2 Corinthians 11

Paul and the False Apostles

2 Corinthians 11:1–15

1 Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.

2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have promised you in marriage to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent deceived Eve through his cunning, so your minds should be corrupted from sincere devotion to Christ.

4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

5 For I suppose I was not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles.

6 But though I be untrained in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been thoroughly made manifest among you in all things.

7 Have I committed an offence in humbling myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?

8 I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.

9 And when I was present with you, and was in need, I was a burden to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.

10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.

11 Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.

12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.

13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as the apostles of Christ.

14 And no marvel; for Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light.

15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also disguise themselves as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Paulʼs Suffering and Service

2 Corinthians 11:16–33

16 I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.

17 That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.

18 Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.

19 For ye gladly put up with fools, seeing ye yourselves are wise.

20 For ye put up with it, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take advantage of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.

21 I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. But in any matter in which anyone is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.

22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in danger of death often.

24 Of the Jews five times received I forty lashes except one.

25 Three times was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, three times I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

26 In journeyings often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

27 In weariness and hardship, in sleepless nights often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

28 Beside those outward things, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is caused to stumble, and I burn not?

30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern my weaknesses.

31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.

32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:

33 And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.