2 Corinthians 11

Paul and the False Apostles

¹I wish you would put up with a little foolishness from me. Yes, do put up with me!²³For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, because I have promised you in marriage to one husband — to present a pure virgin to Christ.⁴⁵But I fear that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may be seduced from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.⁶⁷For if a person comes and preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or you receive a different spirit, which you had not received, or a different gospel, which you had not accepted, you put up with it splendidly!⁸

⁹Now I consider myself in no way inferior to those “super-apostles.”¹⁰¹¹Even if I am untrained in public speaking, I am certainly not untrained in knowledge. Indeed, we have in every way made that clear to you in everything.¹²¹³Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?¹⁴¹⁵I robbed other churches by taking pay from them to minister to you.¹⁶¹⁷When I was present with you and in need, I did not burden anyone, since the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. I have kept myself, and will keep myself, from burdening you in any way.¹⁸¹⁹As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia.²⁰²¹Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows I do!²²

²³But I will continue to do what I am doing, in order to deny an opportunity to those who want to be regarded as our equals in what they boast about.²⁴²⁵For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.²⁶²⁷And no wonder! For Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.²⁸²⁹So it is no great surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will be according to their works.³⁰

Paul’s Sufferings for Christ

³¹I repeat: Let no one consider me a fool. But if you do, at least accept me as a fool so that I can also boast a little.³²³³What I am saying in this matter of boasting, I don’t speak as the Lord would, but as it were, foolishly.³⁴³⁵Since many boast according to the flesh, I will also boast.³⁶³⁷For you, being so wise, gladly put up with fools!³⁸³⁹In fact, you put up with it if someone enslaves you, if someone exploits you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone is arrogant toward you, if someone slaps you in the face.⁴⁰⁴¹I say this to our shame: We have been too weak for that! But in whatever anyone dares to boast — I am talking foolishly — I also dare:⁴²⁴³Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the descendants of Abraham? So am I.⁴⁴⁴⁵Are they servants of Christ? I’m talking like a madman — I’m a better one: with far more labors, many more imprisonments, far worse beatings, many times near death.⁴⁶

⁴⁷Five times I received the forty lashes minus one from the Jews.⁴⁸⁴⁹Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the open sea.⁵⁰⁵¹On frequent journeys, I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, and dangers among false brothers;⁵²⁵³toil and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and without clothing.⁵⁴⁵⁵Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my concern for all the churches.⁵⁶⁵⁷Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?⁵⁸

⁵⁹If boasting is necessary, I will boast about my weaknesses.⁶⁰⁶¹The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows I am not lying.⁶²⁶³In Damascus, a ruler under King Aretas guarded the city of Damascus in order to arrest me.⁶⁴⁶⁵So I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped from his hands.⁶⁶