Book of Common Prayer

Paul (with reluctance) commends himself, and defends his authority against the false prophets.

11 I would you could suffer me a little in my foolishness, yea and I ask you to bear with me. ² For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy. For I espoused you to one man, to present you a chaste virgin to Christ. ³ But I fear that, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. ⁴ For if he who comes preaches another Jesus than him whom we preached, or if you are given another spirit than that which you were given, or another gospel than that which you were given, you might right well be content.

⁵ I suppose that I was not behind the chief apostles. ⁶ Though I be poor in speaking, yet I am not so in knowledge. However, among you we are known to the utmost, who we are in all things. ⁷ Did I sin, because I humbled myself so that you could be exalted, and because I preached to you the gospel of God free? ⁸ I robbed other congregations, and took support from them in order to serve you. ⁹ And when I was present with you and had need, I was a burden to no one, for that which was lacking to me, the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in all things I kept myself so that I would not be burdensome to you. And I will continue so to keep myself. ¹⁰ If the truth of Christ is in me, this claim will not be taken from me in the regions of Achaia. ¹¹ Why? Because I do not love you? God knows. ¹² Nevertheless, what I do, that I will continue to do, so as to cut away occasion from those who desire occasion to seem like us in the things that they claim.

¹³ For the false apostles are deceitful workers, and fashion themselves to be like the apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder, for Satan himself is changed into the fashion of an angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers fashion themselves as though they were the ministers of righteousness – whose end shall be according to their deeds.

¹⁶ I say again, lest anyone think that I am foolish, or else even now take me as a fool if I boast a little, ¹⁷ that what I am saying I do not say after the ways of the Lord, but as it were foolishly, since we have now come to boasting. ¹⁸ Seeing that many boast after the flesh, I will boast also. ¹⁹ For you suffer fools gladly, because you yourselves are wise. ²⁰ For you oblige even if a man brings you into bondage, if a man devours, if a man takes, if a man exalts himself, if a man strikes you on the face. ²¹ I speak by way of rebuke. As if we were weak!

However, in any point a man dares to presume (I speak foolishly), I dare to presume also:

Of Zaccheus, and of the ten servants to whom the minas were delivered. Christ rides to Jerusalem and weeps over it.

19 And he entered in and went through Jericho. ² And there was a man named Zaccheus, who was a chief publican, and was rich also. ³ And he made efforts to see Jesus, who he was. But due to the press of people, he could not, because he was of a low stature. ⁴ And so he ran ahead and climbed up into a wild fig tree in order to see him, for he would be coming that way.

⁵ And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him, and said to him, Zacche, come down at once, for today I must stay at your house. ⁶ And he came down hastily, and brought him home joyfully. ⁷ And when the people saw that, they all murmured, saying, He has gone in to stay with a man that is a sinner.

⁸ And Zacche stood forth and said to the Lord, Behold, Lord: half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have done any man wrong, I will restore him fourfold. ⁹ And Jesus said to him, This day salvation has come to this house, seeing that he also has become the child of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.