New Testament in a Year

Paul and the False Apostles

11 I wish you would be patient with me even ·when I am a little foolish [in a little foolishness], but you are already doing that. ² [^LFor] I am jealous over you with a ·jealousy that comes from God [or godly jealousy]. I promised to give you to Christ, as your only husband. I want to give you as his pure ·bride [^Lvirgin]. ³ But I am afraid that your minds will be ·led away [or corrupted] from your ·true [sincere] and pure following of Christ just as Eve was ·tricked [deceived] by the ·snake [serpent] with his ·evil ways [cunning; craftiness; Gen. 3:1–6]. ⁴ You ·are very patient with [willingly put up with; gladly tolerate] anyone who comes to you and preaches a different Jesus from the one we preached. You are very willing to accept a spirit that is different from the Spirit you received, or a gospel that is different from the one you ·accepted [or received from us].

⁵ I do not think that those “·great [super-] apostles” are any better than I am. ⁶ I may not be a trained speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have shown this to you clearly in every way.

⁷ Was it ·wrong [a sin] for me to ·humble [lower] myself and ·honor [exalt; lift up] you by preaching God’s ·Good News [Gospel] to you without pay? ⁸ I accepted pay from other churches, ·taking their money [^L“robbing” them] so I could serve you. ⁹ If I needed something when I was with you, I did not ·trouble [burden] any of you. The brothers who came from Macedonia gave me all that I needed. I did not allow myself to ·depend on [become a burden to] you in any way, and I will ·never depend on you [^Lkeep doing this]. ¹⁰ No one in Achaia [^Csouthern Greece; 1:1] will stop me from ·bragging [boasting] about that. ·I say this with the truth of Christ in me [or By Christ’s truth in me! ^Ca strong vow or oath]. ¹¹ ·And why do I not depend on you [^LWhy]? Do you think it is because I do not love you? ·God knows that I love you [^LGod knows!].

¹² And I will continue doing what I am doing now, because I want to stop those people from having a reason to ·brag [boast]. They ·would like [are looking for an opportunity] to say that the work they ·brag [boast] about is ·the same as [equal to] ours. ¹³ Such men are ·not true apostles [false apostles; pseudo-apostles] but are ·workers who lie [deceitful workers]. ·They change themselves to look like […disguising themselves as; …masquerading as] apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ ·This does not surprise us [And no wonder, since…]. Even Satan ·changes himself to look like [disguises himself as; masquerades as] an ·angel [messenger] of light [^Ctrying to fool people into thinking he is from God, who is pure light]. ¹⁵ So it does not surprise us if Satan’s servants also ·make themselves look like [masquerade as] servants ·who work for what is right [of righteousness]. But ·in the end they will be punished for what they do [^Ltheir end will match their deeds].