2 Corinthians 11
Paul and the False Apostles
I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! 2 For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since aI betrothed you to one husband, bto present you cas a pure virgin to Christ. 3 But I am afraid that aas the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts bwill be led astray from a csincere and dpure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes and aproclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept ba different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. 5 Indeed, I consider that aI am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. 6 aEven if I am unskilled in speaking, bI am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way cwe have made this plain to you in all things.
7 Or adid I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because bI preached God’s gospel to you free of charge? 8 I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. 9 And when I was with you and was ain need, bI did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia csupplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain dfrom burdening you in any way. 10 aAs the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine bwill not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. 11 And why? aBecause I do not love you? bGod knows I do!
12 And what I am doing I will continue to do, ain order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. 13 For such men are afalse apostles, bdeceitful workmen, cdisguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as aan angel of light. 15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as aservants of righteousness. bTheir end will correspond to their deeds.
Paul’s Sufferings as an Apostle
16 I repeat, alet no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. 17 What I am saying awith this boastful confidence, bI say not as the Lord would but as a fool. 18 Since amany boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. 19 For you gladly bear with fools, abeing wise yourselves! 20 For you bear it if someone amakes slaves of you, or bdevours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or cstrikes you in the face. 21 To my shame, I must say, awe were too weak for that!
But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. 22 Are they Hebrews? aSo am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they aservants of Christ? bI am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, cfar more imprisonments, dwith countless beatings, and eoften near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the aforty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was abeaten with rods. bOnce I was stoned. Three times I cwas shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, adanger from my own people, bdanger from Gentiles, cdanger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 ain toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, bin hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for aall the churches. 29 aWho is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?
30 aIf I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31 aThe God and Father of the Lord Jesus, bhe who is blessed forever, cknows that I am not lying. 32 At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas awas guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, 33 abut I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.