2 Corinthians 11章 ESV

Paul and the False Apostles

1I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me!

2For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since 11:2 [Hos. 2:19, 20] I betrothed you to one husband, 11:2 Col. 1:22, 28to present you 11:2 Eph. 5:27; Rev. 14:4as a pure virgin to Christ.

3But I am afraid that 11:3 Gen. 3:4; 1 Tim. 2:14; [John 8:44; 1 Thess. 3:5] as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts 11:3 Col. 2:4, 8will be led astray from a 11:3 [Eph. 6:5] sincere and 11:3 ch. 6:6pure devotion to Christ.

4For if someone comes and 11:4 [1 Cor. 3:11] proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept 11:4 Gal. 1:6a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.

5Indeed, I consider that 11:5 ch. 12:11; Gal. 2:6I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles.

611:6 See 1 Cor. 1:17Even if I am unskilled in speaking, 11:6 [Eph. 3:4] I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way 11:6 ch. 4:2; 5:11; 12:12we have made this plain to you in all things.

7Or 11:7 [ch. 12:13] did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because 11:7 See Acts 18:3I preached God’s gospel to you free of charge?

8I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you.

9And when I was with you and was 11:9 Phil. 4:12in need, 11:9 ch. 12:13, 14I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia 11:9 [1 Cor. 16:17; Phil. 4:15, 16] supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain 11:9 ch. 12:16; 1 Thess. 2:6from burdening you in any way.

1011:10 See Rom. 1:9; 9:1As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine 11:10 1 Cor. 9:15will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia.

11And why? 11:11 See ch. 6:11Because I do not love you? 11:11 ver. 31; ch. 12:2, 3God knows I do!

12And what I am doing I will continue to do, 11:12 [1 Cor. 9:12]in 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.

13For such men are 11:13 Rev. 2:2; [Gal. 1:7; 2:4; 6:12; Phil. 1:15; 3:18; Titus 1:10, 12; 2 Pet. 2:1; 1 John 4:1] false apostles, 11:13 [Phil. 3:2] deceitful workmen, 11:13 ver. 14, 15disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

14And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as 11:14 Gal. 1:8an angel of light.

15So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as 11:15 ch. 3:9servants of righteousness. 11:15 Phil. 3:19Their end will correspond to their deeds.

Paul’s Sufferings as an Apostle

16I repeat, 11:16 ch. 12:6let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.

17What I am saying 11:17 ch. 9:4with this boastful confidence, 11:17 [1 Cor. 7:12]I say not as the Lord would11:17 Greek not according to the Lord but as a fool.

18Since 11:18 Phil. 3:3, 4many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast.

19For you gladly bear with fools, 11:19 1 Cor. 4:10being wise yourselves!

20For you bear it if someone 11:20 Gal. 2:4; [Gal. 4:3, 9; 5:1] makes slaves of you, or 11:20 [ch. 7:2] devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or 11:20 1 Cor. 4:11strikes you in the face.

21To my shame, I must say, 11:21 ch. 10:10we 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.

22Are they Hebrews? 11:22 Rom. 11:1; Phil. 3:5So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I.

23Are they 11:23 See ch. 3:6; 10:7servants of Christ? 11:23 See 1 Cor. 15:10I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, 11:23 ch. 6:5far more imprisonments, 11:23 Acts 16:23with countless beatings, and 11:23 ch. 1:9, 10; 4:11; 6:9; Rom. 8:36; 1 Cor. 15:30-32often near death.

24Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the 11:24 Deut. 25:3forty lashes less one.

25Three times I was 11:25 Acts 16:22beaten with rods. 11:25 Acts 14:19Once I was stoned. Three times I 11:25 [Acts 27:41]was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea;

26on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, 11:26 Acts 9:23; 13:50; 14:5; 17:5; 1 Thess. 2:15; [Acts 18:12; 20:3, 19; 21:27; 23:10, 12; 25:3] danger from my own people, 11:26 Acts 14:5; [Acts 19:23; 27:42] danger from Gentiles, 11:26 Acts 21:31danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers;

2711:27 1 Thess. 2:9; 2 Thess. 3:8in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, 11:27 1 Cor. 4:11; Phil. 4:12in hunger and thirst, often without food,11:27 Or often in fasting in cold and exposure.

28And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for 11:28 See 1 Cor. 7:17all the churches.

2911:29 See 1 Cor. 8:13; 9:22Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

3011:30 ch. 10:10; 12:5, 9; See 1 Cor. 2:3If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

3111:31 See Rom. 15:6The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, 11:31 See Rom. 9:5he who is blessed forever, 11:31 ver. 11knows that I am not lying.

32At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas 11:32 Acts 9:24was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me,

3311:33 Acts 9:25but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.

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