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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.

Paul and His Opponents

11 I wish that you would be patient with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you are being patient with me! For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband,[a] to present you as a pure[b] virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that[c] just as the serpent[d] deceived Eve by his treachery,[e] your minds may be led astray[f] from a sincere and pure[g] devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims[h] another Jesus different from the one we proclaimed,[i] or if you receive a different spirit than the one you received,[j] or a different gospel than the one you accepted,[k] you put up with it well enough![l] For I consider myself not at all inferior to those “super-apostles.”[m] And even if I am unskilled[n] in speaking, yet I am certainly not so in knowledge. Indeed, we have made this plain to you in everything in every way. Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself[o] so that you could be exalted, because I proclaimed[p] the gospel of God to you free of charge? I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so that I could serve you![q] When[r] I was with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia fully supplied my needs.[s] I[t] kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. 10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine[u] will not be stopped[v] in the regions of Achaia. 11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do![w] 12 And what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may eliminate any opportunity for those who want a chance to be regarded as our equals[x] in the things they boast about. 13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful[y] workers, disguising themselves[z] as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself[aa] as an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising his servants also disguise themselves[ab] as servants of righteousness, whose end will correspond to their actions.[ac]

Paul’s Sufferings for Christ

16 I say again, let no one think that I am a fool.[ad] But if you do, then at least accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. 17 What I am saying with this boastful confidence[ae] I do not say the way the Lord would.[af] Instead it is, as it were, foolishness. 18 Since many[ag] are boasting according to human standards,[ah] I too will boast. 19 For since you are so wise, you put up with[ai] fools gladly. 20 For you put up with[aj] it if someone makes slaves of you, if someone exploits you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone behaves arrogantly[ak] toward you, if someone strikes you in the face. 21 (To my disgrace[al] I must say that we were too weak for that!)[am] But whatever anyone else dares to boast about[an] (I am speaking foolishly), I also dare to boast about the same thing.[ao] 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am talking like I am out of my mind!) I am even more so: with much greater labors, with far more imprisonments, with more severe beatings, facing death many times. 24 Five times I received from the Jews forty lashes less one.[ap] 25 Three times I was beaten with a rod.[aq] Once I received a stoning.[ar] Three times I suffered shipwreck. A night and a day I spent adrift in the open sea. 26 I have been on journeys many times, in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers,[as] in dangers from my own countrymen, in dangers from Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness,[at] in dangers at sea, in dangers from false brothers, 27 in hard work and toil,[au] through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, many times without food, in cold and without enough clothing.[av] 28 Apart from other things,[aw] there is the daily pressure on me of my anxious concern[ax] for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led into sin,[ay] and I do not burn with indignation? 30 If I must boast,[az] I will boast about the things that show my weakness.[ba] 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows I am not lying. 32 In Damascus, the governor[bb] under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus[bc] in order to arrest[bd] me, 33 but I was let down in a rope-basket[be] through a window in the city wall, and escaped his hands.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 11:2 tn That is, to Christ.
  2. 2 Corinthians 11:2 tn Or “chaste.”
  3. 2 Corinthians 11:3 tn Grk “I fear lest somehow.”
  4. 2 Corinthians 11:3 tn Or “the snake.”
  5. 2 Corinthians 11:3 tn Or “craftiness.”
  6. 2 Corinthians 11:3 tn Or “corrupted,” “seduced.”
  7. 2 Corinthians 11:3 tc Although most mss (א2 H Ψ 0121 0243 1739 1881 M) lack “and pure” (καὶ τῆς ἁγνότητος, kai tēs hagnotētos; Grk “and purity”) several significant and early witnesses (P46 א* B D[2] F G 33 81 104 ar r co) retain these words. Their presence in such mss across such a wide geographical distribution argues for their authenticity. The omission from the majority of mss can be explained by haplography, since the -τητος ending of ἁγνότητος is identical to the ending of ἁπλότητος (haplotētos, “sincerity”) three words back (ἁπλότητος καὶ τῆς ἁγνότητος); further, since the meanings of “sincerity” and “purity” are similar they might seem redundant. A copyist would scarcely notice the omission because Paul’s statement still makes sense without “and from purity.”
  8. 2 Corinthians 11:4 tn Or “preaches.”
