New Testament in a Year

Paul Defends His Apostleship

11 I wish that you would ^(A)bear with me in a little ^(B)foolishness, but ^[a]indeed you are bearing with me. ² For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, for I ^(C)betrothed you to one husband, so that I might ^(D)present you as a pure virgin to Christ. ³ But I fear that, as the ^(E)serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be corrupted from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. ⁴ For if ^[b]one comes and preaches ^(F)another Jesus whom we did not preach, or you receive a ^(G)different spirit which you did not receive, or a ^(H)different gospel which you did not accept, you ^(I)bear this ^(J)beautifully. ⁵ For I consider myself ^(K)in no way inferior to the ^[c]most-eminent apostles. ⁶ But even if I am ^(L)unskilled in word, yet I am not so in ^(M)knowledge; in fact, in every way we have ^(N)made this evident to you in all things.

⁷ Or ^(O)did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I proclaimed the ^(P)gospel of God to you ^(Q)without charge? ⁸ I robbed other churches by ^(R)taking wages from them to minister to you. ⁹ And when I was present with you and was in need, I was ^(S)not a burden to anyone; for when ^(T)the brothers came from ^(U)Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept and will keep myself from ^(V)being a burden to you. ^10 (W)As the truth of Christ is in me, ^(X)this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of ^(Y)Achaia. ¹¹ Why? ^(Z)Because I do not love you? ^(AA)God knows I do!

¹² But what I am doing I will continue to do, ^(AB)so that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be found just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting. ¹³ For such men are ^(AC)false apostles, ^(AD)deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder, for even ^(AE)Satan disguises himself as an ^(AF)angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore it is not surprising if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness, ^(AG)whose end will be according to their deeds.