Paul Defends His Apostleship

11 I wish that you would ^(A)bear with me in a little ^(B)foolishness, but ^[a]indeed you are bearing with me. ² For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, for I ^(C)betrothed you to one husband, so that I might ^(D)present you as a pure virgin to Christ. ³ But I fear that, as the ^(E)serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be corrupted from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. ⁴ For if ^[b]one comes and preaches ^(F)another Jesus whom we did not preach, or you receive a ^(G)different spirit which you did not receive, or a ^(H)different gospel which you did not accept, you ^(I)bear this ^(J)beautifully. ⁵ For I consider myself ^(K)in no way inferior to the ^[c]most-eminent apostles. ⁶ But even if I am ^(L)unskilled in word, yet I am not so in ^(M)knowledge; in fact, in every way we have ^(N)made this evident to you in all things.

⁷ Or ^(O)did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I proclaimed the ^(P)gospel of God to you ^(Q)without charge? ⁸ I robbed other churches by ^(R)taking wages from them to minister to you. ⁹ And when I was present with you and was in need, I was ^(S)not a burden to anyone; for when ^(T)the brothers came from ^(U)Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept and will keep myself from ^(V)being a burden to you. ^10 (W)As the truth of Christ is in me, ^(X)this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of ^(Y)Achaia. ¹¹ Why? ^(Z)Because I do not love you? ^(AA)God knows I do!

¹² But what I am doing I will continue to do, ^(AB)so that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be found just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting. ¹³ For such men are ^(AC)false apostles, ^(AD)deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder, for even ^(AE)Satan disguises himself as an ^(AF)angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore it is not surprising if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness, ^(AG)whose end will be according to their deeds.

^16 (AH)Again I say, let no one think me foolish; but if you do, receive me even as foolish, so that I also may boast a little. ¹⁷ What I am saying, I am not saying ^[d](AI)according to the Lord, but as ^(AJ)in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. ¹⁸ Since ^(AK)many boast ^(AL)according to the flesh, I will boast also. ¹⁹ For you, ^(AM)being so wise, are bearing the foolish gladly. ²⁰ For you bear it if anyone ^(AN)enslaves you, anyone ^(AO)devours you, anyone ^(AP)takes advantage of you, anyone ^(AQ)exalts himself, anyone ^(AR)hits you in the face. ²¹ To my ^(AS)shame I must say that we have been ^(AT)weak by comparison.

But in whatever respect anyone else ^(AU)is daring—I ^(AV)speak in foolishness—I am just as daring myself. ²² Are they ^(AW)Hebrews? ^(AX)So am I. Are they ^(AY)Israelites? ^(AZ)So am I. Are they Abraham’s ^(BA)seed? ^(BB)So am I. ²³ Are they ^(BC)ministers of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in ^[e](BD)far more labors, in ^[f](BE)far more imprisonments, in ^(BF)beatings without number, in frequent ^(BG)danger of death. ²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews ^(BH)forty lashes less one. ²⁵ Three times I was ^(BI)beaten with rods, once I was ^(BJ)stoned, three times I was shipwrecked—a night and a day I have spent in the deep. ²⁶ I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my ^(BK)countrymen, dangers from the ^(BL)Gentiles, dangers in the ^(BM)city, dangers in the desolate places, dangers on the sea, dangers among ^(BN)false brothers. ²⁷ I have been in ^(BO)labor and hardship, in many sleepless nights, in ^(BP)starvation and thirst, often ^(BQ)hungry, in cold and ^[g](BR)without enough clothing. ²⁸ Apart from such ^[h]external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for ^(BS)all the churches. ²⁹ Who is ^(BT)weak without my being weak? Who is made to stumble ^[i]without my burning concern?

³⁰ If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my ^(BU)weakness. ³¹ The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, ^(BV)He who is blessed forever, ^(BW)knows that I am not lying. ³² In ^(BX)Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was ^(BY)guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, ³³ and I was let down in a basket ^(BZ)through a window ^[j]in the wall, and so escaped his hands.