  9. 2 Corinthians 11:4 tn Grk “another Jesus whom we have not proclaimed.”
  10. 2 Corinthians 11:4 tn Grk “a different spirit which you did not receive.”
  11. 2 Corinthians 11:4 tn Grk “a different gospel which you did not accept.”
  12. 2 Corinthians 11:4 tn Or “you endure it very well.”
  13. 2 Corinthians 11:5 tn The implicit irony in Paul’s remark is brought out well by the TEV “I do not think that I am the least bit inferior to those very special so-called ‘apostles’ of yours!”sn The ‘super-apostles’ refers either (1) to the original apostles (the older interpretation) or (2) more probably, to Paul’s opponents in Corinth, in which case the designation is ironic.
  14. 2 Corinthians 11:6 sn Unskilled in speaking means not professionally trained as a rhetorician.
  15. 2 Corinthians 11:7 sn Paul is referring to humbling himself to the point of doing manual labor to support himself.
  16. 2 Corinthians 11:7 tn Or “preached.”
  17. 2 Corinthians 11:8 sn That is, serve them free of charge (cf. the end of v. 7).
  18. 2 Corinthians 11:9 tn Grk “you, and when.” A new sentence was started here in the translation.
  19. 2 Corinthians 11:9 tn If the participle ἐλθόντες (elthontes) is taken as temporal rather than adjectival, the translation would be, “for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, fully supplied my needs” (similar to NASB).
  20. 2 Corinthians 11:9 tn Grk “needs, and I kept.” A new sentence was started here in the translation.
  21. 2 Corinthians 11:10 tn That is, that Paul offers the gospel free of charge to the Corinthians (see 2 Cor 11:7).
  22. 2 Corinthians 11:10 tn Or “silenced.”
  23. 2 Corinthians 11:11 tn Grk “God knows!” The words “I do” are supplied for clarity. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
  24. 2 Corinthians 11:12 tn Grk “an opportunity, so that they may be found just like us.”
  25. 2 Corinthians 11:13 tn Or “dishonest.”
  26. 2 Corinthians 11:13 tn Or “workers, masquerading.”
  27. 2 Corinthians 11:14 tn Or “Satan himself masquerades.”
  28. 2 Corinthians 11:15 tn Or “also masquerade.”
  29. 2 Corinthians 11:15 tn Or “their works.”
  30. 2 Corinthians 11:16 tn Or “am foolish.”
  31. 2 Corinthians 11:17 tn Grk “with this confidence of boasting.” The genitive καυχήσεως (kauchēseōs) has been translated as an attributive genitive (the noun in the genitive functions as an adjective of the noun modified).
  32. 2 Corinthians 11:17 tn Or “say with the Lord’s authority.”
  33. 2 Corinthians 11:18 sn Many is a reference to Paul’s opponents.
  34. 2 Corinthians 11:18 tn Grk “according to the flesh.”
  35. 2 Corinthians 11:19 tn Or “you tolerate.”
  36. 2 Corinthians 11:20 tn Or “you tolerate.”
  37. 2 Corinthians 11:20 tn See L&N 88.212.
  38. 2 Corinthians 11:21 tn Or “my shame.”
  39. 2 Corinthians 11:21 sn It seems best, in context, to see the statement we were too weak for that as a parenthetical and ironic comment by Paul on his physical condition (weakness or sickness) while he was with the Corinthians (cf. 2 Cor 12:7-10; Gal 4:15).
  40. 2 Corinthians 11:21 tn The words “to boast about” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, and this phrase serves as the direct object of the preceding verb.
  41. 2 Corinthians 11:21 tn Grk “I also dare”; the words “to boast about the same thing” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, and this phrase serves as the direct object of the preceding verb.
  42. 2 Corinthians 11:24 tn Grk “forty less one”; this was a standard sentence. “Lashes” is supplied to clarify for the modern reader what is meant.
  43. 2 Corinthians 11:25 sn Beaten with a rod refers to the Roman punishment of admonitio according to BDAG 902 s.v. ῥαβδίζω. Acts 16:22 describes one of these occasions in Philippi; in this case it was administered by the city magistrates, who had wide powers in a military colony.
  44. 2 Corinthians 11:25 sn Received a stoning. See Acts 14:19, where this incident is described.
  45. 2 Corinthians 11:26 tn Or “bandits.” The word normally refers more to highwaymen (“robbers”) but can also refer to insurrectionists or revolutionaries (“bandits”).
  46. 2 Corinthians 11:26 tn Or “desert.”
  47. 2 Corinthians 11:27 tn The two different words for labor are translated “in hard work and toil” by L&N 42.48.
  48. 2 Corinthians 11:27 tn Grk “in cold and nakedness.” Paul does not mean complete nakedness, however, which would have been repugnant to a Jew; he refers instead to the lack of sufficient clothing, especially in cold weather. A related word is used to 1 Cor 4:11, also in combination with experiencing hunger and thirst.
  49. 2 Corinthians 11:28 sn Apart from other things. Paul refers here either (1) to the external sufferings just mentioned, or (2) he refers to other things he has left unmentioned.
  50. 2 Corinthians 11:28 tn “Anxious concern,” so translated in L&N 25.224.
  51. 2 Corinthians 11:29 tn Or “who is caused to stumble.”
  52. 2 Corinthians 11:30 tn Grk “If boasting is necessary.”
  53. 2 Corinthians 11:30 tn Or “about the things related to my weakness.”
  54. 2 Corinthians 11:32 tn Grk “ethnarch.”sn The governor was an official called an “ethnarch” who was appointed to rule on behalf of a king over a certain region.
  55. 2 Corinthians 11:32 tn Grk “the city of the Damascenes.”
  56. 2 Corinthians 11:32 tn Or “to seize,” “to catch.”
  57. 2 Corinthians 11:33 tn In Acts 9:25 the same basket used in Paul’s escape is called a σπυρίς (spuris), a basket larger than a κόφινος (kophinos). It was very likely made out of rope, so the translation “rope-basket” is used.