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2 Corinthians 11 (AMP)

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¹ I WISH you would bear with me while I indulge in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! ² For I am zealous for you with a godly eagerness and a divine jealousy, for I have betrothed you to one Husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. ³ But I am fearful, lest that even as the serpent beguiled Eve by his cunning, so your minds may be corrupted and seduced from wholehearted and sincere and pure devotion to Christ. ⁴ For if a man comes and preaches another Jesus than the One we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the you received or a different gospel from the one you received and welcomed; you tolerate well enough! ⁵ Yet I consider myself as in no way inferior to these extra-super apostles. ⁶ But even if unskilled in speaking, yet not in knowledge ; we have made this evident to you in all things. ⁷ But did I perhaps make a mistake and do you a wrong in debasing and cheapening myself so that you might be exalted and enriched in dignity and honor and happiness by preaching God's Gospel without expense to you? ⁸ Other churches I have robbed by accepting support for my ministry to serve you. ⁹ And when I was with you and ran short financially, I did not burden any , for what I lacked was abundantly made up by the brethren who came from Macedonia. So I kept myself from being burdensome to you in any way, and will continue to keep . ¹⁰ As the truth of Christ is in me, this my boast shall not be debarred (silenced or checked) in the regions of Achaia (most of Greece). ¹¹ And why? Because I do not love you ? God perceives and knows that I do! ¹² But what I do, I will continue to do, in order to cut off the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted they work on the same terms that we do. ¹³ For such men are false apostles , deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles (special messengers) of Christ (the Messiah). ¹⁴ And it is no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light; ¹⁵ So it is not surprising if his servants also masquerade as ministers of righteousness. their end will correspond with their deeds. ¹⁶ I repeat then, let no one think I have lost my wits; but even if you do, then bear with a witless man, so that I too may boast a little. ¹⁷ What I say by way of this confident boasting, I say not with the Lord's authority but, as it were, in pure witlessness. ¹⁸ since many boast of worldly things and according to the flesh, I will glory (boast) also. ¹⁹ For you readily and gladly bear with the foolish, since you are so smart and wise yourselves! ²⁰ For you endure it if a man assumes control of your souls and makes slaves of you, or devours and preys upon you, or deceives and takes advantage of you, or is arrogant and puts on airs, or strikes you in the face. ²¹ To my discredit, I must say, we have shown ourselves too weak ! But in whatever any person is bold and dares --mind you, I am speaking in this foolish (witless) way--I also am bold and dare . ²² They are Hebrews? So am I! They are Israelites? So am I! They are descendants of Abraham? So am I! ²³ Are they servants of Christ (the Messiah)? I am talking like one beside himself, I am more, with far more extensive and abundant labors, with far more imprisonments, with countless stripes, and frequently death. ²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews forty but one; ²⁵ Three times I have been beaten with rods; once I was stoned. Three times I have been aboard a ship wrecked at sea; a night and a day I have spent on the deep; ²⁶ Many times on journeys, perils from rivers, perils from bandits, perils from nation, perils from the Gentiles, perils in the city, perils in the desert places, perils in the sea, perils from those posing as believers ; ²⁷ In toil and hardship, watching often , in hunger and thirst, frequently driven to fasting by want, in cold and exposure and lack of clothing. ²⁸ And besides those things that are without, there is the daily of my care and anxiety for all the churches! ²⁹ Who is weak, and I do not feel weakness? Who is made to stumble and fall and have his faith hurt, and I am not on fire ? ³⁰ If I must boast, I will boast of the things that my infirmity . ³¹ The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ knows, He Who is blessed and to be praised forevermore, that I do not lie. ³² In Damascus, the city governor acting under King Aretas guarded the city of Damascus to arrest me, ³³ And I was let down in a basket or hamper through a window (a small door) in the wall, and I escaped through his fingers.