Paul and the False Apostles

11 I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since (A)I betrothed you to one husband, (B)to present you (C)as a pure virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that (D)as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts (E)will be led astray from a (F)sincere and (G)pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and (H)proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept (I)a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. Indeed, I consider that (J)I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. (K)Even if I am unskilled in speaking, (L)I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way (M)we have made this plain to you in all things.

Or (N)did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because (O)I preached God's gospel to you free of charge? I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. And when I was with you and was (P)in need, (Q)I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia (R)supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain (S)from burdening you in any way. 10 (T)As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine (U)will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. 11 And why? (V)Because I do not love you? (W)God knows I do!

12 And what I am doing I will continue to do, (X)in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. 13 For such men are (Y)false apostles, (Z)deceitful workmen, (AA)disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as (AB)an angel of light. 15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as (AC)servants of righteousness. (AD)Their end will correspond to their deeds.

Paul's Sufferings as an Apostle

16 I repeat, (AE)let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. 17 What I am saying (AF)with this boastful confidence, (AG)I say not as the Lord would[a] but as a fool. 18 Since (AH)many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. 19 For you gladly bear with fools, (AI)being wise yourselves! 20 For you bear it if someone (AJ)makes slaves of you, or (AK)devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or (AL)strikes you in the face. 21 To my shame, I must say, (AM)we were too weak for that!

But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. 22 Are they Hebrews? (AN)So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they (AO)servants of Christ? (AP)I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, (AQ)far more imprisonments, (AR)with countless beatings, and (AS)often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the (AT)forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was (AU)beaten with rods. (AV)Once I was stoned. Three times I (AW)was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, (AX)danger from my own people, (AY)danger from Gentiles, (AZ)danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 (BA)in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, (BB)in hunger and thirst, often without food,[b] in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for (BC)all the churches. 29 (BD)Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

30 (BE)If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31 (BF)The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, (BG)he who is blessed forever, (BH)knows that I am not lying. 32 At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas (BI)was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, 33 (BJ)but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 11:17 Greek not according to the Lord
  2. 2 Corinthians 11:27 Or often in fasting

11 O that ophelon you would put up with anechōmai me egō in a tis little mikros foolishness aphrosynē! · kai Do put up with anechōmai me egō! For gar I am jealous zēloō for you hymeis with zēlos a jealousy zēlos God theos inspires, for gar I have promised harmozō you hymeis in marriage to a single heis husband anēr, to ho Christ Christos, that I might present paristēmi you to him as an undefiled hagnos virgin parthenos. But de I am afraid phobeomai, however mē pōs, that just as hōs the ho serpent ophis deceived exapataō Eve heua by en · ho his autos craftiness panourgia, so your hymeis minds noēma may be led astray phtheirō · ho from apo the ho simplicity haplotēs and kai · ho purity hagnotēs that ho is in eis · ho Christ Christos. For gar if ei one ho comes erchomai and proclaims kēryssō a different allos Jesus Iēsous whom hos we did not ou proclaim kēryssō, or ē if you welcome lambanō a different heteros spirit pneuma which hos you did not ou welcome lambanō, or ē a different heteros gospel euangelion which hos you did not ou welcome dechomai, you put up with anechōmai it easily kalōs. For gar I consider logizomai myself to be in no way mēdeis inferior hystereō to those ho super-apostles hyperlian apostolos.” But de even kai if ei I am an amateur idiōtēs in ho speaking logos, I am certainly not alla in ho knowledge gnōsis. Rather alla, in en every pas way we have made this plain phaneroō to eis you hymeis as to en all pas. Or ē did I commit poieō a sin hamartia in humbling tapeinoō myself emautou so that hina you hymeis could be exalted hypsoō, because hoti I proclaimed euangelizō the ho gospel euangelion of ho God theos to you hymeis without a charge dōrean? I robbed sylaō other allos churches ekklēsia, taking lambanō support opsōnion from them to carry out pros my ho service diakonia to you hymeis. And kai when I was present pareimi with pros you hymeis and kai in need hystereō, I did not ou burden katanarkaō anyone outheis, for gar when erchomai the ho brothers adelphos came erchomai from apo Macedonia Makedonia they supplied prosanaplēroō · ho my egō need hysterēma. · kai I kept tēreō myself emautou from tēreō being a burden abarēs to you hymeis in en any pas way , and kai will continue to do so tēreō. 10 As the truth alētheia of Christ Christos is eimi in en me egō, · ho this houtos boasting kauchēsis of eis mine egō will not ou be put to silence phrassō in en the ho districts klima of ho Achaia Achaia. 11 Why dia is that tis? Is it because hoti I do not ou love agapaō you hymeis? · ho God theos knows oida I do.

