1 I wish that you would AMatt 17:17; 2 Cor 11:4, 16, 19fbear with me in a little B2 Cor 5:13; 11:17, 21foolishness; but 1Or do indeed bear with meindeed you are bearing with me. 2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I AHos 2:19f; Eph 5:26fbetrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might B2 Cor 4:14present you as a pure virgin. 3 But I am afraid that, as the AGen 3:4, 13; John 8:44; 1 Thess 3:5; 1 Tim 2:14; Rev 12:9, 15serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. 4 For if 1Lit the one who comes preachesone comes and preaches A1 Cor 3:11another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a BRom 8:15different spirit which you have not received, or a CGal 1:6different gospel which you have not accepted, you D2 Cor 11:1bear this EMark 7:9beautifully. 5 For I consider myself A2 Cor 12:11; Gal 2:6not in the least inferior to the 1Or super-apostlesmost eminent apostles. 6 But even if I am A1 Cor 1:17unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in B1 Cor 12:8; Eph 3:4knowledge; in fact, in every way we have C2 Cor 4:2made this evident to you in all things.

7 Or A2 Cor 12:13did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the BRom 1:1; 2 Cor 2:12gospel of God to you CActs 18:3; 1 Cor 9:18without charge? 8 I robbed other churches by A1 Cor 4:12; 9:6; Phil 4:15, 18taking wages from them to serve you; 9 and when I was present with you and was in need, I was A2 Cor 12:13f, 16not a burden to anyone; for when BActs 18:5the brethren came from CRom 15:26; Phil 4:15-18Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from A2 Cor 12:13f, 16being a burden to you, 1Lit and I will keepand will continue to do so. 10 ARom 1:9; 9:1; 2 Cor 1:23; Gal 2:20As the truth of Christ is in me, B1 Cor 9:15this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of CActs 18:12Achaia. 11 Why? A2 Cor 12:15Because I do not love you? BRom 1:9; 2 Cor 2:17; 11:31; 12:2fGod knows I do!

12 But what I am doing I will continue to do, A1 Cor 9:12so that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be 1Lit foundregarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting. 13 For such men are AActs 20:30; Gal 1:7; 2:4; Phil 1:15; Titus 1:10f; 2 Pet 2:1; Rev 2:2false apostles, BPhil 3:2deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 No wonder, for even AMatt 4:10; Eph 6:12; Col 1:13Satan disguises himself as an BCol 1:12angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, ARom 2:6; 3:8whose end will be according to their deeds.

16 A2 Cor 11:1Again I say, let no one think me foolish; but if you do, receive me even as foolish, so that I also may boast a little. 17 What I am saying, I am not saying 1Lit in accordance with the LordA1 Cor 7:12, 25as the Lord would, but as B2 Cor 11:21in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. 18 Since APhil 3:3fmany boast B2 Cor 5:16according to the flesh, I will boast also. 19 For you, A1 Cor 4:10being so wise, tolerate the foolish gladly. 20 For you tolerate it if anyone A2 Cor 1:24; Gal 2:4; 4:3, 9; 5:1enslaves you, anyone BMark 12:40devours you, anyone C2 Cor 11:3; 12:16takes advantage of you, anyone D2 Cor 10:5exalts himself, anyone E1 Cor 4:11hits you in the face. 21 To my A2 Cor 6:8shame I must say that we have been B2 Cor 10:10weak by comparison.

But in whatever respect anyone else C2 Cor 10:2is bold—I D2 Cor 11:17speak in foolishness—I am just as bold myself. 22 Are they AActs 6:1Hebrews? BPhil 3:5So am I. Are they CRom 9:4Israelites? CRom 9:4So am I. Are they 1Lit seedDGal 3:16descendants of Abraham? ERom 11:1So am I. 23 Are they A1 Cor 3:5; 2 Cor 3:6; 10:7servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in 1Lit more abundantB1 Cor 15:10far more labors, in 1Lit more abundantC2 Cor 6:5far more imprisonments, 2Lit exceedingly in stripesDActs 16:23; 2 Cor 6:5beaten times without number, often in ERom 8:36danger of death. 24 Five times I received from the Jews ADeut 25:3thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was AActs 16:22beaten with rods, once I was BActs 14:19stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. 26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my AActs 9:23; 13:45, 50; 14:5; 17:5, 13; 18:12; 20:3, 19; 21:27; 23:10, 12; 25:3; 1 Thess 2:15countrymen, dangers from the BActs 14:5, 19; 19:23ff; 27:42Gentiles, dangers in the CActs 21:31city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among DGal 2:4false brethren; 27 I have been in A1 Thess 2:9; 2 Thess 3:8labor and hardship, 1Lit often in wakefulnessthrough many sleepless nights, in B1 Cor 4:11; Phil 4:12hunger and thirst, often C2 Cor 6:5without food, in cold and 2Lit nakedness; i.e. lack of clothingD1 Cor 4:11exposure. 28 Apart from such 1Or the things unmentionedexternal things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for A1 Cor 7:17all the churches. 29 Who is A1 Cor 8:9, 13; 9:22weak without my being weak? Who is 1Lit made to stumbleled into sin 2Lit and I do not burnwithout my intense concern?

30 If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my A1 Cor 2:3weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, ARom 1:25He who is blessed forever, B2 Cor 11:11knows that I am not lying. 32 In AActs 9:2Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was BActs 9:24guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, 33 and I was let down in a basket AActs 9:25through a window 1Lit throughin the wall, and so escaped his hands.