23 Are they servants of Christ?(A) (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder,(B) been in prison more frequently,(C) been flogged more severely,(D) and been exposed to death again and again.(E) 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes(F) minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods,(G) once I was pelted with stones,(H) three times I was shipwrecked,(I) I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews,(J) in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city,(K) in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.(L) 27 I have labored and toiled(M) and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food;(N) I have been cold and naked.

Read full chapter

23 Are they (A)servants of Christ?—I am speaking as if insane—I more so; in (B)far more labors, in (C)far more imprisonments, [a](D)beaten times without number, often in danger of (E)death. 24 Five times I received from the Jews (F)thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was (G)beaten with rods, once I was (H)stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent adrift at sea. 26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my (I)countrymen, dangers from the (J)Gentiles, dangers in the (K)city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among (L)false brothers; 27 I have been in (M)labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in (N)hunger and thirst, often (O)without food, in cold and [b](P)exposure.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 11:23 Lit exceedingly in blows
  2. 2 Corinthians 11:27 Lit nakedness; i.e., lack of clothing

23 Are they [self-proclaimed] servants of Christ?—I am speaking as if I were out of my mind—I am more so [for I exceed them]; with far more labors, with far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, and often in danger of death. 24 Five times I received from the Jews [a]thirty-nine lashes.(A) 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent adrift on the sea; 26 many times on journeys, [exposed to] danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own countrymen, danger from the Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger on the sea, danger among those posing as believers; 27 in labor and hardship, often unable to sleep, in hunger and thirst, often [driven to] fasting [for lack of food], in cold and exposure [without adequate clothing].

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 11:24 OT law limited judicial scourging (whipping) to forty lashes. The Jews established a tradition of thirty-nine lashes to minimize the risk of making a mistake in the count and giving the guilty party more than forty.

23 Are 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. 24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three 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. 26 I 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.[a] 27 I 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.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 11:26 Greek from false brothers.

23 Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: (A)in labors more abundant, (B)in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, (C)in deaths often. 24 From the Jews five times I received (D)forty (E)stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was (F)beaten with rods; (G)once I was stoned; three times I (H)was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, (I)in perils of my own countrymen, (J)in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, (K)in sleeplessness often, (L)in hunger and thirst, in (M)fastings often, in cold and nakedness—

Read full chapter