I wish you would ^abear with me while I indulge in a little ^bfoolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me as you read this. 2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy because I have ^apromised you to one husband, to ^bpresent you as a pure virgin to Christ. Hos 2:19, 20 3 But I am afraid that, even as the ^aserpent beguiled Eve by his cunning, your minds may be corrupted and led away from the simplicity of your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. Gen 3:4 4 For you seem willing to allow it if one comes and preaches ^aanother Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a ^bdifferent spirit from the one you received, or a ^cdifferent gospel from the one you accepted. You ^dtolerate all this ^ebeautifully welcoming the deception. 5 Yet I consider myself ^ain no way inferior to the so-called ¹super-apostles. 6 But even if I am ^aunskilled in speaking, yet I am not untrained in ^1bknowledge I know what I am talking about; but we have ^cmade this evident to you in every way, in all things.

7 Or ^adid I perhaps sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted and honored, because I preached ^bGod’s gospel to you ^1cfree of charge? 8 I robbed other churches by ^aaccepting more than their share of financial support for my ministry to you. 9 And when I was with you and ran short financially, I did ^anot burden any of you; for what I needed was fully supplied by ^bthe brothers (Silas and Timothy) who came from ^cMacedonia (the church at Philippi) . So I kept myself from ^dbeing a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. Phil 4:15, 16 10 ^aAs the truth of Christ is in me, ^bmy boast of independence will not be silenced in the regions of ^cAchaia (southern Greece) . 11 Why? ^aBecause I do not love you or wish you well, or have regard for your welfare? ^bGod knows that I do!

12 But what I am doing I will keep doing, for I am determined to keep this independence ^ain order to cut off the claim of those who want an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things they brag about. 13 For such men are ^acounterfeit apostles, ^bdeceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, since ^aSatan himself masquerades as an ^bangel of light. 15 So it is no great surprise if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, but ^atheir end will correspond with their deeds.

16 ^aI repeat then, let no one think that I am foolish; but even if you do, at least accept me as foolish, so that I too may boast a little. 17 What I say in this confident boasting, I say not ^aas the Lord would with His authority, but ^bfoolishly. 18 Since ^amany boast of worldly things and brag ^babout human accomplishments, I will boast too. 19 ¹For you, ^abeing so wise, gladly tolerate and accept the foolish like me! 20 For you tolerate it if anyone ^amakes you his slave; or ^bdevours you and your possessions; or ^ctakes advantage of you; or acts ^dpresumptuously; or ^ehits you in the face. 21 To my ^ashame, I must say, we have been too ^bweak in comparison to those pseudo-apostles who take advantage of you.

But in whatever anyone else ^cdares to boast—I ^dam speaking foolishly—I also dare to boast. 22 Are they ^aHebrews? ^bSo am I. Are they ^cIsraelites? ^dSo am I. Are they ^edescendants of Abraham? ^fSo am I. 23 Are they self-proclaimed ^aservants of Christ?—I am speaking as if I were out of my mind—I am more so for I exceed them; with ^bfar more labors, with ^cfar more imprisonments, ^dbeaten times without number, and often in ^edanger of death. 24 Five times I received from the Jews ^1athirty-nine lashes. Deut 25:3 25 Three times I was ^abeaten with rods, once I was ^bstoned. Three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent adrift on the sea; 26 many times on journeys, exposed to danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own ^acountrymen, danger from the ^bGentiles, danger in the ^ccity, danger in the wilderness, danger on the sea, danger among ^dthose posing as believers; 27 in ^alabor and hardship, often unable to sleep, in ^bhunger and thirst, often driven to ^cfasting for lack of food, in cold and ^dexposure without adequate clothing. 28 Besides those external things, there is the daily inescapable pressure of my concern for ^aall the churches. 29 Who is ^aweak, and I do not feel his weakness? Who is made to sin, and I am not on fire with sorrow and concern?

30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that reveal my ^aweakness the things by which I am made weak in the eyes of my opponents. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, ^aHe who is blessed and to be praised forevermore, knows ^bthat I am not lying. 32 In ^aDamascus the ¹governor (ethnarch) under ²King Aretas ^bguarded the city of Damascus in order to arrest me, 33 and I was actually let down in a basket ^athrough a ¹window in the wall, and slipped through his fingers.

I wish that you would ^abear with me in a little ^bfoolishness, but ¹indeed you are bearing with me. 2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, for I ^abetrothed you to one husband, so that I might ^bpresent you as a pure virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear that, as the ^aserpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be corrupted from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. 4 For if ¹one comes and preaches ^aanother Jesus whom we did not preach, or you receive a ^bdifferent spirit which you did not receive, or a ^cdifferent gospel which you did not accept, you ^dbear this ^ebeautifully. 5 For I consider myself ^ain no way inferior to the ¹most-eminent apostles. 6 But even if I am ^aunskilled in word, yet I am not so in ^bknowledge; in fact, in every way we have ^cmade this evident to you in all things.

7 Or ^adid I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I proclaimed the ^bgospel of God to you ^cwithout charge? 8 I robbed other churches by ^ataking wages from them to minister to you. 9 And when I was present with you and was in need, I was ^anot a burden to anyone; for when ^bthe brothers came from ^cMacedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept and will keep myself from ^dbeing a burden to you. 10 ^aAs the truth of Christ is in me, ^bthis boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of ^cAchaia. 11 Why? ^aBecause I do not love you? ^bGod knows I do!

12 But what I am doing I will continue to do, ^aso that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be found just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting. 13 For such men are ^afalse apostles, ^bdeceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even ^aSatan disguises himself as an ^bangel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness, ^awhose end will be according to their deeds.

16 ^aAgain 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 ^1aaccording to the Lord, but as ^bin foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. 18 Since ^amany boast ^baccording to the flesh, I will boast also. 19 For you, ^abeing so wise, are bearing the foolish gladly. 20 For you bear it if anyone ^aenslaves you, anyone ^bdevours you, anyone ^ctakes advantage of you, anyone ^dexalts himself, anyone ^ehits you in the face. 21 To my ^ashame I must say that we have been ^bweak by comparison.

But in whatever respect anyone else ^cis daring—I ^dspeak in foolishness—I am just as daring myself. 22 Are they ^aHebrews? ^bSo am I. Are they ^cIsraelites? ^dSo am I. Are they Abraham’s ^eseed? ^fSo am I. 23 Are they ^aministers of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in ^1bfar more labors, in ^2cfar more imprisonments, in ^dbeatings without number, in frequent ^edanger of death. 24 Five times I received from the Jews ^aforty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was ^abeaten with rods, once I was ^bstoned, 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 ^acountrymen, dangers from the ^bGentiles, dangers in the ^ccity, dangers in the desolate places, dangers on the sea, dangers among ^dfalse brothers. 27 I have been in ^alabor and hardship, in many sleepless nights, in ^bstarvation and thirst, often ^chungry, in cold and ^1dwithout enough clothing. 28 Apart from such ¹external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for ^aall the churches. 29 Who is ^aweak without my being weak? Who is made to stumble ¹without my burning concern?

30 If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my ^aweakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, ^aHe who is blessed forever, ^bknows that I am not lying. 32 In ^aDamascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was ^bguarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, 33 and I was let down in a basket ^athrough a window ¹in the wall, and so escaped his hands.