¹⁷ They make much of you but for no good purpose; they want to exclude you, so that you may make much of them.

¹³ For such boasters are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.^{(A) 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.^(B)

¹⁸ For such people do not serve our Lord Christ but their own appetites,^[a] and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the simple-minded.^(A)

³ And in their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. Their condemnation, pronounced against them long ago, has not been idle, and their destruction is not asleep.^(A)

⁸ Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Quite apart from us you have become kings! If only you had become kings, so that we might be kings with you!

² For I can testify that they have a zeal for God, but it is not based on knowledge.^(A)

¹⁵ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cross sea and land to make a single convert, and you make the new convert twice as much a child of hell^[a] as yourselves.

¹⁸ For they speak bombastic nonsense, and with debased^[a] desires of the flesh they entice people who have just^[b] escaped from those who live in error.

²¹ All of them are seeking their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.^(A)

¹² It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who try to compel you to be circumcised—only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.^{(A) 13} Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh.