Guarding the Bride of Christ
11 1 I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness — and indeed you are bearing with me. 2 For I am jealous for you with our Father's jealousy, because I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 3 But I am afraid that, just as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may be led astray from the sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or you receive a different spirit than the one you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you put up with it well enough. 5 Yet I consider that I am not in the least inferior to those "super-apostles." 6 Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not unskilled in knowledge; in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.
7 Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of our Father 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 in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. 10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boast of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. 11 Why? Because I do not love you? Our Father knows that I do!
12 And what I am doing I will keep on doing, in order to cut off the opportunity of those who want an opportunity to be regarded as our equals in the things they boast about. 13 For these people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 So it is no surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will be according to their deeds.
A Fool's Boast of Suffering
16 I say again, let no one think me a fool. But even if you do, then accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. 17 What I am saying in this confident boasting, I am not saying as the Lord would, but as a fool. 18 Since many boast by human standards, I too will boast. 19 For you gladly put up with fools, since you are so wise! 20 In fact, you put up with it if someone enslaves you, if someone devours you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone puts on airs, if someone slaps you in the face. 21 To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone else dares to boast about — I am speaking as a fool — I also dare to boast about. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? I am talking like a madman — I am more: with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. a a v24 Jewish law allowed up to forty lashes; thirty-nine were given to avoid accidentally exceeding the legal limit. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked; I spent a night and a day adrift on the open sea. 26 I have been constantly on the move: in danger from rivers, in danger from robbers, in danger from my own people, in danger from the Gentiles, in danger in the city, in danger in the wilderness, in danger at sea, in danger among false brothers; 27 in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
28 And apart from these external things, there is the daily pressure of my anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?
30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31 Our Father — the Father of our Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever — knows that I am not lying. 32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, 33 but I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall, and I slipped through his hands.
