11 Please be patient with me! I am speaking like a fool. I know that you are being patient with me already! 2 God wants to keep you for himself. And that is what I want too. I have brought you to Christ, like a pure bride who marries one husband. I want you to be pure and to belong only to him. 3 Remember how the snake deceived Eve. Because he was clever, she believed his lies. [ a ] I am afraid that the same thing might happen to you. False teachers may make you believe wrong things. Then you will no longer love Christ in a pure and honest way. 4 You are ready to listen to any false teachers who come to you. They might tell you about a different Jesus from the Jesus that we told you about. They might want you to receive a different spirit from the Spirit that you received from us. They might tell you a different kind of good news from the message that you heard from us. You seem to accept all this!
5 Those teachers call themselves very special apostles. But I think that I am as special as they are! 6 Perhaps I do not speak as well as they speak. But I do know what I am speaking about. We have always made this very clear to you in everything that we do.
7 When I told you God's good news, I never asked you to pay me anything. I made myself less important so that you could be more important. I do not think that I was wrong to do that. 8 Believers in other churches gave money to me so that I could serve you. It is like I was robbing them so that I could help you. 9 When I was there with you, I never made you help me. Even when I needed something, I did not cause trouble to anyone. Instead, the believers who came from Macedonia gave me everything that I needed. I was very careful never to cause you to have trouble. And I will continue to be careful like that. 10 The message that I speak about Christ is true. So I will continue to be proud of how I lived among you. Nobody in the whole region of Achaia can stop me doing that. 11 You must not think that I say this because I do not love you. God himself knows that I love you.
12 Yes, I will continue to work among you in the way that I am already doing. I will not take any pay from you. Then there will be no chance for those other teachers to be proud about themselves. They will not be able to say that they work in the same way that we do. 13 Those people are false apostles. They do not work in an honest way. They try to make people think that Christ has sent them as his apostles. 14 That should not surprise you! Even Satan can change himself to look like an angel who belongs to the light. 15 So do not be surprised when Satan's servants do the same thing. They can also seem to be serving God. They may seem to be doing good things, but really what they do is bad. So God will punish them in the end.
16 I say this again: nobody should think that I am a fool. But even if you do think that, still listen to me. Give me a chance to praise myself a little, as a fool would do. 17 When I say good things about myself like this, it is not how the Lord would talk. No, these are the words of a fool. 18 But many other people are using human ideas to praise themselves. So I will also do that.
19 You think that you are very wise! So you are happy to listen to fools. 20 You accept people who make you like their slaves. You accept people who cheat you, or take things from you. You accept people who are proud of themselves. Even if someone hits you in your face, you still accept him. 21 But we were not brave enough to do things like that to you. Should I be ashamed of that?
But other people are brave enough to praise themselves. So I will also be proud of the same things. (Now I am talking like a fool!) 22 Are they proud that they are Hebrew people? So am I. [ b ] Do they belong to Israel's people? So do I. Are they descendants of Abraham's family? So am I. 23 Are they Christ's servants? I serve him even better than they do! (Now I am speaking like a crazy person.) I work much more than they have worked. I have been in prison more often than they have. People have hit me with whips very many times. I have nearly died many times.
24 At five different times, the Jewish leaders punished me with whips. Each time they hit me 39 times. 25 Three times the Romans punished me with sticks. People threw stones at me to kill me once. Three times I have been on ships that broke in the sea. Once I was in the sea for a night and a day. 26 I have travelled on many journeys. I have been in danger from rivers and also from robbers. I have been in danger from my own people and also from Gentiles. I have been in danger in cities and also in the wilderness. I have been in danger on the sea. I have been in danger from false believers. 27 I have worked very hard, and I have been in pain. Many times I have not slept. I have often been hungry and thirsty. Many times I have had no food. I have often been cold and without enough clothes.
28 All these troubles have happened to me. But also, every day I have trouble in my mind. I worry about the believers in all the churches. 29 When one of these believers is weak, then I feel weak too. When something causes one of them to do something wrong, then I am very upset.
30 If I must be proud about myself, I will only be proud of things that show my weakness. 31 I am not telling lies. God, the Father of the Lord Jesus, knows that. He is the one that we should praise for ever. 32 When I was in Damascus, the ruler of that city sent soldiers to catch me. He was under the authority of King Aretas. The soldiers were watching carefully outside the city. 33 But my friends put me in a basket on the end of a rope. They sent me out through a window in the city wall and they let me drop to the ground. That is how I got away from the ruler of the city. [ c ]
11 I wish you would be patient with me even when I am a little foolish. But you are already patient with me. 2 I am jealous for you with a jealousy that comes from God. I promised to give you to Christ. He must be your only husband. I want to give you to Christ to be his pure bride. [ a ] 3 But I am afraid that your minds will be led away from your true and pure following of Christ. This could happen just as Eve was tricked by that snake with his clever lies. 4 You seem to be quite patient with anyone who comes to you and tells you about a Jesus that is different from the Jesus we told you about. You seem very willing to accept a spirit or a message that is different from the Spirit and message that you received from us.
