2 Corinthians 11
1 I hope you can put up with a little more foolishness from me—well you already do put up with me!
I could wish that you would tolerate a little folly in me! But indeed you do tolerate me.
2 I 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.
I am jealous over you with the jealousy of God. For I promised you in marriage as a pure bride, to one husband – the Christ.
3 I 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.
Yet I fear that it may turn out that, just as the snake by his craftiness deceived Eve, so your minds may have lost the loyalty and purity due from you to the Christ.
4 If anyone comes and tells you about a different Jesus to the one we shared with you, you easily go along with them, accepting a different spirit to the one you received, and a different kind of good news to the one you believed.
For, if some newcomer is proclaiming a Jesus other than him whom we proclaimed, or if you are receiving a Spirit different from the Spirit which you received, or a good news different from that which you welcomed, then you are marvelously tolerant!
5 I don't believe I'm inferior to these “super-apostles.”
I do not regard myself as in any way inferior to the most eminent apostles!
6 Even 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.
Though I am no trained orator, yet I am not without knowledge; indeed we made this perfectly clear to you in every way.
7 Was it wrong of me to humble myself so you could be elevated, since I shared the good news with you at no charge?
Perhaps you say that I did wrong in humbling myself that you might be exalted – I mean because I told you God’s good news without payment.
8 I robbed as it were other churches, taking pay from them so I could work for you.
I robbed other churches by taking pay from them, so that I might serve you!
9 When 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.
And, when I was with you in need, I did not become a burden to any of you; for our friends, on coming from Macedonia, supplied my needs. I kept myself, and will keep myself from being an expense to you in any way.
10 This is as certain as the truth of Christ that is in me: nobody in all Achaia will stop me boasting about this!
As surely as I know anything of the truth of Christ, this boast, as far as I am concerned, will not be stopped in any part of Greece.
11 And why? Because I don't love you? God knows that I do!
Why? Because I do not love you? God knows that I do!
12 I'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.
What I am doing now I will continue to do in order to cut away the ground from under those who are wishing for some ground for attacking me, so that as regards the thing of which they boast they may appear in their true characters, just as we do.
13 These people are false apostles, dishonest workers, who pretend to be apostles of Christ.
Such people are false apostles, treacherous workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ!
14 Don't be surprised at this for even Satan himself pretends to be an angel of light.
And no wonder; for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
15 So 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.
It is not surprising, therefore, if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. But their end will be in accordance with their actions.
16 Let 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.
I say again – Let no one think me a fool! Yet, if you do, at least welcome me as you would a fool, so that I, too may indulge in a little boasting.
17 What I'm saying is not as the Lord would say it—all this foolish boasting.
When I speak like this, I am not speaking as the Master would, but as a fool might, in boasting so confidently.
18 But since many others are boasting in the way the world does, let me boast too.
As so many are boasting of earthly things, I, too, will boast.
19 (You're happy to put up with fools, since you are so wise!)
For all your cleverness, you tolerate fools willingly enough!
20 You 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.
You tolerate a person even when they enslave you, when they plunder you, when they get you into their power, when they put on airs of superiority, when they strike you in the face!
21 I'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.)
I admit, to my shame, that we have been weak. But whatever the subject on which others are not afraid to boast – though it is foolish to say so – I am not afraid either!
22 Are they Hebrews? Me too. Are they Israelites? Me too. Are they descendants of Abraham? Me too.
Are they Hebrews? So am I! Are they Israelites? So am I! Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I!
23 Are 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.
Are they ‘Servants of Christ’? Though it is madness to talk like this, I am more so than they! I have had more of toil, more of imprisonment! I have been flogged times without number. I have been often at death’s door.
24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes less one.
Five times I received at the hands of my own people forty lashes, all but one.
25 Three 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.
Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a whole day and night in the deep.
26 During my many journeys I have faced the dangers of crossing rivers, robber gangs, attacks from my own countrymen, as well as from foreigners. 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.
My journeys have been many. I have been through dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in towns, dangers in the country, dangers on the sea, dangers among people pretending to be followers of the Lord.
27 I have faced hard labor and struggles, many sleepless nights, hungry and thirsty, often going without food, cold, without enough clothing to keep warm.
I have been through toil and hardship. I have passed many a sleepless night; I have endured hunger and thirst; I have often been without food; I have known cold and nakedness.
28 Besides all this, I face the daily concerns of dealing with all the churches.
And, not to speak of other things, there is my daily burden of anxiety about all the churches.
29 Who is weak, and I don't feel weak too? Who is led into sin, and I don't burn up?
Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led astray without my burning with indignation?
30 If I have to boast, I will boast about how weak I am.
If I must boast, I will boast of things which show my weakness!
The God and Father of the Lord Jesus – he who is for ever blessed – knows that I am speaking the truth. (aiōn g165)
32 While I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas had the city guarded in order to capture me.
When I was in Damascus, the Governor under King Aretas had the gates of that city guarded, so as to arrest me,
33 But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the city wall, and so I escaped from him.
but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands.
