Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options Listen to 2 Corinthians 11
Close NASB

2 Corinthians 11
New American Standard Bible

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, to (D)present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 3 But I am afraid that, as the (E)serpent deceived Eve by his trickery, your minds will be led astray from sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if [b]one comes and preaches (F)another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a (G)different spirit which you have not received, or a (H)different gospel which you have not accepted, this you (I)tolerate (J)very well! 5 For I consider myself (K)not in the least inferior to the [c]most eminent apostles. 6 But even if I am (L)unskilled in speech, 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 by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the (P)gospel of God to you (Q)without charge? 8 I robbed other churches by (R)taking wages from them to serve 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 myself from (V)being a burden to you, [d]and will continue to do so. 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 that I do!

12 But what I am doing I will also continue to do, (AB)so that I may eliminate the opportunity from those who want an opportunity to be [e]regarded 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 No wonder, for even (AE)Satan disguises himself as an (AF)angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants 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 [f](AI)as the Lord would, 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, tolerate the foolish gladly. 20 For you tolerate it if anyone (AN)enslaves you, if anyone (AO)devours you, if anyone (AP)takes advantage of you, if anyone (AQ)exalts himself, if 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 bold—I am (AV)speaking in foolishness—I too am bold. 22 Are they (AW)Hebrews? (AX)So am I. Are they (AY)Israelites? (AZ)So am I. Are they [g](BA)descendants of Abraham? (BB)So am I. 23 Are they (BC)servants of Christ?—I am speaking as if insane—I more so; in (BD)far more labors, in (BE)far more imprisonments, [h](BF)beaten times without number, often in danger of (BG)death. 24 Five times I received from the Jews (BH)thirty-nine lashes. 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 adrift at sea. 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 wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among (BN)false brothers; 27 I have been in (BO)labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in (BP)hunger and thirst, often (BQ)without food, in cold and [i](BR)exposure. 28 Apart from such [j]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 [k]led into sin [l]without my intense 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 [m]in the wall, and so escaped his hands.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 11:1 Or do indeed bear with me
  2. 2 Corinthians 11:4 Lit the one who comes preaches
  3. 2 Corinthians 11:5 Or super-apostles
  4. 2 Corinthians 11:9 Lit and I will keep
  5. 2 Corinthians 11:12 Lit found
  6. 2 Corinthians 11:17 Lit in accordance with the Lord
  7. 2 Corinthians 11:22 Lit seed
  8. 2 Corinthians 11:23 Lit exceedingly in blows
  9. 2 Corinthians 11:27 Lit nakedness; i.e., lack of clothing
  10. 2 Corinthians 11:28 Or the things unmentioned
  11. 2 Corinthians 11:29 Lit made to stumble
  12. 2 Corinthians 11:29 Lit and I do not burn
  13. 2 Corinthians 11:33 Lit through
Close ISV

2 Corinthians 11
International Standard Version

Paul Contrasts Himself with False Apostles

11 I wish you would tolerate a little of my foolishness. Yes, please tolerate me! 2 I am jealous of you with God’s own jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to the Messiah.[a] 3 However, I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by its tricks, so your minds may somehow be lured away from sincere and pure[b] devotion to the Messiah.[c]

4 For if someone comes along and preaches another Jesus than the one we preached, or should you receive a different spirit from the one you received or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you are all too willing to listen. 5 I do not think I’m inferior in any way to those “super-apostles.” 6 Even though I may be untrained as an orator, I am not so in the field of knowledge. We have made this clear to all of you in every possible way.

7 Did I commit a sin when I humbled myself by proclaiming to you the gospel of God free of charge, so that you could be exalted? 8 I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. 9 When I was with you and needed something, I did not bother any of you, because our brothers who came from Macedonia supplied everything I needed. I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and I will continue to do so.

10 As surely as the truth of the Messiah[d] is in me, my boasting will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. 11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows that I do!

12 But I will go on doing what I’m doing in order to deny an opportunity to those people who want an opportunity to be recognized as our equals in the work they are boasting about. 13 Such people are false apostles, dishonest workers who are masquerading as apostles of the Messiah.[e] 14 And no wonder, since Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 So it is not surprising if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their doom[f] will match their deeds!

Paul’s Sufferings as an Apostle

16 I will say it again: No one should think that I am a fool. But if you do, then treat me like a fool so that I can also boast a little. 17 When I talk as a confident boaster, I am not talking with the Lord’s authority but like a fool. 18 Since many people boast in a fleshly way, I will do it, too. 19 You are wise, so you will gladly be tolerant of fools. 20 You tolerate anyone who makes you his slaves, devours what you have, takes what is yours, orders you around, or slaps your face!

21 I am ashamed to admit it, but we have been too weak for that. Whatever anyone else dares to claim—I am talking like a fool—I can claim it, too. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelis? So am I. Are they among Abraham’s descendants? So am I. 23 Are they the Messiah’s[g] servants? I am insane to talk like this, but I am a far better one! I have been involved in far greater efforts, far more imprisonments, countless beatings, and have faced death more than once. 24 Five times I received from the Jews 40 lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with a stick, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, and I drifted on the sea for a day and a night. 26 I have traveled extensively and have been endangered from rivers, robbers, my own people, and gentiles. I’ve also been in danger in the city, in the open country, at sea, from false brothers, 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, through hunger, thirst, many periods of fasting, coldness, and nakedness. 28 Besides everything else, I have a daily burden because of my anxiety about all the churches. 29 Who is weak without me being weak, too? Who is caused to stumble without me becoming indignant?

30 If I must boast, I will boast about the things that show how weak I am. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. 32 In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas put guards around the city of Damascus to catch me, 33 but I was let down in a basket through an opening in the wall and escaped from him.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 11:2 Or Christ
  2. 2 Corinthians 11:3 Other mss. lack and pure
  3. 2 Corinthians 11:3 Or Christ
  4. 2 Corinthians 11:10 Or Christ
  5. 2 Corinthians 11:13 Or Christ
  6. 2 Corinthians 11:15 Lit. end
  7. 2 Corinthians 11:23 Or Christ’s
Next
2 Corinthians 10
2 Corinthians 12
Next
dropdown
New American Standard Bible (NASB)

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

New American Standard Bible is made available by The Lockman Foundation
International Standard Version (ISV)

Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.

ISV Bible