2 Corinthians 11:1-21

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Paul and the False Apostles

11 I wish you would put up with me in a little foolishness. Yes, do put up^[a] with me!^{(A) 2} I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.^{(B) 3} But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by its cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure^[b] devotion to Christ.^{(C) 4} For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.^{(D) 5} I think that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles.^{(E) 6} Even if I am untrained in speech, I certainly am not with respect to knowledge; certainly in every way and in all things we have made this evident to you.^(F)

⁷ Did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I proclaimed God’s good news^[c] to you free of charge?^{(G) 8} I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. ⁹ And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for my needs were supplied by the brothers who came from Macedonia. So I refrained and will continue to refrain from burdening you in any way.^{(H) 10} As the truth of Christ is in me, this boast of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia.^{(I) 11} And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!^(J)

¹² And what I do I will also continue to do, in order to deny an opportunity to those who want an opportunity to be recognized as our equals in what they boast about. ¹³ For such boasters are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.^{(K) 14} And no wonder! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. ¹⁵ So it is not strange if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Their end will match their deeds.^(L)

Paul’s Sufferings as an Apostle

¹⁶ I repeat, let no one think that I am a fool, but if you do, then accept me as a fool, so that I, too, may boast a little. ¹⁷ What I am saying in regard to this boastful undertaking, I am saying not with the Lord’s authority but as a fool;^{(M) 18} since many boast according to human standards,^[d] I will also boast. ¹⁹ For you gladly put up with fools, being wise yourselves! ²⁰ For you put up with it when someone makes slaves of you or preys upon you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or gives you a slap in the face. ²¹ To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that!

But whatever anyone dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that.^(N)