¹⁷ What I am saying ^(A)with this boastful confidence, ^(B)I say not as the Lord would^[a] but as a fool.

¹² To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her.

³ For ^(A)we are the circumcision, ^(B)who worship ^(C)by the Spirit of God^[a] and ^(D)glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— ^4 (E)though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: ^5 (F)circumcised on the eighth day, ^(G)of the people of Israel, ^(H)of the tribe of Benjamin, ^(I)a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, ^(J)a Pharisee; ^6 (K)as to zeal, ^(L)a persecutor of the church; ^(M)as to righteousness under the law,^[b] blameless.

⁴ Otherwise, if some Macedonians ^(A)come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—for being so confident.

The Unmarried and the Widowed

²⁵ Now concerning^[a] the betrothed,^{[b] (A)}I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as ^(B)one who by the Lord's mercy is ^(C)trustworthy.

¹⁸ Since ^(A)many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. ¹⁹ For you gladly bear with fools, ^(B)being wise yourselves! ²⁰ For you bear it if someone ^(C)makes slaves of you, or ^(D)devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or ^(E)strikes you in the face. ²¹ To my shame, I must say, ^(F)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? ^(G)So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. ²³ Are they ^(H)servants of Christ? ^(I)I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, ^(J)far more imprisonments, ^(K)with countless beatings, and ^(L)often near death. ²⁴ Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the ^(M)forty lashes less one. ²⁵ Three times I was ^(N)beaten with rods. ^(O)Once I was stoned. Three times I ^(P)was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; ²⁶ on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, ^(Q)danger from my own people, ^(R)danger from Gentiles, ^(S)danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; ^27 (T)in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, ^(U)in hunger and thirst, often without food,^[a] in cold and exposure.

⁶ Now as a concession, ^(A)not a command, I say this.^[a]