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 #[Hos. 2:19, 20] I betrothed you to one husband, #Col. 1:22, 28 to present you #Eph. 5:27; Rev. 14:4as a pure virgin to Christ. 3But I am afraid that #Gen. 3:4; 1 Tim. 2:14; [John 8:44; 1 Thess. 3:5] as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts #Col. 2:4, 8 will be led astray from a #[Eph. 6:5] sincere and #ch. 6:6pure devotion to Christ. 4For if someone comes and #[1 Cor. 3:11] proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept #Gal. 1:6a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. 5Indeed, I consider that #ch. 12:11; Gal. 2:6I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. 6#See 1 Cor. 1:17 Even if I am unskilled in speaking, #[Eph. 3:4] I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way #ch. 4:2; 5:11; 12:12we have made this plain to you in all things.

7Or #[ch. 12:13] did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because #See Acts 18:3I 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 #Phil. 4:12 in need, #ch. 12:13, 14 I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia #[1 Cor. 16:17; Phil. 4:15, 16] supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain #ch. 12:16; 1 Thess. 2:6from burdening you in any way. 10#See Rom. 1:9; 9:1 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine #1 Cor. 9:15will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. 11And why? #See ch. 6:11 Because I do not love you? #ver. 31; ch. 12:2, 3God knows I do!

12And what I am doing I will continue to do, #[1 Cor. 9:12]in 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 #Rev. 2:2; [Gal. 1:7; 2:4; 6:12; Phil. 1:15; 3:18; Titus 1:10, 12; 2 Pet. 2:1; 1 John 4:1] false apostles, #[Phil. 3:2] deceitful workmen, #ver. 14, 15disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as #Gal. 1:8an angel of light. 15So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as #ch. 3:9 servants of righteousness. #Phil. 3:19Their end will correspond to their deeds.

Paul’s Sufferings as an Apostle

16I repeat, #ch. 12:6let 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 #ch. 9:4 with this boastful confidence, #[1 Cor. 7:12]I say not as the Lord would#11:17 Greek not according to the Lord but as a fool. 18Since #Phil. 3:3, 4many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. 19For you gladly bear with fools, #1 Cor. 4:10being wise yourselves! 20For you bear it if someone #Gal. 2:4; [Gal. 4:3, 9; 5:1] makes slaves of you, or #[ch. 7:2] devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or #1 Cor. 4:11strikes you in the face. 21To my shame, I must say, #ch. 10:10we 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? #Rom. 11:1; Phil. 3:5So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 23Are they #See ch. 3:6; 10:7 servants of Christ? #See 1 Cor. 15:10 I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, #ch. 6:5 far more imprisonments, #Acts 16:23 with countless beatings, and #ch. 1:9, 10; 4:11; 6:9; Rom. 8:36; 1 Cor. 15:30-32often near death. 24Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the #Deut. 25:3forty lashes less one. 25Three times I was #Acts 16:22 beaten with rods. #Acts 14:19 Once I was stoned. Three times I #[Acts 27:41]was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, #Acts 9:23; 13:50; 14:5; 17:5; 1 Thess. 2:15; [Acts 18:12; 20:3, 19; 21:27; 23:10, 12; 25:3] danger from my own people, #Acts 14:5; [Acts 19:23; 27:42] danger from Gentiles, #Acts 21:31danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27#1 Thess. 2:9; 2 Thess. 3:8 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, #1 Cor. 4:11; Phil. 4:12in hunger and thirst, often without food,#11:27 Or often in fasting in cold and exposure. 28And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for #See 1 Cor. 7:17all the churches. 29#See 1 Cor. 8:13; 9:22Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

30 # ch. 10:10; 12:5, 9; See 1 Cor. 2:3 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31#See Rom. 15:6 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, #See Rom. 9:5 he who is blessed forever, #ver. 11knows that I am not lying. 32At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas #Acts 9:24was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, 33#Acts 9:25but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.

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2 Corinthians 11

Paul and the False Apostles

1I hope you will put up with a little more of my foolishness. Please bear with me. 2For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. I promised you as a pure bride#11:2 Greek a virgin. to one husband—Christ. 3But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. 4You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.

5But I don’t consider myself inferior in any way to these “super apostles” who teach such things. 6I may be unskilled as a speaker, but I’m not lacking in knowledge. We have made this clear to you in every possible way.

7Was I wrong when I humbled myself and honored you by preaching God’s Good News to you without expecting anything in return? 8I “robbed” other churches by accepting their contributions so I could serve you at no cost. 9And when I was with you and didn’t have enough to live on, I did not become a financial burden to anyone. For the brothers who came from Macedonia brought me all that I needed. I have never been a burden to you, and I never will be. 10As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, no one in all of Greece#11:10 Greek Achaia, the southern region of the Greek peninsula. will ever stop me from boasting about this. 11Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows that I do.

12But I will continue doing what I have always done. This will undercut those who are looking for an opportunity to boast that their work is just like ours. 13These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. 14But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve.

Paul’s Many Trials

16Again I say, don’t think that I am a fool to talk like this. But even if you do, listen to me, as you would to a foolish person, while I also boast a little. 17Such boasting is not from the Lord, but I am acting like a fool. 18And since others boast about their human achievements, I will, too. 19After all, you think you are so wise, but you enjoy putting up with fools! 20You put up with it when someone enslaves you, takes everything you have, takes advantage of you, takes control of everything, and slaps you in the face. 21I’m ashamed to say that we’ve been too “weak” to do that!

But whatever they dare to boast about—I’m talking like a fool again—I dare to boast about it, too. 22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. 23Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. 24Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. 25Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. 26I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.#11:26 Greek from false brothers. 27I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

28Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches. 29Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?

30If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am. 31God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, who is worthy of eternal praise, knows I am not lying. 32When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept guards at the city gates to catch me. 33I had to be lowered in a basket through a window in the city wall to escape from him.

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