New Testament · Letters

2 Corinthians chapter 11

I wish you’d put up with a little from me. Actually, you already are putting up with me!I’m of you with the same kind of protectiveness God has. I promised you to one husband — to present you to as someone completely .But I’m afraid that just as the deceived Eve with his , your minds might be led astray from your sincere and to The One.Because if someone comes along and talks about a different Jesus than the one we told you about, or if you receive a different than the one you received, or a different than what you accepted — you seem to put up with that just fine!I don’t consider myself the least bit inferior to those so-called ‘.’Sure, maybe I’m not a , but I definitely . We’ve made that clear to you in every possible way.Did I do something wrong by so that you could be lifted up? I brought you God’s without charging you anything!I other by accepting support from them so I could serve you.When I was with you and ran short on money, I didn’t any of you. The brothers and sisters who came from took care of what I needed. I made sure not to be a burden to you in any way, and I’ll keep it that way.As surely as The One’s truth lives in me, nobody in the whole region of is going to stop me from making .Why? Because I don’t you? God knows I do!And I’ll keep doing what I’m doing — to those who want to claim they work on the same terms we do.People like that are , dishonest workers who as apostles of The One.And that’s no surprise — even disguises himself as an .So it’s really no big deal if his servants also disguise themselves as . In the end, they’ll get what their actions deserve.Let me say it again: don’t think I’m a for this. But even if you do, then at least humor me like you would a fool, so I can do a little of my own.What I’m about to say, I’m not saying the way would — I’m going to talk like a fool with all this bragging.Since so many people are bragging about their , I’ll do the same.After all, you’re so that you happily put up with fools!You put up with it when someone you, you, takes everything you have, looks down on you, or even !I’m embarrassed to admit that we were apparently too ‘’ for that kind of thing. But whatever anyone else dares to brag about — I’m talking like a fool now — I’ll dare to brag about it too.Are they ? So am I. Are they ? So am I. Are they ? So am I.Are they of The One? I’m to talk like this, but I’m an even better one! I’ve worked much harder, been in prison far more often, been beaten beyond what anyone should survive, and faced death over and over again.Five times I received from the Jewish authorities the .Three times I was , once I was , three times I was , and I spent a night and a day drifting in the open sea.I’ve been constantly on the move, in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from , in danger from , in danger in the city, in danger in the wilderness, in danger at sea, in danger from .I’ve known , many , hunger and thirst, often going without food, and being cold and exposed.And on top of everything else, there’s the I feel — my for all the .When someone is , I feel that weakness. When someone is , it .If I have to , I’ll brag about the things that show how I am.The God and Father of the Lord Jesus — who is — knows that I’m not lying.In , the under had the city guarded to try to arrest me.But I was lowered in a through a , and I slipped right through his hands.