1 Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and
indeed bear with me. 2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for
I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste
virgin to Christ.
3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent
beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not
preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received,
or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with
him.
5 For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest
apostles. 6 But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we
have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.
7 Have I
committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because
I have preached to you the gospel of God freely? 8 I robbed other
churches, taking wages of them, to do you service. 9 And when I was
present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which
was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and
in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto
you, and so will I keep myself.
10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no
man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia. 11
Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth. 12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from
them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found
even as we.
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming
themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan
himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no
great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of
righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
16 I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a
fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little. 17 That which I
speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this
confidence of boasting. 18 Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I
will glory also. 19 For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are
wise. 20 For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man
devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite
you on the face.
21 I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had
been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am
bold also. 22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are
they the seed of Abraham? so am I. 23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I
speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above
measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. 24 Of the Jews five
times received I forty stripes save one. 25 Thrice was I beaten with
rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I
have been in the deep;
26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in
perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the
heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils
in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 In weariness and
painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings
often, in cold and nakedness.
28 Beside those things that are without,
that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. 29 Who is
weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern
mine infirmities. 31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which
is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not. 32 In Damascus the
governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a
garrison, desirous to apprehend me: 33 And through a window in a basket
was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.
Beginning of This Chapter
Table of Content