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2 Corinthians 11
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
2 Corinthians 11
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Paul and the False Apostles
11 I wish you would put up with me in a little foolishness. Yes, do put up[a] with me!(A) 2 I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.(B) 3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by its cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure[b] devotion to Christ.(C) 4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.(D) 5 I think that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles.(E) 6 Even if I am untrained in speech, I certainly am not with respect to knowledge; certainly in every way and in all things we have made this evident to you.(F)
7 Did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I proclaimed God’s good news[c] to you free of charge?(G) 8 I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. 9 And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for my needs were supplied by the brothers who came from Macedonia. So I refrained and will continue to refrain from burdening you in any way.(H) 10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boast of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia.(I) 11 And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!(J)
12 And what I do I will also continue to do, in order to deny an opportunity to those who want an opportunity to be recognized as our equals in what they boast about. 13 For such boasters are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.(K) 14 And no wonder! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 So it is not strange if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Their end will match their deeds.(L)
Paul’s Sufferings as an Apostle
16 I repeat, let no one think that I am a fool, but if you do, then accept me as a fool, so that I, too, may boast a little. 17 What I am saying in regard to this boastful undertaking, I am saying not with the Lord’s authority but as a fool;(M) 18 since many boast according to human standards,[d] I will also boast. 19 For you gladly put up with fools, being wise yourselves! 20 For you put up with it when someone makes slaves of you or preys upon you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or gives you a slap in the face. 21 To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that!
But whatever anyone dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that.(N) 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.(O) 23 Are they ministers of Christ? I am talking like a madman—I am a better one: with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless floggings, and often near death.(P) 24 Five times I have received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.(Q) 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked; for a night and a day I was adrift at sea;(R) 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own people, danger from gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers and sisters;(S) 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, hungry and thirsty, often without food,[e] cold and naked.(T) 28 And, besides other things, I am under daily pressure because of my anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I am not indignant?(U)
30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.(V) 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus (blessed be he forever!) knows that I do not lie.(W) 32 In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas guarded the city of Damascus in order to[f] seize me,(X) 33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall[g] and escaped from his hands.
2 Corinthians 11
New International Version
2 Corinthians 11
New International Version
Paul and the False Apostles
11 I hope you will put up with(A) me in a little foolishness.(B) Yes, please put up with me! 2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband,(C) to Christ, so that I might present you(D) as a pure virgin to him. 3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning,(E) your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached,(F) or if you receive a different spirit(G) from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel(H) from the one you accepted, you put up with it(I) easily enough.
5 I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.”[a](J) 6 I may indeed be untrained as a speaker,(K) but I do have knowledge.(L) We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way. 7 Was it a sin(M) for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God(N) to you free of charge?(O) 8 I robbed other churches by receiving support from them(P) so as to serve you. 9 And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed.(Q) I have kept myself from being a burden to you(R) in any way, and will continue to do so. 10 As surely as the truth of Christ is in me,(S) nobody in the regions of Achaia(T) will stop this boasting(U) of mine. 11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows(V) I do!(W)
12 And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. 13 For such people are false apostles,(X) deceitful(Y) workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.(Z) 14 And no wonder, for Satan(AA) himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.(AB)
Paul Boasts About His Sufferings
16 I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool.(AC) But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting. 17 In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would,(AD) but as a fool.(AE) 18 Since many are boasting in the way the world does,(AF) I too will boast.(AG) 19 You gladly put up with(AH) fools since you are so wise!(AI) 20 In fact, you even put up with(AJ) anyone who enslaves you(AK) or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face. 21 To my shame I admit that we were too weak(AL) for that!
Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about.(AM) 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I.(AN) Are they Israelites? So am I.(AO) Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I.(AP) 23 Are they servants of Christ?(AQ) (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder,(AR) been in prison more frequently,(AS) been flogged more severely,(AT) and been exposed to death again and again.(AU) 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes(AV) minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods,(AW) once I was pelted with stones,(AX) three times I was shipwrecked,(AY) I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews,(AZ) in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city,(BA) in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.(BB) 27 I have labored and toiled(BC) and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food;(BD) I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.(BE) 29 Who is weak, and I do not feel weak?(BF) Who is led into sin,(BG) and I do not inwardly burn?
30 If I must boast, I will boast(BH) of the things that show my weakness.(BI) 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever,(BJ) knows(BK) that I am not lying. 32 In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me.(BL) 33 But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.(BM)
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 11:5 Or to the most eminent apostles
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)
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