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Paul Defends His Apostleship

¹ I wish that you would ^(C1)bear with me in a little ^(C2)foolishness, but ^(F1)indeed you are bearing with me.² For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, for I ^(C1)betrothed you to one husband, so that I might ^(C2)present you as a pure virgin to Christ.³ But I fear that, as the ^(C1)serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be corrupted from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.⁴ For if ^(F1)one comes and preaches ^(C1)another Jesus whom we did not preach, or you receive a ^(C2)different spirit which you did not receive, or a ^(C3)different gospel which you did not accept, you ^(C4)bear this ^(C5)beautifully.⁵ For I consider myself ^(C1)in no way inferior to the ^(F1)most-eminent apostles.⁶ But even if I am ^(C1)unskilled in word, yet I am not so in ^(C2)knowledge; in fact, in every way we have ^(C3)made this evident to you in all things.

⁷ Or ^(C1)did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I proclaimed the ^(C2)gospel of God to you ^(C3)without charge?⁸ I robbed other churches by ^(C1)taking wages from them to minister to you.⁹ And when I was present with you and was in need, I was ^(C1)not a burden to anyone; for when ^(C2)the brothers came from ^(C3)Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept and will keep myself from ^(C1)being a burden to you.^10 (C1)As the truth of Christ is in me, ^(C2)this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of ^(C3)Achaia.¹¹ Why? ^(C1)Because I do not love you? ^(C2)God knows I do!

¹² But what I am doing I will continue to do, ^(C1)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 ^(C1)false apostles, ^(C2)deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.¹⁴ And no wonder, for even ^(C1)Satan disguises himself as an ^(C2)angel of light.¹⁵ Therefore it is not surprising if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness, ^(C1)whose end will be according to their deeds.

^16 (C1)Again I say, let no one think me foolish; but if you do, receive me even as foolish, so that I also may boast a little.¹⁷ What I am saying, I am not saying ^(F1)(C1)according to the Lord, but as ^(C2)in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.¹⁸ Since ^(C1)many boast ^(C2)according to the flesh, I will boast also.¹⁹ For you, ^(C1)being so wise, are bearing the foolish gladly.²⁰ For you bear it if anyone ^(C1)enslaves you, anyone ^(C2)devours you, anyone ^(C3)takes advantage of you, anyone ^(C4)exalts himself, anyone ^(C5)hits you in the face.

²¹ To my ^(C1)shame I must say that we have been ^(C2)weak by comparison. But in whatever respect anyone else ^(C3)is daring—I ^(C4)speak in foolishness—I am just as daring myself.²² Are they ^(C1)Hebrews? ^(C2)So am I. Are they ^(C3)Israelites? ^(C3)So am I. Are they Abraham's ^(C4)seed? ^(C5)So am I.²³ Are they ^(C1)ministers of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in ^(F1)(C2)far more labors, in ^(F1)(C3)far more imprisonments, in ^(C4)beatings without number, in frequent ^(C5)danger of death.²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews ^(C1)forty lashes less one.²⁵ Three times I was ^(C1)beaten with rods, once I was ^(C2)stoned, three times I was shipwrecked—a night and a day I have spent in the deep.²⁶ I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my ^(C1)countrymen, dangers from the ^(C2)Gentiles, dangers in the ^(C3)city, dangers in the desolate places, dangers on the sea, dangers among ^(C4)false brothers.²⁷ I have been in ^(C1)labor and hardship, in many sleepless nights, in ^(C2)starvation and thirst, often ^(C3)hungry, in cold and ^(F1)(C4)without enough clothing.²⁸ Apart from such ^(F1)external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for ^(C1)all the churches.²⁹ Who is ^(C1)weak without my being weak? Who is made to stumble ^(F1)without my burning concern?

³⁰ If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my ^(C1)weakness.³¹ The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, ^(C1)He who is blessed forever, ^(C2)knows that I am not lying.³² In ^(C1)Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was ^(C2)guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me,³³ and I was let down in a basket ^(C1)through a window ^(F1)in the wall, and so escaped his hands.