Concern for Their Faithfulness

11 Oh, that you would bear with me in a little ^(A)folly—and indeed you do bear with me. ² For I am ^(B)jealous for you with godly jealousy. For ^(C)I have betrothed you to one husband, ^(D)that I may present you ^(E)as a chaste virgin to Christ. ³ But I fear, lest somehow, as ^(F)the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds ^(G)may be corrupted from the ^[a]simplicity that is in Christ. ⁴ For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a ^(H)different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!

Paul and False Apostles

⁵ For I consider that ^(I)I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles. ⁶ Even though ^(J)I am untrained in speech, yet I am not ^(K)in knowledge. But ^(L)we have ^[b]been thoroughly manifested among you in all things.

⁷ Did I commit sin in ^[c]humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you ^(M)free of charge? ⁸ I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you. ⁹ And when I was present with you, and in need, ^(N)I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked ^(O)the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself. ^10 (P)As the truth of Christ is in me, ^(Q)no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia. ¹¹ Why? ^(R)Because I do not love you? God knows!

¹² But what I do, I will also continue to do, ^(S)that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. ¹³ For such ^(T)are false apostles, ^(U)deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into ^(V)an angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, ^(W)whose end will be according to their works.

Reluctant Boasting

¹⁶ I say again, let no one think me a fool. If otherwise, at least receive me as a fool, that I also may boast a little. ¹⁷ What I speak, ^(X)I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were, foolishly, in this confidence of boasting. ¹⁸ Seeing that many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast. ¹⁹ For you put up with fools gladly, ^(Y)since you yourselves are wise! ²⁰ For you put up with it ^(Z)if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face. ²¹ To our shame ^(AA)I say that we were too weak for that! But ^(AB)in whatever anyone is bold—I speak foolishly—I am bold also.

Suffering for Christ

²² Are they ^(AC)Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. ²³ Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: ^(AD)in labors more abundant, ^(AE)in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, ^(AF)in deaths often. ²⁴ From the Jews five times I received ^(AG)forty ^(AH)stripes minus one. ²⁵ Three times I was ^(AI)beaten with rods; ^(AJ)once I was stoned; three times I ^(AK)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, ^(AL)in perils of my own countrymen, ^(AM)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, ^(AN)in sleeplessness often, ^(AO)in hunger and thirst, in ^(AP)fastings often, in cold and nakedness— ²⁸ besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: ^(AQ)my deep concern for all the churches. ^29 (AR)Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?

³⁰ If I must boast, ^(AS)I will boast in the things which concern my ^[d]infirmity. ^31 (AT)The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^(AU)who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. ^32 (AV)In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me; ³³ but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.