Concern for Their Faithfulness
1 Oh, that you would bear with me in a littlefolly—and indeed you do bear with me.
2 For I amjealous for you with godly jealousy. ForI have betrothed you to one husband,that I may presentyouas a chaste virgin to Christ.
3 But I fear, lest somehow, asthe serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your mindsmay be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, orifyou receive a different spirit which you have not received, or adifferent gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!
Paul and False Apostles
5 For I consider thatI am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles.
6 Even thoughIamuntrained in speech, yetIamnotin knowledge. Butwe have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things.
7 Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to youfree of charge?
8 I robbed other churches, taking wagesfromthemto minister to you.
9 And when I was present with you, and in need,I was a burden to no one, for what I lackedthe brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keepmyself.
10 As the truth of Christ is in me,no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
11 Why?Because I do not love you? God knows!
12 But what I do, I will also continue to do,that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast.
13 For sucharefalse apostles,deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.
14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself intoan angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness,whose end will be according to their works.
Reluctant Boasting
16 I say again, let no one think me a fool. If otherwise, at least receive me as a fool, that I also may boast a little.
17 What I speak,I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were, foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.
18 Seeing that many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast.
19 For you put up with fools gladly,since youyourselvesare wise!
20 For you put up with itif one brings you into bondage, if one devoursyou,if one takesfromyou,if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face.
21 ToourshameI say that we were too weak for that! Butin whatever anyone is bold—I speak foolishly—I am bold also.
Suffering for Christ
22 Are theyHebrews? SoamI. Are they Israelites? SoamI. Are they the seed of Abraham? SoamI.
23 Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—Iammore:in labors more abundant,in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently,in deaths often.
24 From the Jews five times I receivedfortystripesminus one.
25 Three times I wasbeaten with rods;once I was stoned; three times Iwas shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 injourneys often,inperils of waters,inperils of robbers,inperils ofmyowncountrymen,inperils of the Gentiles,inperils in the city,inperils in the wilderness,inperils in the sea,inperils among false brethren;
27 in weariness and toil,in sleeplessness often,in hunger and thirst, infastings often, in cold and nakedness—
28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily:my deep concern for all the churches.
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burnwithindignation?
30 If I must boast,I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity.
31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.
32 In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me;
33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.