2 Corinthians 11:1-15 - Paul Defends His Apostleship

¹ I wish that you would put up with me {in something a little foolish}--but indeed you are putting up with me. ² For I am jealous [for] you with a godly jealousy, because I promised you [in marriage] to one husband, to present [you] [as] a pure virgin to Christ. ³ But I am afraid lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds may be led astray from the sincerity and the purity of [devotion] to Christ. ⁴ For if the one who comes proclaims another Jesus whom we have not proclaimed, or you receive a different spirit which you did not receive, or a different gospel which you did not accept, you put up with [it] well [enough]!

⁵ For I consider myself in no way to be inferior to the preeminent apostles. ⁶ But even if [I am] unskilled in speech, yet [I am] not in knowledge; certainly in everything [we] have made this clear to you in every [way]. ⁷ Or did I commit a sin [by] humbling myself in order that you may be exalted, because I proclaimed the gospel of God to you without payment? ⁸ I robbed other churches [by] accepting support [from them] for the ministry to you. ⁹ And [when I] was present with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will keep [myself from being a burden]. ¹⁰ [As the] truth of Christ is in me, this boasting {of mine} will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia. ¹¹ {Why}? Because I do not love you? God knows [I do]!

¹² But what I am doing, I will also do, in order that I may remove the opportunity of those who want an opportunity, that they may be found just as also we [are] in what they are boasting about. ¹³ For such people [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder, for Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore [it is] not a great thing if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.