111 I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness ; but indeed you are bearing with me. 2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy ; for I betrothed you to one husband , so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin . 3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness , your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ . 4 For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached , or you receive a different spirit which you have not received , or a different gospel which you have not accepted , you bear this beautifully .
5 For I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles . 6 But even if I am unskilled in speech , yet I am not so in knowledge ; in fact , in every way we have made this evident to you in all things . 7 Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted , because I preached the gospel of God to you without charge ? 8 I robbed other churches by taking wages from them to serve you; 9 and when I was present with you and was in need , I was not a burden to anyone ; for when the brethren came from Macedonia they fully supplied my need , and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will continue to do so. 10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine e will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia . 11 Why e ? Because I do not love you? God knows I do! 12 But what I am doing I will continue to do , so that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting . 13 For such men are false apostles , deceitful workers , disguising themselves as apostles of Christ . 14 No wonder , for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light . 15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness , whose end will be according to their deeds .
16 Again I say , let no one think me foolish ; but if you do, receive me even as foolish , so that I also may boast a little . 17 What I am saying , I am not saying as the Lord would, but as in foolishness , in this confidence of boasting . 18 Since many boast according to the flesh , I will boast also . 19 For you, being so wise , tolerate the foolish gladly . 20 For you tolerate it if anyone enslaves you, anyone devours you, anyone takes advantage of you, anyone exalts himself, anyone hits you in the face . 21 To my shame I must say that we have been weak by comparison. But in whatever e respect anyone else is bold -I speak in foolishness -I am just as bold myself .
22 Are they Hebrews ? So am I. Are they Israelites ? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham ? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ ?-I speak as if insane -I more so ; in far more labors , in far more imprisonments , beaten times without number , often in danger of death . 24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine e e lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods , once I was stoned , three times I was shipwrecked , a night and a day I have spent in the deep . 26 I have been on frequent journeys , in dangers from rivers , dangers from robbers , dangers from my countrymen , dangers from the Gentiles , dangers in the city , dangers in the wilderness , dangers on the sea , dangers among false brethren ; 27 I have been in labor and hardship , through many sleepless nights , in hunger and thirst , often without food , in cold and exposure . 28 Apart from such external things, there is the daily e pressure on me of concern for all the churches . 29 Who is weak without e my being weak ? Who is led into sin without e my intense concern ? 30 If I have to boast , I will boast of what pertains to my weakness . 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus , He who is blessed forever , knows that I am not lying . 32 In Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, 33 and I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall , and so escaped his hands .
