aaAs the truth of Christ is in me, abthis boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of acAchaia. 11Why? adBecause I do not love you? aeGod knows that I do! 12 But what I am doing I will also continue to do, afso that I may eliminate the opportunity from those who want an opportunity to be ▼▼Lit found
regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting. 13For such men are ahfalse apostles, aideceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14No wonder, for even ajSatan disguises himself as an akangel of light. 15Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, alwhose end will be according to their deeds. 16 amAgain I say, let no one think me foolish; but if you do, receive me even as foolish, so that I also may boast a little. 17What I am saying, I am not saying ▼▼Lit in accordance with the Lord
aoas the Lord would, but as apin foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. 18Since aqmany boast araccording to the flesh, I will boast also. 19For you, asbeing so wise, tolerate the foolish gladly. 20For you tolerate it if anyone atenslaves you, if anyone audevours you, if anyone avtakes advantage of you, if anyone awexalts himself, if anyone axhits you in the face. 21To my ayshame I must say that we have been azweak by comparison. But in whatever respect anyone else bais bold--I am bbspeaking in foolishness--I too am bold. 22Are they bcHebrews? bdSo am I. Are they beIsraelites? bfSo am I. Are they ▼▼Lit seed
bhdescendants of Abraham? biSo am I. 23Are they bjservants of Christ?--I am speaking as if insane--I more so; in bkfar more labors, in blfar more imprisonments, ▼▼Lit exceedingly in blows
bnbeaten times without number, often in danger of bodeath. 24Five times I received from the Jews bpthirty-nine lashes. 25Three times I was bqbeaten with rods, once I was brstoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent adrift at sea. 26I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my bscountrymen, dangers from the btGentiles, dangers in the bucity, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among bvfalse brothers; 27I have been in bwlabor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in bxhunger and thirst, often bywithout food, in cold and ▼▼Lit nakedness; i.e., lack of clothing
caexposure. 28Apart from such ▼▼Or the things unmentioned
external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for ccall the churches. 29Who is cdweak without my being weak? Who is ▼▼Lit made to stumble
led into sin ▼▼Lit and I do not burn
without my intense concern? 30 If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my cgweakness. 31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, chHe who is blessed forever, ciknows that I am not lying. 32In cjDamascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was ckguarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, 33and I was let down in a basket clthrough a window ▼▼Lit through
in the wall, and so escaped his hands.
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