2 Corinthians 11-12

New International Version

Paul and the False Apostles

11 I hope you will put up with^(A) me in a little foolishness.^(B) Yes, please put up with me! ² I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband,^(C) to Christ, so that I might present you^(D) as a pure virgin to him. ³ But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning,^(E) your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. ⁴ For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached,^(F) or if you receive a different spirit^(G) from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel^(H) from the one you accepted, you put up with it^(I) easily enough.

⁵ I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.”^{[a](J) 6} I may indeed be untrained as a speaker,^(K) but I do have knowledge.^(L) We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way. ⁷ Was it a sin^(M) for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God^(N) to you free of charge?^{(O) 8} I robbed other churches by receiving support from them^(P) so as to serve you. ⁹ And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed.^(Q) I have kept myself from being a burden to you^(R) in any way, and will continue to do so. ¹⁰ As surely as the truth of Christ is in me,^(S) nobody in the regions of Achaia^(T) will stop this boasting^(U) of mine. ¹¹ Why? Because I do not love you? God knows^(V) I do!^(W)

¹² And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. ¹³ For such people are false apostles,^(X) deceitful^(Y) workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.^{(Z) 14} And no wonder, for Satan^(AA) himself masquerades as an angel of light. ¹⁵ It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.^(AB)

Paul Boasts About His Sufferings

¹⁶ I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool.^(AC) But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting. ¹⁷ In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would,^(AD) but as a fool.^{(AE) 18} Since many are boasting in the way the world does,^(AF) I too will boast.^{(AG) 19} You gladly put up with^(AH) fools since you are so wise!^{(AI) 20} In fact, you even put up with^(AJ) anyone who enslaves you^(AK) or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face. ²¹ To my shame I admit that we were too weak^(AL) for that!

Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about.^{(AM) 22} Are they Hebrews? So am I.^(AN) Are they Israelites? So am I.^(AO) Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I.^{(AP) 23} Are they servants of Christ?^(AQ) (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder,^(AR) been in prison more frequently,^(AS) been flogged more severely,^(AT) and been exposed to death again and again.^{(AU) 24} Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes^(AV) minus one. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods,^(AW) once I was pelted with stones,^(AX) three times I was shipwrecked,^(AY) I spent a night and a day in the open sea, ²⁶ I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews,^(AZ) in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city,^(BA) in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.^{(BB) 27} I have labored and toiled^(BC) and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food;^(BD) I have been cold and naked. ²⁸ Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.^{(BE) 29} Who is weak, and I do not feel weak?^(BF) Who is led into sin,^(BG) and I do not inwardly burn?

³⁰ If I must boast, I will boast^(BH) of the things that show my weakness.^{(BI) 31} The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever,^(BJ) knows^(BK) that I am not lying. ³² In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me.^{(BL) 33} But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.^(BM)

Paul’s Vision and His Thorn

12 I must go on boasting.^(BN) Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations^(BO) from the Lord. ² I know a man in Christ^(BP) who fourteen years ago was caught up^(BQ) to the third heaven.^(BR) Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.^{(BS) 3} And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— ⁴ was caught up^(BT) to paradise^(BU) and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. ⁵ I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.^{(BV) 6} Even if I should choose to boast,^(BW) I would not be a fool,^(BX) because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, ⁷ or because of these surpassingly great revelations.^(BY) Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh,^(BZ) a messenger of Satan,^(CA) to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.^{(CB) 9} But he said to me, “My grace^(CC) is sufficient for you, for my power^(CD) is made perfect in weakness.^(CE)”^(CF) Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight^(CG) in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships,^(CH) in persecutions,^(CI) in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.^(CJ)

Paul’s Concern for the Corinthians

¹¹ I have made a fool of myself,^(CK) but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the “super-apostles,”^[b](CL) even though I am nothing.^{(CM) 12} I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles.^{(CN) 13} How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you?^(CO) Forgive me this wrong!^(CP)

¹⁴ Now I am ready to visit you for the third time,^(CQ) and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents,^(CR) but parents for their children.^{(CS) 15} So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well.^(CT) If I love you more,^(CU) will you love me less? ¹⁶ Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you.^(CV) Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! ¹⁷ Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you? ¹⁸ I urged^(CW) Titus^(CX) to go to you and I sent our brother^(CY) with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?

¹⁹ Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God^(CZ) as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends,^(DA) is for your strengthening.^{(DB) 20} For I am afraid that when I come^(DC) I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be.^(DD) I fear that there may be discord,^(DE) jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition,^(DF) slander,^(DG) gossip,^(DH) arrogance^(DI) and disorder.^{(DJ) 21} I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved^(DK) over many who have sinned earlier^(DL) and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery^(DM) in which they have indulged.