Psalm 86

Lament and Petition

A prayer of David.

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] 2} 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. ³ 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) 4} 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!

⁵ Now I consider myself in no way inferior to those “super-apostles.”^{(L) 6} 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. ⁷ Or did I commit a sin by humbling^(O) myself so that you might be exalted,^(P) because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?^{(Q) 8} I robbed other churches by taking pay from them to minister to you. ⁹ When I was present with you and in need, I did not burden anyone, since the brothers who came from Macedonia^(R) supplied my needs.^(S) I have kept myself, and will keep myself, from burdening you in any way. ¹⁰ As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped^[c] in the regions of Achaia.^{(T) 11} Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows I do!

¹² But I will continue to do what I am doing, in order to deny^[d] an opportunity to those who want to be regarded as our equals in what they boast about. ¹³ For such people are false apostles,^(U) deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder! For Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. ¹⁵ So it is no great surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will be according to their works.^(V)

Paul’s Sufferings for Christ

¹⁶ I repeat: Let no one consider me a fool. But if you do, at least accept me as a fool so that I can also boast a little. ¹⁷ What I am saying in this matter^[e] of boasting, I don’t speak as the Lord would, but as it were, foolishly. ¹⁸ Since many boast according to the flesh, I will also boast. ¹⁹ For you, being so wise, gladly put up with fools!^{(W) 20} In fact, you put up with it if someone enslaves you, if someone exploits^(X) you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone is arrogant toward you, if someone slaps^(Y) you in the face. ²¹ I say this to our shame: We have been too weak for that!

But in whatever anyone dares to boast—I am talking foolishly—I also dare: ²² Are they Hebrews?^(Z) So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the descendants of Abraham?^(AA) So am I. ²³ Are they servants of Christ? I’m talking like a madman—I’m a better one: with far more labors, many more imprisonments, far worse beatings, many times near death.

²⁴ Five times I received the forty lashes minus one from the Jews.^{(AB) 25} Three times I was beaten with rods.^(AC) Once I received a stoning.^(AD) Three times I was shipwrecked.^(AE) I have spent a night and a day in the open sea. ²⁶ On frequent journeys, I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers,^(AF) dangers from my own people,^(AG) dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, and dangers among false brothers; ²⁷ toil and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and without clothing.^{(AH) 28} Not to mention^[f] other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my concern for all the churches. ²⁹ Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble,^(AI) and I do not burn with indignation?

³⁰ If boasting is necessary, I will boast about my weaknesses. ³¹ The God and Father^(AJ) of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows I am not lying. ³² In Damascus,^(AK) a ruler^[g] under King Aretas guarded the city of Damascus in order to arrest me. ³³ So I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped from his hands.^(AL)