2 Corinthians 11
11
1I hope you can put up with a little more foolishness from me—well you already do put up with me! 2I 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. 3I 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. 4If anyone comes and tells you about a different Jesus to the one we shared with you, you easily go along with them,#11:4. In other words, they are too tolerant of others who come with a very different understanding of the good news. accepting a different spirit to the one you received, and a different kind of good news to the one you believed.
5I don't believe I'm inferior to these “super-apostles.” 6Even 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. 7Was it wrong of me to humble myself so you could be elevated, since I shared the good news with you at no charge? 8I robbed as it were other churches, taking pay from them so I could work for you. 9When 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. 10This is as certain as the truth of Christ that is in me: nobody in all Achaia will stop me boasting about this! 11And why? Because I don't love you? God knows that I do! 12I'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. 13These people are false apostles, dishonest workers, who pretend#11:13. Literally, “transform themselves into.” Also in verse 14. to be apostles of Christ. 14Don't be surprised at this for even Satan himself pretends to be an angel of light. 15So 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.
16Let 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.#11:16. Paul suggests that he also should be allowed to boast as the false apostles were boasting. 17What I'm saying is not as the Lord would say it—all this foolish boasting. 18But since many others are boasting in the way the world does, let me boast too. 19(You're happy to put up with fools, since you are so wise!)#11:19. Clearly a sarcastic or ironic comment; also what follows… 20You 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. 21I'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.)
22Are they Hebrews? Me too. Are they Israelites? Me too. Are they descendants of Abraham? Me too. 23Are 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. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25Three 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. 26During my many journeys I have faced the dangers of crossing rivers, robber gangs, attacks from my own countrymen, as well as from foreigners.#11:26. Literally, “Gentiles.” 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. 27I have faced hard labor and struggles, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often going without food, cold, without enough clothing to keep warm.
28Besides all this, I face the daily concerns of dealing with all the churches. 29Who is weak, and I don't feel weak too? Who is led into sin, and I don't burn up? 30If I have to boast, I will boast about how weak I am. 31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus—may he be praised forever—knows I am not lying. 32While I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas had the city guarded in order to capture me. 33But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the city wall, and so I escaped from him.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
2 Corinthians 11
11
Paul and the False Apostles
1I hope you will put up with me in a little foolishness. Yes, please put up with me! 2I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. 3But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.
5I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.”#11:5 Or to the most eminent apostles 6I may indeed be untrained as a speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way. 7Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge? 8I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you. 9And 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. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. 10As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, nobody in the regions of Achaia will stop this boasting of mine. 11Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
12And 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. 13For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
Paul Boasts About His Sufferings
16I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting. 17In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool. 18Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast. 19You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! 20In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face. 21To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that!
Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about. 22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I. 23Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?
30If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying. 32In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. 33But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.
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