5 I don’t think that those “super apostles” are any better than I am. 6 It is true that I am not a trained speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have shown this to you clearly in every way.
7 I did the work of telling God’s Good News to you without pay. I humbled myself to make you important. Do you think that was wrong? 8 I accepted pay from other churches. I took their money so that I could serve you. 9 If I needed something when I was with you, I did not trouble any of you. The brothers who came from Macedonia gave me all that I needed. I did not allow myself to be a burden to you in any way. And I will never be a burden to you. 10 No one there in Achaia will stop me from boasting about that. I say this with the truth of Christ in me. 11 And why do I not burden you? Do you think it is because I don’t love you? God knows that I love you.
12 And I will continue doing what I am doing now, because I want to stop those people from having a reason to boast. They would like to say that the work they boast about is the same as ours. 13 They are false apostles, lying workers. They only pretend to be apostles of Christ. 14 That does not surprise us, because even Satan changes himself to look like an angel of light. [ b ] 15 So it does not surprise us if Satan’s servants make themselves look like servants who work for what is right. But in the end those people will get the punishment they deserve.
16 I tell you again: No one should think that I am a fool. But if you think I am a fool, then accept me as you would accept a fool. Then I can boast a little too. 17 But I am not talking the way the Lord would talk. I am boasting like a fool. 18 Others are boasting about their lives in the world. So I will boast too. 19 You are wise, so you will gladly be patient with fools! 20 I say this because you are even patient with someone who forces you to do things and uses you. You are patient with those who trick you, or think they are better than you, or hit you in the face! 21 I am ashamed to say it, but we were too “weak” to do such things to you.
But if anyone dares to boast, I will too. (I am talking like a fool.) 22 Are those people Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites [ c ] ? So am I. Are they from Abraham’s family? So am I. 23 Are they serving Christ? I am serving him more. (I am crazy to talk like this.) I have worked much harder than they have. I have been in prison more often. I have been hurt more in beatings. I have been near death many times.
24 Five times the Jews have given me their punishment of 39 lashes with a whip. 25 Three different times I was beaten with rods. One time I was almost killed with rocks. Three times I was in ships that were wrecked, and one of those times I spent the night and the next day in the sea. 26 In my constant traveling I have been in danger from rivers, from thieves, from my own people, and from people who are not Jews. I have been in danger in cities, in places where no one lives, and on the sea. And I have been in danger from people who pretend to be believers but are not.
27 I have done hard and tiring work, and many times I did not sleep. I have been hungry and thirsty. Many times I have been without food. I have been cold and without clothes. 28 And there are many other problems. One of these is the care I have for all the churches. I worry about each group of believers every day. 29 I feel weak every time another person is weak. I feel deeply upset every time another person is led into sin.
30 If I must boast, I will boast about the things that show I am weak. 31 God knows that I am not lying. He is the God and Father of the Lord Jesus, and he is to be praised forever. 32 When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas wanted to arrest me, so he put guards around the city. 33 But some friends put me in a basket. Then they put the basket through a hole in the wall and lowered me down. So I escaped from the governor.
11 Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.
2 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 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
5 For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.
6 But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.
7 Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?
8 I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.
9 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 As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
11 Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.
12 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 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 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 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 That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.
18 Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.
19 For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.
20 For ye 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 smite you on the face.
21 I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.
22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
23 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 oft.
24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 In journeyings 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 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:
33 And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.
11 I wish that you would ( A ) bear with me in a little ( B ) foolishness; but [ a ] indeed you are bearing with me. 2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I ( C ) betrothed you to one husband, to ( D ) present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 3 But I am afraid that, as the ( E ) serpent deceived Eve by his trickery, your minds will be led astray from sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if [ b ] one comes and preaches ( F ) another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a ( G ) different spirit which you have not received, or a ( H ) different gospel which you have not accepted, this you ( I ) tolerate ( J ) very well! 5 For I consider myself ( K ) not in the least inferior to the [ c ] most eminent apostles. 6 But even if I am ( L ) unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in ( M ) knowledge; in fact, in every way we have ( N ) made this evident to you in all things.
7 Or ( O ) did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the ( P ) gospel of God to you ( Q ) without charge? 8 I robbed other churches by ( R ) taking wages from them to serve you; 9 and when I was present with you and was in need, I was ( S ) not a burden to anyone; for when ( T ) the brothers came from ( U ) Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from ( V ) being a burden to you, [ d ] and will continue to do so. 10 ( W ) As the truth of Christ is in me, ( X ) this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of ( Y ) Achaia. 11 Why? ( Z ) Because I do not love you? ( AA ) God knows that I do !