12 And de what hos I am doing poieō · kai I will continue to do poieō, so hina as to remove ekkoptō any ho opportunity aphormē from ho those desiring thelō an opportunity aphormē to hina be regarded heuriskō, in the things in en which hos they boast kauchaomai, to be just as kathōs · kai we hēmeis are. 13 · ho For gar such men toioutos are false apostles pseudapostolos, deceitful dolios workers ergatēs, disguising metaschēmatizō themselves as eis apostles apostolos of Christ Christos. 14 And kai no ou wonder thauma! For gar Satan Satanas himself autos · ho disguises metaschēmatizō himself as eis an angel angelos of light phōs. 15 So oun it is no ou great megas surprise if ei his autos servants diakonos, too kai, · ho disguise metaschēmatizō themselves as hōs servants diakonos of righteousness dikaiosynē. Their hos · ho end telos will be eimi according kata to · ho their autos works ergon.

16 Again palin I say legō, let dokeō no one tis think dokeō me egō foolish aphrōn. But de even ge if ei you do, then at least kan accept dechomai me egō as hōs a fool aphrōn, so that hina I too kagō may boast kauchaomai a tis little mikros. 17 What hos I am saying laleō, I am laleō not ou saying laleō according kata to the Lord kyrios, but alla as hōs in en foolishness aphrosynē, in en this houtos · ho confidence hypostasis of ho boasting kauchēsis. 18 Since epei there are many polys who are boasting kauchaomai according kata to the flesh sarx, I too kagō will boast kauchaomai. 19 For gar gladly hēdeōs you put up with anechōmai · ho fools aphrōn, since you are eimi so wise phronimos! 20 For gar you put up with anechōmai it if ei anyone tis enslaves katadouloō you hymeis, if ei anyone tis exploits katesthiō you, if ei anyone tis takes advantage lambanō of you, if ei anyone tis puts on airs epairō, if ei anyone tis strikes derō you hymeis in eis the face prosōpon. 21 I say legō this to kata my shame atimia, that hoti in this we hēmeis have been weak astheneō. But de as to en whatever hos anyone tis else dares tolmaō to boast about— I am talking legō like en a fool aphrosynē I also kagō dare tolmaō to boast . 22 Are they eimi Hebrews Hebraios? So am I kagō. Are they eimi Israelites Israēlitēs? So am I kagō. Are they eimi descendants sperma of Abraham Abraam? So am I kagō. 23 Are they eimi servants diakonos of Christ Christos?— I am talking laleō like a madman paraphroneō!— I egō am even more so hyper: in en far more perissoterōs labors kopos, in en prison phylakē more often perissoterōs, in en beatings plēgē more severe hyperballontōs, facing en death thanatos again and again pollakis. 24 Five times pentakis I received lambanō from hypo the Jews Ioudaios the forty tesserakonta lashes less para one heis. 25 Three tris times I was beaten with a rod rhabdizō. Once hapax I was stoned lithazō. Three tris times I was shipwrecked nauageō. I have been adrift poieō on en the ho open sea bythos for twenty-four nychthēmeron hours . 26 On my frequent pollakis journeys hodoiporia I have been exposed to dangers kindynos from rivers potamos, dangers kindynos from bandits lēstēs, dangers kindynos from ek my own people genos, dangers kindynos from ek Gentiles ethnos, dangers kindynos in en the city polis, dangers kindynos in en the countryside erēmia, dangers kindynos at en sea thalassa, dangers kindynos at en the hands of false pseudadelphos brothers ; 27 in toil kopos and kai hard work mochthos, often pollakis in en need agrypnia of sleep , in en hunger limos and kai thirst dipsos, many times pollakis without food en, in en cold psychos and kai nakedness gymnotēs. 28 Apart chōris from · ho other things parektos, there is the ho daily kata pressure epistasis on me egō · ho of my ho anxious merimna concern for all pas the ho churches ekklēsia. 29 Who tis is weak astheneō, and kai I am not ou weak astheneō? Who tis is made to stumble skandalizō, and kai I egō do not ou burn pyroō with indignation?

30 If ei there must dei be boasting kauchaomai, I will boast of kauchaomai the ho things that ho display my egō weakness astheneia. 31 The ho God theos and kai Father patēr of ho our Lord kyrios Jesus Iēsous, he ho who is eimi blessed eulogētos for eis all ho time aiōn, knows oida that hoti I am not ou lying pseudomai. 32 At en Damascus Damaskos the ho ethnarch ethnarchēs under ho king basileus Aretas Haretas was guarding phroureō the ho city polis of Damascus Damaskēnos in order to arrest piazō me egō, 33 but kai I was lowered chalaō in en a basket sarganē through dia an opening thuris in dia the ho wall teichos and kai escaped ekpheugō · ho his autos hands cheir.