2 Corinthians 11-13

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.

Paul’s Vision

12 ^(CA)Boasting is necessary, though it is not beneficial; but I will go on to visions and ^(CB)revelations ^[n]of the Lord. ² I know a man ^(CC)in Christ, who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, ^(CD)God knows—such a man was ^(CE)caught up to the ^(CF)third heaven. ³ And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, ^(CG)God knows— ⁴ was ^(CH)caught up into ^(CI)Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. ^5 (CJ)In behalf of such a man I will boast; but in my own behalf I will not boast, except regarding my ^(CK)weaknesses. ⁶ For if I do wish to boast I will not be ^(CL)foolish, ^(CM)for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me.

A Thorn in the Flesh

⁷ Because of the extraordinary greatness of the ^(CN)revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given to me a ^(CO)thorn in the flesh, a ^(CP)messenger of Satan to ^[o]torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! ⁸ Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord ^(CQ)three times that it might leave me. ⁹ And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for ^(CR)power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather ^(CS)boast ^[p]about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. ¹⁰ Therefore ^(CT)I delight in weaknesses, in ^[q]insults, in ^(CU)distresses, in ^(CV)persecutions, in ^(CW)difficulties, ^(CX)in behalf of Christ; for ^(CY)when I am weak, then I am strong.

¹¹ I have become ^(CZ)foolish; you yourselves compelled me. Actually I should have been commended by you, since I was ^(DA)in no respect inferior to the ^[r]most eminent apostles, even though ^(DB)I am a nobody. ¹² The ^(DC)distinguishing marks ^[s]of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by ^[t]signs, wonders, and ^[u]miracles. ¹³ For in what respect were you treated as inferior to the rest of the churches, except that ^(DD)I myself did not become a burden to you? Forgive me ^(DE)this wrong!

¹⁴ Here ^(DF)for this third time I am ready to come to you, and I ^(DG)will not be a burden to you; for I ^(DH)do not seek what is yours, but ^(DI)you; for ^(DJ)children are not responsible to save up for their parents, but ^(DK)parents for their children. ¹⁵ I will ^(DL)most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If ^(DM)I love you more, am I to be loved less? ¹⁶ But be that as it may, I ^(DN)did not burden you myself; nevertheless, devious person that I am, I ^(DO)took you in by deceit. ^17 (DP)Certainly I have not taken advantage of you through any of those whom I have sent to you, have I? ¹⁸ I ^(DQ)urged ^(DR)Titus to go, and I sent ^(DS)the brother with him. Titus did not take any advantage of you, did he? Did we not ^[v]conduct ourselves ^[w]in the same ^(DT)spirit and walk ^(DU)in the same steps?

¹⁹ All this time ^[x]you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. Actually, ^(DV)it is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ; and ^(DW)all for building you up, ^(DX)beloved. ²⁰ For I am afraid that perhaps ^(DY)when I come I may find you to be not what I wish, and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be ^(DZ)strife, jealousy, ^(EA)angry tempers, ^(EB)selfishness, ^(EC)slanders, ^(ED)gossip, ^(EE)arrogance, ^(EF)disturbances; ²¹ I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have ^(EG)sinned in the past and not repented of the ^(EH)impurity, sexual immorality, and indecent behavior which they have practiced.

Examine Yourselves

13 ^(EI)This is the third time that I am coming to you. ^(EJ)On the ^[y]testimony of two or three witnesses every matter shall be confirmed. ² I have previously said when I was present the second time, and though now absent I say in advance to those who have ^(EK)sinned in the past and to all the rest as well, that ^(EL)if I come again I will not ^(EM)spare anyone, ³ since you are ^(EN)seeking proof of the ^(EO)Christ who speaks in me, who is not weak toward you, but ^(EP)mighty in you. ⁴ For indeed He was ^(EQ)crucified because of weakness, yet He lives ^(ER)because of the power of God. For we too are ^(ES)weak ^[z]in Him, yet ^(ET)we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you.

^5 (EU)Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; ^(EV)examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you ^[aa](EW)fail the test? ⁶ But I expect that you will realize that we ourselves ^[ab]do not fail the test. ⁷ Now we pray to God that you do nothing wrong; not so that we ourselves may appear approved, but that you may do what is right, though we may ^[ac]appear unapproved. ⁸ For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. ⁹ For we rejoice when we ourselves are ^(EX)weak, but you are strong; this we also pray for, ^[ad]that you ^(EY)become mature. ¹⁰ For this reason I am writing these things while absent, so that when present ^(EZ)I need not use ^(FA)severity, in accordance with the ^(FB)authority which the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down.

^11 (FC)Finally, brothers and sisters, ^[ae]rejoice, ^(FD)mend your ways, be comforted, ^(FE)be like-minded, ^(FF)live in peace; and ^(FG)the God of love and peace will be with you. ^12 (FH)Greet one another with a holy kiss. ^13 (FI)All the ^[af]saints greet you.

^14 (FJ)The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the ^(FK)love of God, and the ^(FL)fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.