12 But what I am doing I will also continue to do, ( AB ) so that I may eliminate the opportunity from those who want an opportunity to be [ e ] regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting. 13 For such men are ( AC ) false apostles, ( AD ) deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 No wonder, for even ( AE ) Satan disguises himself as an ( AF ) angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, ( AG ) whose end will be according to their deeds.
16 ( AH ) Again 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. 17 What I am saying, I am not saying [ f ] ( AI ) as the Lord would, but as ( AJ ) in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. 18 Since ( AK ) many boast ( AL ) according to the flesh, I will boast also. 19 For you, ( AM ) being so wise, tolerate the foolish gladly. 20 For you tolerate it if anyone ( AN ) enslaves you, if anyone ( AO ) devours you, if anyone ( AP ) takes advantage of you, if anyone ( AQ ) exalts himself, if anyone ( AR ) hits you in the face. 21 To my ( AS ) shame I must say that we have been ( AT ) weak by comparison .
But in whatever respect anyone else ( AU ) is bold—I am ( AV ) speaking in foolishness—I too am bold. 22 Are they ( AW ) Hebrews? ( AX ) So am I. Are they ( AY ) Israelites? ( AZ ) So am I. Are they [ g ] ( BA ) descendants of Abraham? ( BB ) So am I. 23 Are they ( BC ) servants of Christ?—I am speaking as if insane—I more so; in ( BD ) far more labors, in ( BE ) far more imprisonments, [ h ] ( BF ) beaten times without number, often in danger of ( BG ) death. 24 Five times I received from the Jews ( BH ) thirty-nine lashes . 25 Three times I was ( BI ) beaten with rods, once I was ( BJ ) stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent adrift at sea. 26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my ( BK ) countrymen, dangers from the ( BL ) Gentiles, dangers in the ( BM ) city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among ( BN ) false brothers; 27 I have been in ( BO ) labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in ( BP ) hunger and thirst, often ( BQ ) without food, in cold and [ i ] ( BR ) exposure. 28 Apart from such [ j ] external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for ( BS ) all the churches. 29 Who is ( BT ) weak without my being weak? Who is [ k ] led into sin [ l ] without my intense concern?
30 If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my ( BU ) weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, ( BV ) He who is blessed forever, ( BW ) knows that I am not lying. 32 In ( BX ) Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was ( BY ) guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, 33 and I was let down in a basket ( BZ ) through a window [ m ] in the wall, and so escaped his hands.
11 I hope you will put up with ( A ) me in a little foolishness. ( B ) Yes, please put up with me! 2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, ( C ) to Christ, so that I might present you ( D ) as a pure virgin to him. 3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, ( E ) your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, ( F ) or if you receive a different spirit ( G ) from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel ( H ) from the one you accepted, you put up with it ( I ) easily enough.
5 I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.” [ a ] ( J ) 6 I may indeed be untrained as a speaker, ( K ) but I do have knowledge. ( L ) We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way. 7 Was it a sin ( M ) for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God ( N ) to you free of charge? ( O ) 8 I robbed other churches by receiving support from them ( P ) so as to serve you. 9 And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. ( Q ) I have kept myself from being a burden to you ( R ) in any way, and will continue to do so. 10 As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, ( S ) nobody in the regions of Achaia ( T ) will stop this boasting ( U ) of mine. 11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows ( V ) I do! ( W )
12 And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. 13 For such people are false apostles, ( X ) deceitful ( Y ) workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. ( Z ) 14 And no wonder, for Satan ( AA ) himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. ( AB )
16 I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. ( AC ) But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting. 17 In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, ( AD ) but as a fool. ( AE ) 18 Since many are boasting in the way the world does, ( AF ) I too will boast. ( AG ) 19 You gladly put up with ( AH ) fools since you are so wise! ( AI ) 20 In fact, you even put up with ( AJ ) anyone who enslaves you ( AK ) or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face. 21 To my shame I admit that we were too weak ( AL ) for that!
Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about. ( AM ) 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. ( AN ) Are they Israelites? So am I. ( AO ) Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I. ( AP ) 23 Are they servants of Christ? ( AQ ) (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, ( AR ) been in prison more frequently, ( AS ) been flogged more severely, ( AT ) and been exposed to death again and again. ( AU ) 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes ( AV ) minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, ( AW ) once I was pelted with stones, ( AX ) three times I was shipwrecked, ( AY ) I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, ( AZ ) in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, ( BA ) in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. ( BB ) 27 I have labored and toiled ( BC ) and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; ( BD ) I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. ( BE ) 29 Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? ( BF ) Who is led into sin, ( BG ) and I do not inwardly burn?
30 If I must boast, I will boast ( BH ) of the things that show my weakness. ( BI ) 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, ( BJ ) knows ( BK ) that I am not lying. 32 In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. ( BL ) 33 But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands. ( BM )
