Paul
And The False Apostles
I
hope you will put up with a little of my foolishness;
2 I
AM JEALOUS FOR YOU WITH A GODLY JEALOUSY.
I
PROMISED YOU TO ONE HUSBAND,
TO
CHRIST,
SO
THAT I MIGHT PRESENT YOU AS A PURE VIRGIN TO HIM.
3
BUT I AM AFRAID
THAT
JUST AS EVE WAS DECEIVED BY THE SERPENT'S CUNNING,
YOU
MINDS MAY SOMEHOW BE LED ASTRAY
FROM
YOUR SINCERE AND PURE DEVOTION TO CHRIST.
4
For if someone comes to you and Preaches a Jesus
Other
than the Jesus we Preached,
Or
if you receive a Different spirit from the one you received,
Or
a Different Gospel from the one you accepted,
You
put up with it easily enough.
5
But I do not think I am in the least
Inferior
to those 'super-apostles.'
6 I
may not be a Trained Speaker,
But
I do have knowledge.
We
have mad this perfectly clear to you in every way.
7
Was it a Sin for me to lower myself
In
order to Elevate you
By
Preaching the Gospel of God to you free of Charge?
8 I
Robbed other Churches
By
receiving support from them so as to serve you.
9
And when I was with you and needed something,
I
was not a burden to anyone,
For
the brothers who came from Macedonia
Supplied
what I needed.
I
have kept myself from being a Burden to you in any way,
And
will continue to do so.
10
AS SURELY AS THE TRUTH OF CHRIST IS IN ME,
No
body in the regions of Achaia will stop this Boasting of mine.
11
Why? Because I do not love you?
GOD
KNOWS I DO!
12
And I will keep on doing what I am doing
In
order to Cut the Ground from under those
Who
want an Opportunity to be considered equal with us
In
the things they boast about.
13
FOR SUCH MEN ARE FALSE APOSTLES,
DECEITFUL
WORKMEN,
MASQUERADING
AS APOSTLES OF CHRIST.
14
AND NO WONDER,
FOR
SATAN HIMSELF MASQUERADES
AS
AN ANGEL OF LIGHT.
15
IT IS NOT SURPRISING, THEN,
IF
HIS SERVANTS MASQUERADE
AS
SERVANTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
THEIR
END WILL BE WHAT THEIR ACTIONS DESERVE.
Paul
Boasts About His Sufferings
16
I repeat:
LET
NO ONE TAKE ME FOR A FOOL.
But
if you do, then receive me
Just
as you would a Fool,
So
that I may do a little Boasting.
17
In this self-confident Boasting
I
am not talking as the Lord would,
But
as a Fool.
18
SINCE MANY ARE BOASTING
IN
THE WAY THE WORLD DOES,
I
too will boast.
19
YOU GLADLY PUT UP WITH FOOLS
SINCE
YOU ARE SO WISE!
20
IN FACT,
YOU
EVEN PUT UP WITH ANYONE WHO ENSLAVES YOU
OR
EXPLOITS YOU OR TAKES ADVANTAGE OF YOU
OR
PUSHES HIMSELF FORWARD
OR
SLAPS YOU IN THE FACE.
21
TO MY SHAME I ADMIT
THAT
WE WERE TOO WEAK FOR THAT!
What
anyone else Dares to Boast about--
I
also Dare to Boast about.
22
are they Hebrews?
So
am I.
Are
they Servants of Christ?
So
am I.
Are
they Abraham's Descendants?
So
am I.
( I
am out of my mind to talk like this.)
I
am more.
I
have worked much harder,
Been
in Prison more Frequently,
Been
Flogged more Severely,
And
been Expose to Death again and again.
24
Five times I received from the Jews
Forty
Lashes minus one.
25
Three times I was Beaten with Rods,
Once
I was Stoned,
three
times I was Shipwrecked,
I
spent a night and a day in the open sea,
26
I have been Constantly on the move.
I
have been in Danger from rivers,
In
Danger from Bandits,
In
Danger from my own Countrymen,
In
Danger from Gentiles;
In
Danger in the City,
In
Danger in the Country,
In
Danger at Sea;
AND
IN DANGER FROM FALSE BROTHERS.
27
I have Labored and Toiled
And
have often gone without sleep;
I
have known Hunger and Thirst
And
have often gone Without Food;
I
have been Cold and Naked.
28
BESIDES EVERYTHING ELSE,
I
FACE DAILY THE PRESSURE OF MY CONCERN
FOR
ALL THE CHURCHES.
29
WHO IS WEAK,
AND
I DO NOT FEEL WEAK?
WHO
IS LED INTO SIN,
AND
I DO NOT INWARDLY BURN?
30
If I must Boast,
I
will boast of the things that show my Weakness.
31
THE GOD AND FATHER OF THE LORD JESUS,
WHO
IS TO BE PRAISED FOREVER,
KNOWS
THAT I AM NOT LYING.
32
In Damascus the Governor under King Aretas
Had
the City of the Damascenes Guarded
In
order to Arrest me.
33
But I was lowered in a Basket
From
a window in the wall
And
Slipped through his hands.
(2
Corinthians 11)
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