2Corinthians 11 - Prayer Tents

Paul and the False Apostles

11I hope you will put up with a little more of my foolishness. Please bear with me.G3785G430G3450G3397G877G2532G235G430G3450 2For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. I promised you as a pure bride to one husband—Christ.G1063G2206G5209G2316G2205G1063G718G5209G1520G435G3936G53G3933G5547 3But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent.G1161G5399G3381G4458G5613G3789G1818G2096G1722G846G3834G3779G5216G3540G5351G575G572G1519G5547 4You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.G1063G1487G3303G2064G2784G243G2424G3739G2784G3756G2784G2228G2983G2087G4151G3739G2983G3756G2983G2228G2087G2098G3739G1209G3756G1209G430G2573G430 5But I don’t consider myself inferior in any way to these “super apostles” who teach such things.G1063G3049G5302G3367G5302G5228G3029G652 6I may be unskilled as a speaker, but I’m not lacking in knowledge. We have made this clear to you in every possible way.G1161G1499G2399G3056G235G3756G1108G235G1722G3956G5319G1519G5209G1722G3956 7Was I wrong when I humbled myself and honored you by preaching God’s Good News to you without expecting anything in return?G2228G4160G266G5013G1683G2443G5210G5312G3754G2097G5213G2098G2316G1432 8I “robbed” other churches by accepting their contributions so I could serve you at no cost.G4813G243G1577G2983G3800G4314G1248G5216G1248 9And when I was with you and didn’t have enough to live on, I did not become a financial burden to anyone. For the brothers who came from Macedonia brought me all that I needed. I have never been a burden to you, and I never will be.G2532G3918G4314G5209G2532G5302G3756G2655G3762G1063G5303G3450G80G2064G575G3109G4322G2532G1722G3956G5083G1683G4G5213G2532G5083 10As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, no one in all of Greece will ever stop me from boasting about this.G225G5547G2076G1722G1698G3754G3756G4972G5420G1519G1691G3778G2746G1722G2824G882 11Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows that I do.G1302G3754G25G5209G3756G2316G1492 12But I will continue doing what I have always done. This will undercut those who are looking for an opportunity to boast that their work is just like ours.G1161G3739G4160G2532G4160G2443G1581G874G2309G874G2443G1722G3739G2744G2147G2532G2531G2249 13These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ.G1063G5108G5570G1386G2040G3345G1519G652G5547 14But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.G2532G3756G2298G1063G4567G846G3345G1519G32G5457 15So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve.G3767G3756G3173G1499G846G1249G1499G3345G5613G1249G1343G3739G5056G2071G2596G846G2041

Paul’s Many Trials

16Again I say, don’t think that I am a fool to talk like this. But even if you do, listen to me, as you would to a foolish person, while I also boast a little.G3004G3825G1380G3361G5100G1380G1511G3165G878G1490G2579G5613G878G1209G3165G2443G2504G2744G5100G3397 17Such boasting is not from the Lord, but I am acting like a fool.G3739G2980G2980G3756G2596G2962G235G5613G1722G877G1722G5026G5287G2746 18And since others boast about their human achievements, I will, too.G1893G4183G2744G2596G4561G2744G2504 19After all, you think you are so wise, but you enjoy putting up with fools!G1063G430G878G2234G5607G5429 20You put up with it when someone enslaves you, takes everything you have, takes advantage of you, takes control of everything, and slaps you in the face.G1063G430G1536G2615G5209G2615G1536G2719G1536G2983G1536G1869G1536G1194G5209G1519G4383 21I’m ashamed to say that we’ve been too “weak” to do that! But whatever they dare to boast about—I’m talking like a fool again—I dare to boast about it, too.G3004G2596G819G5613G3754G2249G770G1161G1722G3739G302G5100G5111G3004G1722G877G5111G2504 22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.G1526G1445G2504G1526G2475G2504G1526G4690G11G2504 23Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again.G1526G1249G5547G2980G3912G1473G5228G1722G2873G4056G1722G4127G5234G1722G5438G4056G1722G2288G4178 24Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes.G5259G2453G3999G2983G5062G3844G3391 25Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.G5151G4463G530G3034G5151G3489G3574G4160G1722G1037 26I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.G3597G4178G2794G4215G2794G3027G2794G1537G1085G2794G1537G1484G2794G1722G4172G2794G1722G2047G2794G1722G2281G2794G1722G5569 27I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.G1722G2873G2532G3449G1722G70G4178G1722G3042G2532G1373G1722G3521G4178G1722G5592G2532G1132 28Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches.G5565G3924G3588G1999G3450G2250G2596G3308G3956G1577 29Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?G5101G770G2532G770G3756G770G5101G4624G2532G1473G4448G3756 30If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am.G1487G1163G2744G2744G3588G3450G769 31God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, who is worthy of eternal praise, knows I am not lying.G2316G2532G3962G2257G2962G2424G5547G3588G5607G2128G1519G165G1492G3754G5574G3756 32When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept guards at the city gates to catch me.G1722G1154G1481G702G935G5432G4172G1153G5432G2309G4084G3165 33I had to be lowered in a basket through a window in the city wall to escape from him.G2532G1223G2376G1722G4553G5465G1223G5038G2532G1628G846G5495