2 Corinthians 11:14-13:5

English Standard Version

¹⁴ And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as ^(A)an angel of light. ¹⁵ So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as ^(B)servants of righteousness. ^(C)Their end will correspond to their deeds.

Paul's Sufferings as an Apostle

¹⁶ I repeat, ^(D)let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. ¹⁷ What I am saying ^(E)with this boastful confidence, ^(F)I say not as the Lord would^[a] but as a fool. ¹⁸ Since ^(G)many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. ¹⁹ For you gladly bear with fools, ^(H)being wise yourselves! ²⁰ For you bear it if someone ^(I)makes slaves of you, or ^(J)devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or ^(K)strikes you in the face. ²¹ To my shame, I must say, ^(L)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? ^(M)So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. ²³ Are they ^(N)servants of Christ? ^(O)I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, ^(P)far more imprisonments, ^(Q)with countless beatings, and ^(R)often near death. ²⁴ Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the ^(S)forty lashes less one. ²⁵ Three times I was ^(T)beaten with rods. ^(U)Once I was stoned. Three times I ^(V)was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; ²⁶ on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, ^(W)danger from my own people, ^(X)danger from Gentiles, ^(Y)danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; ^27 (Z)in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, ^(AA)in hunger and thirst, often without food,^[b] in cold and exposure. ²⁸ And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for ^(AB)all the churches. ^29 (AC)Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

^30 (AD)If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. ^31 (AE)The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, ^(AF)he who is blessed forever, ^(AG)knows that I am not lying. ³² At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas ^(AH)was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, ^33 (AI)but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.

Paul's Visions and His Thorn

12 I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and ^(AJ)revelations of the Lord. ² I know a man ^(AK)in Christ who fourteen years ago was ^(AL)caught up to ^(AM)the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, ^(AN)God knows. ³ And I know that this man was caught up into ^(AO)paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, ^(AP)God knows— ⁴ and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. ⁵ On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, ^(AQ)except of my weaknesses— ⁶ though if I should wish to boast, ^(AR)I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. ⁷ So ^(AS)to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations,^{[c] (AT)}a thorn was given me in the flesh, ^(AU)a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. ^8 (AV)Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. ⁹ But he said to me, ^(AW)“My grace is sufficient for you, for ^(AX)my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that ^(AY)the power of Christ may rest upon me. ^10 (AZ)For the sake of Christ, then, ^(BA)I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For ^(BB)when I am weak, then I am strong.

Concern for the Corinthian Church

^11 (BC)I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was ^(BD)not at all inferior to these super-apostles, ^(BE)even though I am nothing. ^12 (BF)The signs of a true apostle were performed among you ^(BG)with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works. ¹³ For in what were you less favored than the rest of the churches, except that ^(BH)I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong!

¹⁴ Here ^(BI)for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for ^(BJ)I seek not what is yours but you. For ^(BK)children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but ^(BL)parents for their children. ^15 (BM)I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If ^(BN)I love you more, am I to be loved less? ¹⁶ But granting that ^(BO)I myself did not burden you, I was crafty, you say, and got the better of you by deceit. ¹⁷ Did I take advantage of you ^(BP)through any of those whom I sent to you? ^18 (BQ)I urged Titus to go, and sent ^(BR)the brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not act in the same spirit? Did we not take the same steps?

¹⁹ Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? It is ^(BS)in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and ^(BT)all for your upbuilding, beloved. ²⁰ For I fear that perhaps ^(BU)when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. ²¹ I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those ^(BV)who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, ^(BW)sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.

Final Warnings

13 ^(BX)This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established ^(BY)by the evidence of two or three witnesses. ^2 (BZ)I warned ^(CA)those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that ^(CB)if I come again I will not spare them— ³ since you seek proof that Christ ^(CC)is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but ^(CD)is powerful among you. ⁴ For ^(CE)he was crucified in weakness, but ^(CF)lives by the power of God. For ^(CG)we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you ^(CH)we will live with him by the power of God.

⁵ Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. ^(CI)Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that ^(CJ)Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!