Paul and the False Apostles

11 I wish you would be patient with me even ·when I am a little foolish [in a little foolishness], but you are already doing that. ² [^LFor] I am jealous over you with a ·jealousy that comes from God [or godly jealousy]. I promised to give you to Christ, as your only husband. I want to give you as his pure ·bride [^Lvirgin]. ³ But I am afraid that your minds will be ·led away [or corrupted] from your ·true [sincere] and pure following of Christ just as Eve was ·tricked [deceived] by the ·snake [serpent] with his ·evil ways [cunning; craftiness; Gen. 3:1–6]. ⁴ You ·are very patient with [willingly put up with; gladly tolerate] anyone who comes to you and preaches a different Jesus from the one we preached. You are very willing to accept a spirit that is different from the Spirit you received, or a gospel that is different from the one you ·accepted [or received from us].

⁵ I do not think that those “·great [super-] apostles” are any better than I am. ⁶ I may not be a trained speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have shown this to you clearly in every way.

⁷ Was it ·wrong [a sin] for me to ·humble [lower] myself and ·honor [exalt; lift up] you by preaching God’s ·Good News [Gospel] to you without pay? ⁸ I accepted pay from other churches, ·taking their money [^L“robbing” them] so I could serve you. ⁹ If I needed something when I was with you, I did not ·trouble [burden] any of you. The brothers who came from Macedonia gave me all that I needed. I did not allow myself to ·depend on [become a burden to] you in any way, and I will ·never depend on you [^Lkeep doing this]. ¹⁰ No one in Achaia [^Csouthern Greece; 1:1] will stop me from ·bragging [boasting] about that. ·I say this with the truth of Christ in me [or By Christ’s truth in me! ^Ca strong vow or oath]. ¹¹ ·And why do I not depend on you [^LWhy]? Do you think it is because I do not love you? ·God knows that I love you [^LGod knows!].

¹² And I will continue doing what I am doing now, because I want to stop those people from having a reason to ·brag [boast]. They ·would like [are looking for an opportunity] to say that the work they ·brag [boast] about is ·the same as [equal to] ours. ¹³ Such men are ·not true apostles [false apostles; pseudo-apostles] but are ·workers who lie [deceitful workers]. ·They change themselves to look like […disguising themselves as; …masquerading as] apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ ·This does not surprise us [And no wonder, since…]. Even Satan ·changes himself to look like [disguises himself as; masquerades as] an ·angel [messenger] of light [^Ctrying to fool people into thinking he is from God, who is pure light]. ¹⁵ So it does not surprise us if Satan’s servants also ·make themselves look like [masquerade as] servants ·who work for what is right [of righteousness]. But ·in the end they will be punished for what they do [^Ltheir end will match their deeds].

Paul Tells About His Sufferings

¹⁶ I tell you again: No one should think I am a fool. But if you think so, accept me as you would accept a fool. Then I can ·brag [boast] a little, too. ¹⁷ ·When I brag because I feel sure of myself [By boasting so confidently], I am not talking ·as the Lord would talk [or with the Lord’s authority; ^Laccording to the Lord] but as a fool. ¹⁸ Many people are ·bragging [boasting] ·about their lives in the world [or as the world does; or by human standards; ^Laccording to the flesh]. So I will ·brag [boast] too. ¹⁹ You are wise, so you will gladly be patient with fools! [^CPaul sarcastically suggests that the “wise” Corinthians, who listened to the false apostles, would surely listen to his “foolishness.”] ²⁰ You ·are even patient [bear; put up] with those who ·order you around [^Lenslave you], or ·use you [exploit you; ^Ldevour (your possessions)], or ·trick [take advantage of] you, or ·think they are better than you [act arrogantly; put on airs], or ·hit [slap] you in the face. ²¹ It is shameful to me to say this, but we were too “weak” to do those things to you!

But if anyone else ·is brave enough [dares] to ·brag [boast], then I also will ·be brave and brag [dare to boast]. (I am talking as a fool.) ²² Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they from Abraham’s ·family [descendants; ^Lseed]? So am I. ²³ Are they servants of Christ? I am serving him more. (I am crazy to talk like this.) I have worked much harder than they. I have been in prison more often [Acts 16:23–40]. I have been ·hurt more in beatings [flogged more severely; Acts 16:22]. I have been near death many times. ²⁴ Five times the Jews have given me ·their punishment of thirty-nine lashes with a whip [^Lforty minus one; ^Ca shorthand phrase for the standard Jewish punishment; Deut. 25:1–3 allowed a maximum of forty lashes; the Jews gave thirty-nine to avoid breaking the law]. ²⁵ Three different times I was beaten with rods [^Ca Roman punishment]. One time I was almost stoned to death [Acts 14:19]. Three times I was in ships that wrecked, and one of those times I spent a night and a day in the sea [^CPaul’s shipwreck in Acts 27 occurred after writing this (c. ad 60), so he experienced at least four shipwrecks]. ²⁶ I have gone on many travels and have been in danger from rivers, from ·thieves [bandits], from my own people [^Cthe Jews], and from the Gentiles. I have been in danger in cities, in ·places where no one lives [the desert/wilderness], and on the sea. And I have been in danger with false ·Christians [^Lbrothers]. ²⁷ I have done hard and tiring work, and many times I did not sleep. I have been hungry and thirsty, and many times I have been without food. I have been cold and ·without clothes [or destitute; ^Lnaked]. ²⁸ Besides all this, there is on me every day the ·load [pressure] of my ·concern [anxiety] for all the churches. ²⁹ I feel weak every time someone is weak [^LWho is weak, and I am not weak?], and ·I feel upset every time someone is led into sin [^LWho is led into sin, and I am not indignant/^Lburning (with anger)?].

³⁰ If I must ·brag [boast], I will ·brag [boast] about the things that show I am weak. ³¹ The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is to be praised forever, knows I am not lying. ³² When I was in Damascus, the ·governor [^Lethnarch; ^Ca title for a minor ruler] under King Aretas wanted to arrest me, so he put guards around the city. ³³ But ·my friends lowered me [^LI was lowered] in a basket through ·a hole [or window] in the city wall. So I escaped from ·the governor [^Lhis hands].