New Testament in a Year

Bear With Me

11 I wish that you would be patient with me in regard to a little foolishness—but you are already being patient with me. ² You see, I am jealous about you, with a godly jealousy, because I promised to present you as a pure virgin to one husband, Christ. ³ But I am afraid that somehow, just as the serpent deceived Eve with his cunning, so also your minds might be led astray from a sincere^[a] and pure devotion to Christ. ⁴ In fact, if someone comes and preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if you accept a different spirit, which you did not accept before, or a different “gospel,” which you did not welcome before, you put up with it all too well. ⁵ I do not think that I am in any way inferior to the “super-apostles.” ⁶ But even if I am an amateur in speech, yet I am not an amateur in knowledge. No, in everything we have clearly demonstrated that to you in every way.

⁷ Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself, so that you would be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge? ⁸ I robbed other churches, by receiving support from them to minister to you! ⁹ And when I was with you and needed something, I did not burden anyone, because when the brothers came from Macedonia, they supplied what I needed. In every way I kept myself from ever being a burden to you, and I will continue to do so. ¹⁰ As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting about me will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. ¹¹ Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do. ¹² But what I am doing, and will continue to do, is being done in order to cut off the opportunity of those who want an opportunity to boast that they should be considered equal to us.

¹³ In fact, such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. ¹⁵ So it is no great surprise if his ministers also masquerade as ministers of righteousness. Their end will match their works.