1 Concern for Their Faithfulness Oh, that you would bear with me in a little Matt. 17:17;2 Cor. 11:4, 16, 19 folly—and indeed you do bear with me.
2 For I am Gal. 4:17 jealous for you with godly jealousy. For Hos. 2:19; (Eph. 5:26) I have betrothed you to one husband, Col. 1:28 that I may present you Lev. 21:13 as a chaste virgin to Christ.
3 But I fear, lest somehow, as Gen. 3:4, 13; John 8:44;1 Thess. 3:5;1 Tim. 2:14; (Rev. 12:9, 15) the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds Eph. 6:24 may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a Gal. 1:6–8 different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!
5 Paul and False Apostles For I consider that (1 Cor. 15:10); 2 Cor. 12:11; Gal. 2:6 I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles.
6 Even though (1 Cor. 1:17) I am untrained in speech, yet I am not (1 Cor. 12:8; Eph. 3:4) in knowledge. But (2 Cor. 12:12) we have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things.
7 Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you Acts 18:3;1 Cor. 9:18;2 Cor. 12:13 free of charge?
8 I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you.
9 And when I was present with you, and in need, Acts 20:33 I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked Phil. 4:10 the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself .
10 Rom. 1:9; 9:1;2 Cor. 1:23; (Gal. 2:20) As the truth of Christ is in me, 1 Cor. 9:15 no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
11 Why? 2 Cor. 6:11; 12:15 Because I do not love you? God knows!
12 But what I do, I will also continue to do, 1 Cor. 9:12 that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast.
13 For such Acts 15:24; Rom. 16:18; Gal. 1:7; Phil. 1:15;2 Pet. 2:1; Rev. 2:2 are false apostles, Phil. 3:2; Titus 1:10 deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.
14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into Gal. 1:8 an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, (Phil. 3:19) whose end will be according to their works.
16 Reluctant Boasting I say again, let no one think me a fool. If otherwise, at least receive me as a fool, that I also may boast a little.
17 What I speak, 1 Cor. 7:6 I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were, foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.
18 Seeing that many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast.
19 For you put up with fools gladly, 1 Cor. 4:10 since you yourselves are wise!
20 For you put up with it 2 Cor. 1:24; (Gal. 2:4; 4:3, 9; 5:1) if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face.
21 To our shame 2 Cor. 10:10 I say that we were too weak for that! But Phil. 3:4 in whatever anyone is bold—I speak foolishly—I am bold also.
22 Suffering for Christ Are they Acts 22:3; Rom. 11:1; Phil. 3:4–6 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: 1 Cor. 15:10 in labors more abundant, Acts 9:16 in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, 1 Cor. 15:30 in deaths often.
24 From the Jews five times I received Deut. 25:3 forty 2 Cor. 6:5 stripes minus one.
25 Three times I was Acts 16:22, 23; 21:32 beaten with rods; Acts 14:5, 19 once I was stoned; three times I Acts 27:1–44 was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, Acts 9:23, 24; 13:45, 50; 17:5, 13;1 Thess. 2:15 in perils of my own countrymen, Acts 14:5, 19; 19:23; 27:42 in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 in weariness and toil, Acts 20:31 in sleeplessness often, 1 Cor. 4:11; Phil. 4:12 in hunger and thirst, in Acts 9:9; 13:2, 3; 14:23 fastings often, in cold and nakedness—
28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: Acts 20:18; (Rom. 1:14); 2 Cor. 7:12; 12:20; Gal. 4:11;1 Thess. 3:10 my deep concern for all the churches.
29 (1 Cor. 8:9, 13; 9:22) Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?
30 If I must boast, (2 Cor. 12:5, 9, 10) I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity.
31 Rom. 1:9; Gal. 1:20;1 Thess. 2:5 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Rom. 9:5 who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.
32 Acts 9:19–25 In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me;
33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.