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New Testament
2 Corinthians 11
Bear With Me
111I wish that you would be patient with me in regard to a little foolishness—but you are already being patient with me. 2You see, I am jealous about you, with a godly jealousy, because I promised to present you as a pure virgin to one husband, Christ. 3But I am afraid that somehow, just as the serpent deceived Eve with his cunning, so also your minds might be led astray from a sincere[] and pure devotion to Christ. 4In fact, if someone comes and preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if you accept a different spirit, which you did not accept before, or a different “gospel,” which you did not welcome before, you put up with it all too well. 5I do not think that I am in any way inferior to the “super-apostles.” 6But even if I am an amateur in speech, yet I am not an amateur in knowledge. No, in everything we have clearly demonstrated that to you in every way.
7Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself, so that you would be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge? 8I robbed other churches, by receiving support from them to minister to you! 9And when I was with you and needed something, I did not burden anyone, because when the brothers came from Macedonia, they supplied what I needed. In every way I kept myself from ever being a burden to you, and I will continue to do so. 10As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting about me will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. 11Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do. 12But what I am doing, and will continue to do, is being done in order to cut off the opportunity of those who want an opportunity to boast that they should be considered equal to us.
13In fact, such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15So it is no great surprise if his ministers also masquerade as ministers of righteousness. Their end will match their works.
16I say again, no one should think that I am a fool. But if you do, then receive me as a fool, so that I may boast a little. 17What I am saying when I boast so confidently is not the way the Lord speaks; rather, it is a foolish manner of speaking. 18Since many are boasting as the sinful flesh does, I will also boast. 19You gladly put up with fools, since you are just so wise! 20In fact, you put up with it if anyone makes you his slave, robs you, takes advantage of you, looks down on you, or strikes you in the face! 21I am ashamed to say that we were too weak for that!
However bold anyone might be (I am speaking in a foolish way), I am going to be bold too. 22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham's seed? So am I. 23Are they ministers of Christ? (I am speaking in a crazy way.) I am even more. I've done more hard work, been in prisons more often, been whipped far more, and I've been close to death many times. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods. One time they tried to stone me to death. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day on the open sea. 26I have often been on journeys, in danger from rivers, in danger from robbers, in danger from my own people, in danger from Gentiles, in danger in the city, in danger in the wilderness, in danger on the sea, in danger among false brothers. 27I have worked hard and struggled. I've spent many sleepless nights. I've been hungry and thirsty. I've gone without food many times. I've been cold and lacked clothing.
28Besides those external matters, there is the daily pressure on me of my concern for all the churches. 29Who is weak without my being weak? Who falls into sin without my being distressed?
30If it is necessary that I boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is eternally blessed, knows that I am not lying. 32In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept the city of Damascus on alert[] to arrest me, 33but I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped from his hands.