Paul and the False Apostles

11 I wish you would put up with a little foolishness(A) from me. Yes, do put up with me![a] For I am jealous(B) for you with a godly jealousy,(C) because I have promised you in marriage to one husband—to present a pure(D) virgin to Christ. But I fear that, as the serpent(E) deceived(F) Eve(G) by his cunning, your minds may be seduced from a sincere and pure[b] devotion to Christ.(H) For if a person comes and preaches another Jesus,(I) whom we did not preach, or you receive a different spirit,(J) which you had not received, or a different gospel,(K) which you had not accepted, you put up with it splendidly!

Now I consider myself in no way inferior to those “super-apostles.”(L) Even if I am untrained in public speaking,(M) I am certainly not untrained in knowledge.(N) Indeed, we have in every way made that clear to you in everything.

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Footnotes

  1. 11:1 Or Yes, you are putting up with me
  2. 11:3 Other mss omit and pure

Paul Contrasts Himself with False Apostles

11 I wish you would tolerate a little of my foolishness. Yes, please tolerate me! 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] 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]

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. I do not think I’m inferior in any way to those “super-apostles.” 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.

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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