New Testament in a Year

Chapter 11

Promised to One Spouse. ¹ I hope that you will put up with a little of my foolishness. Please bear with me. ² For I am jealous of you with a godly jealousy, since I promised all of you to one spouse, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

³ However, I am afraid that, just as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts may be led astray from a singlehearted fidelity to Christ. ⁴ For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus^[a] than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with that readily enough!

⁵ I do not regard myself as being inferior to these “super-apostles.” ⁶ I may be untrained in the art of speaking, but the same is not true of me in regard to knowledge. In every way and in all respects, we have made this evident to you.

Paul’s Apostolate. ⁷ Did I make a mistake by preaching the gospel of God without charge, humbling myself^[b] so that you might be exalted? ⁸ I robbed other Churches, accepting support from them in order to serve you. ⁹ And when I was with you and in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied my needs.

I refrained, and will continue to refrain, from burdening you in any way. ¹⁰ As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, this boast of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. ¹¹ And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do.

¹² And I shall continue to do just as I am doing at present in order to thwart the efforts of those who are seeking the opportunity to be regarded as my equals in the aspects they boast about. ¹³ Such people are false apostles, dishonest workers who masquerade as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder! Even Satan masquerades as an angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore, it should not be considered unusual that his servants also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Their end will be appropriate to their deeds.