2 Corinthians 11

Paul and the False Apostles

1I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! 2For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since ^aI betrothed you to one husband, ^bto present you ^cas a pure virgin to Christ. 3But I am afraid that ^das the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts ^ewill be led astray from a ^fsincere and ^gpure devotion to Christ. 4For if someone comes and ^hproclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept ⁱa different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. 5Indeed, I consider that ^jI am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. 6 ^kEven if I am unskilled in speaking, ^lI am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way ^mwe have made this plain to you in all things.

7Or ⁿdid I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because ^oI preached God’s gospel to you free of charge? 8I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. 9And when I was with you and was ^pin need, ^qI did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia ^rsupplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain ^sfrom burdening you in any way. 10 ^tAs the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine ^uwill not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. 11And why? ^vBecause I do not love you? ^wGod knows I do!

12And what I am doing I will continue to do, ^xin order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. 13For such men are ^yfalse apostles, ^zdeceitful workmen, ^aadisguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as ^aban angel of light. 15So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as ^acservants of righteousness. ^adTheir end will correspond to their deeds.

Paul’s Sufferings as an Apostle

16I repeat, ^aelet no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. 17What I am saying ^afwith this boastful confidence, ^agI say not as the Lord would ▼

▼Greek  not according to the Lord

but as a fool. 18Since ^aimany boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. 19For you gladly bear with fools, ^ajbeing wise yourselves! 20For you bear it if someone ^akmakes slaves of you, or ^aldevours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or ^amstrikes you in the face. 21To my shame, I must say, ^anwe were too weak for that!

But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. 22Are they Hebrews? ^aoSo am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 23Are they ^apservants of Christ? ^aqI am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, ^arfar more imprisonments, ^aswith countless beatings, and ^atoften near death. 24Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the ^auforty lashes less one. 25Three times I was ^avbeaten with rods. ^awOnce I was stoned. Three times I ^axwas shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, ^aydanger from my own people, ^azdanger from Gentiles, ^badanger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 ^bbin toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, ^bcin hunger and thirst, often without food, ▼

▼Or  often in fasting

in cold and exposure. 28And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for ^beall the churches. 29 ^bfWho is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

30 ^bgIf I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31 ^bhThe God and Father of the Lord Jesus, ^bihe who is blessed forever, ^bjknows that I am not lying. 32At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas ^bkwas guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, 33 ^blbut I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.