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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 to Christ I might ^(C2)present you as a pure virgin.³ But I am afraid that, as the ^(C1)serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.⁴ For if ^(F1)one comes and preaches ^(C1)another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a ^(C2)different spirit which you have not received, or a ^(C3)different gospel which you have not accepted, you ^(C4)bear this ^(C5)beautifully.⁵ For I consider myself ^(C1)not in the least inferior to the ^(F1)most eminent apostles.⁶ But even if I am ^(C1)unskilled in speech, 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 preached the ^(C2)gospel of God to you ^(C3)without charge?⁸ I robbed other churches by ^(C1)taking wages from them to serve 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 brethren came from ^(C3)Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from ^(C1)being a burden to you, ^(F1)and will continue to do so.^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 ^(F1)regarded 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 No wonder, for even ^(C1)Satan disguises himself as an ^(C2)angel of light.¹⁵ Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants 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)as the Lord would, 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, tolerate the foolish gladly.²⁰ For you tolerate 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 bold--I ^(C4)speak in foolishness--I am just as bold myself.²² Are they ^(C1)Hebrews? ^(C2)So am I. Are they ^(C3)Israelites? ^(C3)So am I. Are they ^(F1)(C4)descendants of Abraham? ^(C5)So am I.²³ Are they ^(C1)servants of Christ?--I speak as if insane--I more so; in ^(F1)(C2)far more labors, in ^(F1)(C3)far more imprisonments, ^(F2)(C4)beaten times without number, often in ^(C5)danger of death.²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews ^(C1)thirty-nine lashes.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 wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among ^(C4)false brethren;²⁷ I have been in ^(C1)labor and hardship, ^(F1)through many sleepless nights, in ^(C2)hunger and thirst, often ^(C3)without food, in cold and ^(F2)(C4)exposure.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 ^(F1)led into sin ^(F2)without my intense 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.