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

¹ Would to God, ye could suffer me a little in my foolishness: yea, and I pray you forbear me. ² For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy. For I coupled you to one man, to make you a chaste virgin to Christ: ³ But I fear, lest as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, even so your wits should be corrupt from the singleness that is in Christ. ⁴ For if he that cometh to you preach another Jesus than him whom we preached, or if ye receive another spirit than that which ye have received, either another gospel than that ye have received; ye might right well have been content.

⁵ I suppose that I was not behind the chief apostles. ⁶ Though I be rude in speaking, yet I am not so in knowledge. Howbeit, among you we are known to the utmost what we are in all things. ⁷ Did I therein sin, because I submitted myself, that ye might be exalted? And because I preached unto you the Gospel of God freely? ⁸ I robbed other congregations, and took wages of them, to do you service withal. ⁹ And when I was present with you and had need, I was grievous to no man. For that which was lacking unto me, the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I kept myself that I should not be grievous to you: and so will I keep myself. ¹⁰ If the truth of Christ be in me, this rejoicing shall not be taken from me in the regions of Achaia. ¹¹ Wherefore? Because I love you not? God knoweth.

¹² Nevertheless what I do, that will I do to cut away occasion from them which desire occasion, that they might be found like unto us in that wherein they rejoice: ¹³ For these false apostles are deceitful workers, and fashion themselves like unto the apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no marvel, for Satan himself is changed into the fashion of an angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing, though his ministers fashion themselves as though they were the ministers of righteousness: whose end shall be according to their deeds.